Arc Review: Mister Magic by Kiersten White 📺 It’s Magic Time!

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 dark supernatural thriller from the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of Hide.

Publication: August 8, 2023 by Del Rey

Thirty years after a tragic accident shut down production of the classic children’s programme 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 have.

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 somehow 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?

CW’s: Mental Health, Death of a Parent, Kidnapping, Sexism, Mention of Homophobia, Addiction, Racism, and Abandonment

Representation 🌷 Black Gay SC, Bi SC

• Amazon.com
• Blackwell’s
• Bookshop

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 one exception to our failing memories of the show: the theme song. You still know it all these years later.”

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.

“Hope has far more hooks than fear, far more capacity to tear her apart from the inside.”

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!

Will you read Mister Magic? What’s your favorite horror book? 📺