A review by wowsmeows
Mister Magic by Kiersten White

dark mysterious sad tense 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

3.5

"Growing up isn't inherently loss, it's just change. Maybe she can't taste sparkles anymore, but she has a lifetime of moments that feel like that."

Mister Magic is the story of an old children's TV show that everyone remembers, but there is no evidence it ever actually existed. Thirty years after the show abruptly ended, the last cast members have a reunion and uncover the past.

I'm really not a horror reader (I'm a scaredy cat!) but I saw this book being recommended and the plot really intrigued me so I was willing to give it a go.

However, I do think classing this book as a horror is maybe being kind. It's a bit creepy in places, but at best I'd say it was a thriller or just supernatural fiction. It ends with a bittersweet and perhaps even a somewhat wholesome conclusion, so I don't think it can really be classed as a horror. It's an interesting concept but didn't really deliver with the fear.

I really enjoyed the beginning of the novel, and was ready to delve into the story and uncover the mysteries, but it lost some steam towards the end. As it was drawing to a conclusion I felt maybe it could have benefitted from having been explained a bit better and explored a bit more. I found myself a bit lost with some of the descriptions as I went through the big conclusion, but maybe that was just a me problem. 

From the author's note at the end of the novel, it becomes clear that the whole book is basically an allegory for religious trauma, which looking back now is very obvious. I almost wish this had have been explored a bit more as cults are just inherently creepy.

Also,
for a book called Mister Magic, the titular character makes a stunning lack of appearance. I kept waiting for the big bad to appear out of the shadows for a grand finale, but nope.
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