Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Mister Magic

I’m a sucker for an interesting premise, which is why I eagerly picked up Mister Magic by Kiersten White despite having a mixed track record when it comes to horror/thriller books. The concept of this book is delightfully original, and White uses it to its fullest extent to explore interesting themes of childhood, indoctrination, nostalgia, and more. I especially enjoyed the use of “mixed media” such as Reddit, Wikipedia, etc. to underscore the weirdness and fascination with the Mister Magic TV show. The characters, while not the most well-developed, are interesting and engaging enough to pull the story along, especially as we learn more about their relationships with each other.

My hangup with horror novels and thrillers is usually the endings, and I was both pleasantly surprised and disappointed with how this book ends. I think White does an excellent job crafting an ending that does justice to the plot, the characters, and the themes. She doesn’t spend a whole lot of time discussing the logistics of everything that goes down, instead focusing more on the story as a vehicle for thematic discussion. For more literal-minded and detail-oriented readers, this might be frustrating, but I prefer horror books that lean more into the metaphor rather than precise explanations. Despite everything that I liked about the ending, White’s admittedly heavy-handedness in regard to the book’s themes turns into a sledgehammer at the book’s climax. I was able to put up with some preachiness in the earlier parts of the book because the metaphor could work in so many ways, but by the time I finished the book I was exhausted by the repetitive, insistent way White underscores her message. I felt slightly disrespected as a reader, like she didn’t think I was smart enough to grasp the metaphor. I’m also not sure of the extent to which I agree with her book’s central thesis (or perhaps I have more of an issue with the confidence with which White offers it as an original and near-perfect solution). I wish she let the reader make connections and draw conclusions for themselves.

Side Note: If I had a nickel for every horror book that involves mentions of a particular place/show being deleted from the Internet . . . don’t authors realize how difficult it is for someone to monitor the ENTIRE internet and social media for something, and how difficult it would be to delete things they have no control or ownership of? Both Dead Eleven and Mister Magic have something like this going on, and it has left me scratching my head both times. I get that it adds a cool level of spookiness and mysteriousness to the story, but it’s also not believable at all!

The Run-Down:

You will probably like Mister Magic if . . .

· You’re a millennial who needs to go to therapy but reads books instead

· You like themes of nostalgia, childhood, escapism, indoctrination, and generational power/trauma

· You want a fun, entertaining read with strong thematic elements

You might not like Mister Magic if . . .

· You’re looking for a scary book

· You hate it when characters make stupid decisions in horror books (our main girl Val is smart and strong in her own way, but makes some seriously questionable choices)

· You have a low tolerance for preachiness in books

· You dislike paranormal elements

A Similar Book: The Circus of Stolen Dreams by Lorelai Saveryn. Similarities include . . .

· A plot centered around a tantalizing and dangerous supernatural escape from childhood trauma

· Long-lost siblings

· A main character who forgets key aspects of their childhood

· Exploration of trauma, grief, escape, and childhood

Content Warnings

megwilli's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

Content Warnings

frmeden's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

this book was so fucking weird but somehow kiersten white always seems to hit on the weird little sub-genres of horror that i love? her work is compulsively readable and a little abstract but always very gay and very fun

Content Warnings

autumnleafgirl's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Release Date: August 1, 2023
Genre: Supernatural Mystery / Thriller
Themes: Forgotten media, childhood trauma, 90s PBS nostalgia

We've all watched a show like "Mister Magic" - all about a cast of kids building world with their imagination and learning life lessons. It's the kind of show that lingers on the edges of your memory, only teased out now by a nostalgia-fueled YouTube compilation or an off-handed mention from a friend. But what happens when the nostalgia comes back to haunt you?

The five surviving cast members from the "Mister Magic" television show are all grown up now. Brought together for the 30th anniversary of the show's ending and wracked by the trauma they experienced as children, they must learn who they are, how their lives are intertwined, and who they can trust as adults in a world that seems determined to drag them back into the otherworldliness of the show.

It's a fascinating concept, perfect for this era of the recovered child star, the unnecessary reboot, the tell-all book/podcast/documentary. Kiersten White's imagination goes off the rails in a good way painting a picture of the titular fictional kids' show, the nostalgic populace who watched it, and the elements conspiring against our protagonists. The question of the tragic accident that resulted in the show's ending is a compelling, entertaining mystery that make it easy to pick up and finish in just a few settings.

On that, a note about genre... While I wouldn't necessarily agree that "Mister Magic" is a horror novel, I think it works well as a supernatural mystery-thriller. Don't go in expecting gore or exorcisms or demon animatronics - instead, keep an open mind for some interesting abstract anxiety about self and identity and a unique metaphor for the author's exit from Mormonism.

That said, this story isn't without its challenges. The book's pacing, and specifically the drip of relevant information that typically drives a mystery-thriller, was somewhat inconsistent. We spent a lot of time towards the middle rehashing what certain characters don't know and what no one would care to admit and a lot of time at the end getting a waterhose of information straight to the face. Despite one theme of the book being about imperfections and character development, the characters more often than not defaulted to their stereotypes, which seemed like a missed opportunity.

For fans of: At face value, this book is going to his a very specific subset of people directly in their feelings: If you grew up watching "The Big Comfy Couch," "Zoom" or even "Out of the Box" on TV and are now the kind of adult that falls asleep watching YouTube videos about lost media, this is the book you didn't know you needed. Seriously, perfect intersection of nostalgia and current interests.

On the literary side, fans of Edgar Cantero's "Meddling Kids" will appreciate the similar your-childhood-all-grown-up approach, while fans of books like Elizabeth Little's "Pretty as a Picture" will appreciate the mystery, if they're open to a supernatural twist. Overall though, this book will appeal to those looking for an interesting, not-too-dense mystery that digs into the recesses of your brain for all the things you've lived long enough to forget about.

The verdict: "Mister Magic" is a fun read that leverages the eerie nostalgia of early childhood afternoons watching PBS to build up to an interesting mystery with a surprising solution. While it's not necessarily as intense as a true horror book, it'll scratch the itch for someone who wants a little creepiness to their thrillers and please those looking to for a unique take to the thriller genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray for an ARC in exchange for a truthful review!

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