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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
paperwitches's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
MISTER MAGIC IS OUT TODAY!
↪Story Synopsis: Val has lived isolated on a farm for most of her life, since she lost all memory of her life before 8 years old. And then, a twist of fate reminds her she was once the star of a show called ‘Mister Magic.’ The fabled show that was once popular, but no evidence exists of it ever running. As the cast comes back together, they find memories that were best left hidden.
↪Length: 304 pages
↪Rating: 4.00
★★★★☆
↪Review:
First off, my thanks to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the complimentary advanced reader copy of, ‘Mister Magic,’ per my request. This review is being voluntarily given and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
If you remember Hide from 2021, the abandoned amusement park thriller, then you’ll be happy to know about another horror by Kiersten White is being delivered and today is the publishing date! I was super excited for this release, and even more excited when I got the unexpected approval on a very hot AC-less day. A young Paperwitch grew up on 'Spookyrotini' AKA 'Creepypasta.' I still remember the ambiguous horror I felt as a teen listening to Candle Cove for the first time. If you've never heard of Candle Cove - it has a similar premise regarding a child TV show that has since become lost media. I expected a similar horror in Mister Magic, steeped in nostalgia and lost childhood and it delivered. Albeit in an unexpected way.
The story starts of very strong, there is a split POV format that mixes in pieces of media like Reddit posts, creepypasta forums, and Wikipedia. I was actually very impressed by how accurate these depictions of media were, I was even able to recognize Archiveofourown.org from one of the chapters - which totally gives bonus points to the author. The comment dialogue reads very realistic. Unfortunately, the format doesn't work very well on ebook.
Most notably, this book is described as a horror - and I very much disagree with this category. At most, this book had disturbing elements that had to do with emotional backstories to most of the characters. There were about two scenes in the entire 304 pages that actually elicited any dread in me, and one of them was a fake out. This did not have the same feel as the creepypasta's that inspired it, there is no ambiguous unnamed horror you feel. A lot of the time, any novel with elements of paranormal, unusual experiences, and scary descriptions are lumped into the horror category despite being 80% general fiction or even romance. Mister Magic makes only a handful of appearances, and he exists mostly as a omnipresent concept in the characters minds rather than the big baddie - which makes sense after reading the afterward, but overall affects the read for someone who is expecting a scare fest. You never fear for the characters because you never once are scared that they are in any real danger, which defeats most of the spookiness of those two or three 'horror' scenes. It has a feel good theme that cheapens the horror but makes it more noticeable this is in fact a deeply emotional fiction instead of a true horror novel.
This doesn't mean it wasn't a good read though - I quite enjoyed it!
This is very much a drama more than a horror, it relies on it's characters and their likeability - and they are quite likeable. This book deals with the themes of family, chosen family, and deep emotional trauma. The main character is extremely sheltered but intelligent, if very devoid of all emotion besides childlike wonder (which seems intentional and isn't too annoying, and impulsiveness. Within the first two chapters, she's ready to hop in van of people she doesn't remember at all that randomly know her name. She's so naïve in fact, that her would be kidnappers (if they weren't her childhood friends) actually warn her that it's super weird she is so gung-ho to leave. I appreciated that the character's were aware of how crazy this sounded, but it felt like a bit of a farce to allow her to go anyway despite how crazy the other characters thought she sounded. She also declares a clear lack of independence, despite the book hinting otherwise. You never see Val truly alone, and when she is she seeks out the circle. To me, this was representative of her childhood memory and nostalgia of ALWAYS being with a group. But the book tries to set her up as fiercely independent, especially while in childhood, only to have it be undone by this one fact. Besides this, it's understandable that someone sheltered would be monotonous - but she did manage to make her own life with what she had. She wasn't completely inexperienced, but so little character development happens over the course of 304 pages that you feel like Val was the exact same person as when she started. This doesn't make her unlikeable, as these characters are meant to be emotionally stunted by their experiences on the TV show and the emotional trauma and insecurities it brought. However, it doesn't explain away all the issues regarding this point. Val starts as very sweet, protective, and understanding - but the big twist that occurs happens because she STAYS very sweet, protective, and understanding. While I couldn't see Val without protectiveness, I expected her niceness and understanding demeanor to mature into the very clear revelation that she was being used the whole time. By her mother, by her friends, by her love interest, by the town of BLISS, and in the end by her sister.
