Mister Magic: A Novel
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. . . .
"[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
“Mister Magic” has a very intriguing premise, which has a lot of promise within the first half of the novel. But, once you enter into the second half, and actually start finding out what is going on, this book started to lose me. It got a bit convoluted, which resulted in an ending that felt far too safe and predictable. This easily could have been an interesting dive into our relationship with media, and how the powers that be could be influencing us, which could have been a very captivating read. I really did enjoy the first half of the book, and I’m sad that the ending fell flat for me, but I’m still very interested in seeing what else White has in store, since her previous novel “Hide” really was an enjoyable read.
This is the second book I’ve read by White and like her other novel Hide, I found this one confusing, too long, and the characters lacked depth and distinction. It took me almost 3 months to get through this audiobook because the pacing was so slow and the plot was stagnant. I was bored a majority of the time and all the character other than Val and Jenny just blended together, I could tell you no details about any of them.
The premise was unique and interesting but the execution was greatly lacking. I wouldn’t recommend this one, I was not a fan.
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 Magic.
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