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.

This was interesting and creepy, and a fun, fast read without too much actual horror. I felt the parallels to the real-life subject were a bit heavy handed and the characters underdeveloped (although maybe that was the point as cults take away your life?) but still a good and enjoyable way to spend an evening.

Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy! I was so happy to get this as Kiersten White is a favorite author of mine! I enjoyed this! It was a really quick read! Pretty creepy, it left me with a Freddie Krueger-ish / Wonderama kind of vibe. Also it took a a lot of courage for the author to reveal in her acknowledgements the story’s parallels with her own life growing up. A fun read and I can’t wait to see what this great author comes up with next!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

I wasn't a huge fan of the authors last book but the plot of Mister Magic was incredibly intriguing. Sadly the book completely collapsed. It's the exact same story but a defunct TV show instead of a defunct theme park. I finished the story but it's two hours of my life I'll never get back.

Val has been living on a ranch in Idaho for the last 30 years. She has no memory of her life before. Her dad took her from her former life and has not revealed anything since they arrived except that they are safe here, implying they are not elsewhere. All she knows is that something bad happened. She can feel it. When her dad dies, and 3 men show up at his funeral looking for her from her life before the ranch, she knows she must go with them to open the doors that she shut 30 years ago.

The story is one that kept me excited to keep reading. The hints that are given as to what is actually happening are just enough for you to inch closer to the full story but still need more. The integration of cult-like behavior in Utah/ Idaho is just a subtle enough nod to the author's background without hitting you over the head with it. This was especially interesting to me because I have personally been interested in the life of the majority in those states. The book makes you question what is real and what is a trap.

While I have a few criticisms, I did think the book could benefit from some better markers of moving to a new perspective or a new scene at time. I read this on a Kindle so that could be a contributor to this struggle.

If you have an interest in hope and fighting against the powers that work to oppress this is a wonderful read.

This was a little too weird and confusing for me. I wanted to like it, but I just couldn't make heads or tails of it most of the time.

I loved Hide by Kiersten White so I was so excited to get approved for Mr. Magic and it did not disappoint! This isn't an easy book to summarize for me. It's about a group of friends from a former television show reconnecting many, many years later but it's also about so much more. The Acknowledgments section of the book added a great deal of insight for me, into the story as well as into the author.
I highly recommend this title and I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this digital ARC.

Really awesome premise. However I couldn't connect or get into the writing style for this author. I do think some fans will really like this. It just was not for me.

I find this one difficult to rate… not my typical genre, but it has the most intriguingly creepy premise, which is why I requested it (thank you, NetGalley). At times it seemed like a mess of parts of random stories thrown together, while other times I really enjoyed the story??? Overall, I don’t think it’s for me, but I definitely think this will be popular amongst many readers!

I was so excited to get this because I really enjoyed Hide by this same author. Mister Magic was a little disappointing but still a solid mystery/horror/creepy read.

The premise is a reunion for child actors on a beloved children's show called Mister Magic that went off the air decades ago. The show itself is cloaked in mystery - the narrative includes snips of news articles, reddits, interviews, etc. on this topic woven with present day activity and no one can remember anything specific about what "Mister Magic" looked like, nor are there any clips anywhere from the show. There is a lot of disagreement online about the show, and no one can seemingly remember anything precise about the characters or format. All remember they loved it. All know it ended due to some sort of tragedy, but no one remembers what it was.

These pieces of media are interwoven with our MCs, the "Circle of Friends," and their narrative as they come together once more and piece together their own sparse memories of their time on the show and the mysterious tragedy that ended its run.

The book starts out with a great, creepy, and mysterious vibe. As the story unfolds and the plot points become more clear, things get a bit convoluted. Not everything makes sense or lines up. The characters aren't particularly well developed and feel more like caricatures...but I feel that was done on purpose - they are living out their roles on the show even in their adult lives. I see some reviewers didn't like this and noted the characters are all emotionally stunted. I think that's the whole point. They ARE emotionally still children. They have never grown past the roles the show squeezed them into. They are incomplete.

I both liked and disliked the ending - I still have conflicting feelings a week after finishing the book. Initially the creepy vibe turns dark and rather sad, almost. It's odd. It just ended up feeling less fun to read as it went on. Horror can be fun or it can be truly scary. This was just both but also...sad.

The author note after the book was enlightening. Once you realize this book is an allegory, and understand that context, it all is pretty brilliant, even the murky parts. However, while it did enhance my appreciation of the book, the fact remains that the story wasn't quite as enjoyable to read as I had hoped. That all said, I do recommend this and think it is really insightful as an allegory. It's just not as fun as Hide.