The rest of the characters are equally likeable, but have two traits at most, one of which has to do with their identities - which can be a bonus or a negative. I feel like regardless all of them were written very well and even positively represented how it is to accept your own identity. As for the rest of the characters, they are very much still filling a role that is subservient to gender roles and social conformities. It made me disillusioned with Val as the main character, as I found the other characters backstories much more interesting. Once I had read the afterword, this point made a lot more sense as an allegory for Kiersten White's experience with religion. It's a brilliant allegory that actually ties very small seemingly unassuming parts together with the over looming sense of always being watched which can equate to the eyes of god or the church.
It took me a while to write this review simply based on how convoluted my feelings were, expecting one thing, and getting another. The ending is the biggest reason for this, after a dragging middle with lots of exposition it was a clear shock when the vibes go from ominous paranoia to regret and sacrifice. Which would be fine, if it had not rushed it's own ending. In under 3 pages a huge twist occurs, and the story ends so abruptly it leaves you with whiplash. This had so little impact, even while factoring in the epilogue, that I sat there for 10 minutes after loving every word in the book to suddenly becoming extremely disillusioned with it. Had it taken even only a few more chapters to wrap itself up, it would've been a five star read for me as it has all the potential and Kiersten White's amazing skill propelling it forward.
↪Bookish Pros:
👻Likeable side characters with interesting and differing backgrounds.
👻Diverse cast of characters who are learning to accept themselves.
👻A great allegory for the authors experience in Mormonism, and growing up under the iron fist of indoctrination, which makes it's ending that much more impactful.
↪Bookish Cons:
👻A quick, terse ending that dead stops the build up created by the entire story.
👻A very bland, if nice, main character who somewhat servers as more of a self-insert rather than an actual character of her own.
👻The story reads as YA, as opposed to adult just based on the simplicity of it's character's.
👻Mister Magic himself is more of a concept than a character, representative of the indoctrination they all face.
👻Some twists do not pay off, or work, or are quickly forgotten about.
↪I’d Recommend To:
♡ Creepypasta's lovers
♡ Fans of Lost Media genre
♡ Fans of drama fiction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
↪{Quicklinks}
Blog | Goodreads | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Twitter
↪Story Synopsis: Val has lived isolated on a farm for most of her life, since she lost all memory of her life before 8 years old. And then, a twist of fate reminds her she was once the star of a show called ‘Mister Magic.’ The fabled show that was once popular, but no evidence exists of it ever running. As the cast comes back together, they find memories that were best left hidden.
↪Length: 304 pages
↪Rating: 4.00
★★★★☆
↪Review:
First off, my thanks to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the complimentary advanced reader copy of, ‘Mister Magic,’ per my request. This review is being voluntarily given and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
If you remember Hide from 2021, the abandoned amusement park thriller, then you’ll be happy to know about another horror by Kiersten White is being delivered and today is the publishing date! I was super excited for this release, and even more excited when I got the unexpected approval on a very hot AC-less day. A young Paperwitch grew up on 'Spookyrotini' AKA 'Creepypasta.' I still remember the ambiguous horror I felt as a teen listening to Candle Cove for the first time. If you've never heard of Candle Cove - it has a similar premise regarding a child TV show that has since become lost media. I expected a similar horror in Mister Magic, steeped in nostalgia and lost childhood and it delivered. Albeit in an unexpected way.
The story starts of very strong, there is a split POV format that mixes in pieces of media like Reddit posts, creepypasta forums, and Wikipedia. I was actually very impressed by how accurate these depictions of media were, I was even able to recognize Archiveofourown.org from one of the chapters - which totally gives bonus points to the author. The comment dialogue reads very realistic. Unfortunately, the format doesn't work very well on ebook.
