Marth Muffins
Gwendy's Magic Feather
The sequel to Gwendy's Button Box is a curious book. Like Stephen King's foreword says it wasn't ever really meant to exist, Button Box was intended as a standalone and it works perfectly as that in how self-contained it is and how neatly it wraps itself up. But here we are with a second (and later third) book expanding Gwendy's story and as of right now I'm wondering "why?" Magic Feather feels like it's repeating a lot of the same beats as Button Box and whilst its shorter timescale, it takes place over about three-ish weeks compared to the first book's decade or so, does help focus it and more satisfyingly build Gwendy's relationships I'm still left with an overwhelming sense of déjà vu in terms of the themes and situations it's exploring. We get the same exploration of responsibility with the button box itself, more examinations of pre-destination and such, and I'm just left wondering why we're looping.
The actual plot doesn't help with this either. It's very perfunctory: there's a serial killer in Castle Rock who needs to be stopped but the book barely dips into that storyline and when it does it's very half-hearted, and leads a truly terrible and disappointing resolution. There is a subplot about the president who's not based on anyone at all antagonising North Korea which is interesting but it never comes to anything either, and the whole book feels far more open ended than the first in a way that's just unsatisfying and obviously setting up for a sequel.
What does shine here however are the character relationships. Gwendy's relationship with her parents is explored much more here and it's really good to see, especially the whole struggle dealing with her mother's cancer which becomes the book's primary focus. Her parents are kind of distant forces in the first novella and it's nice to see them as a warmer, more human presence here. But even the relationships that are less focused on are good: Gwendy's husband Ryan is absent for much of the book but his presence is always felt, Gwendy's relationship with new sheriff of The Rock Norris Ridgewick is solid, and there are a host of minor characters that stand out. Taken as a "slice of life in Castle Rock" story this is enjoyable, and it draws on The Rock's history in King's work without it ever being overwhelming or feeling like fan service. It also takes a lot of King's ideas about the town from his Castle Rock novella Elevation, released the year before this, but where Elevation feels sterile and I never really got a sense of the town Castle Rock feels lived in here.
But yes, whilst I definitely enjoyed a few aspects of this book it does leave me wondering why exactly it exists. Overall I had a good time, and I'm still excited to get to the third book when I do, but this was a definite step down from Gwendy's Button Box and I hope Gwendy's Final Task can bring the series back up to the first book's level, or exceed it.
Gwendy's Magic Feather
The sequel to Gwendy's Button Box is a curious book. Like Stephen King's foreword says it wasn't ever really meant to exist, Button Box was intended as a standalone and it works perfectly as that in how self-contained it is and how neatly it wraps itself up. But here we are with a second (and later third) book expanding Gwendy's story and as of right now I'm wondering "why?" Magic Feather feels like it's repeating a lot of the same beats as Button Box and whilst its shorter timescale, it takes place over about three-ish weeks compared to the first book's decade or so, does help focus it and more satisfyingly build Gwendy's relationships I'm still left with an overwhelming sense of déjà vu in terms of the themes and situations it's exploring. We get the same exploration of responsibility with the button box itself, more examinations of pre-destination and such, and I'm just left wondering why we're looping.
The actual plot doesn't help with this either. It's very perfunctory: there's a serial killer in Castle Rock who needs to be stopped but the book barely dips into that storyline and when it does it's very half-hearted, and leads a truly terrible and disappointing resolution. There is a subplot about the president who's not based on anyone at all antagonising North Korea which is interesting but it never comes to anything either, and the whole book feels far more open ended than the first in a way that's just unsatisfying and obviously setting up for a sequel.
What does shine here however are the character relationships. Gwendy's relationship with her parents is explored much more here and it's really good to see, especially the whole struggle dealing with her mother's cancer which becomes the book's primary focus. Her parents are kind of distant forces in the first novella and it's nice to see them as a warmer, more human presence here. But even the relationships that are less focused on are good: Gwendy's husband Ryan is absent for much of the book but his presence is always felt, Gwendy's relationship with new sheriff of The Rock Norris Ridgewick is solid, and there are a host of minor characters that stand out. Taken as a "slice of life in Castle Rock" story this is enjoyable, and it draws on The Rock's history in King's work without it ever being overwhelming or feeling like fan service. It also takes a lot of King's ideas about the town from his Castle Rock novella Elevation, released the year before this, but where Elevation feels sterile and I never really got a sense of the town Castle Rock feels lived in here.
But yes, whilst I definitely enjoyed a few aspects of this book it does leave me wondering why exactly it exists. Overall I had a good time, and I'm still excited to get to the third book when I do, but this was a definite step down from Gwendy's Button Box and I hope Gwendy's Final Task can bring the series back up to the first book's level, or exceed it.
