My rating is hovering between 3-4 stars…I’m not entirely sure what I think about this book. 80% of it I had no idea what was going on, and if I’m honest I still don’t fully get it. But man it was propulsive. Once I got to about 60% I couldn’t stop and I needed resolution. Did I get resolution? Eh…not really. The acknowledgments shed more light on things. But ultimately this book is a whole lot of chaos in my brain that I’ll be thinking about for a while. I feel like anything more that I say would be spoiler adjacent, so I leave it that.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

Imagine your favorite TV show as a child disappears without a trace. There’s no past footage. No way to reminisce about the show. When the cast from the show get together for a reunion there are a lot of questions that need answered.

If you read Kiersten White’s Hide and liked it, I think you will like this. It is not gory like Hide but there is a lot of mystery. A times I did feel like some plot points were confusing. I felt like maybe this was an allegory for something else and the authors note at the end does help bring some things to light.

I felt like at times it wasn’t as propulsive as I would have liked. I was really interested in what the answer to the mystery surrounding the show was.

You know when you read a book that just has that indescribable quality about it? This book was so unsettling in all the best possible ways. I read it in a day because I was HOOKED. I needed to know more, I wanted to discover the past as Val finds the little crumbs leading to answers. This book is eerie, unusual, and filled with love (like a shocking amount of it considering how you feel for most of the book). Worth the read for sure.

I want to start by saying that this is an author that traditionally I absolutely love. Her previous fantasy series are some of my favorites. Last year when she released her adult/horror debut I was pretty excited for something new and fresh, but it just wasn’t well executed. And I was really hoping that after the feedback from her last release, improvements would have been made to her work in this genre. But sadly, I was wrong. This one, yet again, didn’t do it for me. Yet again another book that is not developed nearly enough. It’s surface-level at best with its characters. The pacing and sequence jumps around a lot. I kept feeling like I missed something but no it actually just skips right over it. I didn't really get what was going on, it just wasn’t fleshed out well. This reads like an author's rough draft journal of random scenes without actually fitting them together nor adding in the necessary details. It’s a skeleton of a book, without the meat. I wanted to like it… but I ended up DNFing because unfortunately I just really didn’t.

I started to see Mister Magic by Kiersten White recommended by readers that I follow, with the advice to read it ASAP and not to read any summaries or spoilers going in. I headed over to NetGalley (thank you! and the publisher!) to grab an ARC and I have no regrets. This book was a page turner, and I enjoyed every minute of the reading experience. I agree that the details probably come together going in blind so I won't tell you any specific details, but I will recommend that you read this book.

I heard about this book from Meredith Monday Schwartz on a patreon podcast for Currently Reading and she seemed to really love it and said we should read it before hearing anything about it - go in blind. I was so excited and thankful to get an advance reading copy from NetGalley and I inhaled this book in a couple of days.

I cared about the characters, who are gathering together for a 30-year reunion for a children's TV show they were all on and they meet at a house that is creepy and dripping with scary atmosphere.

I kept hoping the book would make sense but it was so confusing - and I know why now and what it all means only from reading the author's note. I don't want to give it away for those interested but you can catch on by reading other reviews. I prefer more straightforward stories but grateful that I understand it now with that author's note otherwise I would have always wondered.

Mister Magic was my first book by Kiersten White and sadly, it just wasn't for me. The premise sounded so promising and I'm obsessed with the cover but the actual plot wasn't my favorite. I am sure this book will be highly received by the right audience, so take my review with a grain of salt.

The writing was great but the story was executed in such a way that felt too convoluted and abstract for me. The characters felt very immature but I continued reading because I had to see where things would go. I will say, that after finishing the book and reading the author's note the plot made much more sense.

I'm glad White was able to write this book and it was clearly an important step in processing her trauma. It was definitely a unique allegory that I believe will resonate with certain readers. I wasn't the right reader for this one but I think many others will enjoy it!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book; all opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader.

Mister Magic: a children’s show filled with awe and wonders. A targedy strikes causes them to shut down production. The “circle of friends” reunite after 30 year, but strange things start to happen.
This was a strange book. It was a bit confusing and muddled to get through. I enjoyed the premise of the book, but it just didn’t hook me like I hoped. The characters were all adults but acted like a YA. I had to reread a few parts just to understand what was going on. A decent read, but definitely not one I would read again.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

What an interesting book. I kept thinking about the scene in Nope where there’s an incident that happens live on a show… I know that’s not the whole movie but I couldn’t get it out of my head!
This book started really strong and sucked me in but I felt like the last few chapter were lacking. I was a little confused on what was happening and didn’t feel like it was fully explained enough. I also had a hard time deciphering who was who with the 3 other male actors, I don’t feel like they were described enough.
Overall good story

This book gave off total Death to Smootchie Vibes with a cross between all the other creepy kids shows we were forced to watch as kids. I liked that this story was super unique and it held my interest until the end.

This book was okay? I wanted a little more back story, and depth, it felt like the author was too wordy but then didn’t get across what words they were meaning to in an accurate manner. I do love the more open talk of how this all ties into the trauma of growing up Mormon and the oppressive ideals/views and helping bring to light those issues that are happening in regards to that religion becoming more open/public. But as a whole I don’t think I’d recommend the book to a friend.

