Scan barcode
nathegz's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
sfv's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
amandaflinck's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
2.0
đ Dags för del tvĂ„ i Gwendy-trilogin, denna gĂ„ng helt utan Stephen Kings inblandning.
Gwendy Àr nu vuxen, en framgÄngsrik kongressledamot som Äker tillbaka till Castle Rock för att fira jul och nyÄr med sina förÀldrar. Men den lilla staden hemsöks av försvinnandet av tvÄ unga flickor. Dessutom har knappskrinet kommit tillbaka in i Gwendys liv, ett Ätagande hon hoppades att hon för lÀngesedan var klar med.
Precis som den förra boken Ă€r detta en lĂ€ttlĂ€st, snabbflytande roman. Chizmar skriver vĂ€ldigt likt Stephen King men jag tycker mig mĂ€rka en liten Ă€ngslighet som gör att boken aldrig tar ut svĂ€ngarna ordentligt. Chizmar har förlagt boken i Castle Rock och referenser till Kings vĂ€rldsbygge haglar tĂ€tt. ĂndĂ„ blir det som om han leker mycket försiktigt i Kings stora sandlĂ„da. FörstĂ„eligt - men det blir en ganska trist bok.
VÀrst Àr kanske Gwendy sjÀlv, som jag trots alla Chizmars anstrÀngningar har svÄrt att fatta tycke för. Hon Àr snygg, framgÄngsrik och god pÄ ett sÀtt som blir prÀktigt och, vÀrst av allt, trÄkigt. Dessutom Àr dialogen som lyft ur valfri amerikansk dussinserie och lÄter teatraliskt replikig.
Inte alls en tung bok, men med förvĂ„nansvĂ€rt lite innehĂ„ll pĂ„ sina 300 sidor. Kan sista delen vara bĂ€ttre tro? đȘ¶đđȘ
#gwendysmagicfeather #richardchizmar #amandalÀser #bokrecension #skrÀckhöst24
Gwendy Àr nu vuxen, en framgÄngsrik kongressledamot som Äker tillbaka till Castle Rock för att fira jul och nyÄr med sina förÀldrar. Men den lilla staden hemsöks av försvinnandet av tvÄ unga flickor. Dessutom har knappskrinet kommit tillbaka in i Gwendys liv, ett Ätagande hon hoppades att hon för lÀngesedan var klar med.
Precis som den förra boken Ă€r detta en lĂ€ttlĂ€st, snabbflytande roman. Chizmar skriver vĂ€ldigt likt Stephen King men jag tycker mig mĂ€rka en liten Ă€ngslighet som gör att boken aldrig tar ut svĂ€ngarna ordentligt. Chizmar har förlagt boken i Castle Rock och referenser till Kings vĂ€rldsbygge haglar tĂ€tt. ĂndĂ„ blir det som om han leker mycket försiktigt i Kings stora sandlĂ„da. FörstĂ„eligt - men det blir en ganska trist bok.
VÀrst Àr kanske Gwendy sjÀlv, som jag trots alla Chizmars anstrÀngningar har svÄrt att fatta tycke för. Hon Àr snygg, framgÄngsrik och god pÄ ett sÀtt som blir prÀktigt och, vÀrst av allt, trÄkigt. Dessutom Àr dialogen som lyft ur valfri amerikansk dussinserie och lÄter teatraliskt replikig.
Inte alls en tung bok, men med förvĂ„nansvĂ€rt lite innehĂ„ll pĂ„ sina 300 sidor. Kan sista delen vara bĂ€ttre tro? đȘ¶đđȘ
#gwendysmagicfeather #richardchizmar #amandalÀser #bokrecension #skrÀckhöst24
meesha84's review against another edition
4.0
Curiosity Killed The Cat ... but satisfaction brought it back
I have now read Gwendy's Button Box twice and I really, really enjoy it. It sparks my imagination, and it's something that would have definitely done so as a child.
After reading it again for the second time, shortly before reading the sequel, I was still unsure as to whether it was crying out for a sequel. It was all packaged up nicely, no loose ends, but clearly Richard Chizmar had been inspired by collaborating with Stephen King (who he refers to as "Steve" in his acknowledgements) and wanted to continue the story.
Except ... he forgot about the button box. The button box does make an appearance, but apart from Gwendy dispensing more "magic" chocolates from it, it's pretty much kept in the background of the book, being all ominous.
Instead the focus is on the "magic" feather mentioned in the title, which gets touched upon about three quarters of the way through the book, and was never mentioned before in the earlier book. So why bring it up now? Clearly Richard didn't want all the focus to be on the button box again (which I still think is begging to be explored and utilised more), but at the same time, I don't think he made much use of the feather either.
And was it the feather that was working its magic, or the button box? Did Gwendy make her own destiny, or was it the box/feather? That's the real story needing to be told, and I still don't think it has been told. Yes, all the buttons relate to a continent, but apart a couple of incidents in the first book, the rest of the buttons are not explored. I kept thinking they would be further when I started this, but unfortunately not.
Despite my grumblings, Richard has still written a good book, and it's clear that he has incorporated Stephen's tone into his writing and kept Castle Rock at the forefront of the story. Alan Pangborn is also mentioned in passing, who Stephen King fans will recognise from The Dark Half and Needful Things but also more recently in Castle Rock for me. (There's probably other names, but that was the only obvious one that I knew from the TV show.)
