I delved into "Gwendy's Final Task" by Stephen King with a mix of anticipation and doubt, given that his later works didn't quite capture my heart like his earlier ones. But, having read "Gwendy's Button Box" a while back, I couldn't resist discovering how this trilogy would conclude. This book marks the thrilling end of the Gwendy series and her mysterious button box. It may not be a literary masterpiece, but it's undoubtedly a contemporary and thought-provoking read that I'd comfortably rate at three stars.

Picture this: Gwendy Peterson, just a twelve-year-old, receiving a curious box from a stranger donning a black bowler hat. The box, with its vivid buttons and hidden secrets, promised both delight and danger. Fast forward to 2026, and Gwendy is now a sixty-four-year-old U.S. Senator, embarking on a space station mission that hides more than meets the eye. The "Top Secret" box she carries holds the key.

I won't reveal more, but I can tell you the prose flows gracefully, the plot is strikingly modern, delving into our world's post-pandemic evolution. It's a concise yet gripping tale with a range of vivid characters, and trust me, there are some captivating twists that keep you on the edge right up to the somewhat Hollywood-style finale.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I will read anything Stephen King but I will say I was a little lost not having read the first two books. The ending didnt disappoint either way

The final book in the Gwendy’s Button Box Trilogy was literally an out of this world experience. Evil forces are trying to get the Button Box and only Gwendy can make sure that that can never happen! A perfect ending to a wonderful series. I thank Netgalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read and review this book!

In book 3 of this trilogy, the Button Box once again makes an appearance in Gwendy's life. She is tasked with getting rid of the box at all costs in order to save humanity. Can she stave off temptation and the sinister forces who want the box for themselves?

First off, you absolutely must read the first two books before tackling this one. While this is a good story that can be read rather quickly, there was something about it that just didn't keep me as interested as the other two. The plot didn't have me as hooked this time until the action really picked up at the end of the book. Everything else about the book worked well, perhaps a little more about the new characters in this book would've helped. I will still recommend it though as it wraps everything up nicely.

My appreciation to Gallery Books, authors Stephen King and Richard Chizmar, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Gwendy’s Button Box was a bit of an outlier for Stephen King in that he co-wrote it—not something he typically does—but it was otherwise vintage King. Young child? Check. Mysterious stranger? Check. A parable about the consequences of power? Check. The Button Box was Chizmar’s idea and King pretty much let Chizmar run with it. So much so, that when Chizmar had the idea of a full-length novel follow-up, King declined to be a part of it but gave Chizmar his blessing to continue the story. Gwendy’s Magic Feather returned to Gwendy and Castle Rock, and the Button Box, to ask questions about fate vs free will and the consequences of obtaining the things we most desire. It didn’t quite have the same punch as the King/Chizmar team-up, with a tepid ending and an overly long story. Nonetheless, when Chizmar had the idea for a story to wrap up Gwendy’s tale, King went all in with Gwendy’s Final Task.

Like the previous book, it is a full-length novel. Or rather, the book feels like a novella bloated into a full-length novel. The setup and pacing is slow, and it builds to a frenetic and chaotic ending that tries to tie in virtually every element of the Stephen King multiverse. Gwendy’s Final Task finds the titular Gwendy now an aging Senator with Alzheimer’s (a fact that is continually harped on without much explanation and to little narrative effect). It’s the midst of the COVID pandemic and she’s part of a spaceflight to a space station where she has secreted away the button box, hoping to destroy it once and for all.

Movie franchises—unless they started out space-themed—have long jumped the shark when they end up in space. Amityville in Space, Leprechaun 4: In Space, Hellraiser: Bloodline, Jason X…and Fast 9 movie if you want something not horror. Space is seen as a way of spicing up the backdrop of a tried-and-true plot, a way of doing the same thing but making it look different. Gwendy’s Final Task would have done well if that’s what it did. Instead, the space elements are just boring. The message is overbearing. The pacing is slow. The plotting chaotic. The novel never coheres into an interesting or engaging story.

One line I did like, and something that encapsules what is good about the Gwendy trilogy is that: “People don’t need a button box to do horrible things. There is plenty of evil f*ckery in the human spirit.” Unfortunately, King and Chizmar never work out that thesis in any engaging fashion.

I would recommend this wonderful book but read the other 2 first....will read Richard Chizmar’s books & patiently wait for lots more Stephen King’s Novels! From a very happy Constant Reader!

I am such a fan of Stephen King. I love this world he created and the Easter eggs throughout the series for The Dark Tower. Fantasy is hard for me to get into, but I loved this series and I'm sad to see it end. But what an epic ending it was!!

