Fun premise, but I found the plot and dialogue to be too straightforward for something that’s supposed to be cloaked in mystery. Everyone says what they mean, Val’s always interprets other characters correctly, people are sad or angry or scared outright. They tell their stories to the literary camera around the campfire, no hiding or complication at all.

I found the most interesting parts were the interview portions and there were so few of those. if the whole book was in that style I think it could have been really interesting and dynamic, but as it is just fell flat for me.

💖📺💖 Mister Magic is truly magical.

Like that first sip of ice cold beer on a hot summer day, that somehow turns into a chug. Or that first bite of a decadent, sweet dessert that's gone before you know it, I couldn't read this book fast enough. I actually had to actively tell myself to slow down and really enjoy the story.

We have these memories of things from childhood, songs where we remember the tune but not all the words. Movies we watched so many times the tape wore out, but haven't thought about since childhood. Those of us still convinced it really was The Berenstein Bears. This book is for you.

Thirty years after a tragic accident shut down production of the longest running classic children's show Mister Magic, five of the last cast members are gathered for a reunion at the filming location in the remote desert of Utah. As they reminisce about the good times, and ruminate on how nothing has ever been as great, things just feel off for Val, and she means to get to the bottom of all the secrets surrounding her past, that she narrowly escaped.

I was hopelessly hooked from page one. I love the premise, the characters (especially Issac 😍), and the bonkers conclusion (which was so magic filled, it was hard to follow). I was such a fan of Kiersten White's writing I immediately purchased Hide, which has been on my WTR list since publication. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who appreciates abstract or genre bending horror.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for this e-ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

What a weird, excellent book. I went in almost blind with little to no idea what was happening and I think that's the best way to read this one! It's not horror...but it is rather terrifying. I loved it for its meditations on parenting, friendship, guilt, and religion. I don't want to say too much for fear of ruining the experience for others, but I continue to enjoy everything Kiersten White does and I will be thinking about this one for awhile.

The Teletubbies. You Can’t Do That On Television. The Bozo Show. Reading Rainbow. The Smurfs. The Snorks. The list of semi-creepy kids shows could go on for ages, but this book is about the creepiest: Mister Magic.

Mister Magic started as a radio show, then became a fixture on television once those became popular. It was a show about kids having fun in their Circle of Friends, with fun life lessons and fun songs interspersed. Though most kids in the ‘80s remember watching it and remember seeing the last episode, there is nothing online about the show - just a few Reddit threads of people asking if they imagined the whole thing and asking why you can’t even find clips on YouTube.

Everyone remembers the last episode, without really remembering it. Mister Magic had a cape, something happened with the cape, a child disappeared, the cameras cut off, and nothing about the show was ever seen again. This show was real, right? This wasn’t mass hysteria - but even the Wikipedia page for the show is full of questions. Some of my favorite parts in the book were online threads and emails regarding the show and if it was all a part of the Mandela Effect.

The show, at the end, had six kids on it:

Marcus, the “token black” who created exciting set designs and artwork
Javi, the kid always cutting up and having to be reminded of the rules
Isaac, the oldest of the group, and the de facto kid in charge
Jenny, always trying her best to follow the rules and act perfectly
Val, the leader of the group who never took “no” for an answer
Kitty, Val’s little sister who disappeared during the final episode

The book is about the group of six (now five), thirty years later. They’ve been invited back to Utah, to do a podcast about the show. People are tired of never knowing what happened, why the show abruptly ended, why you can’t find anything about it online…maybe their appearance on a podcast will give fans closure? Maybe it will even give themselves closure, as all have different memories and traumas about being on the show.

This book is listed as a mystery/thriller, but I read a review for this and it sounded horrific so I decided to give it a try, and wasn’t disappointed; the creep factor is definitely there in this one. I’d label this as more of a horror/fantasy book. There isn’t anything gruesome in it, but the overall vibe of the book is pure fear, and I completely enjoyed it. I’m giving this a solid four stars, and had it not leaned so heavily into fantasy at the end, it probably would be higher. This was such a quirky and creative story!

(Thank you to Del Rey Publishing, Kiersten White, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on August 1, 2023.)

This was a good read! I enjoyed the story and the characters. The plot was fun and different from what I have read before!

When the castmates are brought back together to record a podcast on the show, they feel like they are back where they belong. Even though Val has no memories before the age of six, she knows these friends and it feels like they belong together. But soon they begin to ask themselves, are they here by choice, or have the been lured into a trap much more sinister than they could ever imagine.

Thoughts: What a TRIP! This book was like if the children who were on Barney were also part of a cult and had the show shut down because someone died. You know. Tale as old as time. This book was abstract and complex and I loved it. Essentially it was talking about the cultish way we follow religion without having flexibility to make mistakes. It’s about forgiving ourselves for being human and giving ourselves grace every day. It used religious trauma as a plotpoint and brought up so many good points about our childhood. It was trippy and nostalgic and I really loved the multimedia aspect as well.

I loved how eerie the house was. It was a sinister character in itself and gave me the creeps. There was a clear message about racism, homophobia, and sexism, but it bothered me that the main characters were all one dimensional and known for a singular character trait without depth. Without reading the author’s note this can be very disappointing and feels one note. I can see how this book could be confusing or disappointing if taken for face value, but as someone who loves the subtext of books, I found it terrifying and creepy and realistic. 4-stars

Wow wow wow!!! I don't want to give away too much about this book, but it is a fascinating exploration of religious trauma, and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for the chance to read this book!

