First of all I would like to say thank you to Net-galley and the author for giving me a e-copy of this book for review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hmmmm… where to start. To be honest I really don’t know what I have just read, for starters this book shouldn't be marketed as Horror as there is literally nothing scary about this book, there is little to no tension or thrilling aspects to it.

Also, although this book is only 290ish pages it felt like such a slog to get through. I think personally for me I need to give up on trying to like Kiersten's writing as this is the 3rd book of hers I have tried and ultimately ended up DNF'ing (this time I made it to 62% before skimming the end to see if it got better). The concepts sound so intriguing yet never executed well enough to keep my attention.

Even though the book is short I don’t know if it had maybe been longer If it would have allowed time for the development to be added to explore more about the characters and what had happened to them in the past and then build on it for the reader to actually be able to make a connection and care what happens to them. But at the same time I don’t think Kiersten's writing is for me so that may have made me give up earlier.

This book is a lot of telling not showing the reader and because of this it just got tedious to read about. I didn’t have any connection to the characters as we were told about their past traumas, there wasn’t really much of a plot to keep this story moving and the mystery wasn’t enough to capture my attention as we were being told about all the discoveries the characters were making.

Personally if I had no recollection about my past life I don’t think I would have got in the car with I think it is 6 people I don’t know willingly. We have no idea why Val does this, most sane people wouldn't - does stranger danger not exist? I'm almost 27 and I still clearly think stranger danger so your telling me an almost 30 year old woman wouldn't? Also to then suddenly fall in love with one of them, when she doesn’t remember them so quickly just felt laughable and really took me out of the story which is when I knew it was time to give up.

This book is mostly about religious trauma and to me it just didn’t have that big of an impact, as the reader never gets to experience what happened to the characters there is no flashback to however many years ago when they are in the depths of it we are just once again told there was some kind of trauma that happened and the show they were a part of was made by a religion to brainwash its children to essentially stay. It took reading the authors acknowledgements for me to even pick up what was trying to be achieved so either it was too cryptic to be understood or was pretty much non-existent.

To be honest I would like to say this book is like marmite, you either love it or you hate it, but for me, I am glad this book is finished and I never have to read it again.

I loved the premise of this book, but it fell a little flat for me. I did really enjoy the nostalgic element, and the depiction of twisted small town America.

The constant repetition of Val's memory loss got a little grating. I also felt like large parts of it were overwritten and overexplained, as well as being hard to follow.

It wasn't the best read for me but I would try more books by the author as I really liked the idea.

Fuck.

This book was mysterious, and I spent a lot of it not trusting anybody. It was also healing. Like therapy (and gentle parenting tiktok), it leads you down a path of what you lost and what you never had, the memories twisted with age, distorted from what was fact, and then it lets you go. Lets you grow. Lets you feel everything there is to feel, infinitely, like a rainbow.

My health prevented me from devouring this as I would've liked to (the netgalley app/kindle version didn't help either). This book comes to me at a very specific time in my life - one where I'm dealing with many different kinds of loss, reckoning with those twisted up memories and feelings, but trying to do right by little me and a little-bit-bigger me. Val, you are incredible. Kiersten, thank you.

Slightly less poignantly, an audiobook version of this would be great too. I highly recommend you read this. Whilst yes, I was looking forward to it anyway after Hide, I had no idea what I was in for. There is mystery and terror and longing and hope and healing. The epilogue is my cause of death. Just, fuck.

I wanted to love this but parts of it were so strange that I kept getting lost! I did like the concept and it was creepy at times, just a bit of a miss from me personally.

Not the run of the mill ghost/horror story I was expecting but what I got was one hell of a story.

I can't even really describe it...it was weird, creepy, deep, emotional, funny, the characters were amazing and I loved their bond. It went somewhere different and I think Kiersten White pulled it off brilliantly.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little later reading this book due to personal life, apologies for this.

I was immediately drawn to the cover, excellent artwork.

I was really creeped out by this book, though at times I admit.. a little confused.

The premise was great and engaging and one of the more original books I’ve read recently.

Super quick, gripping and enjoyable read!

