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It was just so boring… I kept waiting for something to happen and then it did, and even that was a snoozer… ⭐️⭐️

Excited to try Mister Magic!
Childhood stars reunite to learn what really happened to end the show they all starred in. In the thirty years since the ending of a children‘s show, Mister Magic, there is no physical record of the show. The only thing the group of former actors and friends can rely on is their collective memories.

This was unlike any book I've read in a while. I didn't really know where it was going and was constantly guessing at the outcome. 5 of the 6 child stars of a wildly popular children's program 'Mister Magic' reunite to do a reunion podcast 30 years later. There's no record of the show or evidence of it even airing although there is speculation of it and what happened the 6th member of the cast deep in the depths of internet chat groups.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

I loved this book so much! A woman learns she starred on a mysterious children's television show with a cult following, but she has no memories of her childhood-- including the younger sister who apparently died on set. So what do her cast mates want with her now? So much mystery and intrigue wrapped up in this book and one of the most interesting premises I think I've ever read.

Forgot to post my top read of January, but here's my 2024 bracket so far! Mister Magic is in the lead

#ReadingBracket2024 @CSeydel

Kiersten White has definitely found her niche in creepy, weird adult horror. While I didn't love this one as much as Hide, it was still a really unique premise that kept me entertained. And I absolutely love these covers!

This book was interesting and creeped me out in a lot of parts but the authors writing style was extremely tedious to me. She repeated the same things constantly just rewording them in different ways and by the end of the book I was no longer invested in the story. Im sure this book was cathartic for the author to write though as she is a former Mormon and her upbringing and decision to leave the church were not easy.

I enjoyed reading this story of a beloved children‘s show that has disappeared from the airwaves and even the internet. White builds the suspense well and it‘s a definite page turner. But I felt a little underwhelmed with the ending. A low pick for me.

This one is very difficult to describe. Essentially the longest running children's program, originally a radio program & then moving to a tv program, shuts down in the 90s after a disaster while being broadcasted. The novel, set in contemporary times & including epistolary excerpts including message boards of people discussing the show. However they have to talk around the show as there are no recordings of the show available anywhere (cont)

Book 203📚 4.4⭐️

This one definitely drew me in!! A good change from HIDE which I didn‘t enjoy that much.

It seemed like it was going to be a bit more spooky/horror but it was tame in that aspect. I think I would have enjoyed a tad more spook.

I loved this book! The idea of the nostalgia and feelings of a show you watched as a kid was fun. The whole story was creepy and interesting kept me guessing.

Don‘t join a cult kids. This almost got a so-so from me. It‘s so obvious what it is actually masking. I did get mildly confused near the end but figured it out. Glad it worked out in the end. Would I read it again? No. Unless I did the audio for background noise.

I read this one pretty quickly. I was very engrossed. I loved the in between chapters of reddit discussions that added to the lore of the TV show, Mister Magic. You can feel the dread and uneasiness as Val slowly starts to learn about the past when she was on a children's TV show. A past she has very much forgotten for good reason. I loved the premise. 5 stars for me.

I'm going to get one more scary book in for the Halloween season.🎃 #currentlyreading #aardvark

I really enjoyed this odd book and it kept me gripped.

Read for reading challenges.

5/5

Just barely a pick for me. Either I‘m not the right reader for this one or the past week has been too heartbreaking and heavy and overloaded with news consumption for me to become immersed in this story. (It‘s definitely the latter but maybe the former, too.) I may try more Kiersten White in the future as I find her personal story compelling: https://religionnews.com/2023/10/05/kiersten-white-bestselling-novelist-explains...

A little more pink than purple but I think it fits for day 15 of the photo challenge!

This one was fun! More trauma processing than I thought. Also more mormonism. A lot less body horror. Take all that as you will!

#scarathon #scarathonphotochallenge #teamBOOklovers

I enjoyed this arc from White. There is a mysteriously cancelled children's show that everyone has Mandela-affect-like reactions to, an ominous small-town cult, and a nice examination of childhood nostalgia vs how to appropriately "shape" kids. The feel of the creepy vibes here reminded me of the little girl in The Poltergeist... Another good #scarathlon read! #SpookyGhostClub book 5 and with 84 word search words

Trying to get some more of this excellently creepy book in during today‘s #scarathlonsprint and #popupweekend with @AmandaBlaze but the pup is unimpressed!

The main books for my #octobertbr . I'm especially looking forward to the tagged book because I loved Hide. Then, a few more to finish off some challenges. #Serieslove2023 #Readyourtbr #booked2023 #52bookclub23

This is a good, creepy book about a bunch of kids who were all on a children's show together that disappeared, rather literally. Now, as adults, they go back to do a memorial podcast and find some answers.
And yes, there are definitely shades of It but I think it differs enough so the similarities don't scream at you.

Mister Magic by Kiersten White is a tale of magic, friendship, and darkness.

This book makes you ask yourself, if you could see behind the scenes of your favorite childhood television show, would you want to know what occurs?

Check out my full review here:
https://www.ericarobynreads.com/mister-magic-by-kiersten-white/

Enjoying this gorgeous Michigan Thumb evening with a fire, a new book, and a hot cider spiked with some good whiskey.

