I give entire series is a solid 4 ⭐️

The first two novellas take place in Castle Rock, which is fun, but my favorite was that the third book ties in Derry and the book IT, along with the always appreciated Dark Tower links.

I live for those Easter Eggs and connections in the King multiverse. 🐣

Gwendy’s Final Task is a bit more lengthy than the first two in the series, although it wasn’t my favorite of the books (the first, Gwendy’s Button Box, gets that honor) I still found the final book to be solid. It takes place in the near future and even has a bit of Covid mentioned in it, which gets interesting.

There is no doubt that Chizmar and King worked well together to create a very unique storyline. I enjoyed the concept of a young girl tasked with a rewarding but dangerous task.

It was interesting to see how Gwendy evolves over the many years of guarding the button box- a magical box with destructive buttons that could bring along world wide disasters, but also provides improved wealth and health to the holder of it.

This was such a weird but entertaining ride. I really didn't know what to expect with this last installment, but this sort of just made me chuckle throughout. So weird and unexpected for gwendys end lol I liked it for what it was.

Mr. Farris, you lied, “ she said. “Maybe you didn’t see the truth. Or maybe you did and didn’t want me to have to live with it. “

The 3rd and final installment of the Gwendy Trilogy. We follow Gwendy Peterson one more time dealing with the powers of temptation and evil in the form of the Button box.

Farris returns to Gwendy now in her 60’s and entrusts her with the button box and a mission. One that takes her to a senator seat and far beyond.

This book is like King himself these days highly political, ex potus Trump is mentioned what feels like no less then 10 times. Covid is also mentioned fairly prominently both of which are the stuff of nightmares so that alone makes this book successfully scary.

Once I got into the meat of the story I was hooked and by the end I was honestly crying for Gwendy and her father. Books rarely ever make me cry so to me this one is something special.
I really enjoyed it more then I expected to 5 stars ⭐️ and I’d give it 6 if I could.

Thank you to #netgalley for the review copy.

A solid ending to a series. I enjoyed this one just as much as the first in the series. I always love catching references to other King works, especially the Dark Tower and there were quite a few in this one. The ending, although slightly predictable was still an enjoyable read. Gwendy was an interesting character and it was nice to finally get a little insight into some of the other owners of the button box as well. I think a standalone book following just the button box and its various owners would be a very interesting read as well, if the authors ever consider continuing this concept.

I absolutely adore this book. Tons and tons of connections with The Dark Tower, say thankee! It adds quite a bit to the lore, and is probably my favorite Gwendy book.

I'm a huge Stephen King fan. I loved the first book in this trilogy. It was original and peculiar. I thought the second book was over the top and unrealistic. Despite not liking the second book I decided to give book 3 a chance. Stephen King is my favorite author but I feel like he should have stopped after book one. My library purchased the book because we automatically buy books by certain authors that are always on the best seller's list.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Gwendy's Final Task.

I enjoyed the first two books in the trilogy so I was super excited to be given the opportunity to read the final book before it was released.

Since her last encounter with the button box, Gwendy has been a rep from the House of Representatives and a bestselling author.

Then, her husband is brutally murdered in a hit and run, at the same time she is asked to run for Senate seat for the state of Maine.

And, Mr. Farris returns with a tremendous request. He needs Gwendy's help one more time to rid the world of the button box once and for all.

I really liked Gwendy, and I'm sad to see her go; she was relatable, honorable and kind.

But the authors have written a well deserved send off for Gwendy.

I especially love how wonderful her parents are, how much they loved her and how much she loved them back; the memories she shared with the reader about her mom and her final letter to her dad.

This was a great book to wrap up the trilogy. I hope the authors collaborate again in the future.

In Gwendy's Final Task Stephen King and Richard Chizmar take us on a journey from Castle Rock to another famous cursed Maine city and much further onto the MF-1 space station where Gwendy must execute a top-secret mission to save the world. And, maybe, all worlds.

Oh my goodness . . . what a wondrous ride the Gwendy journey is!! I have now completed all three books and simply adore this series so much, from start to finish.

I’ll admit that I was more than a little sad to turn the last page on this final installment and am looking forward to whatever exciting new adventures these two writers have in the works.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy of Gwendy’s Final Task for my unbiased evaluation. 5 stars

My goodness, will Stephen King ever get over Trump? Sheesh. Between Billy Summers and this one, it’s way past the point of disliking someone and now it’s like the little girl on the playground who won’t stop talking about the mean boy because she secretly has a crush on him. Every person I’ve talked to who have read either of this agrees with SK’s views admit that it’s too much.

Of course…this one wasn’t written exclusively by SK. It’s like there was a story with flat, one dimensional characters that are painfully stereotypical. Like zero creativity there. I’m shocked that King would let his name be associated with such a book, but shockingly not even his Trump bashing, Dark Tower references or name could save this one.

