This book fits into my favorite very-specific book taste - "fiction that pretends to be nonfiction." I love a book about famous people that never actually existed or about the history behind an event that didn't take place. Always a great setup for me!
In Mister Magic, child stars come together thirty years after a tragic accident shut down the production of their show. Though they've all been trying to move on from a happiness they've been chasing ever since, they find themselves all at the deserted island filming location. They're finally together again and begin reconnecting. But what actually brought them here?
Such a fun read, will be looking forward to grabbing more by this author. A great idea for a book, and the follow through did not disappoint.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book. I enjoyed the characters and their arcs, and found the plot interesting. I look forward to reading more from this author.

This book was phenomenal. I’m a 90s kid and was immediately drawn in.
This books has major nostalgia vibes for me.
There’s so much horror, mystery, and thriller wrapped up in this book, I highly recommend it to any 90s kid.

Mister Magic was so disappointing for me. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, White’s anti-Mormon sentiments after leaving the church that she chose to explore in this book really shone through and overshadowed the horror and plot of this book. She certainly made a statement, just not one I myself appreciate.

I loved this. I used it as a StoryRead buddy read, which means my friend and I were so angry at cliffhanger chapters together. I enjoyed the weird mystery of it all and am so glad that White was able to tell this story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

"Mister Magic" by Kiersten White is a hauntingly evocative novel that delves into the depths of nostalgia, the fragility of memory, and the enduring power of friendship. White, known for her ability to weave suspense with the supernatural, presents a narrative that is both a dark thriller and a poignant exploration of human connection.

The story revolves around the enigmatic children's show, "Mister Magic" , and its cast, known as the Circle of Friends. Thirty years after a tragic accident ended the show, the surviving cast members are brought back together to the desolate desert filming compound. The reunion is tinged with a sense of foreboding, as the cast confronts their past and the mysterious figure of Mister Magic himself.

White's prose is sharp and immersive, drawing readers into a world where the lines between reality and illusion are blurred. The characters are richly developed, each carrying the weight of their shared history and individual traumas. As they navigate the eerie compound, the tension builds, and the reader is left questioning what is real and what may be a sinister trick of the mind.

The novel is a labyrinth of twists and turns, with elements of horror that are more psychological than gory. This story grips you not just with its mystery, but with its heart. White addresses themes of loss, the search for belonging, and the impact of childhood experiences on adult life with a deft hand.

"Mister Magic" is a compelling tale that will is a reminder of the magic that can be found in friendship and the darkness that can surround us.

This was terrifying & I loved it. If people loved HIDE by White, then this should be an auto-buy for them!

Another menacing page-turner from Kiersten White. Like Hide, I read this compulsively fast but I wanted just a little more OOMPH. It's a great idea -- something evil hidden in the children's shows of your childhood -- and I definitely enjoyed this one, but... I don't know, I think I wanted it to go a little further or something? If you like Kiersten White's other books, you will like this. I did think of Jordan Peele's NOPE while reading, although this isn't as scary as that. And the cover is 10/10 gorgeous.

Thank you very much to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

After reading most of Kiersten White's back catalog, I thought I was ready for her newest novel, "Mister Magic." Reader, I was not ready. "Mister Magic" is horrifying, it is haunting, and it is achingly sad. It is wholly original and will transport readers to a world where magic exists, but everything comes at a price. For the five friends who last starred in the TV show that lends its name to the novel, they had no idea how steep the price of revisiting this piece of their childhood would be.

Thirty years after a final episode that millennial messageboards remember as so horrifying that the entire franchise has been completely shrouded in mystery, for the first time "Mister Magic" is returning to the airwaves in the form of a reunion podcast. The five friends who broke the circle and ended generations of magic for their viewers are returning, not only to reminisce on what they remember from those carefree days but also to (listeners hope) restore the circle and bring the magic forward for another generation.

As the podcast interviews are recorded, and things in the "Mister Magic" house seem to spin wildly out of the friends' control, they are left to wonder if the price of the magic they all took for granted as children is more than any of them can bear to pay as adults. Mister Magic has been alone for over thirty years, and they say he *never* forgets the taste of friendship...

I would suggest "Mister Magic" for fans of Jennifer McMahon, Sarah Gailey, and anyone who has enjoyed the TV show "From." It was a novel that will stick with my long past the closing sentences of this review. Special thanks to NetGalley and to Del Rey publishing for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

A great idea, not my favorite follow through. The story didn't really connect with me and felt kind of messy. I would have like more horror or thrill but it was just overall okay for me.

Holy moly. I finished this so quickly and immediately recommended it to everyone who likes horror. This was the perfect mix of nostalgia and horror, with quite the twists along the way! I loved the characters and learning about their backstories. Absolutely a gem that has not been talked about enough!

5/5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with ab e-arc of this book.

Mister Magic has such a fun and original premise: the concept of lost media in the form of a somewhat forgotten 90's television show! That right there drew me in, and then the book had such a fun format that had chapters interspersed with different types of Internet media such as Reddit threads, forum posts, and Wikipedia articles that kept me intrigued! It was fun learning about the lore of the show, and then at the end, reading the author's note to see how personal this work was to her. I will say, the middle did lag a little bit for me, but it was a thrilling read nonetheless.

This book had an exciting premise and I was anticipating it for months. Overall I liked it, but not as much as I was hoping. Because it was unique, I will still be recommending to friends.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review*

Fantastic!!!!

Thirty years after a tragic accident shut down production of the mysterious children’s program Mister Magic, the five remaining cast members are brought back together in a strange house in the desert, where they begin to realize their childhood is not exactly how they remembered it to be.

Sometimes it’s fun to write one star reviews, because the story is not at all what was said on the tin and then I’m annoyed to have spent time with it. Other times, it’s tough to write one star reviews, because while you see what the author was striving for and know they have put their heart and soul into it, it simply has not worked.

The premise drew me in, hinging as it did around the idea of a mysterious ‘lost’ children’s TV show. However, the story just takes a very long time to get off the ground, and then the mystery is laid bare with one fell swoop (it’s fundamentalist propaganda. It’s always fundamentalist propaganda), after which point all that’s left is to see things unravel. The theme of an eldritch horror and the elitist cabal that tries to use it for its own ends is explored to better effect in White’s previous novel Hide, but I couldn’t suspend my belief sufficiently to really believe it in Mister Magic.

The characters also felt flat and juvenile, even when you take their background into account. A major part of this book revolves around their friendship, but while there were flashes of banter and camaraderie between them, it couldn’t convince me in the end – and the less said about the touches of romance, the better.

Things picked up in the last 15% of the book or so, but by then it was just too little, too late. Do not recommend.

I had no idea what to expect from this book, except that it was by Kiersten White, and I knew it was likely to be good. And I was right! It's creepy, has a mystery at the heart of it that is pretty messed up. There are religious/cult undertones to what is going on, and that aspect of it is handled very well. I enjoyed the different characters and how they had different roles, and how those roles translated into the kind of adults they became. I liked the bits of "internet" lore/ephemera that were included between some of the chapters too; that helped round out the story and add to the mystery of what was going on.

I also just got thoroughly spooked when I was reading parts of this late at night, which I think is always a good sign when you're reading horror. It's more suspense/psychological horror, which I also appreciated, because I think that's usually scarier. Absolutely recommend.

this was not for me, the messaging i think is off and just did not gel well with me and made the writing feel very werid and forced.

I enjoyed this book overall. I thought the idea was something pretty new. The characters were enjoyable. It was orettt weird, but a good read. 3.5 stars.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this e-ARC. I am anticipating reading this soon and reviewing on my socials.