An old kids TV show called Mister Magic ended suddenly after a mysterious accident on set. Thirty years later, the former child stars agree to reunite for a podcast, but there’s something sinister about the house where the show was filmed and the cult-like behavior of the surrounding town. Interspersed with the narrative are excerpts from contemporary fan forums discussing whether Mister Magic ever actually aired and the creepy rumors surrounding its cancellation. This psychological horror story unfolds slowly, revealing a truth even the most devoted online theorists of the show could never have imagined.

A weird, quirky, and ultimately really fascinating book. I definitely got hints of religious and cult ideology, so I wasn’t surprised to read that the author is an ex-Mormon, but I didn’t feel like it was super heavy handed in that aspect. The buildup of spookiness was delightfully shivery as I got deeper into the story, and the weird, secretive behavior of Val’s former costars and the townsfolk of Bliss added to the feeling that something huge was going to blow up when Val finally figured things out. The way things were wrapped up was great - I felt like I got enough closure without having every single thing explained to me, and if it was a little too perfect, that honestly worked for a story about perfection and magic, too.

So my biggest criticism of Mister Magic is, that it’s hard to categorize/summarize. I believe the people in marketing had a hard time fitting this into a box and it is very different than advertised. The Goodreads blurb says supernatural horror but honestly was more of a suspenseful sci-fi.

Whatever this was, for me, it absolutely worked. I have loved White’s YA fantasy books in the past. This is honestly nothing like anything I’ve read by her but I will continue to read whatever genre she is currently putting out.

This book may not be 5⭐️’s for everyone. It is a weird book but I vibed with it so much.

Well paced and full of detail. Claustrophobic and thrilling I felt like I was right inside of the book.
Thank you Netgalley for an awesome arc in exchange for my honest opinion

Oh this was a delight!! I love digital horror, and while I had thought this would be more of a horror story, the route it ended up taking was just as effective.

It was a genuinely fascinating story, one which I loved the core of, and I'm glad I got a chance to read! It didn't possess me or anything like that, which is why it's only at four stars, hot five, but I'm very happy to rec it to other people!!

This book was a mindfuck and I loved it. I loved the creepiness of Mister Magic, the show, the reunion of child stars, all of it. This definitely isn't a quick and easy read though; I had to reread several parts to make sure I didn't miss anything. I love fiction—and especially horror—with a deeper message though, so this was right up my alley. If you're looking for a straightforward horror novel, this ain't it. But if you want to get lost in a thought-provoking horror novel, pick this up!

I really enjoyed this book. It had a similar feel to the author's previous book Hide. I was kept wondering what in the world was going on and the ending was delightfully off the wall. I look forward to reading more from this author.

After not being a huge fan of the authors first book I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this one. This book was much better than the last. Really enjoyed this one

I kinda wish the author's note had been at the beginning of the book instead of the end for this one. It might have helped me understand where she was coming from. But in the end, I don't think it matters if I understand where she was coming from -- Kiersten White wrote this book for herself, and what we think of it is, in many ways, irrelevant.

Mister Magic is weird and existential and metaphorical and doesn't make a ton of sense and most of the time I had no idea what was going on. It's clearly an allegory about White's departure from the Mormon church, which she explains in the author's note. And it will probably help you understand the book if you know that up front. But even if you don't understand it at all, White has accomplished something that all of us who have left toxic religion behind need: she's explained her upbringing, her guilt, her memories, her childhood and so much more to HERSELF. The fact that she's also explaining it to the reader is secondary.

The audience for this book is probably on a spectrum -- on one end are those who have been through what White has and will totally get it. On the other are people who have no experience with religion and won't get the metaphor at all. I'm somewhere in the middle, and the book left me feeling like I did in college when a professor talked about quantum physics: I feel like I almost get it, like I have glimmers of understanding, but just as I reach out to grab it, it's gone. I hovered on the edge of understanding here too. But the explanation wasn't for me. It was for White herself. And as someone recovering from her own religious hangover, I hope writing this book was cathartic for her.

For those who don't understand the metaphor, the book will probably prove somewhat disappointing. This is the second time lately I've said this about a book, but I think Stephen King could have written the h*ll out of this premise. A bunch of now-grown child actors, a kids' show that ended mysteriously, the collective memory of a bunch of millennials who may or may not remember what they think they remember. It has the makings of a brilliant supernatural horror story. If that's what you're expecting (as I was), you're going to wish Stephen King had beaten White to the punch. If you can let go of those expectations and see the story for the healing vibe that it is, you might be able to appreciate it for itself.

I'm unclear on what, exactly, happens to Val and Kitty, on why their parents were the way they were, what or who the interviewer is, or what the town of Bliss represents. Your mileage may vary. But if I could talk to Kiersten White, I'm pretty sure she'd say she feels better for having written this book, and I'm glad she did.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!