This is the third book in a trilogy. Gwendy’s final task takes her into space to save all of humanity. Now Senator Gwendy of Maine, is visited by Richard Farris and given instructions to get rid of the Button Box she possesses while taking part in a space mission. The box still has power and events occur to foil her mission but Gwendy’s sense of duty and responsibility push her to complete her mission. A satisfying wrap up of an interesting series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC with an extra thanks to the amazing authors. Richard Chizmar and Stephen King are two of my very favorite authors and this volume is no exception.
#NetGalley #GalleryBooks #RichardChizmar #StephenKing
Right off the bat, I’ll say that this was my least favorite of the series. I tend to shy away from space fiction as well as fantasy. Having said that, I liked this book. Gwendy is a memorable character that is lovable even during her mistakes. This book takes place in 2026 and Gwendy is a Senator in her sixties. She is battling early onset Alzheimer’s which is troubling at the best of times but is much more poignant during a mission to the international space station in order to get rid of the button box. This book is very intertwined with King’s popular Dark Tower series. I enjoyed the Easter eggs as I always do in King’s books.
As much as I wish this installment of this lovely series had a few less fantasy elements and more horror, it did complete the series in a thorough and emotional way. I’m sorry to see it end. Even with the portions of the book that I didn’t like as much, I was still able to enjoy the styles of two talented authors.

This is a Castle Rock / Derry / Dark Tower crossover. In space. It was kinda a shit show, but it was a fun read and the audiobook narrator did a great job. I really didn't care for the second book in the button box trilogy so I wasn't sure if I was going to read this, but overall glad I did. It's a vast improvement over the second (although still not as good as the first) and a good end to the series. I was pleased to have picked up the references to Castle Rock and Derry (numerous clown mentions lol) but having not read the Dark Tower I know I missed a lot of the meaning behind the ending. I might give this a reread once I've read the 4000 page monstrosity that is the Dark Tower series.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Gwendy's Final Task is a great way to end an indestructible box that has the ability to destroy the world and many other worlds too. As Stephen King is so talented at, this book had hidden easter eggs to earlier works as well as being connected to the Dark Tower series. Such a satisfying ending to a series.

Gwendy Peterson, the girl with the button box, is now 64 years old. She's a senator from Maine and a successful author. She is also in the early stages of Alzheimer's. It takes some time for Gwendy to recognize that her forgetfulness is the sign of something bigger to come, but once she does, she realizes the potential dangers of herself, with Alzheimer's, in control of the button box. She also knows that it is absolutely impossible to get rid of or destroy the dangerous box.

Gwendy manages to hide her on-coming Alzheimer's from her colleagues and constituents (though those closest to her are not surprised when they learn of it), and as a special guest/Senator she is planning a trip of a lifetime to visit the International Space Station. She sees an opportunity here to finally take care of a nagging problem.

This third book does a fine job of wrapping up some of the storylines throughout the trilogy. I liked that the now mature Gwendy faces some real-life issues (Alzheimer's) and that the button box, which was her own saving grace back when she was a tween, has become a constant burden (and temptation) throughout her life.

It is nice to have Stephen King back as co-author and this book moves the story along swiftly.

A down-side to the book is the very overt politics and clear comparison of the whacked-out politicians in the book to our current (2020's) political leaders and want-to-be leaders. I happen to follow King's twitter posts, so I know his leanings - I don't need the politics here in this story as well. Yes, given that Gwendy is a Congressperson, it's hard to escape, but it did feel heavy-handed.

This was not my favorite Stephen King book (or series), but I'm really glad I took this little three-book trip.

Looking for a good book? For simple reading pleasure, Gwendy's Final Task, as the third book in the Button Box trilogy, by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar satisfies.

I received a digital copy of this book from the published, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I went into this novel not having read the 1st two books in the series and felt a bit lost. While I didn't mind the politics involved here, I wish I had more reference for the box and all that went before this, because of that, this just didn't work for me. Not enough reference was given for me to truly get the ground under my feet. I am sure I'm alone here as others probably loved this.

Thanks to Gallery for the arc.

Boring. Not the gripping Stephen King I was raised on. This was about as much fun as the early-onset dementia Gwendy was suffering. I realize her memory was slipping, but the readers were not having a similar issue and did not need to be reminded every third page that she forgot her colleagues’ names or how to tie her shoes or the appropriate word she was searching for.
Even worse was the lack of a strong enemy. The only excitement was the murder of Gwendy’s husband which happened off stage with the killers only described generally and then ignored. There was no “Last Stand” and the ending was just a big nothing burger.
I hope King can redeem himself in his next book or else take retirement. Or maybe look into a pocket rocket.

I hadn’t read any of the other books in this series and thoroughly enjoyed this. It is a quick read and I liked how it had some of King’s horror characters from his other books. A very touching ending, and would be a good book club discussion selection - would you make the same choices Gwendy did.

