By Stephen King & Richard Chizmar

Finished 1/6/26 and 1/13/26

Gwendy’s Button Box and Gwendy’s Magic Feather make for a fascinating but uneven pair of novellas, built around an interesting concept that starts strong but loses some momentum along the way. The first book—co-written by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar—is a fun, very fast read at just 166 pages, something that can easily be finished in a single day. It’s highly engaging and reads somewhat like a King story, though with noticeably less character, setting, and plot development than many of his longer works.

The story centers on a very young girl named Gwendy whose life changes when a mysterious man named Richard Ferris suddenly appears and gives her a strange wooden box. The box has several buttons: seven colored ones for each continent, a red button that can grant “whatever you want,” a black button she eventually calls the “cancer button,” and a small lever that spits out delicious chocolates. Ferris gives almost no real guidance about how the box should be used and then disappears, leaving Gwendy alone with something that clearly carries enormous power.

What makes the premise so compelling is the uncertainty surrounding Ferris himself. He’s not quite as openly sinister as some of King’s classic villains—especially someone like Randall Flagg—but there’s something undeniably creepy about him. You never really know if he has good intentions or if he’s simply testing people by placing dangerous power in their hands. Watching how Gwendy grows up with the box quietly influencing her life is the most interesting part of the story.

The first novella moves quickly but still manages to deliver a few dark and memorable moments. At times it almost feels like a moral fable about temptation and responsibility, exploring what happens when someone ordinary is handed something capable of enormous consequences. The pacing and simplicity actually work in its favor, even if the story occasionally feels a little thin.

The sequel, Gwendy’s Magic Feather, shifts the story forward many years and follows Gwendy as an adult returning to Castle Rock around Christmas and New Year’s. This time she’s a congresswoman, and the mysterious box once again finds its way back into her life. Unfortunately the difference in authorship becomes noticeable here. This second installment is written solely by Richard Chizmar, and the writing often feels more half-baked and predictable compared with the first book.

The ideas are still interesting—there are magical events, personal struggles, and even a mystery involving murdered girls—but the execution doesn’t feel nearly as sharp. The pacing is slower in places, and the narrative lacks some of the tension and atmosphere that made the original novella so engaging. While it’s still a quick and readable story, it doesn’t quite capture the same sense of intrigue surrounding the box or the character of Richard Ferris.

Taken together, the two books are still enjoyable as a concept. The mysterious box, the moral ambiguity behind its powers, and the lingering presence of Ferris make the series intriguing enough to keep exploring. With Stephen King returning as a co-writer for the third book, there’s reason to hope the story regains some of the energy that made the first installment so compelling (but I haven’t quite gotten there yet).

First Book: 7.5/10

Second Book: 6/10

Combined Rating: 7/10