I read Kiersten White’s YA horror “Hide” for Halloween last year and enjoyed it. The premise of Mister Magic completely swayed me and I had to request it on NetGalley. It’s just been published this month to mixed reviews.

The eponymous Mister Magic was a long running children’s tv show that suddenly and mysteriously went off the air thirty years ago. Viewers, now grown up, are still obsessed with it but can remember pretty much nothing about it; it’s not available to watch anywhere and the children that starred in it seem deeply affected by their time on the show, but again, with no clear memories of it. It’s all very murky, and a bit creepy.

Now a podcast about the show has gathered the five former child stars together in a weird house in the desert to revisit Mister Magic and the impact he (?) had on their lives, with potentially disastrous consequences.

I had hoped for more from this one; there’s a lot of repetition and not much actually happening until about 80% in. Even then what does occur feels muddled and confusing. There is a supernatural element here but it’s not exploited enough; I at no point felt like this was a horror, more-so a convoluted psychological thriller that turned out to be an allegory for the dangers of organised religion, and specifically the author’s own experiences with Mormonism.
I get it, religion can be terrible but it just felt like a bit of a damp squib after sitting through almost 300 pages of what promised to be an unsettling read about an enigmatic tv show, to get to this dull ending.

Some of this would be forgivable if it wasn’t for the interchangeable characters; all of whom felt flat and stereotypical. None of their motivations made any sense and I didn’t feel inspired to care for them in any way. The main character Val behaves unlike a real person and so it’s hard to root for her.

This book has a stunning cover and an excellent concept but the delivery of it failed for me. It does have lots of 4 and 5 star reviews though, so maybe I’m just not the right audience for this one!

With thanks to @netgalley and @cornerstone_press for the opportunity to read #MisterMagic in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows 5 surviving cast members who return for a podcast reunion of the classic children’s show Mister Magic, in which they starred on as children 30 years ago. However it doesn’t go to plan.

This is my second read from Kiersten White now having previously read Hide before this. Like Hide I didn’t live or connect with this story either.

In my opinion this book felt extremely long and dragged out slightly. I found myself getting confused with the plot and the story didn’t flow at all.. I didn’t feel connected with the characters and found myself getting annoyed with Val at times. I was extremely excited regarding the idea of a TV show with no trace, no evidence, etc. but it felt like this wasn’t explained and there were major plot holes. I found myself extremely bored and not hooked to the storyline which meant I didn’t want to reach for this book at all. I found myself getting slightly creeped out with one or two areas of the story but wished that the environment and setting was described more for the scare factor to be delivered. It felt like nothing and a lot was happening at once and the pacing was strange.

I didn’t see the ending coming and thought it tied up in a somewhat nice and emotional way and that is really the reason why I am rating this a star. I’m sorry Kiersten I wish I’d have loved this!

My arc didn’t include an author’s note however after reading several reviews I understand that this story was extremely important and difficult for Kiersten to write. That being said just because I didn’t enjoy it I hope it finds it’s targeted audience and White is able to heal and find peace from personal experiences.

"Mister Magic" by Kiersten White is a tantalizing dive into the shadows of nostalgia and the enigmatic underbelly of showbiz. Revisiting a haunting childhood production, the narrative brims with suspense, evoking a chilling sense of the uncanny. White's craftsmanship shines as she unravels the mysteries of the past, blending supernatural elements with the raw emotions of lost innocence and reclaimed memories. A masterful blend of thriller and dark fantasy, "Mister Magic" ensnares readers in its hypnotic grip, proving once again White's prowess in penning stories that both enchant and unsettle.

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for this ARC! The concept of this sounded so creepy and interesting!

This is a YA horror/thriller novel about a mysterious children’s TV show gone wrong. Or did it? Because there is debate about whether Mister Magic was even a real TV show despite many people remembering it and also remembering that fateful final episode. However, no recordings of the show exist, it’s impossible to find any footage of it despite it being the longest running children’s TV show and any content put online regarding the show quickly disappears. Now there is talk of the six “friends” from the “magic circle” coming back for a reunion podcast and a reboot of the show. Why then was the show cancelled? And why can’t Val, the leader of the “six friends” in the “magic circle” remember even being on the show? The friends will soon find out and it may be even more horrifying than they thought.

