Thank you to @randomhouse for letting me read MISTER MAGIC early. This one publishes on August 8!

What a freaking unique story! I really enjoyed this one. It came to life in front of me in such a cool way. I didn’t love it as much as HIDE, which is Kiersten White’s previous book, but it’s still up there and definitely worth the read.

This is a gorgeous and unexpected horror novel ... as someone who left a religious background behind, and has many loved ones who've also found refuge outside of religious trauma, I found it as healing as it is intense. Also, huge bonus points for taking on the creepypasta-esque premise of a half-remembered children's show and truly embracing both its eerie qualities and its potential for exploring religious abuse.

I loved the intrigue and style of mystery for Mister Magic. The entire time it kept the reader in suspense as to what was real and what wasn't, while still staying grounded in the reality of the characters.

Reading this felt like walking through the sludge of a weird dream. Everything fuzzy and surreal, confusing characters and even more confusing decisions being made. Once into the meat of the story, Mister Magic is not just horror - it’s an emotional rollercoaster, deeply atmospheric and dripping with symbolism. Get your inner child and tissues ready for this one - and don’t read at night. You never know where Mister Magic is lurking.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book took me two days to read. Just two. Oh where to even begin. It did a wonderful job of suspense building. My overly active imagination at 3am was having the time of its life creating a movie in my head as I read and then also in turn making me want to turn the lights back on.
Childhood is a magical transformative time for many, but what happens when you forget it, what happens when it comes back to haunt you? Touching on childhood trauma and aspects of religious trauma, the story demonstrates how all that can form into adulthood negative effects, and even regret. This book is also a social commentary on how parents want their children to conform to society; to be well behaved - follow the rules, etc... However, that's not how the real world works. Be an absolute nuisance it's so much more fun that way.
The writing was fantastic, the characters were nicely developed (I would have liked to see more history of some characters, but that's alright), the absolute heaping spoon of suspense and giant scoop of eerie made this book absolutely jaw dropping. I'm bursting at the seams knowing the whole world hasn't read it yet, knowing I can't scream with people about this book just yet.

This was a hard one to rate for me. I both enjoyed the concept of the story but also felt like it was too big and trying to be too much. After reading that the author walked away from her Mormon faith and this story came from that, it made more sense. I didn't dislike it but I also didn't love it. 3 stars.

This was such an intriguing and fascinating read. In my opinion, the perfect way to describe this book would be “hypnotizing and peculiar”. I was able to read it in just a day and I’m so glad because I could not get enough!

This was my first book by Keirsten White and it did not disappoint. Captivating writing, interesting characters, and an eerie, uncomfortable vibe from start to finish, which I couldn’t have loved more. I won’t lie, this book had me looking over my shoulder!

I wasn’t the BIGGEST fan of the ending and that’s my only *slight* disappointment. Do I think the ending makes sense for the plot? Yes! Was I also hoping it took a different turn? Yes! but it’s fine. I still thoroughly enjoyed this one!

A solid 4.5 for me! I will recommending this one to all my spooky book friends!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I must admit, I was a bit apprehensive about this one at first. Her last book (Hide) wasn't really for me. But I'm glad I have this one a shot!

The premise of Mister Magic is so good and this book delivers for the most part. As a child of the 90s, I felt the nostalgia of old children shows.

Kiersten White built a great atmosphere and there were a few parts that really had me feeling the tension and the few scary parts had me! It made me want more of that.

There are only two things that I wasn't a huge fan of:

1) the ending was a little lack luster and anticlimactic for the most part. I wish that it had been a little more satisfying.

2) the dialogue at times felt a bit juvenile for adults close to their 40s. I know that you could argue that it goes with plot points of the story, but it was hard at times to imagine that these characters were adults. But it is miles better than Hide.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this book. It was fun and if you love thrillers with a "cosmic horror" element, you will too!