Most notably, this book is described as a horror - and I very much disagree with this category. At most, this book had disturbing elements that had to do with emotional backstories to most of the characters. There were about two scenes in the entire 304 pages that actually elicited any dread in me, and one of them was a fake out. This did not have the same feel as the creepypasta's that inspired it, there is no ambiguous unnamed horror you feel. A lot of the time, any novel with elements of paranormal, unusual experiences, and scary descriptions are lumped into the horror category despite being 80% general fiction or even romance. Mister Magic makes only a handful of appearances, and he exists mostly as a omnipresent concept in the characters minds rather than the big baddie - which makes sense after reading the afterward, but overall affects the read for someone who is expecting a scare fest. You never fear for the characters because you never once are scared that they are in any real danger, which defeats most of the spookiness of those two or three 'horror' scenes. It has a feel good theme that cheapens the horror but makes it more noticeable this is in fact a deeply emotional fiction instead of a true horror novel.
This doesn't mean it wasn't a good read though - I quite enjoyed it!
This is very much a drama more than a horror, it relies on it's characters and their likeability - and they are quite likeable. This book deals with the themes of family, chosen family, and deep emotional trauma. The main character is extremely sheltered but intelligent, if very devoid of all emotion besides childlike wonder (which seems intentional and isn't too annoying, and impulsiveness. Within the first two chapters, she's ready to hop in van of people she doesn't remember at all that randomly know her name. She's so naïve in fact, that her would be kidnappers (if they weren't her childhood friends) actually warn her that it's super weird she is so gung-ho to leave. I appreciated that the character's were aware of how crazy this sounded, but it felt like a bit of a farce to allow her to go anyway despite how crazy the other characters thought she sounded. She also declares a clear lack of independence, despite the book hinting otherwise. You never see Val truly alone, and when she is she seeks out the circle. To me, this was representative of her childhood memory and nostalgia of ALWAYS being with a group. But the book tries to set her up as fiercely independent, especially while in childhood, only to have it be undone by this one fact. Besides this, it's understandable that someone sheltered would be monotonous - but she did manage to make her own life with what she had. She wasn't completely inexperienced, but so little character development happens over the course of 304 pages that you feel like Val was the exact same person as when she started. This doesn't make her unlikeable, as these characters are meant to be emotionally stunted by their experiences on the TV show and the emotional trauma and insecurities it brought. However, it doesn't explain away all the issues regarding this point. Val starts as very sweet, protective, and understanding - but the big twist that occurs happens because she STAYS very sweet, protective, and understanding. While I couldn't see Val without protectiveness, I expected her niceness and understanding demeanor to mature into the very clear revelation that she was being used the whole time. By her mother, by her friends, by her love interest, by the town of BLISS, and in the end by her sister.
The rest of the characters are equally likeable, but have two traits at most, one of which has to do with their identities - which can be a bonus or a negative. I feel like regardless all of them were written very well and even positively represented how it is to accept your own identity. As for the rest of the characters, they are very much still filling a role that is subservient to gender roles and social conformities. It made me disillusioned with Val as the main character, as I found the other characters backstories much more interesting. Once I had read the afterword, this point made a lot more sense as an allegory for Kiersten White's experience with religion. It's a brilliant allegory that actually ties very small seemingly unassuming parts together with the over looming sense of always being watched which can equate to the eyes of god or the church.
It took me a while to write this review simply based on how convoluted my feelings were, expecting one thing, and getting another. The ending is the biggest reason for this, after a dragging middle with lots of exposition it was a clear shock when the vibes go from ominous paranoia to regret and sacrifice. Which would be fine, if it had not rushed it's own ending. In under 3 pages a huge twist occurs, and the story ends so abruptly it leaves you with whiplash. This had so little impact, even while factoring in the epilogue, that I sat there for 10 minutes after loving every word in the book to suddenly becoming extremely disillusioned with it. Had it taken even only a few more chapters to wrap itself up, it would've been a five star read for me as it has all the potential and Kiersten White's amazing skill propelling it forward.
↪Bookish Pros:
👻Likeable side characters with interesting and differing backgrounds.
👻Diverse cast of characters who are learning to accept themselves.
👻A great allegory for the authors experience in Mormonism, and growing up under the iron fist of indoctrination, which makes it's ending that much more impactful.