A bit of classic king mixed with some newer king. Having barely read the first two books I cant say a lot about the story but I can say it’s nice to see king back at it

I enjoyed this book. It was a good end to the trilogy and I'm glad we got to see Gwendy to the end. I love that the typical Stephen King Easter eggs were present (Derry and the Dark Tower). I could have done without the Trump nonsense. I read fiction to escape our current world, not be reminded of it, but I searched the book for "Trump" and his name was only said like 7 times so I just decided to stick it out and I'm glad I didn't DNF as it soon goes away from that. I do think the book would have been just as effective with a fictional politician though. Over a good book and another point for the King of Horror and Mr. Chizmar.

“Gwendy’s Final Task—Book 3 of the “Gwendy’s Button Box” Trilogy
By Stephen King & Richard Chizmar

Heroism Has No Age Limits

Twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson was surprised when dapper gent, Richard Farris, persuaded her to guard a magical button box capable of producing delectable treats in addition to deadly destruction, readers learn through flashbacks in “Gwendy’s Final Task”—Book 3 of the “Gwendy’s Button Box” Trilogy, a mystery/thriller collaboration by Stephen King & Richard Chizmar.

This book jumps 50 years into the future to find Gwendy a mature older woman. Not having read the first two books, I readily jumped into Gwendy’s final episode because of the excellent background setup and numerous memories that Gwendy recalls. These make me look forward to reading companion novels by King and Chizmar about some of the external characters, locales, and conflicts mentioned in this novel.

For creepy conflict, “Castle Rock” and “The Dark Tower” fans will cheer. Many of those spooky antagonists play roles in seeking Gwendy’s demise to obtain the button box for their devious means.
My favorite aspect of “Gwendy’s Final Task” is that the protagonist is a caring, beautiful-spirited woman in her 60s experiencing brain fog. The novel is written in a loving, nurturing, sympathetic tone and concludes in a mesmerizingly poignant scenario.

As expected, exquisite prose abounds in this novel. “…when I was a little girl in pigtails running around the playground at Castle View Park, you told me something I’ve never forgotten: when faced with the choice of doing the right thing or nothing at all, you do what’s right. Every single time.”

Alternatively, I'm not particularly fond of political commentary in fun fiction—albeit brief—it still seems preachy. I didn’t rate “Gwendy’s Final Task” five stars because of this. I highly suggest adding this book to your TO BE READ LIST. It’s current, modern, and exciting. I adore this story. It now ranks near the top on my Stephen King list.

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The Book Maven’s Journal—Reviews for Word Connoisseurs

STAR RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Gwendy’s Final Task—Book 3 of the “Gwendy’s Button Box” Trilogy
Author: Stephen King & Richard Chizmar
Genre: Fiction (Adult) | Mysteries & Thrillers |
Publication Date: 31 May 2022
Publisher: Gallery Books

Sincerest Appreciation Goes to NetGalley, Authors Stephen King, Richard Chizmar, and Publisher Gallery Books for Providing this Advance Reader’s Copy for Review.

Gwendy’s Final Task is the final novel in a trilogy that has a girl, later a woman, and Final an aging Senator Gwendy Peterson carrying around a Pandora’s Box, which emits irresistible treats and could end the universe as we know it. This novel opens with a 64 year old Gwendy’s battling with early onset Alzheimer’s at the same time she’s shipping out on a rocket ship to a space station. The idea of someone suffering from dementia hiding it from fellow crew members and dealing with the myriad procedures of space travel world quite well. The story itself is filled with numerous flashbacks offering glimpses of what occurred in the first two novels. An intriguing idea that takes quite a while to get going.

Gwendy's Final Task by the best in the business Stephen King & talented writer Richard Chizmar these two weaved together a brilliant, satisfying ending to and amazing series!

Once I started reading I just couldn't stop, I absolutely needed to know what happened next. This is a quick read. It is not a horrifying story. But its a great story!
I really loved Gwendy's character. Something about her just pulls me in and sucks me up.
This is a fast, fun and entertaining read!
And it's by two of my most favorite authors ever! So what's not to love?!
I enjoyed being taken back to Castle Rock, the story of Gwendy, is one to be remembered.
I have to say these two absolutely killed it with this novel!.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Gallery Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

The third installment in the Gwendy books, Senator Gwendy Peterson is now tasked with "getting rid" of the button box. Do not read this book without having read the first two, Gwendy's Button Box and Gwendy's Magic Feather. The story is much more cohesive if the series is read in order. Stephen King and Richard Chizmar do a wonderful job of bring Gwendy to life. Not everyone will like the ending but it's what must be when it comes to the button box.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Cemetery Dance Publications for an e-arc of this novel.*

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for sending me an ARC of Gwendy’s Final Task in exchange for an honest review.