Thank you Netgally for the ARC

Mister Magic by Kiersten White
Release Date: 8/8/23
Format: ebook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book has such a cool premise (actors from a children’s show coming together to unravel mysteries of their youth??? Sign me up!) and I could not put it down in the beginning! Literally no internet trace of the tv show ever existing and our main character doesn’t even remember she was on the show. The spooky vibes are there from the jump!

I really enjoyed the message of this book (and the authors note provided a lot of insight as to the allegory behind it), but the delivery just wasn’t for me. After about 40% I had a really hard time engaging with the book unfortunately.

With that being said, I thought the premise was really cool and unique. White did a very great job at writing the atmospheric moments and creating a sense of dread as the story unfolds. I do think some folks will enjoy this book, but I might not have been the proper audience for it!

Thanks to @netgalley for the advanced copy of this ebook!

This book held me captive! I could not put it down! I felt as if there was a creepy, dark presence throughout the book that was always watching the main character.
Mister Magic was a tv show for kids 30 years ago and it was the longest running show ever. A podcast is being recorded to talk to the cast members who were on the show last before it abruptly came to an end. The main character Val (Valentine) is mourning the loss of her father when three men come to visit. Her father had taken her from the show to a ranch where she stayed hidden, so Val does not understand how these three men found her. They saw the obituary on Facebook and want her to join them to go to the Podcast. Val wants answers, so she goes with them.
I absolutely loved this book and it felt very nostalgic of shows I used to watch as a child, however, this show had a dark twist.

Top line: I am truly not quite sure what to make of this book.

It is definitely different than what I expected! Fair warning for those going in — yes, there’s definitely thriller/whodunit elements, but there’s also a lot more going on. I won’t do any full spoilers, but I will touch on the genre elements I didn’t love a little further down, so stop here if you want to know absolutely NOTHING about how the story unfolds!

I really enjoyed the initial suspense and the build-up — it took a little bit to get going, but I’d say from about 20% to about 70% through, I was hooked! The characters were intriguing, and there was some great self-actualization going on in the midst of all the chaos as well.

And then…the reveal (kind of?) happens…and I just…what???

Suffice it to say I was thrown. If you’re a little more of a sci-fi person though, you may really enjoy! And the “out there” ending doesn’t take away from the tension you feel throughout, and the lovability of the cast of characters.

Overall I’m very torn, but I’m settling at a 3.5⭐️ — I enjoyed pieces of it, but ultimately the story went in a direction that just wasn’t particularly satisfying for me, and I kind of had to drag myself through the last quarter of the book or so.

3.5

I really liked Hide by this author last year so I was excited to read this book. It kept my attention and was a fairly quick read, though at times a difficult one. I understand more of the book after reading the Acknowledgments.

Mister Magic delivers a spine-chilling brew of nostalgia and terror! In this gripping paranormal horror, childhood actors reunite for a podcast on their old children's show, only to uncover long-buried secrets that haunt them to the core.

I enjoyed the characters in the story and the nostalgic vibes, but I wasn't a huge fan of the pacing. Although, I couldn't put the book down until I figured out what was going on with Mister Magic and this cast of characters.

I highly recommend for horror fans wanting something unique and entertaining.

First thing I want to say is I don't give out 5 stars for every book I read. Most are a sold 3 if I enjoyed it. Maybe 4 if the story is pretty good. So 5 stars I save when I'm blown away. And I was. This book sucked me right in! This book has so much to offer- 90's nostalgia, childhood memories, creepiness, conspiracy, some supernatural elements. I do admit I had to stop a few times to take a break and process and what I was reading was getting under my skin and creeping me out but that's what makes this a great read! I did read this in one day. Love! Would recommend! I did receive an advanced copy from the publishers with NetGalley for an honest review. #MisterMagic #NetGalley

This book was GOOD. Val and the gang are engaging the whole time and I was thoroughly creeped out by all the sinister passive aggression and tvs. Living in Utah it wasn’t hard to see the parallels to behaviors displayed by fanaticism in real life so it might have upped the spooky factor for me. What made this a less than perfect book? The reader is just as frustrated as Val by all the evasiveness and non answers up until the verrrryyyyy end. You’re telling me there were 4 people who essentially sold their souls to get back on TV and at no point were they so sketched out they confided in at least one other member of the circle, leaving us nothing to go in but the mere promise that maybe something would be revealed? Wack.
This book was still really good though.

