This was so different! Bits of Stephen King’s IT and the Stranger Things series with a touch of The Handmaids Tale. Nail biting at times. A creepy tale of children’s innocence and those who would steal it from them.

White tried to fit the religious trauma of her childhood into a thriller format, and they went together like oil and water.

NOTE: This is not about members of the LDS church, specifically. This is about White’s experience with the church. When you look at certain sects and groups of the LDS church and what they perpetuate, you can see how White might come out of her experiences traumatized.
If you are Mormon, you might not agree with this book, or what I put in this review. White’s book is not an attack on Mormons personally.

Everyone can agree that the show Mister Magic existed, and then it was just gone. A whole generation grew up with this eccentric show as the center of their childhood until it mysteriously vanished from the airwaves. Any attempts to dig into the mystery of what happened are quickly removed from the internet like they never existed. Decades later, the last six children appearing on Mister Magic are returning to make a podcast on their experiences. Val, the leader of the group as a kid (and our main character), remembers nothing about her childhood. As she reconnects with her decades-old friends, it is quite obvious that they are hiding something. As old childhood memories and horrors are dug up, the six adults quickly realize the podcast is a cover for something much more sinister.

Intricacy is what makes a good thriller. Whether through clever loopholes, complex characters, or a weaving plot line, a thriller should be comprised of nuance and cleverness. The thriller side of this was as subtle as a sledgehammer to the face. It is obvious that every single character has a secret. In fact, on several occasions, side characters openly taunt Val with the fact that they know things she does not. And yet, our main character, Val, goes along with it. It is so incredibly clear that nothing about this situation is normal. The house, the people, and the town where the podcast is being recorded are so bizarre and sinister. Yet, even though every situation in this book was screaming “RUN THIS ISN’T RIGHT,” Vals stays right there, very stationary. Everything just happens to her. There is no action or proactiveness on her part. She is frustratingly passive about everything going on, and it literally takes a stranger to give her a glaring piece of evidence to spur her into action. I have only read White’s fantasy novels, which are filled with subtlety and complex plots, so to have Mister Magic seem so juvenile was quite a shock.

Every character is absurdly weird, or a caricature. This book's supporting cast is all summarized as white, racist, homophobic, AND sexist. The six main characters aren’t much better. They all have exactly one personality trait that makes up their character arc. Mind you, these six “kids” are now parents and in their forties. So why was there no character depth? White was presenting the supporting cast as the Mormon church, and what they stood against. It is not a secret that the traditional teachings of Mormonism are problematic. Women and people of color are seen as less than white traditional men, homosexuality is not only frowned upon but condemned. Naturally, our six main characters reflect most of these points. A gay Black man, a man still in the closet, a severely unhappy “traditional” wife, and a man who is softer than what is deemed manly make up four of our six. I only connected that the frustratingly simple characters were meant to be a reflection of something AFTER I read the author’s note. Without any context, this just came across as lazy writing.


At 80%, the climax of the story, we switch gears. At this point, the story was finally coming together. Our girl Val was finally taking some action to fix the absolute absurdity of her situation. Right about here, White included pages upon pages of writing about the harmful effects strict and rigorous rules and lifestyles can have on a child. This is wonderful but in the middle of the climax? The fast-paced decisions and tense moments were rudely interrupted with dialogue on how to raise your children, whether there is one “correct” way, and such. Of all the places to add this commentary, right when everyone is about to die does not seem like the smartest place.

Reading this book was an exhausting and murky experience. I have a lot of respect for White to be able to write about something that really hurt her in childhood, I just don’t think this was the way to go about it. In the end, what was this book trying to be? A thriller with cleverly added commentary on religious trauma? Religious trauma disguised as a thriller, in order to make it more palatable for a larger audience? In the end, no one really knows, and that is the problem. How is one supposed to enjoy a book if, by the final page, the book’s purpose has not been made clear?

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Was a good read. Pretty creepy, but the reveal felt rushed and there were moments that felt like they could have had more build up than what they got.

First off thanks to netgalley and publisher Del Rey for providing me an ARC!

