Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group this Advanced Reader Copy, in exchange for my honest review.

I was very intrigued and excited about this book from the description. It had that Mandela Effect or CreepyPasta vibe.

The story of six friends that were once on a children's television show. But the strange thing is that no one can find reruns of the show, and no one quite remembers the show the same way.
But a "reunion" podcast is coming, and the friends are coming together for it. But what is actually happening with this reunion?

Val has no real memory of her childhood. She has been living on a ranch with her father, but when he dies, and strangers, who seem vaguely familiar show up to tell her that they are going to the reunion of the show that they were all on as children, Mister Magic, she has no reason not to go.

But this reunion is not what she thinks, and the shared childhood that the friends experienced is coming back to them. Nothing is as it seems.

I will admit that this book had me hooked. I loved the concept, I agree with other reviewers that it was a bit existential at times, but it really kept my interest. I did appreciate the author's note at the end of the book and it almost made me like the book more.

4 stars.

This was a really good supernatural thriller that in a way overturns us as the readers expectations and is very similar to other movies such as: IT. By that I mean it has following characters who come together as adults' decades after the experience they share as children. A bit slow and repetitive in the beginning, the main character seems to struggle with the same internal dialogue over and over. Val, former star of the Mister Magic show, has no memory of her childhood or the show she was a part of. But her former co-stars find her and ask her to join the reunion show to help them find closure that they didn't get after her sudden departure from the show shortly before it suddenly ended. I was so eager page after page to see what Val remembers to see what exactly happened to her and kitty. Well worth the read!I honestly feel like this will be a read you either love it or hate it no in between.

Mister Magic made me feel like a child again afraid of the dark. Oh wait I don’t think that fear has 100% went away haha. Everyone looks back on their childhood and describes a different experience. We all try to remember the best memories and tuck away the bad ones. As kids we are shaped by our upbringing and those on the bad end of the stick it takes a lot to break the mindset of not being good enough.

I found the first half of the book a bit slow and confusing at times but the second half of the book flew by and really picked up regarding the creepy aspect. At times the book gave me chills and I was internally saying “nope, nope, nope.”

What really brought the book together for me was the acknowledgements by Kiersten at the end of the book about the books background. I would have almost wanted to read that first to help make more sense of the books meaning as I was reading it. Even with the slow first half of the book I would encourage anyone who wants to be creeped out to read this book.
Thank you NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Pub Date: August 8, 2023

This was one of those books you can tell was incredibly cathartic for the author to write, and I love that for her, but it made for a thoroughly mediocre novel.

I hate to say this, because Hide is one of my favorite horror novels ever. I felt like Mister Magic took everything I didn't love about Hide and amplified it--the pointless romance arc, the ham-fisted social commentary, the bland protagonist--while stripping away most of what I loved about Hide--the edge-of-your-seat tension, the atmosphere, the secondary character development.

First off, the premise of Mister Magic is very very very similar to Candle Cove--you know, the creepypasta? It's almost too similar, and Channel Zero's adaptation was much better (and scarier).

There is ZERO nuance to this book. It beats you over the head with its message with all the subtlety of an anvil to the face, often through paragraphs of diatribe that feel more like the author's voice than the characters'. Val, the MC, felt like a mouthpiece more than a person. I even grew up religious (and am no longer so) myself, and found it almost unbearably sanctimonious.

Val's blandness undercut an ending that otherwise might have been very compelling. I never cared what happened to her. The supporting cast was significantly more interesting, but never got enough page time to really shine. Part of me wonders whether this book might have been more interesting from, say, Jenny's POV. She had an interesting connection to the titular "Mister Magic", and a richer, more interesting backstory.

I think this book might have benefited from being just a little longer. The lore came basically in one giant infodump near the end, and it felt very rushed and uneven. There were a few character moments throughout that tugged at my heartstrings, and JUST enough creepy moments to keep me turning the pages. The tension was still a far cry from Hide--I was never genuinely worried or afraid. In fact, calling this book "horror" feels like a bit of a stretch, to me.

