Gwendy's Button Box

Includes Bonus Story "The Music Room"

By: Stephen King, Richard Chizmar

Narrated by: Maggie Siff

Length: 2 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's Summary

The little town of Castle Rock, Maine, has witnessed some strange events and unusual visitors over the years, but there is one story that has never been told...until now.

There are three ways up to Castle View from the town of Castle Rock: Route 117, Pleasant Road, and the Suicide Stairs. Every day in the summer of 1974, 12-year-old Gwendy Peterson has taken the stairs, which are held by strong (if time-rusted) iron bolts and zigzag up the cliffside.

At the top of the stairs, Gwendy catches her breath and listens to the shouts of the kids on the playground. From a bit farther away comes the chink of an aluminum bat hitting a baseball as the Senior League kids practice for the Labor Day charity game.

One day a stranger calls to Gwendy: "Hey, girl. Come on over here for a bit. We ought to palaver, you and me."

On a bench in the shade sits a man in black jeans, a black coat like for a suit, and a white shirt unbuttoned at the top. On his head is a small, neat black hat. The time will come when Gwendy has nightmares about that hat....

Journey back to Castle Rock again in this chilling new novella by Stephen King, best-selling author of The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, and Richard Chizmar, award-winning author of A Long December. This book will be a Cemetery Dance Publications exclusive with no other editions currently planned anywhere in the world!

INCLUDES A CONVERSATION BETWEEN STEPHEN KING & RICHARD CHIZMAR!

©2017 Stephen King and Richard Chizmar. All rights reserved. "The Music Room" copyright 2016 Stephen King. All rights reserved. (P)2017 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic Reviews

"Maggie Siff narrates with touches of nostalgia, wonder, and insecurity that beautifully capture Gwendy's adolescence. Though the horror elements are effective, it's Gwendy's coming-of-age that truly resonates. Siff characterizes Farris as blandly likable but with intangible menace - listeners, like Gwendy, will be both wary and intrigued. In the bonus short story, 'The Music Room,' Siff's highfalutin accents perfectly complement the story's mix of black humor and wickedness." ( AudioFile)

Not the best King

It's always fun to read his stuff but there wasn't much to this one . Bring on more.

Really Disappointing and Uneventful

This story was too short, and ultimately didn't deliver for what felt like a derivative from "Button, Button."

Blah.

Struggled with it. nothing special. I expect better from King. It was boring and dull.

It was ok

I expect more from stephen king but it was a simple story with a simple ending. He could have done more with the story. Overall it was ok but pretty short, only about 2 hrs

Kind of eh...

I think people tend to expect a certain level from such a well known author but realistically just like singers, you don't always get a hit run. I like the premise but the point is lost and the ending leaves you hanging.

Weak

Not up to Kings standards. Weak. Predictable. Lost interest early on but hung in to the end. Disappointed.

So so

This is an average story that has been told before in some way or another by many different authors. If you had the power to kill what would you do with it. An average story from an amazing author.

Surprisingly bad...

Wow, I am now severely disappointed in Stephen King. I can hardly find the words for how uninteresting and irritating the story and the reader were.

Immersive and Unputdownable

Two great, award-winning and best-selling authors - Stephen King and Richard Chizmar, combine their collective writing skills in order to bring us a new, fresh and suspenseful novella. I picked it up at 11 p.m. and stayed up late just to finish it. Now, I'm glad the next book in the series is out as well.


Gwendy's Button Box is a s superb story about a girl that receives a mysterious box from one of Stephen King's most intriguing, although infamous characters. What will she do with the power to destroy the world at her fingertips?

I instantly fell in love with Maggie Siff's sensible narration and although this was the first time that I listened to her performing an audiobook, Some of you should recognize her voice from the renowned TV shows Sons of Anarchy and Billions. I think that she did a fantastic job! I can't wait to return to Castle Rock, in Gwendy's Magic Feather, the next installment in this extremely promising series.

Dark, immersive, gripping, dramatic, entertaining and impossible to put down, Gwendy's Button Box is the perfect reason and opportunity for fans to return to Castle Rock, an iconic location in Mr. King's works.

If you like this review, please vote Helpful below and find more of them here and on theAudiobookBlog. I also post honest reviews at the author, narrator, or publisher's request, you can get in touch with me for more details.

In name only...

I can't pinpoint the specific reason I disliked this novella. The writing was engaging enough and the narration was average. Maybe it's because when you hear "Stephen King" you expect greatness. But honestly if King hadn't verbally admitted to writing half the story I would think it was one of those books that just stuck his name on it to push sales. Though the character was deep, the story itself just dragged along until suddenly it was over. I kept waiting for something, anything, to happen. Definitely not worth a full credit in my opinion, but to each his own.