Mister Magic
A Novel
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3.7 • 97 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Who is Mister Magic? Former child stars reunite to uncover the tragedy that ended their show—and discover the secret of its enigmatic host—in this “skin-crawling story of pop culture fandom and ‘90s nostalgia” (Melissa Albert, author of The Hazel Woods) from the author of Hide.
“[A] propulsive, exciting, often genuinely scary, endlessly compelling mystery.”—Terry Miles, author of Rabbits
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: PopSugar, Polygon, Chicago Public Library, CrimeReads
Thirty years after a tragic accident shut down production of the classic children’s program Mister Magic, the five surviving cast members have done their best to move on. But just as generations of cultishly devoted fans still cling to the lessons they learned from the show, the cast, known as the Circle of Friends, have spent their lives searching for the happiness they felt while they were on it. The friendship. The feeling of belonging. And the protection of Mister Magic.
But with no surviving video of the show, no evidence of who directed or produced it, and no records of who—or what—the beloved host actually was, memories are all the former Circle of Friends has.
Then a twist of fate brings the castmates back together at the remote desert filming compound that feels like it’s been waiting for them all this time. Even though they haven’t seen each other for years, they understand one another better than anyone has since.
After all, they’re the only ones who hold the secret of that circle, the mystery of the magic man in his infinitely black cape, and, maybe, the answers to what really happened on that deadly last day. But as the Circle of Friends reclaim parts of their past, they begin to wonder: Are they here by choice, or have they been lured into a trap?
Because magic never forgets the taste of your friendship. . . .
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A reunion of child stars takes an unnerving turn in this chilling supernatural thriller. Mister Magic was a well-loved children’s show before a tragic accident ended its run 30 years ago. Now the remaining cast members have been called to a mysterious house in the desert to share their memories for a documentary. But the event becomes ominous as we learn that there are no videos, no tapes, and no crew members that survived the show—and the cast’s memories are spotty about who the enigmatic host actually was. We were drawn into the layers of secrets that author Kiersten White reveals as the Circle of Friends (as the cast members were known) relive their experiences and renew old friendships and rivalries and we piece together the real reason Mister Magic existed—and why a shadowy cabal wants to revive it. Fans of online-horror phenomena like “Candle Cove” will adore this trip into magic and conspiracy.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Grappling with religious trauma and childhood abuse, this suspenseful tale from White (Hide) calls to mind old-school internet creepypastas. Val leads a quiet life on a ranch with her ailing father. She has no contact with the outside world or memory of her childhood. After her father dies, strange men approach her claiming that, as kids, they were all costars on cult-classic children's show Mister Magic. Now a podcaster wants to interview them about the show, which ended after a mysterious tragedy, and all the previous cast members are invited. Even as Val slowly comes to terms with the strangeness of her lost childhood, her unexplained memory loss, the secrets kept by her possibly untrustworthy costars, and the marvels made by the theoretically CGI star of the show, Mister Magic himself, all hint at some greater, possibly supernatural conspiracy. Transcripts from fan forums interspersed throughout only enhance the ambiguity surrounding what exactly ended the show—and whether the show ever existed. These questions keep the pages flying on the way to a climax that satisfies even while not delivering typical horror action and gore. Both eerie and surprisingly heartwarming, White's examination of the perils of nostalgia is sure to win fans.
Customer Reviews
Introspective and Entertaining
I recommend this book to anyone looking for an enthralling mystery with subtext that will have you thinking for months after you’ve read it.
In the best way possible, this story went in a direction I didn’t expect. It was surprisingly poignant and moved me to a considerable amount of self-reflection. I can relate to the subtext because I grew up in a deeply religious family in south eastern Oklahoma. I was taught to follow the rules or I wouldn’t be with my family in the afterlife. I also was taught, like Marcus in the novel, that being part of the LGBTQ+ community was a horrible sin and how it was “disgusting” before I even knew that I was part of that community.
Ultimately, this novel highlights to importance of thinking for one’s self and protecting those around you. You can have a logical mind and still have faith, but no one should ever tell you that the way you were born is wrong. Those conversations are trauma inducing and they stay with you for the rest of your life.
A true thriller!
If you didn’t like Hide by this author, let her redeem herself in this book! I was hanging off the edge of my seat the entire time. If you want a good read that is a true thriller book that rips into society norms then this is a book to read!
Embrace the Creep Factor!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of this novel.
All I can say is, “WOW.” Mister Magic first popped up on Good Reads, and then it was in my Audible recommendations. From there, it immediately went onto my TBR list. I had forgotten that I requested to read it via Net Galley, so when it came through, I was like …YES!
Reading the synopsis, I didn’t know what to expect, but I definitely wasn’t disappointed. This book gave me Chanel Zero [Season 1] vibes [that show on Syfy], but better.
Val [Valentina] doesn’t remember anything from her childhood, and the story begins when she’s eight years old. Val and her dad stayed on a ranch owned by his friend Gloria, only occasionally leaving to run errands to town. They didn’t watch any TV, nor did they have cell phones, but Val knew that she had to stay hidden because she had done something bad.
Val’s dad dies, and so do all the secrets of Val’s childhood. He only wanted to keep her safe, but that cocoon would start to unravel as Val’s old friends would show up at the funeral. Val doesn’t remember them, but something is strangely familiar about them all.
Isaac, Javi, and Marcus [and later Jenny] first met Val when they were kids on a television show, and Val can’t recall any of this. She would soon step out of her comfort zone and dive head-first into all the secrets that had been kept from her.
The strangeness of this book was awesome, and the cult-like following of the Mister Magic TV show was weird. Snippets are highlighted in Wiki-style posts and message boards as people share their fondness for the show. However, what was stranger is that all evidence the show ever existed has been erased from all web sources. No one can find any episodes, and there’s nothing on social media. What were they hiding?
The town of Bliss, Arizona, is where the show takes place, and everything about the town is a mystery. It seemingly popped up from nowhere, but several members of the show’s crew and most of the parents of the cast lived there. The residents of this small-town talk about Mister Magic as if it was a part of their lives, and their well-being and futures hinged this children’s show, and this cast getting back together for a "potential" reunion -- now in their 30s.
While the book is categorized as horror, it falls more in the thriller wheelhouse from my perspective. There’s anticipation, then it builds until you find out the truth, and that sets the stage for something much more sinister. There is no happy ending here, only what needs to be done, as Val finds out why all the doors to her memory are closed, the town’s obsession with Mister Magic, and why her friends really came looking for her.
This is a “must” read, and I really enjoyed this novel, and the anticipation was worth the wait.