I could not put this book down. The characters were SO realistic—broken, doing their best people—and the message was SO relatable. I love the complex yet somehow simple plot, I love the world building. One million percent recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC version of this magnificent and creepy title. Opinions are my own.

First off, I want to hug Kiersten White and shake her hand. I’ve had many friends leave their religions (including LDS), and it’s not a decision any of them undertook likely. It cost some of them their families and most of their friends.

Kiersten White channeled her experience of leaving the Mormon Church into the book Mister Magic. If you left Mister Magic alone as just a work of supernatural horror/speculative fiction, then this is a solid four star read. When you view it through the lens of it as a parable for walking away from religion, then this book totally elevates itself to a heavily solid five stars, and I cannot get over it. It’s truly magical in that way.

I love how White chose to use a children’s tv show that has had an almost-Mandela Effect on the public (“I saw the last episode!”, “A kid died in the last episode,” “No, there was no death,” “Didn’t it burn down live?”, “It didn’t burn down!”) and a cult following in popular culture as an echo of the fact that the television show was, in fact, the result of the Stepford-like cult that needed their children to always be watching Mister Magic on the television, entranced by the silly songs that taught the best of manners, the proper gender roles, the proper diets, and just about anything else these adults deemed to be proper. The children of Mister Magic could be found in-between the channels 24/7, even sleeping together in a puppy pile on set. They were the best of friends you never knew you needed but always wanted, just always waiting for you on the screen.

No one but the cult knew the cost of Mister Magic. And one day it was over. This book is about how they try to bring it back. The problem is: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Those children of the last circle of friends are now adults. It won’t be so easy to get them all on board again.

White has one of the most imaginative and stimulating minds in speculative/horror fiction today. Last year’s release, Hide, was one of my favorite reads of the year. This book is beyond amazing. Both books are not only incredibly creative in the realm of storytelling, but they’re also amazing at making you think about the meaning of the story. White doesn’t only have chills and thrills to throw at you–she has questions that will linger in your mind along with the monsters. I highly recommend it.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Cult Fiction/Cult Horror/Horror/Speculative Fiction/Supernatural Horror/Suspense/Suspense Thriller/Thriller

Val doesn't remember her early childhood, nor does she know why her dad thinks everything is dangerous and they haven't left the ranch in thirty years. Then, when her dad dies, she meets Isaac, Javi, and Marcus at the funeral who all claim to have been really close childhood friends and that they were all on a tv show together. Val is curious about the childhood she can't recall and joins them as they head to the show's reunion. They stay in the house where the shows' families stayed, but it's very creepy and something seems off. The other cast member Jenny seems to have it out for Val but Val doesn't remember what happened or why the show ended. She tries to investigate the people of the town to find out what they know, but only ends up with more questions. The more she learns, the more it seems like there was something more sinister than a children's show occurring. Overall, a somewhat creepy thriller that questions what was reality and what was supernatural. The author's note may have had a bigger impact if it had been included in the front of the book, as it helps explain a lot of the plot elements.

30 years after the abrupt and mysterious ending of a beloved Barney-like tv show called Mister Magic, 4 of the 6 cast members are set to return to film a podcast about the show. But first, they have to pick up a 5th cast member, Val, who isn’t even aware she was ever on the show. Val is our main character and she has lived on a horse farm since her father brought her there when she was very young because they had to “stay hidden.” She doesn’t remember much of anything before her time on the horse farm.

So the rest of the cast find her and convince her to come with them to film the podcast because she wants to find out what the hell is going on. She finds out. It’s nuts.

Kirsten White wrote HIDE, which received a lot of mixed reviews, but I liked because I am here for literally anything involving a spooky amusement park. HIDE had an author’s note at the end explaining the allegory behind it, and Mister Magic does too. It’s also kinda nuts. I’m starting to live for White’s author’s notes.

I really really enjoyed this one. Really interesting concept, spooky, and bizarre. Mister Magic is out today! Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey for the advanced e-copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

5 stars…I loved this book from start to finish.
Mister Magic was a beloved children’s show featuring six friends who played together and learned life lessons from the titular character, a magical man with a cape and top hat. Thirty years after the show came to a sudden end and the internet has speculated about the mysterious lack of evidence that it even existed, the friends come together again for a reunion podcast. They all want to know more about why the show ended, why there are gaps in memories, and why it all seemed too incredible to be real.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book, because it reminded me of a “creepy pasta” I read once about an internet forum discussing an old kid’s show they all watched. As the story progresses, they slowly realize that there was something very wrong about the show. So I was hoping for something similar but fleshed out more, and I can confirm that Mister Magic met and exceeded my expectations. This is definitely a creepy story, and there’s a particular scene that made my skin crawl, but I won’t spoil it here. It’s also a story about how even from childhood, we’re taught to smooth our edges in order to make other people comfortable. And so often it’s because of contrived rules made in the name of a higher power. There are thoughts you shouldn’t think and things you shouldn’t do if you want to have worth. White uses the idea of a children’s show cast reunion to give a glimpse of the affects that can have on us as adults too while keeping the story fast-paced and interesting.

