Do you remember the show ..... and the character ....
I've lost count of the number of times that I've had a conversation with friends about a much-loved childhood show. Reflecting back on characters, theme songs and storylines has always been a fun past-time so the idea of an novel where former cast members reunite to share their memories, is right up my street. Add in some dark themes, hints of supernatural and you have the latest exciting novel from Kiersten White.
Mister Magic was a hugely popular tv show several decades, and is fondly remembered by fans. Yet, memories are all they have as there are no videos, clips, interviews etc. It's almost as if the show never existed. But now, nearly 30 years after the sudden ending of the show, rumours surface online about a new podcast to discuss the show and interview the former cast members.
One cast member is Val, a woman in her 30's living with elderly father on a secluded ranch. Val has little contact with technology and indeed, rarely watches tv. At her father's funeral, two vaguely familiar faces appear - Val can't recall how/why she knows these two men, but is shocked by her familiar and safe they seem. Shocked by their revelations that Val was once a cast member (or member of the Circle) on the show Mister Magic, which she has zero memories of, Val agrees to accompany her friends to the former set for the show. Listening to the Circle members talk, Val slowly recovers some memories, but paradoxically it seems that these memories may well be best kept buried and now that Mister Magic has also returned, she is in danger.
And this is where things take a turn for weird - very weird. Of course this is a Kiersten White novel and I would be disappointed otherwise. The innocent songs and rhymes of their childhood now have a more sinister meaning and the over-reaching level of control by Mister Magic is unnerving as the psychological drama builds up to a crescendo.
As the story progresses, we realise the novel is a story on two levels: the story of Val and the show, but also White is telling a story of a child in a highly controlled and dangerous environment; a child struggling to survive and to protect her friends in this claustrophobic environment.

Thank you NetGalley, Kiersten White & publishers for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

This premise of this book definitely hooked me in. That front cover is amazing!

Val & her father have been living off the grid for the past thirty years, following her exit from a pretty mysterious children's TV show. Everyone seems to have memories of the show but nobody can find much of anything concrete to support it. She is soon re-united with her former friends from the show as her past unexpectedly confronts her, and leave her with nothing but further questions.

The vibes of Candle Cove probably end around here. It pitches in something more bizarre akin to a fever dream.

I definitely enjoyed the mixed media elements - it brought a dash of creepy realism to the story. I also enjoyed the author's note - it really puts the story into perspective and confirms what most of us likely suspected whilst reading this (as well as hinted at in Hide as well!)

I probably would have enjoyed a first person perspective from Val. Her character is a gem and you immediately want to be her friend. How can you not with moments like;
* "I never managed the transition past child actor. Didn't even get a look, I'm not a kid anymore sexy breakout moment. I didn't release any albums wearing pleather and writhing around on an ice cream truck"
* "The power is off, but the television still glows with the promise of more memories. "Absolutely not", she says, then steps out".
* "Wait babysitting?' Val asks again, confused. "Aren't they your own kids? Isn't babysitting when you look after someone else's kids?" "


If you want a read about religious trauma, childhood, and the never ending decisions to make as a parent - then this is your jam.

A fascinating and deeply personal book that wears its heart on its sleeve about how to love and teach children pretty much from the get go. There’s very few surprises here but that’s not a bad thing- sometimes what makes a story great is seeing how the central thesis of the book (in this case, how adults influence children, for both good and bad) works itself out. Comparisons to Candle Cove are inevitable but, I think, won’t do it full justice. For me, the best way to describe it is the moral sensibility of the She Ra reboot married to the storytelling methods of something like Plain Bad Heroines.

In case it isn’t clear, I loved it!

Our main cast of characters all starred in a children’s TV show called Mister Magic, which ended abruptly and mysteriously following an incident on set. A change in circumstances for the main characters causes the original cast of the show to reunite, and hopefully uncover what happened on that fateful shoot all those years ago. A fun little extra to the novel is the interval chapters that focus on online forums full of people trying to remember snippets of info about a kids show they remember, but can never find any information on. These chapters were used to excellent effect, and really kept the story realistic and believable.