Second book I have read by White and they are so different from the ordinary, deeply original, compellingly imaginative and incredibly engaging. I will continue reading everything she writes! This book will stick with me for a long while, and I will be recommending it to mystery/thriller/horror book lovers! I gave this book 4 stars, but it might go up to 5 stars as it ruminates with me.

I have hazy memories of a show I watched as a young child, something that played early in the morning, before any of the normal cartoons came on. There was never anyone else up with me flipping channels before the sun rose, so I can't ask and I can't remember enough details to even try an online search. Mister Magic captures that feeling perfectly. It was a show that ran for years, but there are no recordings or written records. No one knows who produced it or what channel it aired on. The adults who watched it as children can't agree on exactly what Mister Magic looked like, whether he was a puppet or animation or a live actor. They do agree that a tragedy ended the show and a few claim that they saw the episode where it happened. Now the members of that last Circle of Friends, the children who participated in the last season of the show, are reuniting. Online rumors are flying fast.

Val has lived on an isolated ranch with her father since she was eight years old. She knows that something awful happened when she was a child and has always feared that she was responsible, but she doesn't know who they're hiding from. When two strangers show up at her father's funeral, thrilled to have found her, she learns about the show that she'd completely forgotten. And the reader starts to learn about it through her eyes.

I absolutely loved this book. There's something dark lurking behind all of those childhood memories and it takes a while to get to what it is, but it all comes together into a creepy and satisfying conclusion.

I devoured this book. I received a digital ARC version and am THRILLED I was chosen to do so, shout out to NetGalley and RandomHouse for selecting me.

Val can't remember the past she's spent her entire life running from. When she was a child, her father whisked her away to a horse ranch, where she was mute for an entire year, and where she's never left.

When her father dies, her past comes crashing from the dark and falls around her in the form of forgotten friends who bring her back to the house where a TV show they starred in as children was filmed. The catch? The TV show wasn't a TV show, it was a gateway.

I loved everything about this book. The characters were fantastic, the pacing was perfect, there was just enough philosophical waxing to make you think while still being incredibly entertaining. And the ending was perfection. I don't know if it's the deep place in my soul where Stephen King has taken root, but throughout the book, I felt like I was reading "It" for the first time. The trope is similar, childhood friends reunited in a circle to fight incomprehensible evil, (no spicy scenes), but I think so is White's word choice, the way her writing makes you feel as you read. The storytelling here is topnotch.

I can't say enough good things about this book. It's one you finish and you're a little sad after. The kind of book you need to drink a gallon of water to clear your head after. So good.

“New isn’t the same as perfect. Growing up isn’t inherently loss, it’s just change.”

So some of you may have noticed I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve been going through a bit of a reading slump lately, starting books that just don’t really click with me for whatever reason.

Not only did this one break that slump, but I can pretty definitely say it’s going to be my one to beat for the rest of the year! Hide was one of my favorites from last year, but Mister Magic grabbed me from page one and just wouldn’t let go.

Honestly, I don’t even have the words for how much I adored it! The friendship of “the circle”, while frequently challenged from within and without, is so beautiful and felt vaguely reminiscent of the IT’s Losers Club.

The central story and mystery of the children’s tv show they used to be a part of, while completely fictional, is nostalgic and eerie in the best possible way.

The true horror here though, is the mirror White holds up to organized religion (specifically Mormonism, though aspects of more of present) and the idea that individuality is evil/dangerous.

Anything else I say is just going to spoil the story for you, so I’ll just end by urging you all to grab this one when it’s released on 8/8.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Former child was reunite to uncover a tragedy that ended their show many years ago. In this story we follow six former cast members Val, Issac, Javi, Marcus, Jenny, and Kitty. They are all getting ready to do a reunion, but no one has a memory of the show there is almost no evidence of this show ever existing and who really is Mister Magic? With every turn of the page a new level of creepy is unlocked. I really enjoyed the character and found them relatable. This book had me confused and terrified all in one sitting. And the ending to this book had me Shook!!! I had to give it a re read just to fully understand what was going on wild. I loved this book and would definitely recommend especially if you are looking for a new kind of thriller/horror book as sometimes the story’s can get repetitive. Give it a try and be warned things will get spooky!

I wasn’t able to finish the book. I got to about 40% and just couldn’t continue reading. The characters came across very juvenile although they were adults. It reads like a YA book.

It was confusing at times and I found myself bored and not being able to focus. I did read the author’s note at the end and after I read the note, I tried reading more of the book. I just couldn’t do it. I do recognize how important and cathartic this book was to write - but it just wasn’t for me.

I would have given it 1 star but the note bumped it up a star.

Thank you so very much for an advance copy!

I was very excited to receive this! The premise is so interesting and of course this author knows how to write! Unfortunately, it was just a little toooo tippy and wacky for my taste.

**My full review will be appearing in the book/magazine, Rise Above, publishing in April 2023 by Wintry Monsters Press. Below is a simple summary for the time being. This is not what will appear in print."

I loved this book. I launched into it Saturday and finished it Monday. I was drawn to it early on and got hooked. It's a quick read, too, a little under 300 pages and suspenseful and mysterious throughout, with a sprinkle of weird and cosmic elements. MISTER MAGIC has given me that extra push to move HIDE up my list for reading.