From time to time, there are some books that simply catch your eye. We know nothing about them other than the cover and the title. And apparently that is enough. Mister Magic by Kiersten White was one of those cases. Well, I knew a little bit more than just the title, but still not enough to really know what I was getting myself into.
Title: Mister Magic Author: Kiersten White Publication year: 2023 Length: 10 hours 33 minutes Genre: Mystery, Horror Pace: Medium Story focus: Plot & Character
Thirty years ago, there was a children’s program called Mister Magic. Five children would sit around in a circle and create worlds of fun and whimsy with the help of the mysterious host, Mister Magic. It had a huge popularity among children for being fun and at the same time educational, which parents loved. Now, there’s not a single recording of that show. Only the ones who saw it when they were children can vouch for its existence. But that’s about to change. They are planning a reunion with the cast members in a tell-all podcast documentary.
The story closely follows Val, one of the former child stars of the show, although she doesn’t remember it. Val has been living with her father on a secluded ranch. She enjoys her life, but she also feels trapped. Sadly, when her father passed away, she had the opportunity to dive into her past and try to make sense of the little she actually could remember.
I loved this book to pieces. And since I read it right after Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, it felt like a continuation of the conversation I was having with that book. There is a big emphasis on the impact the Mister Magic program has on children’s education. That’s something that comes up often throughout the whole book. And it has a purpose in the story apart from being just social commentary. This is not a new discussion. TV and, I’m guessing now, YouTube are teaching our children. Whether it’s good or bad things, they learn from it. So this is one part of the story, but not all of it.
While this book is classified as horror, which I still stand by, it might not be what some people expect. I found the horror type to be close to Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer. It’s a constant unsettling feeling. That something is not quite right, but you can’t see it. It’s just a gut feeling. And I found the expectation of discovering the truth behind Mister Magic, or even seeing him, to be what drove the spookiness. I had a nightmare because of this book, and that never happens. I never have nightmares because of spooky fictional stuff. I never dreamed about the numbers in Lost, and those freaked me out way more! The eagerness to know who Mister Magic was, to see him, captivated me to keep reading, as well as growing this nervous tension about what would come next.
Horror is also often seen as a metaphor. A monster is not only a monster but the personification of feelings. And at some point, I felt that could be happening here in this book. Now, I don’t have the capacity to point them out or the symbolism that might be hidden, if there is any. But when I read the acknowledgements, I was right to think there was something more besides a story about an eerie children’s show. I won’t mention specifically what the author says because I don’t want that to set any expectations. Although it relates to what I’m talking about here in this review.
As in Celeste Ng’s book, parenting is a big topic in this story. Most of the characters are now adults with children of their own, and so there’s this exploration of the childhood they had, in this case, in the program, and the childhood they want to provide for their children. In the midst of all that, there is also the appearance of the patriarchy. That sucker also sneaks in there. You don’t even notice it. While I came to this book for the horror, I stayed for all these social commentaries. And I understand if someone doesn’t want to read about this sort of thing, the book will be a drag. Mister Magic is nothing but a lurking silhouette in the background while most of the story is the characters having these sorts of conversations. And I didn’t mind the story taking these detours because I was enjoying exploring more of the characters and their talking of trauma, parenthood and patriarchy. In a way, it felt like I was reading about a dystopian society that existed surrounding this show. They were all inside a bubble apart from the real world, and getting to know the inner works felt dystopian and a little cult vibes.
By the end, it didn’t feel like a horror story at all. It has a happy ending. A very happy, magical ending that focuses on the best. It was the transformation of something bad into something positive. And when you know what makes that rattling noise at night, you stop being afraid and learn there was nothing to be scared of in the first place. That’s how this book feels. Nothing will ever take away that uneasiness, expectation and excitement about the figure of Mister Magic. But now that it’s over, I look back and see there was nothing to fear.
In a way, this is a horror-not-horror story. A comment on parenthood, childhood trauma, and the toxicity that lives in our society disguised as normalcy. The horror comes from what humans do to each other, specifically how we treat our children. In a way, it has a double meaning. And if you come to Mister Magic expecting a meaty, creepy book, then you might leave a bit disappointed. For me, it was a lovely surprise, though.
