Ｔｉｔｌｅ： Mister Magic
Ａｕｔｈｏｒ： Kiersten White
Ｓｅｒｉｅｓ： Standalone
Ｒａｔｉｎｇ： ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
＊Ｎｏｔｅ：I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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 #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hide.
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. . . .
"You never forget the lesson that they would rather destroy you than let you inconvenience them."
This was an interesting book that had a lot of depth but I think the pacing and ending took from the impact it could have had. For context, I think it's important to know that Kiersten White drew on her experiences as a member of the Mormon church and her departure thereafter to inform parts of the novel. I think anyone who has experienced religious trauma will be able to see that and connect to it, but also anyone who has felt the weight of other's expectations.
I really loved the format Kiersten White used for this book. We had chat forums, emails, and articles along with POVs from all 5 of the ex-child stars. It felt dynamic and fun.
Mister Magic was surrounded by mystery. The premise of the story was a group of childhood friends trying to uncover their memories of their time on a children's TV show. No tapes or clips existed anywhere online but it had a cult following. Val more than anyone else wants the truth because she has no memories of her childhood. She spent her whole life hidden away on a ranch believing that she had done something terrible for her father to be hiding her away.
Without spoiling the plot, I have to say that things progressed very slowly. I can understand that Val needed to reconnect with her friends and family, but it did feel very slow at times because we weren't getting enough information about the show. This was a case where character development wasn't enough to carry the story. I loved Val and the others, but I really wanted answers.
I can't get too much into the reasons why I disliked the ending without spoiling it, but it basically boiled down to this: Kiersten White wanted to show the characters breaking the pattern and carving their own futures, but I feel like Val didn't get that. More than anyone else, she deserved that. A chance to reclaim her life, to have a future where she wasn't hiding away anymore or stuck following someone else's rules. I felt like the town also didn't pay enough for what they'd done and the way things ended still felt like they won because they managed to ensnare another person. I felt like Val's reason for making her choice shouldn't have closed the door to other possibilities. She deserved more.
Overall, it was a fun read but the plot was definitely slow and the ending wasn't what I wanted. I think the message and symbolism were strong, but maybe too much for its intended audience. I think most young adults wouldn't necessarily be able to connect to it the same way, but I could be wrong. Despite its flaws, I do recommend this book because I loved the messages embedded in it and I loved the creepy factor.
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