I definitely liked this. It's a cross between fantasy and horror with a cult thrown in for good measure. It was one of my #aardvark picks.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

I did enjoy this book for the main part. I liked the fact that everyone knew this show, but it was more like a fever dream. There wasn't any evidence of it ever existing other than in people's minds, which can be unreliable at times. But, the ending got to be a tad confusing for me. I felt like it just wasn't really the ending I was expecting or wanting. 3.5/5

A fun and magical story about a reunion of 5 adults who were cast members on a mysterious children's television show. As the story moves along, there is a growing sensation of dread. Why has Val blocked out all memories of the show? What is the ulterior motive for the reunion? An interesting read.

9-7-23: My 85th finished book of 2023! Former child stars reunite to uncover the tragedy that ended their show. Think Barney but sinister. Who is Mister Magic and how does he keep the children from being bad? Enter Val, having lived on a farm for the last 30 years, Val only knows that life. Then Isaac, Marcus and Javi reunite them and Val learns she has a whole other past. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📖#️⃣8️⃣5️⃣

This 👏🏻 book 👏🏻

I didnt read the authors note until i had finished the book so i had no idea that she was drawing a parallel to religion and cults! The story probably would have made more sense if i knew. This started out good but got away from me. I felt like the ending got kind a messy and all over the place. It was very confusing go me. Maybe in the future ill reread it knowing what i know now!

After reading and really enjoying the author‘s debut adult horror novel, Hide, I was really excited for Mister Magic! It wasn‘t really what I was expecting - I was assuming there‘d be more horror and less cult - but I ended up liking it even better for it. That isn‘t to say this wasn‘t creepy…there were quite a few points that were downright terrifying…but it was also touching and I loved the poignant ending. Just a really good story! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This one has a creepy vibe already! Im hoping it stays like that!

While I expected more, it was entertaining.

A genuinely creepy book about a kid‘s TV show and the cult that hides behind it. White, who was raised Mormon, had very personal stakes while writing this. 4 stars.
#RusAThon
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES

This was EXCELLENT! Very spooky and unnerving! 😱 And of course, well written! I do love Kiersten White's writing! Her YA titles are my favorites but she has been killing it lately with her adult books!

I can't believe I read two books about crazy religious cults back to back though! 😂

“Your favorite childhood television program feels like a fever dream.”
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

Next up.

This book is a brilliant twist on the idea of religious trauma, and how it can affect children into adulthood. About halfway through I started to see the similarities between the story and testimonies of young people who have left religious sects (specifically for the author, Mormonism). The author's note at the end really does a great job showing how her own personal journey is reflected back into the book.

LOOK AT THE HOLDS THAT CAME IN FOR ME! 😱😱😱 I guess spooky season has started early! 🎃👻

Pics are back! 🙌🏻

It wasn‘t until I read the acknowledgments that I found out White wrote this as a way of working through her feelings about leaving the Mormon church. Once I read that, a lot of parts snapped into place, and it was really brilliant.

Kids loved the long-running show Mister Magic, but it abruptly ended and rumors abounded. Val from the final cast disappeared, but then they find her for a reunion podcast, and things get weird.

This eerie story builds with some haunting imagery and unsettling moments. It focuses mainly on Val, raised in Idaho, not remembering anything of her years before that. Until her childhood friends find her at her father‘s funeral and bring her back to Utah, where she learns that she was once a child star on the titular show, MISTER MAGIC. The ending is rather melancholy but I appreciated the chills and multimedia interludes! Well-written!

latest review——★★★☆☆

Happy international cat day. This was a read that left me super conflicted, I still ended up liking it but it isn‘t entirely what it is marketed as. I grew up on creepypasta and really looked forward to this, but that characters that pushed the plot were just too weak at times.

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☾all trigger warnings are in the official blog post! Link in bio because for some reason Litsy hates long posts 😭😭

Thanks Aardvark Book club for making my day! I came home only to be pleasantly surprised to see my box waiting for me. Two days before the expected delivery date! I love my early Birthday present! 🥳

My August picks for #botm and #aardvark. I picked two from each. I already read Business or Pleasure, but really wanted a hardcover copy to keep.

Did I need to buy these? No. All but Small Worlds my library has/will have. However, I woke up sick this morning (Covid test negative fortunately), but why not treat myself to books? That is a good way to feel better!! #botm #aardvark

All but Mister Magic we‘re on my radar, and I‘m super excited!

The first #Aardvark hint is out, and it's the cover color clue. Always a bit of a shot in the dark, and tomorrow's clue culd throw every single one out the window, but this is my first stab at guessing predictions! (Realistically I don't think they'd have 2 romances, so I'm guessing either With Love From Cold World or Business or Pleasure is out 🤔)

Full review and recipe that matches the book: https://bakingthroughbookclub.com/2023/07/22/the-unmusical-world-of-childrens-en...

Coming August 1, 2023!

This one was a little too cerebral for my liking. If weird books are your thing, it might be for you. I had high hopes for the premise, but it fell very, very short.

TW: Anti-religious

Fun, creepy, and sinister are all words to describe this novel! Val, as a young girl joined 5 other cast mates on said show but remembers none of it. So when her father dies and she‘s invited to a podcast about the show, she leaps at the opportunity. But of course what she discovers is eerie beyond belief! Prepare yourselves to believe in magic!🤪
#NetGalley

This book was a very personal story to the author and I do feel at times it was a bit repetitive in the narrative it was exploring. That said I liked the way it explored ideologies taken too far.
One thing I absolutely love about this author's novels is that they never resolve themselves with an "of this world" explanation.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing
Group - Ballantine, Del Rey and NetGalley for an ARC in return for my honest review!