The premise is very different than anything I’ve read before, and certainly than anything I’ve read before, by Kirsten White. This is an author who contains multitudes upon multitudes.

In the entire time I was filled with questions like “what the heck? What is happening?“ but in the best possible way. It wasn’t confusing or convoluted. It was just… Fascinating. And I found myself wanting to know more.

And I will say that my overall feeling of this book is that it is unsettling. That’s definitely by design by White. She wants our characters and us to feel unsettled by what they are finding out about and what they are remembering about their childhood. that feeling is double down on by so many different elements in the story. The desert setting that we end up in is really really deeply unsettling and I found myself wanting to sprint metaphorically away from it. Again, by design.

I have very complicated feelings about the ending. There are a lot of things that I really liked about it and I think it was really well done. But, there are a lot of things I would like to discuss with someone who’s read it. Overall, this novel is really really complicated from a theme perspective, and that’s a positive for me in my reading.

Mister Magic by Kiersten White is a dark and haunting supernatural thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end. Former child stars reunite after thirty years to uncover the tragedy that ended their show, Mister Magic, and to discover the truth about its enigmatic host.

The story is told from multiple perspectives, giving readers a glimpse into the minds of each of the surviving cast members of the show. Each character is well-developed, with their own unique personalities and motivations. As they come together to try and unravel the mystery of Mister Magic, they begin to realize that their memories of the show may not be as reliable as they once thought.

The setting is eerie and atmospheric, with a remote desert filming compound that feels both familiar and foreboding. The lack of surviving video footage and records of the show adds to the sense of mystery and intrigue. White's writing is masterful in its ability to build tension and suspense, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as the plot unfolds.

The themes of friendship, belonging, and the search for happiness are woven throughout the story, adding depth and heart to the dark and mysterious plot. The supernatural elements are seamlessly integrated into the narrative, creating a sense of unease and uncertainty that lingers long after the final page.

Overall, Mister Magic is a gripping and haunting read that will appeal to fans of supernatural thrillers and mysteries. Kiersten White has once again proven herself to be a master storyteller, crafting a tale that is both chilling and thought-provoking. Highly recommended.

Honestly, this is one of the most unique books I’ve ever read, and I mean that in the best possible way. I absolutely adored White’s last novel, so when I saw this one I snapped it up (thanks!). I loved the creepy cultish backstory behind the main story. The plot moved along quickly and kept me guessing the entire time. And I loved each of the characters. Just a phenomenal read.

OK, it's official - I'd sign up to read Kiersten White's grocery list at this point... Seriously - I absolutely LOVE the way she tells a story. She has a magnificent ability for crafting characters that have been bowed and bent by life but not broken (never broken, no matter what they think of themselves). She captures the darkness that lies inside of the seemingly light, fluffy, "fun" parts of life (children's imagination, TV, amusement parks) and spins it into taut circles that leave you breathless and horrified and hoping they'll never end.

This is a fabulous tale - and her afterword explaining its origins gives it a whole 'nother spin so make sure to read it) - that drew me in from the first lines and held me by the throat right up until the very last words on the page. White has a phenomenal way with language, capturing the weighty obligations of expectation and love in a manner that never feels preachy yet somehow always teaches huge fundamental lessons about acceptance and realization and the bravery of being true to yourself. And merciful heavens, but is she a master at pinning the dark down and painting it in every shade of black and grey possible!

This was a fascinating story and everything about it was brilliant, from the larger-than-life characters who saw themselves as so small to the pacing that kept me hanging by my fingernails as I flipped pages to the creepiness of it all which meant I couldn't sit in a room with a television by myself until I finished the book... I've loved each of her books that I've read so far and absolutely cannot wait for the next one!

Mister Magic is CREEPY, SUSPENSEFUL and THRILLING in all the best ways. Think of things that give you warm fuzzy feelings: a children’s rhyme, giggles, an open door, an outstretched hand, your favorite childhood TV show. Now turn them on their head so they are eerie and trigger your defenses! That is the experience of reading Mister Magic. And it was great.

I really enjoyed Kiersten White’s writing style. Social media content and email correspondence peppered throughout the novel have you questioning what is real. In fact, White does a phenomenal job of exploring memory, imagination and reality.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I definitely recommend this book and can’t wait to read more by White!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the eARC.

Another deliciously creepy read from Kiersten White!

I’ve always thought kids’ shows were creepy, and FINALLY we get a fun, sinister book capitalizing on that. The relationships between the kids-turned-adults were fantastic, and I loved seeing the characters grow—though I will say, they felt much more like they were in their twenties, rather than nearly forty. But the vibes were fabulous, and I loved all the meta-transcripts. I’d qualify this as more psychological horror than straight-up horror—it’s creepy but not gory (like zero), harrowing but now not over the top. A horror book for people who don’t want straight-up horror but still want that tingle down their spine.

But more than that, Mister Magic has a lot of under-the-surface commentary on cults, legalism, and raising children, and ignoring some of the liberal agenda sneaking in, I really appreciated that thoughtfulness to the story. In the acknowledgments Kiersten says that this book is, in a way, about how she left Mormonism, and man that made it all the more potent.

