Author:Richard Chizmar
This is a sequel to a novella from a couple of years ago, Gwendy’s Button Box, a joint effort by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar. King has bowed out of this one, although he does provide a short foreword, so this is very much a solo effort by Chizmar. I haven’t read any other titles from his own catalogue, but this one does read remarkably like a Stephen King novel, and I mean that as a compliment. Rather like King’s ‘From A Buick 8’, you just have to accept that the button box exists though, with no explanation as to why it appeared, how it works, what its purpose is etc.
Once again the majority of the action takes place in King’s favourite location Castle Rock. The author actually does a very job of capturing and evoking life in this typical example of small town America at the turn of the twentieth century (it’s set in 1999). Out of the blue, the box reappears in the now adult Gwendy’s life, but without any explanation this time. Meanwhile, two girls disappear in mysterious circumstances in her home town, while her mother struggles as her respite from her battle with cancer suddenly ends. Should Gwendy give in to temptation and use the supernatural powers of the box, but what will it demand in return – and how does the magic feather fit into all this? You’ll just have to read this novel with its themes of temptation and responsibility and find out!
Length of Read:Short
Might appeal to people who enjoyed…
Tales of the unexpected and unexplained, spotting references to previous novels.
One thing you’ve learned
A very enjoyable quick read for fans of the first book (which it’s preferable if you’ve already read), or fans of King’s ‘non-horror’ novels.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.