Mister magic draws you in on the first page and brings in the the pre-internet/pre-wikipedia world trying to remember memories from childhood but unable to differentiate between reality or imagination.

*Unreliable narrative
*SLOW BURN
*Mystery
*Abstract concepts/worlds



This story was extremely slow burn and I felt mostly confused the entire time, up until the last 20% probably. However, the story telling created a creepy atmosphere and I desperately wanted to figure out what the true story was of Mister Magic. At the end, the author's note made it all make sense + I understood the story from that perspective and appreciated it more as well.

I have really loved the other books I've read by this author so I was very excited to see this one. I was not disappointed at all. It was so creepy and weird. I loved the story of the magical kids show that seems haunted. I love how weird and strange this was. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC in an exchange for an honest review!

If you have read this author's last book, Hide, and enjoyed it, then I think you will enjoy this one too! You need to dive into this book knowing nothing because I believe that is the best way to handle this book. What I will say about it is that I enjoyed how dark and suspenseful it was the entire time. I loved the references to pop culture things that are vey nostalgic to me and I loved how many theories I was developing throughout the book.

This will be a very fast read that will keep you intrigued the entire time. Have fun!

Definitely creepy, eerie, and will keep you wondering what happens next!

I can honestly say I've never read a book like this before, and although I wouldn't say it was my favorite read, I appreciated the work that went into building the story itself. Some parts required me going back and looking over the text again to make sure I read something right, but I wouldn't say that was a deal breaker for me.

I'm a huge horror fan and this one didn't disappoint!

Thank you Random House Ballantine imprint for the amazing Mister Magic. Kiersten White has out done herself, and the thriller/suspense/horror genre, with this book. I just want to encourage readers to go in to this ready to take on a literary, immersive and complex, but so well written, story about so many important themes. This book is an ode to childhood magic and TV, brings in nods to the Mandela Effect (everyone has slightly different but shared collective memories of a show ...), themes on family and friendship, but also moves into the darkness of cult mentality and fanaticism and how this impacts children and others. Read the author's note!

This is the kind of book I did stay up late reading just to understand how it was coming together, to think about the messages in the story, and to appreciate the author's open exploration of themes both personal but also in a way... universal.

This was reviewed as “It meets The Stepford Wives” and that rings pretty true! What a weird yet enthralling story. White creates a very haunting atmosphere and I really enjoyed the mystery behind Mr. Magic. Ultimately, I didn’t love any of the characters which took this down a bit for me. However, White has some fabulous metaphorical messages that are very relevant to current culture. This made me feel super nostalgic and made me miss being a kid, although I am glad I wasn’t a part of Mister Magic.

If you can’t trust your own memories, who can you trust?

Would forgetting certain memories be a tragedy or a blessing?

This book goes well into the psyche of a handful of friends that were part of a tv show that seems to not be exactly what you think it is…do you even want to know what happened? Perhaps the forgetting was your brains way of shutting out the pain.

This was such a fun book to read. There are a handful of characters, but you get to meet and learn about each of them, their motivations and interests, and what they believe in. I liked getting slices of different backstories to help put all of the pieces together. You really start to root for people. You became their friend.

This was such a sinister setting too. A house and situation and show that you would most definitely prefer to read or watch in a movie rather than be an actual experience in your life. There were a lot of lead ups to slowly ramp up your nervousness and paranoia.

Thank you so much to the author, Kiersten White, Random House Publishing - Ballantine, Del Rey and NetGalley for the eARC of Mister Magic!

Val has always had an inkling that there is something at the edges of her life, a shadow she can't shake, a darkness that doesn't quite move like it should. When she's suddenly thrust into a rediscovery of memories she thought she buried - she must decide if she's keeping the doors locked, or throwing them all open.

Let me be clear: If Kiersten White writes it, I'm reading it.

I loved Hide, White's first foray into adult thriller, because it tackled so many important layers of self under the guise of a very twisty amusement park. Mister Magic shows just how WEIRD White can manage to make a plot, and still make me utterly dissolve into tears by the end of it.

I can't talk about much of this book without spoiling it. It's an experience I feel like is unique to each reader. What I can say is - I loved each and every one of these characters like they were my own friends. I loved the movement of them and the slow unfurling of what I thought would happen - then the shock of what actually did. I just loved it.

If you enjoyed the fuckery that was Jordan Peele's Nope entire tv show side plot and a look into the dark side of Hollywood, you'll ADORE this book. Actually, if you enjoy anything that takes a long, hard look at childhood and the things we experience impacting us for life - you'll love this. White does her job incredibly well with writing a gutting story. (Side note, Jordan Peele? Could you please start working with Kiersten White and adapting her work? I love you both and I think it would go SO WELL. You're definitely not reading this review, but a woman can dream.)