I think Kiersten’s found her niche with these adult ‘horror’ stories; I highly enjoyed both Hide and this one, and can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Very grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for blessing me with this arc—it was a fun one!

-A

Mister Magic by Kiersten White is the first book I’ve read by this author. I was swept away! Themes of magic, the supernatural, child abuse, child neglect, religious cults, loss and hope. This was not my typical read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and found myself cheering for the characters. The ending is heartbreaking, yet sublime and satisfying. Please read the acknowledgements! It provides insight about this gifted author.

Val doesn't remember much of her childhood. She only knows that her father brought her to the middle of nowhere, made sure they stashed GO bags and never let her watch the television. When her father dies, three men appear at the memorial claiming to know Val because they were all on the same television show as children. Even though Val doesn't remember them, she knows that she KNOWS them. She agrees to accompany them on their trip to record a podcast about their time on the show, but when they arrive, they all begin to realize their memories may not be accurate. Still, they long for times when they were together and protected, and most of them are willing to do anything to go back to the time when Mister Magic was the center of their worlds. They aren't the only ones who want the magic back, and they soon learn how far outside forces are willing to go in order to make them fix the magic they once had as children.

I'm going to start with the characters. Val is the perfect protagonist for this story. Her arc is believable because it's not a giant change, but a shift that's coming the entire time. Her fears, wants, and decisions all align with who she is as character. The side characters are gorgeous. They way they interact with each other reminds me of any friend group going back and forth. I had a special appreciation for Jenny and her development as a character.

This is not a fast novel. If you're looking for something you can fly right through, I'd suggest reserving this one for another time. It takes it's time exploring who these characters were as children and what their time on the show did to them. It's a story that needs to take its time to be affective.

This novel resonated with me because of the lessons I was taught as a child. Looking back as an adult, I understand how harmful some of them were and how they affected me as a human being. One of the many things that MISTER MAGIC gets right is that it is okay to live and love as you see fit. To be imperfect is to be human.

good mystery about a kids and tv show and someone taking the lead and trying to remember the past. Great story about the six friends and their parts in the tv show and using their imaginations.

Mister Magic is that childhood show at the edge of your memories? Bits and pieces vague and strange remain in our thoughts. Did it really even exist? It ended so abruptly. Some say they remember seeing something terrible in the last episode. But it wasn’t broadcast live, was it? The show has gained an online following but no one can find any footage and now there are rumors of a podcast in the works and a potential reboot.

What I love about Kiersten White is her ability to take an interesting premise and subvert it taking it a unique and unexpected direction. This story has its chilling moments taking the reader back to those childhood fears of faintly glowing tv screens in a dark room, isolated locations, dark basements, and the uncanny. But she takes it further. It’s also poignant and hopeful and emotional. I really enjoyed her last book Hide but this hits different. After reading check out the acknowledgments because it gives interesting perspective on the inspiration for the novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I think we've all had those moments of trying to remember things from the fuzzy edges of our childhood memories; picturing the characters we watched on TV so clearly in our minds but not being able to come up with the name of the show or even anything remotely google-able. That's the liminal space in which Mister Magic resides. So many people remember watching Mister Magic as a child, but the existence of the show, supposedly the longest-running show ever, has seemingly been purged from history. Everyone remembers Mister Magic but nobody has any proof. Nobody except, perhaps, the last cast of kids that starred in the show. A reunion podcast for the cast of Mister Magic promises to bring answers.

The main character, Val, having amnesia about her time on the show was an extremely compelling mechanic, forcing us to learn along with her as she tries to figure out what happened to her as a child.

I read this book in 2 days because I just had to know what the hell was going on. I haven't had a book fill me with this sense of suspense and dread in a long time. I would recommend this book to everyone, but I think you'll especially love it if you're a fan of analog horror and long-form creepypastas.

Just FYI, towards the end of this book there are some pretty heavy-handed themes of faith deconstruction. I thought it fit into the book fairly well but I just wanted to include that in my review in case it isn't your thing!

CWs for child abuse, faith deconstruction

This was an interesting read. It was about five adults that were all child stars on a mysterious TV program. Footage of the show doesn’t exist and the characters aren’t able to clearly remember their time on the show. The show was shrouded in mystery and 30 years later they are looking for answers about what happened. I enjoyed this book but felt the pacing was a little slow at times. The plot was also a little hard for me to follow. Overall I enjoyed this book! I felt it was relevant to common themes we see today with some of our beloved child stars now battling trauma and difficulties as adults that have stemmed from their time on tv programs as child stars.

Kiersten White is a fantastically creepy author and Mister Magic is no exception. This book is about Val and her circle of friends who were on the children’s show, Mister Magic. Thirty years after it was shut down, the five surviving cast members have tried to move on from what happened years ago. But what did happen? There is no record of the show Mister Magic anywhere; no producers, scripts, camera people, or record of the show online. What was it about again? And who, or what, was Mister Magic? A puppet? CGI? A man?

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

A big, fat NOPE! Where should I start? There was mystery as to who Mister Magic was and Kitty but no thrill. The story was too slow. It had a lot of info dumps, in fact, the whole ending was an info dump. Along with the lack of thrill there were only a few creepy parts. So, not only was it not a horror book but it wasn't written for adults. The whole thing was totally YA.

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.