Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book at all.

I received an ARC from Random House Worlds | Del Rey via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS
by Chuck Wendig

Pros:
Midnight-dark, tense, propulsive, interesting premise, short chapters, nostalgic, psychological horror

Cons:
A tad confusing, a little bloated, a little repetive, might have worked better as a novella? a lot of trauma.

I enjoyed this book-- reminded me of King's coming of age/coming back as adults horror-- just swap the Losers Club for the Covenant. I definitely felt an IT vibe at times.
We go back and forth between the past and present, getting some pretty complex characters and strong bonds. We see survivor's guilt and how our horrors can bring us together. As much as it's about a creepy staircase, it's also very much about the journey of the interal work we must all go through.

Check the warnings, there are some grotesque descriptions and a whole lot of trauma-- so tread lightly if that's not your thing.

NEW FEAR UNLOCKED: STAIRCASES IN THE WOODS

This was a good read. Seriously. Even for a person like me who poops her pants when there is a sudden, unexpected noise at night.

This was one of the first horror books I have ever read and apparently I can deal with the graphic stuff better, when it is written down. (I don’t think I could watch this as a movie.)
I was intrigued by the storyline, even though I thought the beginning was a bit slow. I was invested in the characters and their interpersonal relationships regardless of their quirks and outright disturbing behaviors.
And damn, the house got me. I didn’t think it was too suspenseful, I kinda felt like I knew how it was going to end, but I liked the path to this conclusion. Though I have a hard time to “like” anything about the gory, graphic rooms of this house. WTF.

While I felt like the overarching message was a tad cliche, I didn’t mind it. I had an enjoyable ride and will never climb a sole staircase in the woods. Ever!

I tried so very hard to get into this one and to enjoy the 90s nostalgia vibe but it just wasn't for me. Maybe I'll pick it up another time as people really seem to be enjoying it.

Thank you, Net Galley! This ARC was everything I could have ever wanted. The book summary had me so intrigued and I am so happy that I was not let down. Let's all together decide never to climb staircases that lead nowhere.

Chuck Wendig’s newest novel delivers a fresh, blood-spattered take on the haunted house trope — this time via a staircase to nowhere, found deep in the woods. The setup is deceptively simple: five high school friends go on a camping trip, and one of them — Matty — walks up a strange staircase and vanishes. No explanation. No return. The staircase disappears, and so does Matty.

Twenty years later, the staircase reappears — and so does Nick’s obsession with bringing Matty back. He lures his estranged friends back into the woods to climb the steps and bring Matty home. What unfolds is something like a haunted house attraction crossed with a psychological horror film — think The Haunting of Hill House by way of the "Gluttony" or "Sloth" scenes in Seven. The group soon finds themselves inside a house that is not only sentient, but actively malevolent. One of the first messages they see scrawled on a wall reads, This house hates you, and it’s not an idle threat.

As they move from room to room, the house presents them with increasingly horrific tableaus — scenes of grief, rage, despair, and tragedy. Some rooms feel like trauma dioramas. Others are just stomach-churning. Some of these are intense and deeply unsettling, and readers should be prepared for graphic, often disturbing content. But it’s not just the house that’s falling apart — the story also delves into the fractures between the four remaining friends. Their journey becomes a literal and metaphorical descent, where they’re forced to confront their guilt, resentment, and the secrets they’ve kept from each other and themselves.

Wendig knows how to build dread, and the atmosphere here is thick with it. The shifting architecture and grotesque set pieces make for some truly memorable horror moments. However, while the story leans heavily on past trauma and shared history, at times I felt like I was observing that from the outside rather than feeling it alongside the characters.

Still, this was a gripping and visceral read — eerie, imaginative, and filled with the kind of twisted horror that is absolutely the stuff of nightmares. If you're drawn to stories about haunted places that twist both space and psyche, The Staircase in the Woods is well worth climbing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House | Del Rey for the advanced readers copy of The Staircase in the Woods in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Chuck Wendig novel, and to say I was immediately captivated by the premise would be an understatement. Four friends venture back into the woods where their friend Matty vanished years prior, having discovered an old staircase; Matty ascended it but never returned. Firstly, I enjoy the classic horror theme of friends reuniting after a traumatic experience, and combining that with a creepypasta narrative hooked me.