I'll be reading whatever Kiersten White does until the day I embrace the darkness too. Mister Magic was everything I hoped it would be, everything I didn't expect, and everything I didn't know I needed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, Ballantine, and Del Rey for providing me a copy of this book for an honest review. I want to be clear that I bought my own physical copy because I loved this book so much! (And Kiersten, so much love for Kiersten)

Content warnings: Death of parent, Confinement, Abandonment, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Child death, Addiction, Emotional abuse

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the Advanced Reader Copy!

I loved this cover and some of the story’s elements: Mandela Effect, cult, nostalgia.

I can’t say I completely disliked this book but the execution was just flat. I didn’t like any of the characters. The last 30% (ish) kind of ruined the build up and tension. The author’s note about religious trauma made the story make a little more sense though.

This is one of my favorite books I've read so far this year and I would pace it in my top 5 honestly. This book has a great amount of creep to it and was genuinely unnerving at times. Kiersten White does a wonderful job of creating an atmospheric horror novel that is unique and well-written. I will definitely be bumping her other books on my TBR list. 10/10 highly recommend! Special Thank You to Kiersten White, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a wild blend of mystery, horror, and thriller. Quick plot summary while keeping spoilers to a minimum. This is one of those stories you want to experience as it unfolds. Something happened years ago when Val was just a child. Something traumatic that changed her life, something she can’t remember…being on a classic TV show which people can remember/have impressions of but for which there appears to be no physical recordings. She’s been living on a ranch ever since that traumatic event, living a protected life. Now things are rapidly changing. People from her past (other cast members) show up and while she can’t remember them she goes off with them for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the hope of finding out the truth of what happened all those years ago. And what a journey it is. I loved the characters, Val especially, and the way White teases out the story kept me reading late into the night. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an ARC of Mister Magic.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mister-magic-kiersten-white/1142639624?ean=9780593359273&bvnotificationId=798e99a2-3631-11ee-9dbf-0a962c6adc3d&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/254944010

#MisterMagic:⁣
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Thank you @prhaudio @delreybooks (PRH partner) for my gifted copies.⁣
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“The show is filled with worlds built by children so it seems absurd to adults, but that’s because they’ve stopped being able to see the absurdity of the world they’ve built for themselves.”⁣
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This is basically a Barney (yes, the purple dinosaur) X IT mashup. Well, if I’m being honest, it was more The Electric Company (Hey you guysssssss) but I don’t know if many people watched it as I did, so Barney shall do. One of my favorite parts was the childhood show myths. (Steve from Blues Clues is still a national treasure and did not die from an overdose) The fact someone said “spooky spaghetti” instead of creepy pasta had me cackling out loud. ⁣
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The audio was amazing. Rebecca Lowman gave me the hope and desperation I felt effortlessly. I was creeped out a few times, and Lowman amplified that creep factor. There is a bit of mixed media (forums, wiki sites, email, etc) and they all landed well on audio. ⁣
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I loved the acknowledgements in this story. Kiersten really gave me a different perspective on this story, and I appreciate this. Also, I know believe Silversun Pickups to be the soundtrack of this book. (“And this 'real' It's impossible if possible”) I felt like I enjoyed the book, but the acknowledgements put it over the top for me. ⁣
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Overall, this was the perfect amount of supernatural horror that I love in a book. Creepy, yet, satisfying. Mister Magic is out August 8th, which is just in time for you to start spooky season.

Sadly, this could just not keep my attention. Not sure if it was the writing style but this I could just not finish. I may give it a second chance, if I do and my opinion changes I will come back and edit. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Happy pub day to Mister Magic! 4.5 stars rounded up.

I read Hide by Kiersten White last year and enjoyed it quite a bit. I think if you liked Hide you'll also like Mister Magic as there were some similarities between both books. It almost felt like they could have been set in the same world.

Mister Magic opens with Val, a 30-something woman whose father has just passed away. She lives a quiet life and doesn't have many memories of her childhood. A group of three men from her past arrive at her father's funeral and help her start to put the pieces together from her missing past. It turns out Val was one of the stars of Mister Magic, a popular long-running children's show that abruptly ended with her departure. Only nobody talks about the show anymore. And there are no video clips available online. It's almost as if Mister Magic didn't really exist at all...or they don't want you to remember it for some reason.

The premise for this book was really great - I immediately thought of Barney, but make it sinister. I really loved all of the mixed media sprinkled throughout the book. The forum posts and articles were a fun inclusion and they really made it seem like Mister Magic was a real show. The author did a great job of making you feel uneasy throughout. Between the creepy songs the kids sang, the isolated setting, and the seemingly alive house it felt like a bit of a fever dream. At times I couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't really there. The main characters were all unique and fleshed out, though I didn't really care for the romances. They just didn't feel believable and that took away from the story for me. There were also some pacing moments that prevented this from being a full 5 stars, but other than that I really did enjoy this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for a review copy. Also, just a last minute moment of appreciation for that beautiful cover! I've already purchased a hard copy for my shelves.