I surprisingly really loved this. After reading her previous novel, Hide, where I LOVED the premise but was underwhelmed with where White took the story I went into this book with lower expectations and this really surpassed all of them. This book was weird, creepy, & extremely entertaining but what I thought was going to be a fun spooky story about a group of adults coming back together for a reunion for the children's TV show they were all on - turned out to be so much more than that. It was so well done and had so many more layers than I had anticipated.

I had the great pleasure of recently attending a book festival where Kiersten White was on a panel of thriller writers. From a question I asked, White shared that with her YA books - it's all about the characters actions being about their hope for their future. And with her adult books, it's all about what happened in the character's childhood shaping who they are and what that means for their story as adults. That couldn't be more true than in this novel!

At its heart, this book is a look at childhood, trauma, identity, memory (loved the Mandela effect themes - what do we actually remember about our favorite shows?) and it really explores the beliefs and ideas that are given to children by their parents and media. And it deals with all of these issues while also being incredibly entertaining and making me think about all the children's shows that I watched when I was a kid and wondering what happened those actors and what do I actually remember from these beloved shows!

Absolutely read - or listen as I did - to the author acknowledgements at the end (in the author's actual voice on audio) to hear where these ideas came from - the themes of this book are very much coming from HER personal childhood and the beliefs and ideas given to her as a child.

This novel really makes me excited to see what Kiersten White will do next - and also makes me want to check out some of her YA as well.

I have never read anything like this! What a wild ride. It fully drew me in because I remember we would get things in the mail to join the Barney show as a cast member when I was a kid--such a weird memory, but that really connected me to this story! It was interesting and I kept reading because I felt like I had no idea what was coming.
Thank you to #NetGalley and Kiersten White for the ARC for #MisterMagic !

This book was great! The creepy history of a children's show that people remember differently and how there is no record of the show. The guilt and fear and confusion that our main character deals with were real, I felt for her. And the not completely sure what's happening or going to happen next constantly kept me on the edge of my seat. Even if you didn't love Hide, read this one!

I really wanted to like this novel. I hung on until the end. There were several plot holes I felt weren’t addressed adequately. The book was strange too. I can usually get behind strange but there was a sci-fi type thriller aspect to it that I wasn’t a huge fan of. I enjoyed the pacing of the novel. There was also a podcast interview sections, I enjoy the novels with these aspects. I really liked her novel, Hide!

I really liked this one. I’ve read from this author before and enjoyed so I was really excited for mister magic and will definitely be buying a physical copy!

This book is delightfully bizarre and I loved it. The children’s program Mister Magic came to a tragic ending. It’s been 30 years since the show came to a dramatic ending and the surviving cast members reunite on a podcast.
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This cult tv show brought these circle of friends together and as they reunite once more they try to figure out what really happened. There is no footage of the show, no virtual footprint but there is a massive millennial following for this pop culture phenomenon. The audio of this is phenomenal especially with the podcast elements.
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This one comes out on Tuesday! Thank you #DelRay #prhaudio and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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I wanted to love this book because the premise was so interesting; a TV show that was canceled but then something brings the cast back together? The summary sounded better than what the book actually turned out to be, but I don't think it was a total waste of a read.

The first half of the book was incredibly compelling and thrilling; you were trying to figure out what actually happened back on the set of Mister Magic, and what was being hidden from Val or rather, what she couldn't remember.

The fact that there was no footage or record of the show was so creepy, and it made me believe more sinister things were happening on set than what actually was real. There were lots of twists and turns in the book, and I honestly never trusted anyone completely. The way the characters, the other Circle of Friends members, acted was so odd and creepy. They were completely stunted in their growth into adulthood which makes sense, once you figure out what happened on the 'set', but it was still very unsettling.

I didn't like reading this book at night, and read most of it in broad daylight while at jury duty; it was that creepy and disturbing, mostly because you don't know what's going to pop up next.

The writing was superb, you were drawn into the world of Mister Magic and constantly on edge of what was going to be revealed next. Reading through the eyes of Val, someone who doesn't remember her time on set, gave you that sense of urgency and dispare. If she didn't know, you didn't either. Nothing was as it seemed and it really added to the thrilling nature of the book.

