Gwendy's Magic Feather (The Button Box #2) by Richard Chizmar

[gilda_elise]

Something evil has swept into the small western Maine town of Castle Rock on the heels of the latest winter storm. Sheriff Norris Ridgewick and his team are desperately searching for two missing girls, but time is running out to bring them home alive.

In Washington D.C., thirty-seven-year-old Gwendy Peterson couldn't be more different from the self-conscious teenaged girl who once spent a summer running up Castle Rock's Suicide Stairs. That same summer, she was entrusted - or some might say cursed - with the extraordinary button box by Richard Farris, the mysterious stranger in the black suit. The seductive and powerful box offered Gwendy small gifts in exchange for its care and feeding until Farris eventually returned, promising Gwendy she'd never see the box again.

One day, though, the button box shows up without warning - and without Richard Farris to explain why, or what she's supposed to do with it. The mysterious reappearance of the box, along with the troubling disappearances in Castle Rock, leads Gwendy home again... where she just might be able to help rescue the missing girls and stop a madman before he does something ghastly.

I read the book because I enjoyed the first in the series so much. Unfortunately, with King not involved, it lost much of the magic of the previous book.

There are several lines of plot, all of which are a disappointment. Probably Gwendy’s interaction with her mother is told with any satisfaction. And why is Gwendy made a representative? It adds nothing to the story line. The same with her husband. He’s not there in 99% of the book. The other lines are only touched on, and the resolution of the killings falls flat.

It’s not a terrible book, but it’s not a good book, either. It’s certainly not up to the standards of its predecessor. Chizmar just isn’t a King.






Links are to more information regarding each book or author, not to the review.

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44. Gwendy's Magic Feather (The Button Box #2) by Richard Chizmar

Read a book with terrible reviews - Gwendy's Magic Feather (The Button Box #2) by Richard Chizmar

AUGUST- Bag of Tricks. Read a book featuring any kind of magic, illusion, super powers, or enchantments.

Gwendy’s Magic Feather (The Button Box #2) by Richard Chizmar

Comments

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

I thought the blurb sounded really interesting — I was even considering downloading a sample, until I read your comments about it. I'm sorry it was such a disappointment, especially as you'd enjoyed the first book so much.

Out of interest, why didn't King write the sequel?

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

It really was a disappointment. I have a feeling that you wouldn't have enjoyed it, either.

Apparently the guy asked King if he could write a sequel. And King likes his writing so he agreed. Of course, I've found that King isn't the best guy whose recommendations you should take when it comes to other people's books.

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

I definitely won't be giving a try.

Ah, right. Thank for that. Oh, really? Now that is interesting. But then I do think books are such a personal choice and recommending can be very difficult. I guess authors must have that 'problem' too. Have you tried and not liked other books King has recommened?

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

I've tried a couple of King's recommendations, and so has a friend of mine. We both thought it best not to go down that road again!

In February there's going to be another sequel, written by both of them. Hopefully, King will prevail.

[aeris444.livejournal.com]

I've also enjoyed Gwendy's Button Box but your review doesn't make me want to read this sequel... I was alreay a little put off by the fact that it wasn't written completely by King...

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

There's going to be another sequel that is being written by King, and that's what made me finally decide to read the sequel written by Chizmar.

And King didn't do any of the writing for the story; he just wrote the forward.

[wpadmirer.livejournal.com]

Too bad. It's always a huge disappointment when someone else takes up a series and it doesn't work.

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't have read it if it wasn't for the fact that King is writing the next book in the series. I don't like when a sequel is written by someone other than the original writer.