Any book I don't DNF deserves at least three stars, I think, so that's what I'm giving it. Overall this was disappointing, but I will still keep an eye out for whatever Kiersten White writes next.

Okay I will be honest. I was on the fence about this one when I seen what it was about.. I was hoping it would be good but I didnt know if it would. The more I read the more I liked it. Talked to my book club about it and people all pretty much feel the same as I do. Can't wait to add this to my shelf.

Last year I picked up a copy of HIDE by Kiersten White by happen chance was instantly swept up in her tantalizing way of supernatural story telling. So when I saw a fellow book lover announce that he received an ARC of MISTER MAGIC by Kiersten White, I leapt from my chair and immediately looked for ways to get my hand on a copy.

I was lucky enough to able to get an ARC of the book last week and I was so excited that I dropped everything else I was reading to devour it….and let me tell you…. It does not disappoint.

Once again, I was sucked into a world of mystery and supernatural, horrific delight. This story centers around a group of adults that are searching for answers to their past and a mysterious TV show that they all appeared on as children. Consistent themes of government conspiracies and control, cult organizations and supernatural entities weave throughout this story as you follow the cast through their journey of trying to make sense of the traumas they survived, how the magic of a TV show allowed them to taste colors and paint universes and figure out what their future holds.

I won’t say much more because I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but for those of us born in the 80s, this book also will hit sweet notes of nostalgia reminding you of some of your favorite childhood TV shows while also peeling back some layers revealing themes that were submissively being sent to us.

If you are a fan of Kiersten White or if you enjoy supernatural tales, this book should be a must read for you this summer. Publish Date: August 8, 2023

Bonus – when you get your copy of MISTER MAGIC make sure to read the author’s note at the very end for a person insight to what inspired this tale.

4.25 stars.

This was hard to put down! I was hooked and uncomfortable from the very beginning. As a child who woke up with the box TV on static more times than I can count, and who has vivid memories of a movie I cannot prove existed, this was just right for me! (Also, how weird is it that there are now generations who don’t know the terror of that 1am tv static?)

What if the best time of your life was actually terrible? What if you don’t remember the best and/or worst time of your life? What if magic is real? What if children are just pawns for adults? This touches on childhood trauma and how those experiences shape us even if we cant remember or misremember them, and how children often have so little autonomy that they are tricked into not trusting themselves.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts reflect my own.

QUICK TAKE: Book friends, can I tell you how much I loved MISTER MAGIC by Kiersten White? The latest from the author of HIDE (A Jordy’s Book Club 2022 fave!), this book is bonkers in all the best ways with a central mystery that will leave you trapped on your couch turning pages.⁣
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Similar to HIDE, #MisterMagic is a supernatural thriller that subverts reader expectations and is reminiscent of movies like NOPE and IT, centered around the former child stars of a popular kids tv show as they piece together the tragic events that ultimately led to the end of the show. The book plays with the idea of The Mandela Effect (Berenstein Bears v. Berenstain Bears) and nostalgia in really fun ways, interspersing the main story with message board chats and other multimedia interstitials. I had so much fun with it, and think it’s going to be an amazing beach read when it hits bookshelves this summer (August 8th!).

I remember shows that I watched as a kid and when I mention it to siblings or other people in my life, they think I’m imagining things. Luckily, the internet is always there to back me up. Similarly, that’s basically the premise of this book.

I was intrigued from the beginning. I was confused and enthralled and curious to see what this was all about. Up until the last fourth of the book, I was wholeheartedly entranced. I wanted more with the ending. This story teetered on the edge of creepy and just didn’t go far enough into what Mister Magic was and I felt like it could have gone further.

I think I would have enjoyed this novel much more if there were more moments of the kids in the actual show. Flashbacks to what made it creepy and eerie. There just wasn’t enough of that.

Overall, I loved this idea and that’s what got me through.