Val doesn't remember anything before she was on the ranch with her father. Her father kept her on the ranch and never answered any of her questions about her past. But when her father dies, the doors open to a world of possibilities.
At her father's funeral, she meets 3 men who she recognizes but can't figure out how. One of them tells her her mother is still alive and they can take Val to her, Val agrees without even changing out of her funeral dress.
This starts Val's journey to unpacking her past. Comes to find out she was apart of a children's show "Mister Magic" that was cancelled 30 years ago and they're in the process of doing a reunion podcast. While Val is trying to remember and get answers about her past, the others are refusing to talk about it.
This book was really good up until the climax.. The last quarter became a little magical and I wasn't expecting it. It was hard to visualize and follow. However, after reading the author's "Acknowledgments" it made more sense. I'm about 50/50 on if I'd recommend this book.

First, the cover is what made me want to read the book without knowing anything about the premise. So Good!!

Six children are on a children’s show called, Mister Magic, when something horrible happens on set and one of them disappears. Fast forward 30 years and they come together for a reunion, or so a few of them think.

This book was so weird and cryptic, but in a good way. It was creepy and I was filled with dread through out. I felt at times like I had no idea what was going and I think that was the point. I really loved the writing style in this book. The way she told the story made you believe in what was happening and it wasn’t too far fetched. Every time someone would go into that basement I thought “Oh My God, Why???”

This book more than just a scary story. It was unraveling trauma, hurt, fear, and it became something more.

Also, I don’t read the acknowledgments, but when the first line says “I’ll save you the work of trying to decipher the google result:,” I am intrigued. I appreciated her explanation of how her own life experiences inspired this!

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey, and Kiersten White for a digital ARC of her upcoming book.

This one had such potential! A trippy children's show (that people aren't quite sure they remember), a terrible accident, throw in some religion, and then after 30 years...a reunion. And a podcast. I was so excited to dive in!
But after only a few pages I found myself confused and uninterested. Much like Hide, this one seems very YA. And something just didn't flow. I don't know how to explain it except to say there WERE some good scenes, and a bit of thrill, but all in all I can't recommend it.

3.5 stars!

Kiersten White is not someone to be underestimated. Her mind bends in fantastically horrid ways that always seems to produce something that sticks with you. While I enjoyed the palpable terror in Hide slightly more than the tension filled unknown of Mister Magic (it went off the rails a bit for me at the end), I feel like this book definitely has an audience.

I was in about 1/3 of the way before the story really caught my interest. It seemed as though the author was being intentionally confusing. Not that the rest of the story was transparent, but at a certain point I became invested in these characters and had to stick around to make sure they each got their happy endings, even that heifer Jenny.
There is a lot I still don't understand, but it doesn't lessen my enjoyment of the book. If you're a person who likes you endings tied up in a nice little bow, maybe not so much this book.

This was such a weird, interesting story. I loved the characters and I especially loved how Kiersten White kept me guessing until the pitch perfect end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy.

Everyone pull up a chair while I talk about how amazing Kiersten White's adult horror novels are. I absolutely devoured "Hide" in two days and was thrilled to hear about "Mister Magic" coming out. White has continued to impress me with this novel. Mister Magic takes the concept of a children's show and turns it on its head. Just like with hide-and-seek in "Hide," expectations are completely subverted and they are a twist on the familiar. The characters are so well-developed and something I really appreciate is that White makes sure the reader cares about all of the people in the story. I feel like I will say too much and give spoilers, but readers will NOT be disappointed but this second adult novel by Kiersten White and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

White is not the first author to explore the question of uncertain childhood memories and their intersection with trauma, but she does so expertly in this contemporary semi-epostilary work in which the truth behind a defunct and possibly mythological kids program and its impact on the cast and viewers. A fierce and angry but always engaging companion to HIDE, once again asking questions about who benefits from the strictures and structures of societal systems. You'll never sing along with Miss Mary Ann and the Do Bees in the same way again.