Whew! This book kept me on my toes! I loved the old feel of it, the power of "he" who will not be named and the writing style. I don't want to say too much and give something away but this is a great book!

This is my second book by this author and will definitely be an auto buy for me.

White walked that perfect line, where it was clear what was going on and how the supernatural aspects related to the world we're in, but at the same time I had no idea what would happen. I spent all the time when I wasn't reading thinking about what a creative world she'd built.

Mister magic by kiersten white is about a once Popular slightly creepy children show that no one Remembers how How it got made and the The tragedy that ended it and now adult stars. What I Expected was a strange and creepy fever dream of a story that was Exactly what I got the characters were Unreliable the setting disturbing and god that theme song😱

The premise of this novel was very promising. I love Kiersten White and the idea of a horror centered around a children’s show. However, I have to admit that while there was some thought provoking metaphors between different aspects of the story and religion, I struggled through some of it.

I liked all the characters but there was so much going on that I found it difficult to remember who was who. I also struggled to stay engaged because it felt like the story was stretched out and so confusing that I kept not understanding what the point was. The horror aspect was there though and I did find it eerie at times, which was fun.

Overall, the ending was a nice closure to the story and did leave me feeling ok about it, but I wish it had been more condensed.

A thought-provoking book about lingering religious trauma told through the lens of a supernatural thriller.

Kiersten White has established a pattern in her horror novels, in telling a story through a specific lens that suspends the reader in an impossible state of wanting desperately to know more, and follow what happens next, while frightened to find out what could possibly be behind the answers to all their questions. She does so through a narrator that is just as new to the environment as the reader, in a delicate but compelling balance. Mister Magic is the second book in which she has intricately woven this unique perspective into the perfect plot for such a narrator. A mysterious figure that controls everyone around him, and missing memories from the time shared with him. Around every corner, it’s impossible to guess what will happen next, or what has been happening the entire time. Thoroughly intrigued every step of the way, reading Mister Magic was a wonderful experience, and I can’t recommend it enough.

For me this one was a 2.5 star reading experience, I DNF’d at 88% which is pretty pathetic that I couldn’t even force myself to finish it.

I don’ know how to explain what this was, it was a strange little mish mash of things. It had a very unusual outline & structure that threw me off. I was expecting a mystery thriller about a group of tv childhood stars, & what I wound up getting was some bizarre mystical goings on that I couldn’t quite put my head around. Was it super natural, was it ghosty was it totally normal? Who knows. I was not impressed by any means and couldn’t even make it the end. 2.5 stars being rounded up to 3. Not ansolutely horrible but not good enough to hold my attention.

I really wanted to like the concept but unfortunately it just didn’t land with me. The plot just felt too convoluted & the characters felt wayyyyy too immature for being as old as they were. The book read to me as a YA horror novel, I just needed more from it. With all of this being said, I want to respect White's ability to write about their trauma and healing through this.

I genuinely and truly wanted to love this book. I really did.

The cover is amazing, the title itself sounds unsettling and the summary has so much promise. A mystery about a children's show that left no traces once it ended? The kids who used to be in that show reunite as grownups and figure out whatever the heck happened during their childhood? Sign me up.

Unfortunately, this sort of cosmic horror type of mystery didn't really work for me. Don't get me wrong, once you read the author's note so many things about the book make sense. I really applaud Kiersten White for sharing such an important part of herself and I really believe this book is a sort of catharsis which is why it pains me to rate it so low. But I just didn't like it.

We have Fiona, who remembers absolutely nothing about her time during Mister Magic, or her childhood for that matter. And then we've got the Circle of Friends who sort of mold into one character because it feels like they all share the same personality. What bothered me the most about the book is the constant cliffhanger in every single chapter.

Character A: Hey, so I just casually mentioned this that you seemed to forgot

Character B; Oh tell me more please

Character C, dramatically burns themselves on coffee or something because they're absolutely shocked and THAT THING SHALL NOT BE SPOKEN ABOUT: Oh hey comedic relief, let's change the subject

And this happens in almost every single chapter. I love a good mystery as much as the next person but I was left more annoyed than intrigued. The book did pick up about 80% into it, but by then I was so disinterested that I couldn't even pay attention. Like I said, I really wanted to love this but it was just not for me.

I wish I could give this book more than five stars. What a deeply beautiful, tragic, and moving story. I enjoyed every moment of it (as I always do with this author’s stories.) Mister Magic has definitely become my favorite of her bunch of books and this author should be beyond proud of what she has created. I loved how real and raw the emotions of the characters felt and man what an ending! Read this masterpiece!

I usually like trippy horror like this but it had me completely confused and I’m still not sure exactly what was going on. Every character is absurdly weird, or a caricature. it just wasn't for me.

A slam-dunk of a critique against toxic, unquestioning obedience and purity culture in the form of a horror story. Set in Utah in the middle of nowhere, Mister Magic follows the grown stars of a children’s show of the same name as they attend a reunion on their controversial show and its mysterious ending. It is unsettling from the first page and continues through the last.

Not sure how or what to say about this title. It was allegorical and esoteric...but...it also had a "Cabin in the Woods" feel to it on many levels as I was reading it. I enjoyed it and drew lots of LDS connections, that aren't necessarily unique to LDS. It was a very interesting and very different read!