Val is a smart choice for a protagonist in Mister Magic; she has no memory of ever starring in a kids TV show, and as the reader we get to gradually learn details of the show as she recalls them. The amnesia that Val suffers from is used to excellent effect throughout the novel, as new information keeps making you rethink other characters’ motivations and who you should trust. Watching the fog of mystery clear over the course of the book was a true joy to read, and really shows off Kiersten White’s writing skill. I would personally have liked a little more background on some of the other circle members, to flesh out their characters more and keep me more invested in them, though I concede that this would potentially detract from Val’s narrative of info gradually coming to light.

I’d personally class Mister Magic more as a thriller than a horror novel, as I found the majority of the book to carry tension, but not be out-and-out scary. For me, the horror aspects of the story come from (I’ll keep this vague to avoid spoilers) the impact of the initial incident on the cast, and the effect that a lack of closure has had on their subsequent lives. A huge thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an advance reading copy of Mister Magic in exchange for an honest review.

I received this eARC from the publisher through NetGalley.

Mister Magic by Kiersten White
I hadn’t read any of White’s writing before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. This was an enjoyable and engaging read, with a mystery and some horror thrown in for good measure. Whilst the main characters in the book are adults (and there is adult language and themes) the style was very YA, which made it accessible and a fairly quick read. It also meant that the horror wasn’t terrifying (which suits me as I’m not a huge horror fan).
Our main character lives out in the sticks on a horse ranch, with her dementia suffering father. She is full of worries and can’t really see beyond the ranch. Her memories of her childhood are hazy at best, missing at worst. And her dad has always been keen to keep it that way, keeping them off the grid as much as is possible. Following her father’s sad demise, our main character is confronted with her past during his wake and sets off on an adventure to meet her mother, who she thought was deceased.
On this trip with her old childhood friends, they discover the truth about their childhood, including what happened to our main characters sibling. Who she had forgotten about apart from in confusing dreams. Was their tv show really all that it seemed? And who, or what, was the powerful Mister Magic running the show.
A nice horror-lite read.

The book really started strong but the story got soon lost and it wasn't super easy to follow/understand where we were going. I really enjoyed the writing style and the mix of "fake media" with the actual chapters but overall, I just didn't vibe with the book.

i really loved every minute of this and was barely able to put it down! the mystery of mister magic, the show and person, what really happened all those years ago and the suspense of what’s going to happen now was utterly perfect.

i loved the circle of friends and i liked how very clearly the author shows the effect of childhood trauma and how it can affect you into adulthood. i also especially liked her end notes which gave a great insight into her mindset for writing this and i urge you to read it if you pick up mister magic.

i’m not fully sure how i feel about the ending and i don’t necessarily think this should be described as horror. it’s more of a mystery book than a horror book imo. anyway, genuinely loved this and i’ll miss reading it 💔

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

Val and her father have been living hidden away for thirty years, ever since she was on a children’s show called Mister Magic. Val doesn’t remember how it ended or anything about her time on it, just that production stopped abruptly. Weirdly enough, there are no tapes of the show or even proof that it ever existed, yet some people remember little details. After her father’s death, Val leaves to uncover her past and the secrets of the show and to get closure about why she’s been kept hidden away by her father for so long.

She reunites with four other members of the show in a desert filming compound, where they’re interviewed for a podcast. It’s soon obvious that they’re all there to try to get their fond but deteriorating memories back and to gain that happiness they once believed they had while on the show. It’s very clear they have more memories than Val, and intrigue kicks in when they refuse to share them. The characters came across as younger, but I wonder if this was intentional, stunted by their childhood trauma. It would certainly make sense, as there is desperation to feel that same happiness they once had back then.

The author’s note at the end really makes the book something so much more than what I took from it. I loved the supernatural elements, the horror, the constant guessing, but at the very core, it takes inspiration from White’s own experience with religious trauma and how it affects people as adults. This is really shown in how the cast, all taught how to be the most perfect boys and girls by Mister Magic as children, are now flawed adults battling different demons.

If you’re looking for a supernatural thriller that will scare you, this isn’t it, but it’s certainly a book that takes you on a journey and keeps you guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kiersten White and the publisher for this DRC.