I'm still non the wiser as to who the mysterious, omnipotent Richard Farris is, or if Richard Chizmar knows what his purpose is. Neither do we find out what happened to the box between it being taken away from 18-year-old Gwendy, to the now 37-year-old Gwendy - we know it goes to someone else/multiple people to "look after" and there are hints that previous people have used the box for darker means. Frequent references to a sex starved creepy President and missing girls liberally sprinkled throughout the story will satisfy the Stephen King stans.
It is an incredibly short read though - the page count is 323, but if you take out the blank pages between chapters, the single page drawings, the "one paragraph" chapters, you'll easily read this in no time. I read this in a couple of hours, and I didn't feel that it was a waste of a couple of hours either.
I enjoyed revisiting Gwendy's life, and seeing her grow after we left her in Castle Rock in her teens. There are touches and reminders of the first book, for the people who didn't re-read the first book, so you will be able to pick up the story again. I wouldn't say that this is a stand alone book - I would say that you would need to have read Button Box first.
At the end of reading, I find myself a little at a loss. On the one hand, it's still an excellent follow up to Gwendy's Button Box, the story is really good - but there's something missing. I wanted the button box to be explored and I think there's possibly another story in there, just begging to be written. I need to find out more about Richard Farris and this box. If you can get past that, then it's an excellent book. â
I have now read Gwendy's Button Box twice and I really, really enjoy it. It sparks my imagination, and it's something that would have definitely done so as a child.
After reading it again for the second time, shortly before reading the sequel, I was still unsure as to whether it was crying out for a sequel. It was all packaged up nicely, no loose ends, but clearly Richard Chizmar had been inspired by collaborating with Stephen King (who he refers to as "Steve" in his acknowledgements) and wanted to continue the story.
Except ... he forgot about the button box. The button box does make an appearance, but apart from Gwendy dispensing more "magic" chocolates from it, it's pretty much kept in the background of the book, being all ominous.
Instead the focus is on the "magic" feather mentioned in the title, which gets touched upon about three quarters of the way through the book, and was never mentioned before in the earlier book. So why bring it up now? Clearly Richard didn't want all the focus to be on the button box again (which I still think is begging to be explored and utilised more), but at the same time, I don't think he made much use of the feather either.
And was it the feather that was working its magic, or the button box? Did Gwendy make her own destiny, or was it the box/feather? That's the real story needing to be told, and I still don't think it has been told. Yes, all the buttons relate to a continent, but apart a couple of incidents in the first book, the rest of the buttons are not explored. I kept thinking they would be further when I started this, but unfortunately not.
Despite my grumblings, Richard has still written a good book, and it's clear that he has incorporated Stephen's tone into his writing and kept Castle Rock at the forefront of the story. Alan Pangborn is also mentioned in passing, who Stephen King fans will recognise from The Dark Half and Needful Things but also more recently in Castle Rock for me. (There's probably other names, but that was the only obvious one that I knew from the TV show.)
I'm still non the wiser as to who the mysterious, omnipotent Richard Farris is, or if Richard Chizmar knows what his purpose is. Neither do we find out what happened to the box between it being taken away from 18-year-old Gwendy, to the now 37-year-old Gwendy - we know it goes to someone else/multiple people to "look after" and there are hints that previous people have used the box for darker means. Frequent references to a sex starved creepy President and missing girls liberally sprinkled throughout the story will satisfy the Stephen King stans.
It is an incredibly short read though - the page count is 323, but if you take out the blank pages between chapters, the single page drawings, the "one paragraph" chapters, you'll easily read this in no time. I read this in a couple of hours, and I didn't feel that it was a waste of a couple of hours either.
I enjoyed revisiting Gwendy's life, and seeing her grow after we left her in Castle Rock in her teens. There are touches and reminders of the first book, for the people who didn't re-read the first book, so you will be able to pick up the story again. I wouldn't say that this is a stand alone book - I would say that you would need to have read Button Box first.
At the end of reading, I find myself a little at a loss. On the one hand, it's still an excellent follow up to Gwendy's Button Box, the story is really good - but there's something missing. I wanted the button box to be explored and I think there's possibly another story in there, just begging to be written. I need to find out more about Richard Farris and this box. If you can get past that, then it's an excellent book. â
isashuhs's review against another edition
4.0
What a delightful middle for the Gwendy trilogy. A little thrill, a little scare ( here and there), magic and a lot heart.
This one is written by Richard Chizmar alone with a forward by Stephen King. If Iâm honest I enjoyed it more than Button Box.
Itâs December 1999, Y2K is looming and Gwendy is all grown up. She has been an elected congresswoman for about 11 months and hasnât thought of the button box in years.
And then it shows up unexpectedly in her office mere days before she is due to return home from DC to Castle Rock for Christmas with her parents.
The pages are filled with missing girls, sick relatives, stranded spouses, Christmas and the button box. Itâs quite a fun ride.
Next stop- Gwendyâs Final Task. Another collab with King and Chizmar. Not gonna lie. Iâm looking forward to it!
This one is written by Richard Chizmar alone with a forward by Stephen King. If Iâm honest I enjoyed it more than Button Box.
Itâs December 1999, Y2K is looming and Gwendy is all grown up. She has been an elected congresswoman for about 11 months and hasnât thought of the button box in years.
And then it shows up unexpectedly in her office mere days before she is due to return home from DC to Castle Rock for Christmas with her parents.
The pages are filled with missing girls, sick relatives, stranded spouses, Christmas and the button box. Itâs quite a fun ride.
Next stop- Gwendyâs Final Task. Another collab with King and Chizmar. Not gonna lie. Iâm looking forward to it!
axellesbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
greenthumbgeek's review against another edition
4.0
A really wonderful book for a rainy day! Chizmar continues to pace his narrative well and has taken up King's torch successfully.