I felt like the last quarter of the book kind of jumped the shark in my opinion; it became way too ethereal and didn't feel like something tangible that you could actually understand. It became something other than what you thought was going to happen and was so outside the realm of possibility that it took me out of the book. I'd say that it's the main reason I ended up not loving this book as much as I thought I would...it was just so different from what was originally set up for you.

I will say that if you pick up Mister Magic I recommend reading the author's note at the back of the book first because it will tee up the point of the story for you, without giving away too much of a spoiler. I think the author's note, and White's experience in why she wrote the book the way she did, is essential part of the reading. I wish the publisher would've put the note at the front of the book so you were in the right frame of mind to receive the plot the way it's intended.

Ultimately, I didn't love or hate this book, it just wasn't what I set it up to me in my mind but I still think it's a solid read and incredibly interesting, especially when you see where the author was coming from.

I loved every second of this book! So unique and truly one of a kind! A thrilling read! This is a suspenseful thriller and horror inspired novel that brings the beautiful nostalgia you are longing for as well.

This book was not what I was thinking it was going to be, which I actually loved. When I figured what was actually happening it made me want to go back and reread. Ultimately I had different expectations but still found this book quite good.

This was a flatline from start to finish. I kept waiting for even a blip but alas nothing could resuscitate this story. I was bored, and even though the horror element was sorely lacking I continued reading hoping it would at least be an interesting read- it wasn’t.

I’ll admit and say I thought this was going to be much cooler and scarier. An almost 300 page allegory about the author’s religious trauma was not expected. While some parts were unnerving, I was not sold on the horror factor.

Like the Show Mister Magic itself, I could not look away. Yet everything is just out of your eye's sight. So you keep looking. And keep reading.
This book had me hooked from the beginning to its bittersweet end.
Thank you to @Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book. I am generally a fan of Kiersten's writing and after hearing about this horror book, I was looking forward to it! I'm sorry to say it was a very big disappointment for me. The premise was just so great, and fell absolutely flat. I think if it was presented to me as anything but horror I would've enjoyed it more. But because the genre carriers certain expectations, I just didn't feel like the book met them. I didn't particularly care about any of the characters either and new the ending before I was even ten percent into the book. Thank you for giving me a chance to read it!

I loved this unsettling, nostalgic creepypasta-esque cult-like story about moving on (or not) from childhood trauma.

I have mixed feeling on the story itself but the writing is really wonderful. All the characters felt very alive but the story of Mister Magic lost its magic a bit as it wrapped up in its somewhat unsatisfying conclusion. BUT, I really enjoyed reading it nonetheless and look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley for my copy of this book. My review is my own and unbiased.

Kiersten White knows exactly what she is doing with this paranormal thriller. I was on the edge of my seat during this especially during the horror elements.

I ended up putting this down unfinished - I just couldn't get into it at all. The characters fell flat for me, so I never had the hook to keep me reading to find out what was going on. This one just wasn't for me.

***** I have received and read an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for giving my honest feedback. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.*****

I was a little nervous about reading "Mister Magic" as "Hide" (by the same author) left me feeling like there were too many missed opportunities.

I'm glad to say that "Mister Magic" blows "Hide" completely out of the water.

Without giving away too much, I'll just say that this story fits right in with our current culture of adults (especially Gen X-ers and Millenials) revisiting monuments of their childhood and seeing what has become of the beloved cast and characters that we grew up with.

The atmosphere is rich and draws you right in, and you're constantly feeling just as on edge as our main character Val.

The interviews with the cast, as well as interviews with the regular everyday people who watched the show, helped to build a narrative of how much this show shaped not only the cast, but the lives of everyone who had ever watched the show.

I would give this a 4/5 stars, as I would have liked a little more background on some of the characters, but it's a great and fast read that keeps you hooked.

I would, however, suggest that everyone reads the author's note before beginning the story, as it gives some insight to what's going on.

Im so glad I was able to read this book. I think Kiersten White is now one of those authors that I can count for a great time. The story was delicious constructed. It's one of those books that if you know your stuff, you will get what it truly is about. I think the characters read young like in their late 20s, but I think the main character is supposed to be around 40. It doesn't read adult, but you will still be able to enjoy and connect with the characters. I wish we could have gotten more differences between the men but in hence sight it can be seems an intentional choice. Its perfect if you can read it all at once, to best keep all details in head.

I loved the idea of this book and I adored Hide when it came out. It fell a little short for me, enjoyed it but not as much. I just wasn’t interested enough to really care what happened to the characters.