This was so much more emotional than I expected, and in such a way that I was left feeling cut to the bone while also being very creeped out. Kiersten White has, indeed, created a spooky horror story that feels a bit like the "Candle Cove" creepypasta, but delves further into the horror aspects by making it also about the horrors of trauma and the horrors of children being stifled by a high control culture as well as by parents who would rather they be easy to control reflections of faux family harmony as opposed to people with thoughts, feelings, and needs. I loved seeing Val have to come to terms with a childhood she has no memory of, just as I loved seeing her and her childhood friends (now all adults) find each other again and have to come to terms with the darkness that they left behind, as well as what Mister Magic really and truly was and what it represented. This hit all the right beats for me, and is probably my favorite Kiersten White book to date.

MISTER MAGIC is phenomenal, hopeful, and scary in a number of ways. I really, really loved it.

Mister Magic by Kiersten White

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for sending me a digital ARC to review.

“Who is Mister Magic? Former child stars reunite to uncover the tragedy that ended their show—and discover the secret of its enigmatic host—in this “skin-crawling story of pop culture fandom and ‘90s nostalgia’”

“It meets The Stepford Wives in this wildly compelling story that explores whether it’s possible to recapture the magic of childhood.”

I like going into thriller books knowing as little as possible, but I believe understanding the overall vibe presented from the above quotes is helpful in enjoying Mister Magic.

To say I didn’t know what to expect was an understatement. This book did an amazing job creating the atmosphere of watching a horror movie for the first time in theatres. The sense of vulnerability but also a of commrodary from being surrounded by other people going through the same thing. (Even though I was reading this book alone 😱😰)

I’ve seen it described as being similar to creepy pasta stories or the feelings associated with liminal spaces.

Overall I really enjoyed this read and look forward to reading more by Kiersten White.

Mister Magic was extremely unique, I’m not sure if I have ever read anything like it before! It was the perfect amount of spooky and suspenseful and kept me intrigued the entire time. I also really enjoyed the author’s note at the end of the book, I feel like it really tied up what some of the book was about. I look forward to reading more from Kiersten White!

OMG y'all when I tell you I DEVOURED this new book from Kiersten White!! It was spooky, some truly creepy imagery that gave me shivers. I love the plot and -- don't wanna say too much for spoilers -- but the inclusion of religious themes that felt so cathartic to my heart and journey of untangling burdens that keep me from being me, and you from being you, and us from being us. I love finding healing through horror. Maybe I'll write a paper about it sometime.

But until then! Go grab yourself a copy of Mister Magic 🪄 , and keep the lights on while you read! 👀🖤

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to @randomhouse and @delreybooks through #netgalley for this ARC!

In Kiersten White’s Mister Magic, we follow a group of childhood friends as the show they were on is set to be revived. Preceding the revival, they’ve been asked to participate in a podcast to explore their experiences.

Filled with nostalgic childhood references to how tv & shows connect generations, I was hooked from the beginning. The atmosphere, the format between the podcast interviews and the present, and the complex characters were all well written and unique. I thought this would be an easy 5⭐️…

…but as the storyline progressed, I found myself a little lost on what the show really was. While I think I get the ending, I’m not entirely sure where the magic(?) came from. I love fever dream type stories (I mean I love Bunny🐰) but I felt more confused than entranced.

The story itself has some really unique pieces to it, and while there are some supernatural elements to the story, I didn’t find this to be particularly horror-ish. It’s less scary and more Stepford Wives creepy. There are some areas that could be triggering for some with the mention of child abuse and toxic religion but overall it isn’t graphic.

Overall, I enjoyed the premise with it’s cult atmosphere but I just needed more from the story.

Mister Magic comes out August 1, 2023. Huge thank you to Del Rey for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.