It has been said that Stephen King fans would read his laundry list if there was nothing else to consume by him. Luckily, he keeps publishing books long after other authors probably would’ve retired. Gwendy’s Button Box was a joint effort with Richard Chizmar, and it takes place in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine, which has been a locale in many Stephen King novels as well as a new Hulu series. So, how does this Stephen King novel stack up to the rest of his work? That’s exactly what we’ll be looking at in this Gwendy’s button box review.
Gwendy’s Button Box Review
According to my Gwendy’s Button Box review, this is not a full novel, but it is a long enough novella to sink your teeth into. This starts with the story object; the aforementioned button box, which was given to Gwendy Peterson by a mysterious man named Richard Ferris. This is an unusual event in the first place, but what is even more unusual is just how dangerous this box is and his motivation for giving it to a child. There seems to be no limit to the power of the box which is covered in buttons; including one black button that would seem to start the doomsday machine and end the world. In addition, the box has the ability to alter the lives of people near it. There are also other colored buttons that seem to correspond with specific continents on the planet.
But this girl, who is 12 years old when the story begins in 1974, is the main story while the box is secondary. Gwendy has a problem with her weight as well as all of the other problems that adolescents face growing up. If you are familiar with Stephen King’s other works such as “It” and “The Body,” then you already know how skilled Stephen King is at telling a story from a child’s point of view. This is definitely no exception as the girl that is the protagonist of this novel grows up into an adult and matures, in a natural and compelling way that only King could manage.
Horrible Things in the Novel
Gwendy’s Button Box review shows that if some horrible things happen in the novel, but it does not mean we consider it an awful novella. The author deals with the experience of a teenager and delineates them in the story. He has given a comparison between good vs. evil.
Odd Events Happening in the Small Town of Castle Rock
Although many strange events started happening in the small town of Castle Rock, yet there is one of the queerest stories that has never been mentioned. There are three ways up to Castle View from the town of Castle Rock: 117 Route, pleasant road and the suicide stairs. In the summer season of 1974, a twelve years old girl named Gwendy Peterson goes up the stairs, which are made up of iron bolts in zigzag shape on the cliff-side.
She notices a man sitting in the shade on the bench. He was wearing black jeans, a black coat, and a white shirt. He also has a hat on his head. Gwendy starts thinking as if she is looking a man of her nightmares. According to the Gwendy’s Button Box review, Stephen King has borrowed the name of “Cliff Rock” from “The Lord of Flies “a novel written by William Golding’s.
Button Box has Special Power
It seems as if Button Box has some special kind of power over the person who possesses it. I have noticed reading the story that Gwendy felt excited when she first time saw the Button Box as if she was familiar to it. The Button Box reminded me of the short story of “Button, Button,” written by Richard Matheson. At the end of the story, Gwendy has realized the importance of the Button Box. And ultimately she gets rid of it thinking that she is unable to do anything unless she gets rid of it.
According to Gwendy’s Button Box review, Gwendy’s success in life depends upon others as she drives down suffering on her bullying. Unfortunately, that diminishes costing the life of her boyfriend. And the readers understand that plenty of sufferings and calamities happen in the world during the tenure with the button box of Gwendy.
Tense Atmosphere in the Novel
Farris takes back Button box from her and hand over it to anyone else. In the story, a tense atmosphere and danger are lurking throughout over the heads of the people. The story is not entirely horrible, and it is not considered to be a light story, either. Moral blindness is clearly observed in the story.
Obviously, no one wants a book review to spoil the end of the book, so you will have to read it to find out what eventually happens to Gwendy, Richard Ferris and the mysterious black box with all the buttons. However, this is a great read that is up to the standards of any other Stephen King novel. Often, you can tell when King combines his talents with another writer. However, this is in the classic style of Stephen King with only a hint of the secondary author. It is available now through Amazon and other retailers in hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, Audible audiobook edition, and audio CD.
Bottom Line
Gwendy’s Button Box review is all about the story of Gwendy and his nightmares. If you love the town of Castle Rock and all the characters that populate it, then you are definitely going to love this read. It sets in the same time period as some of the other novels that King has set in that particular locale, so you are sure to run into a few characters that you recognize. We have plenty of book reviews on Self Help or even you can check out more book reviews