I discovered Kiersten White last year when I read her excellent novel, Hide (my review here: https://davewritesanddraws.com/2022/01/17/arc-review-hide-by-kiersten-white/). Hide was a delight from beginning to end, a high-tension thriller with a supernatural twist that still managed to have important things to say about trauma and families, both the ones we’re born into and the ones we find.

The good news is, I think Mister Magic might be even better. The novel starts with one of the best first chapters I’ve read in a long time, a mysterious, evocative opening that establishes the tone for the rest of the story. The best way I can think of to describe it is a feeling of malevolent nostalgia, but that only scratches the surface. This is one helluva book.

What is Mister Magic about? I’m only going to give you the bare bones, because what’s important here, at least to me, are the characters, their relationships, and the darkly magical mood White creates and sustains for 304 pages. It’s not that White doesn’t tell a compelling story with a tightly wound plot that pulls you forward. She does, indeed. It’s just that Mister Magic is much more than that.

So, the bare bones: thirty years ago a classic children’s television show came to an abrupt end when tragedy struck. The funny thing is, while the show is fondly remembered by a generation of kids who grew up with it, those memories are shaky, hazy at best, and contradictory. Even stranger, in these days when just about every piece of popular culture in existence is available with the stroke of a few keys, the Mister Magic show has vanished without a trace. Now the five cast members—children then, adults now—have been reunited under mysterious circumstances.

And that’s all you’re going to get.

Those cast members, each and every one of them damaged in one way or another, unite to face a seductive, evil force that stole their childhoods away, sunk hooks into their psyches that are still there to this day. I mentioned that Hide dealt with trauma and families. Mister Magic does, too, in a way, but here it’s layered with guilt, regret, and ultimately with hidden reserves of strength and bravery despite the odds. Like I said, this is one helluva book.

One last thing—even if you don’t usually, be sure to read White’s afterward. It adds even more depth and nuance to an already beautifully written story.

Mister Magic releases August 8, 2023, and is very much worthy of a pre-order.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for letting me read this book in advance!!

I rated this 1.5 stars, and I just…couldn’t get behind this. It took me incredibly long to get through it, and it was just…exhausting. The characters all feel so juvenile, and the dialogue didn’t help either. I feel like if the characters were aged down and this was turned into a YA or new adult novel this would work, but i just…i don’t know. Wasn’t a huge fan. I’m looking forward to other people reading and sharing their opinions, though!

I was drawn in by the cover! Also I enjoyed the authors book Hide last year so my hopes were high for this book. I did not enjoy it at all. I get that it is an allegory for the authors past and means something to her but it just wasn’t it for me. I’m still confused and trying to process what happened

4.25 STARS
I was fully entertained and enthralled by this blend of thriller/horror and Supernatural. I was immediately hooked by the premise of a possibly “cursed” or “haunted” beloved kids’ television show, and as usual, loved the line between real and not real being blurred. Character development might have been slightly lacking but the scene was set and the mystery was unique enough to keep me wanting more. I recommend this to fans of horror thrillers and


***Slight spoilers ahead with content warning***
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The author was heavily inspired by the Mormon religion and her journey/experience with it.

4 Stars

I'm really torn on how to rate this book. I really enjoyed it and flew thru the last half. That being said I also found my self utterly confused at moments trying to figure out what is reality or not, I'm still not sure I ever figured out the podcast,

This story follows Val, she grew up on a camp and never left once. Her dad said it was to keep her safe. After her dad unexpectedly dies strangers find her after the funeral telling her they are old friends from a tv show they were on as kids. That they all are doing a podcast about it, what's weird though is there is no tangible evidence that this show ever existed. There are no tapes, articles etc just what kids remember.

This book gave me some major Get Out vibes thru the entire thing. As a reader there is a sense of something not being quite right lurking below the surface. I really enjoyed that unknown thru the entire book. It kept me wanting to read more to find out who or what mister magic actually is.

I enjoyed Val and Isaac characters and their friendship. I'm on the fence regarding the others but use see part of this group. I really liked how Isaac was that support for Val and someone she could rely on.