➽ <b>Mister Magic is a creepy, surreal story about an old children’s programme!</b> The ritual show Mister Magic used to be one of the longest-running programmes for children … until it suddenly ended 30 years ago. <b>The problem? No one can find any proof it ever aired or existed in the first place 👀 </b> There’s no known studio, director or any information on the internet. Many websites and posts dedicated to an in-depth look at the show suspiciously get deleted right after. In between the chapters, we get to see some articles and Reddit threads where people talk about the show and how it shaped them. They all remember watching it, but still cannot find any concrete proof as all footage has disappeared. <b>I loved the ominous atmosphere of the book, as something clearly isn’t right</b> and everything about the show and how it ended sounds suspect.

Now a <b>podcast has announced a reunion of the child stars of Mister Magic</b>, the first evidence there has been in decades. There are so many questions: <b>who was Mister Magic – the mysterious black figure in the cape?</b> Why did the show end? And how come no one has any footage? I was <b>thoroughly creeped out</b>, especially as there are tons of creepy rhymes the children used to sing (and if you look closer at the chapter headings, you’ll find something sinister there) 🤐

➽ <b>The story also focused on Val – who cannot remember anything about her past.</b> She’s been living on a ranch the past 30 years, but after her father dies, her old costars and friends find her again. <b>Val has the feeling she knows them … but she cannot remember ever being on the show or how it ended.</b> Her father was terrified of something coming after them, so he isolated her and Val feels like she never really lived her life. Despite the risk, she decides to go with her old friends, who are heading for the reunion and podcast taping. <b>Val has been repressing and closing all doors in her mind, but she needs to find out what happened</b> and why she can’t remember anything before coming to the ranch. We mainly follow her perspective, as she grapples with guilt, blame and who she used to be on the show.

➽ <b>Apart from the horror, this also discussed childhood & nostalgia!</b> ********All of the former child stars – Val, Marcus, Javi, Isaac and Jenny – <b>struggle with their life after the end of the show</b> in their own ways. They feel stuck and yearn for the time on the show when they felt whole. Despite Mister Magic ending, the show never really left them and keeps haunting them decades later. There’s <b>discussion of nostalgia and how accurate a rose-tinted look at the past really is</b>: was their childhood better? or is it just easier to believe everything was perfect back then? The book had a lot of <b>messages around growing up and being molded into something your parents want</b>. The rhymes from the show are constantly brought up and you slowly question how good they really are. Did Mister Magic shape them into good kids, or just kids that were obedient and how their parents wanted them. I liked the discussions around the children’s agency and their hope for their own children.

➽ <b>All in all, this was an intriguing, fast Horror with lots of depth!</b> The characters, the creepy atmosphere and the discussions around childhood and control made for a great narrative. The author’s note also shone some light on the book, as it’s inspired by her own experiences with being Mormon and leaving this religion behind. You could <b>tell that it was a personal book for her!</b>

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC to review.

3 stars!

Not only did the premise get me pumped for this but also that cover!

I really enjoyed this, I felt a little lost at some points in the book, but I loved the story behind it once I read the author’s note. This was clearly written with inspiration from White’s own experience in religion and it held a unique take and story. I did have some questions about the ending but as I read some other reviews I was relieved to see I wasn’t the only one haha worried that I missed something. If you have trauma from religion or anything similar then this book will hit you.

This is a great story, but just didn’t hold my focus or attention completely while reading it, thus the 3 stars.

Mister magic, children's tv program cancelled. But nobody can quite remember why, or how the otherworldly last episode played out. Until five surviving cast members get called back for a reunion podcast.

Even though they have had years apart, in the remote desert filming spot with each other, they feel like they are home. Even if it has a subtle eerie unease.
But are the circle of friends here by choice? Will they discover what they are missing? Will they see Mister Magic again?

Connecting the dots on this read was impossible, so many theories running through my head at all times, so chilling and supernatural. That was the fun part trying to unravel the story. It does not become clear what the story is all about until the author's note, which was so perfect and personal and really makes you think, though the story could be puzzling, when you get to the end it was brilliant and intelligent.
I didnt know a thing about this book or the author before reading it, but i think that was the best way to go into this supernatural horror.
It was unusual and bizarre, an addictive read and binge worthy. I would find myself pulling out my kindle no matter where i was, because i needed to finish this, i needed the ending so bad. From the Nostalgia to the fun little conspiracies in the book, and the online forum talk.
I will now be reading everything from this author, including buying a physical copy of Mister Magic.
Please pick this book up, if you dare!

