Mister Magic
Ratings44
Average rating3.2
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. . . .
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I liked the feeling that the author evokes with the setting and the mystery, but the pacing feels slow. So I alternately felt excited to read it and get back to that world, then bored because it was moving slowly. There were also parts that were a little too one the nose about the ‘inspiration' for the TV show. The end was fairly satisfying, but some of the larger concepts around the ending were a little too nebulous.
If you like vibes and nebulous danger, you would really like this one.
When I got approved for the ARC of this book, I did a little happy dance. Kiersten White's YA books hold a special place in my heart and they're some of the few books I will never unhaul. I'm not surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did because simply put, Kiersten White is an incredible author. The characters felt so real despite the overarching theme of things not being real. While reading this, a part of me wished Mister Magic was real, but as the story went on and I learned more about what was actually going on, I'm glad that it's not. My biggest complaint is that I wish things were even MORE creepy, but that is definitely just a personal preference. I'm happy seeing this author lean more into horror, and I'm excited to see where her future novels go.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley for providing me with an eBook copy to review
Rating: 3 leaves out of 5-Characters: 3/5 -Cover: 4/5-Story: 2.5/5-Writing: 4/5Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Horror, Thriller-Contemporary: 3/5-Horror: 1.5/5-Thriller: 1/5-Mystery: 2/5Type: EbookWorth?: EhHated Disliked Meh It Was Okay Liked LovedThe concept was good but it got lost in the story telling. It took over 20 chapters to get past Val is to blame and get a LITTLE BIT of answers. That was the most annoying part of this whole book.
