Horror isn’t my go to genre, but Mister Magic caught my eye. I love watching TV shows so the idea of there being no evidence a beloved show never existed was very intriguing. So today I want to tell you about this book and what I thought!
A big thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for an eARC to read and review. This doesn’t affect my opinion in any way.
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. . . .
As someone who loves TV shows, the concept of a show being really popular and being loved, but having no evidence of ever existing was really intriguing. I’m not much of a horror reader, but Mister Magic gave off horror with a bit of thriller vibes. I was hooked from the start and actually enjoyed the creepy feeling this story gave.
Our main characters come back together so many years later to record a podcast. This show wasn’t always a good memory for everyone, but some things also seems to be a little fuzzy. Some have moved on well and others not so much. It still seems to be remembered that they did lose a crew member in a very tragic way. So when their characters seem to be personified again now that everyone is back, things get creepy. Who is this Mister Magic no one can seem to remember.
I loved that our characters slowly realize they may have entered a trap and I wasn’t sure who could be trusted while reading this story. The ending was definitely intense, but I do feel like I was left with some questions here and there. Even though I don’t normally read this genre, I’m glad I decided to pick up Mister Magic.