Thirty years after a tragedy ended the popular children’s show, Mister Magic, there is barely any trace of it left in the world. Except those writing fanfic and speculating on conspiracy theories. There’s plenty of people who remember the show, just no one can find an episode of it. Until a podcast announces a special reunion episode, the circle of friends back together once more.

Val has no memory of her life before the ranch. Her father has kept them hidden for the past thirty years, and she has no idea why. She just has this feeling it’s all her fault.

Some old children’s TV is pretty creepy isn’t it? So this was a great starting point for a horror story. The house in the desert was unsettling, six stories high and lacking in doors. There’s something off about the show too, special effects that were way too advanced for its time. Then there’s that cape of inky darkness revealing Mister Magic himself.

Val’s lack of memory means she has no qualms about joining the remaining cast members when they turn up at her door. She feels she knows these people, she just can’t remember them. It’s obvious some childhood trauma has blanked out her memories, and these people might be the key to unlocking them. Only not everything is quite what it seems, as they drive into the otherwise desert to a creepy apartment building, things don’t add up.

It becomes clear that Mister Magic is being used to indoctrinate certain beliefs and behaviours into the children both on the show and who watch it. All the little songs and rhymes that seem harmless as a day, are more problematic when viewed through the harsh daylight of adulthood.

In the author note, Kiersten explains that she was raised Mormon but left and this book is her way of exploring that experience. I’ve seen quite a few reviews where people said they were confused about the story before they read the author’s explanation, however towards the end, I felt it was quite obvious is was talking about religion.

But even putting aside the religion aspect, there was plenty of dodgy stuff happening in children’s TV in the last century, so I think you can also read it through that lens. Kids being pushed into television when they aren’t old enough to make choices, their entire lives changed because of it. Those who fell foul to predators hiding in plain sight. And of course plenty of old shows were designed to teach kids a certain way of doing things, even if they weren’t outright religious dogma.

This book didn't scare me too much on reading, but whenever I think back on it I get a chill! I love books that use different formats and this had snippets from reddit, wikipedia etc. which were very effective.

I've not read Hide (though it is on my TBR) but have seen very mixed reviews so I was a little hesitant about this but I'm so glad I read it. It's well written and the characters are very interesting. I spent the first half of the book incredibly frustrated with Val as she just didn't seem concerned enough about what was going on around her but as the story progresses and her role changes it all makes sense. I absolutely flew through this book and couldn't put it down!

Mister Magic by Kiersten White is a deliciously creepy horror story that is sure to strike a chord with many readers.
Everyone remembers Mister Magic , the popular children's tv show that ran for decades before being abruptly pulled from the schedule, apparently after a tragic incident involving one of the child cast members. For decades the show has lived on in peoples memories, but the strange thing is that there are no recordings, no clips on line , no names of production companies or crew, not even any mentions in tv guides etc from the time. Did it ever really exist or is it a case of the Mandela effect affecting the memories of whole generations?
For the surviving cast members it was all too real. The Circle of Friends as they were known have tried to move on, some more successfully than others , but when they are brought together in a remote filming location, apparently to record a podcast about the show , it is like the years have fallen away and the character traits that they personified on the show come to the fore again. As they uncover the truth about what happened all those years before, it starts to look increasingly likely that they have been lured into some sort of a trap and not everyone will escape.
This story was masterfully told, continually keeping the reader on edge as the plot unfolded, The characters were charismatic but also unreliable, which really added to the mystery of the story. The pacing is exquisite and builds wonderfully towards a dramatic and emotional finale that capped off the book perfectly.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Mister Magic creeped me out. This is the type of horror that permeates your brain and invades your thoughts, leaving you jumping at shadows and contemplating deeper issues through the guise of monsters.
After loving Hide last year, I knew I had to pick up White’s next horror book. Mister Magic had a premise that made that desire become a need. I mean, that mix of an exploration of trauma and a lingering sense of something deeply wrong is a recipe for an absolute nightmare-inducing book for me. White capitalises on this premise perfectly, tapping into the weaponised nostalgia and the inherent creepiness of old children’s TV shows. That whole aesthetic is just that bit uncanny and the narrative choices heighten it so much. You have excerpts from online forums discussing Mister Magic - a show that no longer seems to exist anywhere but everyone has such strong memories of. It is totally the Mandela effect taken to the maximum fear factor.