I’ve been a big fan of this author from one of her YA series, and have enjoyed her last adult novel and this one was pretty good too! It had a lot of different ideas in it, just like the last one did. I loved the idea of the mysterious cult like 90s children’s tv show. I also liked all the social media or people speculating about it online and how anything about it online seemed to disappear shortly after being put up. Although in my e-galley certain things in that ended up being one letter per line and I had to try to read that which was difficult, I assume it won’t be like that in the finished copies.

The whole forgetting and not having any idea exactly what she and her father were hiding from aspect of Val’s life was perfect because it meant we didn’t know either. It meant I had to keep reading and turning the pages to see just what might have actually happened. Even the other characters weren’t straight about who or what they wanted. And the little bits in between main chapters when we got letters or emails between people supposedly wanting the show back weren’t clear in what exactly they wanted about the show.

When we finally learn kind of what is going on with the characters and Mister Magic himself, who he “really” is, some of the answers are still kind of vague, and while it was a little irritating for me as someone who wants to know all of the reasons, it made sense and made the story complete the way it was.

Definitely another good read from Kiersten White and I look forward to more of her horror stories in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!
Okay, so when I started this book, I immediately thought of Romper Room, a tv show about preschoolers with a lady that had a magic mirror. I don’t remember all the details but if you were old enough to know this show then you know! This book is like taking Romper Room and having actual magic, and not all of it good. There are six children that form the friend circle and the show is about them playing and learning lessons. Suddenly, the show is off the air and 30 years later, one of the children, now an adult is thrust back into a life she doesn’t remember. They are many twists and turns and some of it went over my head but I had a blast reading it.

After reading HIDE i was super stoked to read Mister Magic . I was expecting another intense thriller ,but this was not that exactly .It was strange and abstract . You do keep turning the pages fast but I’ve not read another book like this . 30 years after Mister Magic leaves the airwaves the cast reunites for a podcast . There is a mystery to solve. This is a very different book and after reading the author’s note at the end explaining it all I was all clear . If you want something off the beaten path this is for you

This was a really fun story. I really liked the premise of the book and thoroughly enjoyed a good part of the book. I was intrigued and on the edge of my seat to learn what was going on with this story in the larger part of the story. However, I struggled a bit with the climax and ending of the story. That said, it was a fun story, gave me all of the nostalgic vibes from 90s tv shows, and kept me entertained for hours.

This book has a compelling and dark premise, and I enjoyed the beginning quite a bit. My middling rating has more to do with the supernatural aspects, which I personally am not a huge fan of.

There was so much about this that I enjoyed. I felt that the last chapter really wrapped the story up in the only way I would have been happy with. While there were parts that were definitely creepy and gave serious cult vibes, I felt that it wasn’t over the top or hard to read. There was a spot (I don’t want to say where, as to avoid spoilers) that I felt was a little confusing at first but made more sense towards the end of the novel. I’d recommend this to anyone who wants a quick culty vibe read!

The cast of characters were interesting enough to keep me engaged, but mostly this story gets all my stars for the unique premise and setting. There’s cult-y vibes and it’s mainly about the rules and cultural expectations we learn as a child and realizing that the values you hold may not be what you truly believe. I'd categorize it as horror although it's not really scary so much as tense.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really, really enjoyed this book! The story was so original, I can honestly say, unlike any book I’ve ever read! I loved how the plot focuses on a tv show with six “friends” and Mister Magic building worlds together and haw they come back together after 30 years to solve the mysteries behind the show. The characters were complex and the story kept me engaged from the first page to the last. I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys horror, mysteries, and a touch of science fiction!

I liked White's first, Hide, quite a bit but felt it suffered from some editing issues and could have been really good instead of just entertaining - fell down in the third act quite a bit. This one has learned from experience and stands up from start to finish - I enjoyed it immensely and will be recommending it.

Honestly, I thought the idea of this book was incredibly interesting, but it ended up falling a bit flat for me. Throughout the entire book I just had WAY too many questions. Any time we came close to maybe getting an answer we didn't, and instead got more questions. They did all get answered by the end, but it all comes in one go, and I just think it would have been a bit more interesting if it was just a bit more spread out. I also just think the ending was a bit of a let down. I understand why it is the way it is, especially after the acknowledgements and reading about what this book means to the author, but it just felt a little bit anti-climactic. I did quite like the cast of characters. Val was easily the blandest of them though. She was just really one note, and didn't seem to be anything besides "stubborn" (as this book keeps reminding us of). The other characters felt more like real people and I loved seeing more depth to them as the book continued. I also like how eery this book was. The mystery around the show was created really well, especially with the bits from online forums included. It made it all seem larger scale than just the story of Val would have been, and made it all seem quite unsettling. So yeah, this did some good things but I was missing some things.

A boldly and bravely told story of childhood magic and adult regret! White uses her gift of atmospheric tension to transport us into a world where need is reality and want is poison, where everything is perfectly built on a festering foundation of lies. Your heart will ache and yet you’ll leave strangely soothed. Excellent story telling!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.