↪Bookish Cons:
👻A quick, terse ending that dead stops the build up created by the entire story.
👻A very bland, if nice, main character who somewhat servers as more of a self-insert rather than an actual character of her own.
👻The story reads as YA, as opposed to adult just based on the simplicity of it's character's.
👻Mister Magic himself is more of a concept than a character, representative of the indoctrination they all face.
👻Some twists do not pay off, or work, or are quickly forgotten about.
↪I’d Recommend To:
♡ Creepypasta's lovers
♡ Fans of Lost Media genre
♡ Fans of drama fiction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
↪{Quicklinks}
Blog | Goodreads | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Twitter
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Child death, Cursing, Classism, Kidnapping, Biphobia, Body horror, Homophobia, Sexism, and Religious bigotry
☾grief and loss, implied death of child, cult themes, kidnapping, religious overtonescharleshasalibrary's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Kidnapping, and Child abuse
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
“The one exception to our failing memories of the show: the theme song. You still know it all these years later.”
I received a digital Arc from Netgalley and Del Rey in exchange for an honest review! The quotes are taken from the Arc and are subject to changes!
➽ Mister Magic is a creepy, surreal story about an old children’s programme! The ritual show Mister Magic used to be one of the longest-running programmes for children … until it suddenly ended 30 years ago. The problem? No one can find any proof it ever aired or existed in the first place 👀 There’s no known studio, director or any information on the internet. Many websites and posts dedicated to an in-depth look at the show suspiciously get deleted right after. In between the chapters, we get to see some articles and Reddit threads where people talk about the show and how it shaped them. They all remember watching it, but still cannot find any concrete proof as all footage has disappeared. I loved the ominous atmosphere of the book, as something clearly isn’t right and everything about the show and how it ended sounds suspect.
Now a podcast has announced a reunion of the child stars of Mister Magic, the first evidence there has been in decades. There are so many questions: who was Mister Magic – the mysterious black figure in the cape? Why did the show end? And how come no one has any footage? I was thoroughly creeped out, especially as there are tons of creepy rhymes the children used to sing (and if you look closer at the chapter headings, you’ll find something sinister there) 🤐
➽ The story also focused on Val – who cannot remember anything about her past. She’s been living on a ranch the past 30 years, but after her father dies, her old costars and friends find her again. Val has the feeling she knows them … but she cannot remember ever being on the show or how it ended. Her father was terrified of something coming after them, so he isolated her and Val feels like she never really lived her life. Despite the risk, she decides to go with her old friends, who are heading for the reunion and podcast taping. Val has been repressing and closing all doors in her mind, but she needs to find out what happened and why she can’t remember anything before coming to the ranch. We mainly follow her perspective, as she grapples with guilt, blame and who she used to be on the show.
➽ Apart from the horror, this also discussed childhood & nostalgia! All of the former child stars – Val, Marcus, Javi, Isaac and Jenny – struggle with their life after the end of the show in their own ways. They feel stuck and yearn for the time on the show when they felt whole. Despite Mister Magic ending, the show never really left them and keeps haunting them decades later. There’s discussion of nostalgia and how accurate a rose-tinted look at the past really is: was their childhood better? or is it just easier to believe everything was perfect back then? The book had a lot of messages around growing up and being molded into something your parents want. The rhymes from the show are constantly brought up and you slowly question how good they really are. Did Mister Magic shape them into good kids, or just kids that were obedient and how their parents wanted them. I liked the discussions around the children’s agency and their hope for their own children.
➽ All in all, this was an intriguing, fast Horror with lots of depth! The characters, the creepy atmosphere and the discussions around childhood and control made for a great narrative. The author’s note also shone some light on the book, as it’s inspired by her own experiences with being Mormon and leaving this religion behind. You could tell that it was a personal book for her!
“Hope has far more hooks than fear, far more capacity to tear her apart from the inside.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Death of parent
Moderate: Kidnapping and Sexism
Minor: Homophobia, Addiction, Racism, and Abandonment
autumnleafgirl's review against another edition
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Alcohol, Confinement, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Outing, Religious bigotry, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, and Infertility
More...