At the same time, this is a deeply personal and quietly devastating book. White’s author note broke me and built me back up at the same time. It is a testament to hope, while exploring the lingering effects of familial relationships and trauma, specifically connected to religious experiences. It is not a straight transferal into the story, but you can connect the allusion and metaphor. This was particularly striking for me in some of the town scenes and the underlying dynamics that rippled throughout the book. Those interview scenes were so chilling as well. I thought I had everything worked out, but yet again White proved me totally wrong. There is a strong mystery element to the story, as you try to piece together exactly what happened all those years ago.

Mister Magic takes that uncanny sense of something going wrong and just builds and builds into an unrelenting and terrifying force.

If you are looking for an interesting take on the weirdness of children shows you are looking at the right book.
In Mister Magic we follow Val, she has no memories of her past until her father dies, a group shows up and tells her they used to participate in this super popular tv show, Mister Magic, which everyone know it existed but there are no records about it.

The mystery at the beginning I found was the best part of the entire novel along with the creepy atmosphere (White always shines in this regard), and I have to say this was such a step up from Hide, which was a mess in every aspect except premise. Still, I have to say that some things were pretty non sensical (like the fact that they were staying in the house was a little bit like ... is no one suspecting anything?) but in a way it ended up making sense.

Again, a step up for the author in general, with a story that is easy to binge and easy to enjoy. It is also, if you read the acknowledgments a reflection of Kiersten White and her time as a Mormon, which honestly, I don't think works that well in this aspect, although you can definitely see some commentary here and there.

So, if you're looking for a good mystery with a sprinkle of horror, I would definitely recommend Mister Magic.

Actual rating; 3.75

I absolutely loved the concept of this - I love books with podcast themes (my favourites are the Six Stories series) and I love books with books, film or TV shows from the past in their world.

From the idea alone, I loved this book, and I was really into it for maybe the first... third. But the last 50 or so pages absolutely lost me and I found it a bit of a slog at the end. I also found all the characters a bit one-dimensional, especially Jenny.

Great concept but for me, too weird by the end!

3.5 stars

This is a wonderful, creepy read about a cult children's TV show from the 1980s and 90s. Loads of people remember it and the magical games the children of the show would play, the sinister figure in the black cape. But no actual evidence of the show's existence exists. A really fun and original story that is quite surreal at times. Recommended.

I rarely look at reviews before requesting galleys from authors if they aren't new to me. For some reason with Mister Magic I perused Goodreads first and because I did that I went into this book with trepidation.

A lot of the early reviews of Mister Magic I came across were negative, some quite harshly so. Since I read and enjoyed Hide by Kiersten White previously I decided to disregard those opinions and give it a whirl. I'm glad I did! I'm here to even the scale. I did very much enjoy this somewhat eldritch horror.

Set in a creepy desert, Mister Magic is told in first and third person from multiple POVs intersected with online articles to give perspective outside of the main five characters.

Written in the majority from Val's perspective, we join her in discovering her forgotten past when childhood friends rescue her from thirty years of (partly voluntary) imprisonment on a ranch camp.

The pace is perfected for building tension as Val slowly remembers her time as a TV star, but it certainly wasn't as happy as her forgotten friends seem to recall.

Heavy with cult religion vibes and terrible parenting, Mister Magic taps into the strong bonds forged by childhood friendships and the lengths they will go to to protect eachother.

White has done it again with another creepy and atmospheric read which gripped me from start to finish. I will admit to not having read much by this author, though I know she has a diverse canon, but for this having been my second book from White, I am determined to now read more!

I feel like this book benefits from a blind read, so I will keep what I say as vague as possible but what I will say is this: never before has a book gripped me so suddenly by the throat and banished any sense of security and safety so quickly from my mind is just a matter of words. White has excellent control of her prose and her characters, and while this can tend on puppetry on the author's part, the character's autonomy is clear as day in this book, and this works excellently to increase the tension and anxiety in the book.

I loved this!