Mister Magic: A Novel
Description
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. . . .
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Community Reviews
I was immersed immediately in the world. I loved the mystery and the slow revealing of the truth. I loved the firm hand it took expressing belief, knowledge without knowing. But just as I relaxed into the story and felt safe enough to let my guard down, I was hit over the head with the book's message. Stepping back into impartiality I found it to be a good experience. I would not dissuade others from embarking into this universe led by Mister ...read more
Not a horror book as I was expecting but a really good read nonetheless. I liked the correlation to religion and the author.
So-so mystery, a la It, where children converge as adults to figure out a TV show they’d been on. The premise of the show was that they played, and sang songs about being good. A mysterious man also (maybe?) appeared in the show. The characters are not developed, things are quickly explained without a lot of detail, and the final reveal is confusing. In the epilogue the author explains she was raised Mormon, which goes a long way to help me under...read more
I really liked this book. I’ve really been into horror lately and a subgenre (?) that’s on the rise lately is like children’s media horror. Like Sesame Street gone… dark (I’m thinking Welcome, Home and other puppet-y horror media). While Mister Magic didn’t have puppets (which is a shame) it still had that vibe. The characters were all really good. I liked them. It was a little frustrating that the main character had no memories of her childhood,...read more
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