I absolutely adore Kiersten White’s writing and this was no exception. This book is creepy and unsettling in the sense that everything is wrong but you (and the characters) can’t put your finger on why everything is wrong. For example, the house the characters are staying in for the podcast is all wrong. The way the author describes the house has you immediately feeling the heebie jeebies and you can almost hear that constant “hum” that the characters hear. The mystery element of the book is really interesting too because you’re figuring out what happened back then alongside our main character Val and unlocking those locked away memories with her.

I highly suggest reading the author’s note at the back of the book (after you’ve finished the book obviously) because although I detected the message the author was trying to put across, the author’s note really makes it clear and you are able to appreciate how cleverly this message was conveyed. I’m being vague because I don’t want to give spoilers.

I would have liked to find out more about the “hum” (if you’ve read the book that will make sense) because I felt that it wasn’t really explored as much as it could have been and the concept had a lot of potential to be fleshed out. I also think some of the characters could have been given a little more development but at the same time it kind of adds to the mystery of them that we don’t know them as well as we might want to.

Overall this was a solid YA horror in my opinion and I think a lot of people will enjoy it. If you enjoy those Reddit “nosleep” or creepypasta stories that feature mysterious/insidious children’s shows that only certain people can remember then you will love this. This was released on 1st August so you can read it now, just make sure your TV is unplugged!

Thank you so much for accepting my request for this novel.

I absolutely loved this novel. I enjoyed Kiersten's hide novel and just like Hide, I found myself hooked.
I love the way Kiersten brings the story to life. I enjoyed everything about this novel

Das perfekte Buch für den Herbst! Mysteriös, spannend und magisch! Vermutlich hätte es mir noch besser gefallen, wenn es in eine klassischere Thrillerrichtung gegangen wäre.

When I first started Mister Magic, I was unsure what was going on and I struggled to connect with Val. The story progresses slowly but it envelops you, leaving you yearning more. If I could have read this in one sitting I happily would have but work got in the way.

It's an atmospheric and unsettling read with something just on the periphery that you can't put your finger on.

I loved all the character development and how each person is fully formed and fleshed out. You hate them and you love them but they're human and they all make mistakes.

Highly recommend! Thank you Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an advanced copy.

Mister Magic made my skin crawl. The whole book is less than 300 pages but I found myself taking breaks in between chapters just to breathe a little. Not only was the setting of a childhood show being creepy, the element of Val's uncertainty in her part to play was unsettling as well. Since Val have an incomplete memory, she didn't even know that she participated in a kid show called Mister Magic until her co-stars came to find her as adults. To revive the show again, they decided to start with a podcast reunion first. Who “they” are? I have no freaking clue.

With each day and each weird thing that happened in the house that appeared out of nowhere, Val and the rest of her old friends started to discover the truth behind Mister Magic. A show that somehow only some people in the public remembered watching as kids but completely unsearchable on the Internet.

This book is strange and magical. The author created a spooky and suspenseful feel throughout the book and everything happened right from the start. Readers are placed into the setting and when the plot slowly unfolds, I just felt weird and creeped out.

Thirty years after Mister Magic a children's tv show ends abruptly the child stars are reunited. There are 5 surviving cast members and they soon fall back into their old roles However, there is a darkness that surrounded the show and as the truth begins to be revealed memories return as does the darkness.

I really didn't know what would happen and as the story unfolded I was hooked. The relationship between the friends and the creepy darkness that surrounded Mister Magic was absorbing; a gripping and exciting novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was spooky as anything. Scary and creepy and gave me the chills. The weird TV show vibes was right up my street. I think there’s never been a more perfect book for me. The characters were great.

The story follows Val, the leader, as she connects with her childhood friends, with the aim to reboot the television show ‘Mister Magic’. It’s immediately evident that all is not as it seems. Val doesn’t have any memories of her life before the ranch where her father has kept her hidden, nor of the adult friends who appear to reunite with her. Surely she’d remember being the star of a hit children’s television show? However, it’s not only Val who has trouble remembering the programme; enticing fictional extracts, in the form of Reddit-like threads, blog posts and reviews, show that the rest of the world can’t quite agree on what the actual programme or titular Mister Magic was like. Neither is there any evidence of the show at all; any posts referring to it are swiftly removed and there is not a single video to be found.

