Gwendy's Button Box

No evil clowns or rabid dogs in this novella—instead King and Chizmar have created a tale of what-ifs. Gwendy is only 12 when taunts from classmates spur her to attempt to lose weight. Every day, she runs up the steep metal steps on the side of the cliffs in Castle Rock, ME. Even though she knows not to talk to strangers, let alone take gifts from them, she can't resist the man in the dark coat and bowler hat. She has been chosen to receive a box with buttons on it, and he quickly instructs Gwendy on its use. What do the buttons do? Destroy. As Gwendy matures, the box also graces her with intelligence, luck, and beauty, but what happens when she can't resist pushing a button? Nine somber illustrations help set the tone, but readers are left to imagine the infamous box. Depictions of Gwendy's loss of her virginity and an attempted sexual assault aren't overly graphic.