Mister Magic

A Novel

By: Kiersten White

Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Kiersten White

Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

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....

©2023 Kiersten White (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Mister Magic is a propulsive, exciting, often genuinely scary, endlessly compelling mystery. Imagine a trip through Twin Peaks by way of Stranger Things and Stephen King’s It.”—Terry Miles, author of Rabbits

“In this skin-crawling story of pop culture fandom and ’90s nostalgia, Kiersten White fully delivers on her gripping premise: the troubled reunion, thirty years later, of the cast of a magical kids’ show that exists only in its viewers’ memories. Mister Magic walks the twilit line between wonder and terror where all the best childhood games are played.”—Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood

“It meets The Stepford Wives in this wildly compelling story that explores whether it’s possible to recapture the magic of childhood friendship and what happens when you discover the darkness hiding underneath your memories. White’s writing is guaranteed to hook you. Be careful cracking this open; Mister Magic will pull you in like a riptide.”—Mallory O’Meara,  Los Angeles Times bestselling author of The Lady from the Black Lagoon

pleasantly surprised

I had bought this initially hoping for a liminal/nostalgic horror story, something akin to “candle cove” or “video palace” and was surprised by the story ultimately turning into an allegory for religious abuse and trauma. Although at times I found it grasping to pull narrative threads together to form a more coherent link to this allegory, it remains a powerful one. I applaud the author for her courage to break free from toxic ideology. The story is well written and its performed excellently by the reader (even if i found the "Kittie" voice to be grating…it worked).

Another cool take on pop culture

I really enjoyed the narration, but this fell a bit flat for me compared to Hide. Still worth a listen though

the ending

I love how everything ties up in the end, but God did hurt. Another great work by the author and a great performance.

Really liked this book.

I purchased this on a Friday evening and by Monday afternoon, I found I had listened to it all. I hope many can enjoy the underlying morale of this story without all the woke-shaming nonsense reviews that's been seeming to crop up on this platform. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the narrator was fantastic as well. Well worth the credit.

Well written, Current, and Relatable

I can't remember the last time I read a non-fiction novel so well-written and with prose I truly admired and appreciated. It made me wish (sorry Audible), that I had read the hard copy version first so I could easily read and re-read certain sentences.
Really well done.
The references are current, and the thoughts of the 30-something protagonist really resonated with this 30-something reader. Would (and intend to) recommend to others.

Wow… completely blown away.

I read this book after a random person recommended it on Reddit, and then after reading the plot summary myself. All I can say is wow. Having ADHD, I have a difficult time with books that start slowly because I get bored and leave them. This book IS NOT THAT! I’m happy to report that this book pulls you in immediately from chapter one. It is exciting through out, with unpredictable twists and turns. Even the twists you expect unfold in a surprising way. The author is honestly such a beautiful writer (or artist, I’d say) and reading her descriptions of things was such a joy I didn’t know that I needed. The epilogue and acknowledgements were so beautiful too, I cried and I’m still crying as I’m writing this review. 100/10, wonderful story!

SPOILERS AHEAD: Many people say that they didn’t like the ending, which I totally understand because it was very sad. I however think it was a great ending even though it was a sad one. I have a sister whom I love deeply, and I’ve experienced great loss in my life. Val’s choices make me hurt and ache but also make me feel pride and peace. Not all endings are happy in the ways we imagine them, but I think the ending of this story is happy in the ways that it needs to be.

I wasn’t really ready

Im keeping it brief bc I’m emotional about it:
1. Excellent character development
2. Narration is on point
3. The metaphor is so good and so helpful for anyone who’s walked away from the religion they were handed.
4. I got a little list in the imagery, but I’m willing to admit that it may be because I’m personally not very imaginative and have a hard time keeping up.
5. Yes, I recommend

Courage!

I liked the way in which the insidious nature of Mr Magic held children captive (and responsible for the entire community). I also didn’t like it, because it is so true in many religions and is terrifying.
A note to you, Ms. White: What courage and fortitude to break away from all of that POWER, not knowing the unknown ahead. Bravo! I applaud you for doing so and giving your children the chance to be courageous too.

Stranger and interesting story. Great message.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was a creative idea and was executed well. I think my only critique is that the characters just kinda go along with things even when things are wildly outlandish but it’s really a small gripe and didn’t take away from my enjoyment or the story.

This book is EXTREMELY good!

I read about the concept of this book a month or two ago and eagerly awaited it's release.

It does not disappoint!

I stayed awake for far longer than was healthy just to get to the heart of the story's central mystery.