This sense of unease is gradually increased throughout, as her friends become increasingly unsure of their own interpretation of events. The eerie house they begin to record the podcast at, and its mercurial, shadowy host, also become increasingly ominous.

The multiple point of view really works for this novel, unerringly sharing the horror dawning in the characters’ thoughts. The novel’s weak point, in my mind, might be conspicuously missing sixth ‘friend’ and the impact they have in the latter part. Admittedly, while the middle pacing slows, I whipped through this book in under one weekend, desperate to know the next secret to be uncloaked.

‘Mister Magic’ is a nostalgia-inducing, eerie tale, which weaves reality and memory, creating a must-read horror.

Disclaimer: I received this arc from NetGalley for free in return for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and publisher Random House UK.

Well, that was creepy. The sinister synopses pulled me in and the complexity of the story hooked from the very beginning.

The book has this very subtle horror that I didn't realise it was until things start taking shape throughout the story. A mysterious children TV show Mister Magic ended abruptly and no one seems to know why. Some even question if it actually happened since there are no records of it online, no videos of it, on newspapers or archives. Only the people involved in the show actually remember it. All, except one.

There are several intersections in the story that include several types of media, such as Instagram posts, Wikipedia pages, forum chats and comments, blog posts, and other general online sources. I found it ingenious how they are used to in the story and how it just adds more to it. It made me question if the show was actually real or if it was some social experiment. I was partly right.

There's something particularly sinister about influencing and manipulating children and consequently twisting their childhood memories. I felt like it plays on the power of children shows and television in general on both young and adult minds. It was truly unsettling.

Creepy and addictive. Read it!

I don’t even know how to write my review because I just don’t know what to think. What a book. It was weird, scary, funny and sad all rolled into one. I would say the second half was better and had me on my toes more compared to the first half.

The first half was a bit confusing, trying to get used to the writing style (White is a new to me author), as well as getting myself familiar with the characters and the setting of this new story. I was trying to visualise in my head what was happening (I do that with most things I read), and found it harder at first to do so.

The second half I found myself not really wanting to put the book down and just wanting to know WHAT THE HECK was happening and wondering, how is this going to end? What could it all be about? It did take some time for me to get used to the type of writing and here and there I found myself going over certain passages again because I felt like I read it wrong, or because I didn’t quite understand? Perhaps at times I felt I was too dumb for this kind of book? Or that because I haven’t read a lot of speculative fiction, it all seemed quite ‘different’ or ‘bizarre’ to what I’m used to.

There were times I was thinking “wtf am I reading, this is so stupid, I can’t even picture this, it’s so unrealistic’, but then I found myself crying and feeling incredibly connected (for a time) to certain characters. I felt hatred and love and loathing and warmth all for different people. I also felt she scared during some scenes where I had to pause and take a break, so kudos to those scenes. IYKYK.

Overall though I am giving it a 3.5 because even though I didn’t love it and it took a while to get into, by the end, I just was shocked and had nothing to say and not in a bad way necessarily. Also I’m still quite fond of some of the characters and the journey they went ok together. I’m definitely intrigued by this author and would check out their work again definitely. Although maybe I’ll pick up a rom-com next to get my brain back to normal again 😂

* I’ve rounded my actual rating of 3.5 stars to a 4.

An incredible novel! Kiersten White's 'Mister Magic' is magic itself, a horror masterpiece that takes some standard creepypasta themes (a 30 year old children's TV show almost noone remembers, sinister internet rumors, a mysterious cancellation, forum postings, online articles, podcasts) and makes a story so powerful, written so engagingly, steeped in dark and menacing atmosphere ... it blew me away! I couldn't have enough of creepy memories, children plagued by nightmares, and old friends (the "Circlemates") getting together, haunted by the secrets of the past! White knows exactly how to blend this into an original, riveting story: secrets are slowly revealed, bringing a long sought reckoning, the tension skyrockets - this is simply what any horror fan might wish for! And that amazing cover! Highly recommended!