Mister Magic is a great second adult novel by Kiersten White. It is in a similar vein to her adult debut, Hide, but ratchets up the character development, the mystery, and the payoff. It’s a fast read, with depth. I appreciated her acknowledgments, as it helped to solidify her underlying themes. It’s a horror book about deconstructing what you were taught to believe as a child. White takes readers through questioning their childhood memories through adult lenses and revisiting what draws them back to the safety of their younger beliefs and ideas. Did you really like who you were as a child, or was that just what you were taught to believe?

The story revolves around a mysterious childhood show that people remember but can find no record of. The Reddit boards fill the pages with speculation, there’s word of a reboot, and the former childhood cast is brought together as adults. Questions swirl around what shut down the show so many years ago, and the main character questions why she can’t remember any of her childhood.

I enjoyed all aspects of it, especially the Mandela effect of it. I will be reading more of White’s work. It’s fast, it’s creepy, and it goes to interesting places.