The writing style of this book is a bit unique. Chapters are broken up by mixed media, letters, message boards etc. I really liked this mix. I didn't love the one skinny line message board, This was very difficult to read and not make my eyes cross.

This will be a book that I think will divide readers. It's unique and strange but after reading the authors note it all made sense of what White was trying to portray. This may not sit well with all readers, that's ok. I personally loved it. I can appreciate and respect the challenge to write this horror story as a way to tell your personal journey.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed White's other book Hide. It had many similarities of being twisty and a little confusing, but fun,

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

I will be posting my review to my Instagram page the.floofs.booknook and retail sites close or on publication.

This book gives me faith and hope on Kiersten White. As a former Christian turned Atheist, I have a ton of respect for White in tackling a story that was deeply personal and feeling out her trauma.

The story was unique. That’s for darn sure. However, my complaints again are all what I had with hide.

I was lured in by a beautiful cover and then disappointed.

The characters are better written in this book. They still don’t feel like almost 40-year-old adults, but that makes much more sense if they were allegories for sheltered Mormon children.

I think, what I wanted was for this book to go there. It reads so much like a YA novel that it really could be. There’s nothing adult about this book. The characters could have easily been college students.

Then, when we finally hit the climax, White just beats us over the head with her allegories that it had me rolling my eyes hard instead of relating to something that is near and dear to my recovery and own trauma.

The book lacked finesse and depth. No real depth of fear. No real depth of character.

The reason I’m giving it a three is because I wanted to know. I wanted to know who Mister Magic was and what happened to Kitty and I was sorely disappointed.

My other gripe was the formatting. I almost got a headache trying to read the one letter a line text in the online forum parts. It didn’t add to the book it took away from the experience. I almost chose to DNF at those parts.

This book just didn’t come together for me in the end and I sadly don’t think Kiersten White is for me. I just want more. More adult themes. More darkness. More depth. Less hit-you-over-the-head-with-a-hammer metaphors.

I do appreciate Netgalley and Penguin for gifting me this e-copy for my honest review.

Mister Magic by Kiersten White was a trippy, speculative horror about five former stars of a television show reuniting thirty years later. Mister Magic was a show everybody can remember watching as children until it suddenly went off the air with no explanation in the early 90's; However there is no scripts or transcripts of the show, no video clips online, no record of a director or producer to be found.
This was more speculative horror than traditional - It was hard to tell what was real, it was trippy, it was ethereal. I really loved this book, The weirdness of the Mister Magic show, the rules the former stars are still following as adults, and the mystery behind what happened to one of the cast members all made this a quick, enjoyable read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Mister Magic in exchange for my honest opinion.

Quick and enjoyable read! I have liked all of this authors books. Recommend and I will continue reading her books.

This is such a good book! The nostalgia of a favorite childhood show with the slight creepiness of IT. 100% recommend. I didn’t know where this was going to end up. Really glad I was given the ARC. Thank you!

I loved Hide and was so excited that I was provided with an ARC of Mister Magic. This book was a very personal story to the author and I do feel at times it was a bit repetitive in the narrative it was exploring. That said I liked the way it explored ideologies taken too far. One thing I absolutely love about this author’s novels is that they never resolve themselves with an “of this world” explanation.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey and NetGalley for an ARC in return for my honest review!

I think readers may be divided on this one.

The book is kind of ethereal – you don’t know what’s real and what isn’t – and I think that’s kind of the point. It’s also intensely personal for the author. That can be a two-edged sword. It can allow an intimacy normally not seen in your just-for-entertainment book, but it can also alienate the reader who just wants to be transported for a bit.

I’m the reader who really liked it.

It is a very unusual read and quite a bit different from the author’s usual style. It’s a little wispy, yet manages to put you through an emotional wringer more than once. I’d also warn that it definitely takes some pointed jabs at extreme fundamentalist view of gender, sexuality and how we treat our children.

However, it’s also an entertaining read full of mystery, some horrors, and definitely a bit of magic.

Happy I read this one!

• ARC via Publisher