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seawarrior's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
4.0
Mister Magic pleasantly surprised me with its themes about the exploitative and punishing manner in which many children are taught about religion. I assumed that the book would be a straightforward horror story, but welcomed White's implicit themes on the perils of escaping a cult that has seared its way into your childhood, no matter how little you remember the details. On its own, the horror element of the story is riveting and unique. I never wanted to put the book down, and adored its descriptions of the eerie, magical world the Circle of Friends inhibited as children. This is a novel both terrifying and uplifting, and I look forward to reading White's future works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Stalking, Death of parent, Confinement, and Child death
Minor: Homophobia and Misogyny
livlamentloathe's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I finished the last page and burst into childlike tears. When I was ten pages from the finale, I thought: I’m not going to cry. What a JOKE I am!!!!! How can Kiersten White top Hide? She can’t! thought Olivia a few weeks ago when she borrowed Mister Magic from the library. Olivia from a few weeks ago is a FOOL.
Mister Magic isn’t Hide, but it has the same magic, the same horror. The horror that is reality, rules, arbitrary laws and systems and governments. The horror of previous generations and the lies they foist onto us. White survived Covid-19 and Trump and realized that horror isn’t a bogeyman. Horror is already here. Waking up is the real nightmare.
Mister Magic is a recovery. It’s closure. It’s acceptance and the peace of the After. We cannot accept reality if we’re living in the past. If we cannot move on. And neither can Val or anyone else. We need to open the doors.
Mister Magic isn’t Hide, but it has the same magic, the same horror. The horror that is reality, rules, arbitrary laws and systems and governments. The horror of previous generations and the lies they foist onto us. White survived Covid-19 and Trump and realized that horror isn’t a bogeyman. Horror is already here. Waking up is the real nightmare.
Mister Magic is a recovery. It’s closure. It’s acceptance and the peace of the After. We cannot accept reality if we’re living in the past. If we cannot move on. And neither can Val or anyone else. We need to open the doors.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Child abuse, Abandonment, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, and Sexism
Minor: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, and Religious bigotry
The villain IS the intolerance, abuse, and bigotry. The central characters are diverse and complex—trying to live their lives despite what their upbringings. They fight against their cages.huntress's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Homophobia, Death of parent, Classism, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Gaslighting, Racism, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Alcohol, Body horror, and Child death
Minor: Alcoholism
d0505's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Kidnapping
boundforinfinity's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
White's "Mister Magic" asks the question whether childhood's rose tinted glasses are really worth the revisit. With monsters and pocket dimensions and a strange series adjacent to the Internet creepypasta Candle Cove, later adapted into a TV series and the Web series local 58.
Mister Magic introduces us to what we assume to be our final girl, Val, who having accepted her amnesia from childhood grieves her late father. She is whisked away before the funeral after learning shocking news: her mother is alive. Throughout the book, Val's hunt for the truth takes for front.
The other character's however, whilst given the stereotypical roles of a TV show character generator, seem to all remember. Would Val like what they know?
The apex of all of this is: Val, Isaac, Marcus, Javi and Jenny were child stars.
The allusion to creepy behaviours of the Magic man, and the parentification of Val come to light throughout the story, suggesting a more thorough review of what it means to be a child star in this day and age.
I appreciated Kiersten White's ability to tell a mystery in a way that had me guessing. I only wish the only characters I felt any attachment to weren't just Val and Jenny. I wanted more from the others that suggested they fell into (or out of) their on screen counterparts. Isaac was the next closest, only picking up further characterisation in the second half of the novel.
Mister Magic introduces us to what we assume to be our final girl, Val, who having accepted her amnesia from childhood grieves her late father. She is whisked away before the funeral after learning shocking news: her mother is alive. Throughout the book, Val's hunt for the truth takes for front.
The other character's however, whilst given the stereotypical roles of a TV show character generator, seem to all remember. Would Val like what they know?
The apex of all of this is: Val, Isaac, Marcus, Javi and Jenny were child stars.
The allusion to creepy behaviours of the Magic man, and the parentification of Val come to light throughout the story, suggesting a more thorough review of what it means to be a child star in this day and age.
I appreciated Kiersten White's ability to tell a mystery in a way that had me guessing. I only wish the only characters I felt any attachment to weren't just Val and Jenny. I wanted more from the others that suggested they fell into (or out of) their on screen counterparts. Isaac was the next closest, only picking up further characterisation in the second half of the novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
Moderate: Kidnapping
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.25
Review:
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
Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body horror, Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, and Religious bigotry
imstephtacular's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Grief, Gaslighting, and Sexism
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Death, Medical content, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content, Vomit, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
megwilli's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism
frmeden's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Gaslighting, Homophobia, and Kidnapping
Minor: Alcohol and Alcoholism
inkdrinkers's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
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
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Confinement
Moderate: Kidnapping, Child abuse, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Child death, Emotional abuse, and Addiction