Gwendy’s Button Box was a very entertaining novella. Young Gwendy was a really believable, interesting character, and the story was an exploration of the weight of power and responsibility, reminiscent of an old Twilight Zone or Outer Limits plot. Gwendy’s Magic Feather, written without Stephen King, was a disappointment. Middle-aged Gwendy had some middle-aged worries, but the story was much too slow and seemed to simply spend too much time setting up the third book in the trilogy. So I went into Gwendy’s Final Task nervously but cautiously optimistic that the combination of Stephen King’s return and the build up from the middle book would pay off here in the finale.

Gwendy’s Final Task takes place in a post-Covid 2026 (there are a few references to it, but not much). Gwendy is now a 64-year-old US Senator who is having memory issues due to early onset Alzheimer’s. That would be troubling under any circumstance, but Gwendy is about to travel to an international space station, so it’s even worse. The novel tells the tale of how she came to be in that position, what she plans to do when she gets into space, and what it all has to do with Richard Farris and the button box—because you know it has something to do with Richard Farris and the button box.

The portion of the novel told in flashbacks, which catch the reader up on what’s happened to Gwendy since the last book, have a number of references to It, which was a bit of nice nostalgia. But those and other references are a double-edged sword. If there’s a flaw to the book, it’s that the whole story is intertwined with other Stephen King novels, most notably The Dark Tower series. It makes this story feel like an extension of other tales rather than a free-standing one (which, as the third of a trilogy, was inevitable but not to this extent).

Still, I enjoyed Gwendy’s Final Task. It has a solid story and Gwendy remains an interesting character. The presentation of her struggle with Alzheimer’s was moving and unusual; not a lot of popular fiction revolves around elderly characters, and certainly not ones in her condition. The first book in the trilogy is still the best one, and leaving Gwendy’s Button Box as a stand-alone tale probably would have been the best choice looking back. But if you read the second book, the finale is well worth reading. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The KING of the authors& brilliant Richard Chizmar saved the best for the last! And guess what they smartly weaved Roland Deschain’s universe into this story! Good news for Dark Tower fans! Both stories blended perfectly for us! I gave extra nerdy shrieks during my read each time I read those references! My geeky cells truly had a big celebration!

We have our last waltz with Gwendy Peterson who was only 12 years old little girl who has possessed the Button Box. After 5 decades later she lost her husband and she slowly loses the last pieces of memories she’s bottled up for years!

She finds herself in a space trip to Mars during the pandemic with hidden agenda: instead of protecting the box, she has to dispose it! She’s the one who has important mission to be achieved for the sake of universe!

I’m not gonna give much away. I know when I start to talk about plot, I cannot stop myself without giving too much spoilers! I can only say I loved this thrilling wild space ride!

Ending made me sad as expected but I always cry when something is too good eventually runs out of its own time. I’m saying goodbye to this brilliant trilogy with misty eyes and highly recommend to you read each book, enjoy the talents of the authors!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

I have been reading Stephen King novels for years. I first picked up Gwendy’s Button Box because it sounded intriguing. I really enjoyed the short novel and the combined writing of the two authors. The second book in the series was also enjoyable, although not quite to the same level as the first. Of course, I needed to read the final book to see how it all turned out!

In Gwendy’s Final Task, Gwendy is 64 years old and is headed into space on a final mission. I had a difficult time getting vested in the story because the time jump from each book was so significant. It took awhile to care about this “new” Gwendy who was older and had experienced so much more. I also didn’t love the space aspect, although I didn’t dislike it either. Everything was written in a way that made sense to the story and the books were woven together nicely. In a way, I wish the book was longer so that the characters could have been more developed. I would have loved to have gotten to know the “Bug Man” more. Although, at the same time, since the entire novel was written from Gwendy’s perspective, it makes sense logically why the character development existed as it did. Overall, it was an enjoyable story.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an ARC of #Gwendy’sFinalTask by #StephenKing and #RichardChizmar in exchange for an honest review.

What an awesome trilogy. Gwendy's final task was my least favorite in the beginning but turned out to be perfect in the end. Maybe I didn't want it to be over, maybe I don't like books about space, like at all, but I think maybe Gwendy broke my heart. I love all the tie-ins, the way the books stay so consistant and I love that damn Button Box. This is a pretty amazing storyline. What if you had a box with buttons that gave you control of the world, essentially, you hold all the power to life and death. It ended exactly as it would if this box were real. Thank you Stephen Kind & Richard Chizmar for Gwendy and the Button Box.

I finished this book three days ago, have read one other book and listened to part of an audio book since then, but my mind keeps coming back to this. It is that good. It is short, especially compared to the typical Stephen King bool, and not as involved as King's books are, but it included the well-written and like-able and hate-able, realistic characters that I come to expect from him.

My ipad tells me I read the first two books of the series, but all I really remember is the box dispensing chocolates. So, while it is probably best to have read (and recall reading) the prequels, it is not necessary. I will go back and re-read them (they are also pretty short) and I think that will make me appreciate the Final Task even more.