What a magnificent and surprising way to wrap this up! I must confess, when the book started I was a little skeptical... I've never been a fan of space stories, and when I saw that the story was rapidly unfolding as primarily taking place on a rocket ship headed to a space station, I was a little nervous.


I shouldn't have been. King and Chizmar are brilliant storytellers both separate and together, and their ability to tell a compelling tale no matter the setting should not be doubted.  Unlike some other reviewers, I've enjoyed the nodding references to many of their previous works throughout this Trilogy, and did so again here.

I must admit that I have never read The Dark Tower series, which I did find a little challenging in this one as there are a number of central plot points that link directly back to those books. I had to keep going back to Google to catch references, but the information was easily found online and now it has spurred my interest such that I've already put myself on the waitlist for The Gunslinger (DT being a series I've always avoided because the only subject matter I've generally found less compelling than space was westerns, but in the hands of King I suspect anything would work at this point).

I think the way they wove the pandemic into the story, as a plot point tied to the button box as well as a background fact of life in 2026 was masterfully done. It is in fact the first time I've seen an author work COVID into a story without being overly flippant or overly dire about it, and I applaud them both for the way they handled it. 

Both men are magnificent at creating characters that leap off the page, and both the returning cast and new characters reinforced that observation this time around again. Nobody writes evil like Stephen King, and his Winston was truly reprehensible and totally believable in the best possible way. There was never any doubt in my mind that Gwendy would prevail, yet in a King novel you never truly know if the evil will come out ahead - even in its loss, by costing more than it should or than the hero can bear to pay... But his uppance did come and it came in a delightfully King way that made me cheer even as I cringed!

This has been such a fabulous ride. I love Gwendy and her indomitable spirit and I thoroughly enjoyed each of the books in this series!

"If you're offered a seat on a rocket ship, don't ask what seat. Just get on." - Sheryl Sansbury

This was the third and final novella in a trilogy about Gwendy Peterson and a mysterious button box that she was introduced to as a young girl.

She thought she'd seen the last of the button box years ago but Richard Farris reappears in her life. It's now 2026, she's 64 years old and now a U.S. Senator and Farris makes an impossible request that will take Gwendy on an incredible journey.

This novella is longer than the first two. It reunites Stephen King and and Richard Chizmar as in the first novella. And there's a couple of twists that throw in bits of a couple of other of King's winners.

To me, this was the perfect ending to Gwendy's story and I highly recommend the entire trilogy.

I received this novella through Gallery Books from Net Galley and Edelweiss in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

This is a hard one to review while trying to not give any spoilers. What I can say is that as a "Constant Reader" I am pleased with this final chapter in Gwendy Peterson's story.

I was very worried coming into this because I thought a third book was pushing it and might ruin the splendid taste the first two left. When I saw the cover my first thought was; "All things serve the beam." and I sighed. I didn't want this story to go there, I really didn't.

Unfortunately, I can not say if it did or didn't but I can say you will not be disappointed if you read this book. It is, like the two before it, amazing and wildly, scarily wonderful.

If you want to know where Gwendy goes and if the Button box follows, you have to read or listen to this novel. Enjoy and always remember there are more worlds than these.

Thanks to @netgalley, Gallery Books, Stephen King, and Richard Chizmar for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

After reading the first two books in the Gwendy trilogy, I did a bad thing. I read a Goodreads review about Gwendy’s Final Task in which the reviewer was railing against the setting of space. Their argument was so vehement that I suddenly had visions of Gwendy becoming Star Wars Trek Babylon Gallatica Mandalorian, and I was very afraid. No need. I had forgotten to trust Stephen King.

Gwendy is still Gwendy although now it’s 2026 and she is 64 years old. She’s also been charged with the button box one final time, although this time it’s to bring about its demise. Hopefully. The button box is becoming stronger and tests even Gwendy’s seemingly endless vault of strength.

Like the previous two novellas, Gwendy’s Final Task is a quick and engrossing read, one I didn’t want to put down or to end. Also, this one moved me to tears several times. One episode is when young Gwendy in a flashback asks her mother if she believes in God and her mother points to all of the miracles around them and asks how can there not be something powerful enough to make miracles? And the last few scenes just swept me away–you’ll have to read it to find out why.

Gwendy is now in my list of favorite characters. I do wish the books had been longer so that we could have gotten to know her better. In fact, this would be one of those sets of books that I wish Netflix would get ahold of and just give us Gwendy stories reaching beyond what we had on the pages.

Gwendy’s Final Task was clever, wrenching, and beautifully written. I was sorry to read the last words and know I’d never be visiting with Gwendy again.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The PERFECT end to the trilogy. Gwendy is one of my favorite series of all time, and I was honestly a bit nervous to start this one. I didn't need to be. King and Chizmar are brilliant and closed the story beautifully. Definitely read the first two first if you haven't already before reading Gwendy's Final Task.