Anonymous Reviewer: Gwendy’s Button Box By Richard Chizmar and Stephen King

Reading, after the fact, that Stephen King had a hard time ending the book, thus brought in Richard Chizmar seems a little lazy on King’s part, at least to this AR. This story was pretty tight, and I can’t imagine the master needing the help. Maybe that’s why it hit, but not with the usual dull hammer claw King’s books typically swing with. 


First there were several out of time period mentions in the book, very much unlike most King novels. Ok….one, and I’m not telling you what it is. You’ll have to look it up, though it’s not the one you think it is. (I had to look it up too) Shot out though to the name drop though. It's dope!! If you find it, drop a line in the comments!

Besides this, it was pretty good, but not the best for King. Sure there is moral dilemma that makes King’s novels really scary….it’s not the freaky stuff that happens. It’s the question “What would I do given this sitch?” that is scariest. GWENDY’S BUTTON BOX is a little troupesy, and light is this regard.

The whole time I was reading this one, I couldn’t help but ask how Stephen King writes teenage girls so well. CARRIE is FANTASTIC and while this one isn’t on that level, it’s pretty accurate. It’s like he never left his childhood and his somehow able to translate “kidsthought” into real adult fears. Maybe..just maybe he doesn’t do that, but merely lets the reader wonder in their own mind. I’m not totally sure but that is why I love King more than I ever thought I would. It’s the everyday normal decisions we make over blown and exaggerated that are the worst fears.

Overall….this gets ok reviews as nothing great but certainly not terrible. And maybe it was just off cause the King had writer’s block and had to send for back up.