Ah, I think I’ve become a fan. I really like White’s previous book and got this one mainly going by author’s name, great titles, and the not-inconsiderable cover appeal. And sure enough, another winner.
As if children’s shows were creepy enough, here comes Mister Magic. A show of truly mythical proportions. As in it might very well be the longest show on TV and yet there is barely any evidence of its existence. It lingers on the borders of one’s memory…like childhood trauma.
Appropriately enough, because Mister Magic has certainly done its damndest to traumatize some kids. Let’s just say he’s no Mr. Rogers.
So when the last official cast members of the show reunite at last three decades afterwards, their trauma still sizzles.
Val, who spent the last thirty years off-grid and away from the world, was once a central character. Now she can’t remember a thing about that time, but her once-upon-a-time friends and fellow cast members find her and bring her back to the strange white place in the desert where the show was shot, and her memories begin coming back. Whether she wants them to or not.
Past secrets, desert cults, strong character drama shot through with supernatural suspense, a thought-provoking mediation on the nature of religion, childrearing, and the role of obedience in both…this book has a lot to offer. Not to mention a writer who can really write – I love the way the scenes in this book come alive with cinematic vividness.
What’s fascinating is how much the author’s own upbringing as a Mormon (she no longer is one) has informed her writing in this book. The personal perspective makes it all the more interesting and compelling of a narrative.
All-in-all, a great read. Somewhat trippy but never more so than an average technicolor madness of a kids’ TV show. Great ending, too. Fans of dark supernatural fiction ought to enjoy this one. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

I'm not sure how to rate/review this one. I was expecting a creepy pasta/mystery and while it was that, it also ended up being a lot more. The first half really drew me in, even though sometimes I was yelling at the characters to just TALK TO EACH OTHER. After the halfway point, it slowed down a bit for me and I got confused and started to question what the hell was going on. Then by the last quarter it wrapped up and ended up being much deeper and thoughtful than I thought. The author's end note was really what brought it all together. It's worth the read to see what you think.

What a wonderfully weird book.

It was obvious there was a deeper meaning in this story, and once I read the acknowledgments, it all fell into place.

Kiersten White has such an intriguing and beautiful writing style that I will continue to read anything she puts out.

This was so dark and sinister, you felt it on every page.

I would love for this to be a movie because I feel like this would literally scare the crap out of many people. Some of the parts I was picturing in my mind and it was definitely frightening.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. It was very creative plot, and Kiersten White did a great job bringing a deeper meaning into it.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of the ARC exchange for my honest review!

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book when I picked it up. I thought the concept of this book was so interesting and it was definitely a quick read. I found the ending to be extremely confusing and had to go back and reread it because of how vague it was. I only understood the ending after I read the author's note at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Slow, creepy burn! Enjoyable and didn't know exactly where it was headed. Pick this one up if you're interested in slower paced but undeniable creepy thrillers!

I was so excited to read this because last year, this authors book “Hide” was one of my top reads

This book has a very different feeling/story.

Different from so many paranormal books I’ve read, and in the best way possible.

I finished it a few days ago and I’m still reeling. The religious trauma, childhood trauma, adults learning who they really are and not who the world wants them/made them to be and learning how to parent their own kids through that, it was amazing

The humor in the book is perfect. It had me laughing as much as it had me sobbing at the end.

I only found 1 error, it seems a word was left out when Jenny’s husband Stuart is introduced, the line reads,
“Must not Jenny’s husband after all”

There was one part where it says “fuck it if Val knows” and I don’t think it’s an error but I do think it sounds better as “fuck if val knows”

Overall this was an amazing book and those 2 small details aren’t enough for me to pull points away from my rating

Also, the diversity and inclusion was very nice to see. They hit on racial things a couple of times and I wish there was more to that part of the story especially with minorities living in such a predominantly white area. I’m glad it wasn’t ignored, but there could have been more to that.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy

This was an interesting creepy read that kept you on the edge of your seat.

A twisting, surreal supernatural horror that explores some very human experiences, such as nostalgia, religion, and identity, with a kindness and nuance I didn't expect from a horror novel.!

Kiersten White has done it again with “Mister Magic”. This trippy, nostalgic horror novel will leave you wishing for more because you just never want the story to end.