This story was genuinely creepy and unexpected in the best ways. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next, and the author weaves a tale that is both horrifying and fresh in its delivery. I want to talk about this book so much more, but I don’t want to spoil anything, as this story is best read without knowing much going in.

My only feedback is that at times, the writing can be repetitive, i.e., using the same metaphors and similes multiple times. While I believe this was an artistic choice given the nature of the story, there were moments where I couldn’t help but say out loud, “alright, we get it, we get it,”. Additionally, I wish the ending had more breathing room. I felt the wrap-up was really quick, and I wanted more.

Overall, though, a great read for any horror fan and readers wanting something unique.

Well if I ever stumble upon a staircase in the woods you won’t catch me climbing it. No thanks.

This was a great read. Captivating as hell with deeply traumatized group of main characters. So they came off as kinda horrible but as the story of the past unfolds in their current state of “adventures” they become more endearing +some character growth really worked well.

I enjoyed the trippiness of the plot and it made the book hard to put down.

Thanks to netgalley and random house for an eARC

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House | Del Ray for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Chuck Wendig. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Five high school friends are bonded by an oath to protect one another no matter what. Then, on a camping trip in the middle of the forest, they find something a mysterious staircase to nowhere. One friend walks up—and never comes back down. Then the staircase disappears. Twenty years later, the staircase has reappeared. Now the group returns to find the lost boy—and what lies beyond the staircase in the woods. . . .

This is a creepy, suspenseful story, weaving past and present timelines together so that we get a hint of how this group of friends finds themselves in a similar situation once again. None of the characters are real likeable but that doesn’t mean you won’t be cheering for them; they are products of their pasts like we all are. I loved some of the comparisons between a body and a house, what each absorbs, what each takes and gives. A story that explores friendship and family, mixed in with a supernatural mystery.

There was solid tension and descriptions incorporated throughout the work. I appreciated that the author seemed to have a decent handle on where to skim things to keep it moving and where to add detail to keep the reader invested. The atmosphere was great and I could feel the tension/sense of danger present throughout the primary timeline of the story.

The characters were well written. I appreciated how different they were as it made the horror of the situation different for each of them. This is a character-driven story rather than a plot-driven story, which wasn't what I expected. It ended up not working quite as well as it could have just due to the flashbacks that would happen whenever things were getting real good, and that tension and investment would have to sit on the back burner.

There are A LOT of dark things included in this book so be aware of that before jumping in. There's also a lot of body horror and excessive swearing. Overall, this was a decent work of horror that kept me invested throughout. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I will begin by saying this is my first Wendig read and boy… did I love it.

Five friends who are best friends in high school refer to themselves as The Covenant. One night while partying in the woods… they find a mysterious staircase. One of runs up the staircase and never comes back down. He was the only one to truly enter the unknown and never return.

Years later, their friend summons them for their last hurrah as he is dying of cancer. What he really wants… is to find their missing friend…. Through a whole other staircase.

This really starts as a slow burn. We get the backstories on these broken characters. We are being setup for what horrors truly await. Once I got to the halfway mark, everything leads to a door into hell. LITERAL HELL!

Be prepared, this sucker gets really dark! Trigger warnings galore! It gets gory and seriously fucked up! I absolutely loved it!

Thank you to DelRay, Chuck Wendig and NetGalley for the opportunity. I even had to buy a copy for my shelves.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Del Rey eARC
This is my second Chuck Wendig novel, and it solidified that I will be reading whatever he comes out with next. I loved the premise here: a staircase appeared in the woods and one friend went up and never came back. This was such a great look at collective trauma and how adolescent friendships can leave such lasting impacts. But it was also a super creepy horror novel, and I may have read it too late one night. I also don't want to say too much beyond what's in the synopsis because it's a novel that you should just go into and let it take you for a ride. You do find out what's at the end of the staircase and that's where the horror kicks in - and that's all I'll say. It was terrifying, reflective, and completely engrossing.

Thank you so much chuck wendig and net galley for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review .. I enjoyed this spooky book and it will stick with me for as while

The staircase in the woods was probably my favorite by Wending since the wanderers. This book is weird in all of the right ways and is wendings equivalent to kings IT (my favorite of all of Kings books). This takes a smaller known horror trope/urban legend about a staircase that appears in the woods and takes anyone who mounts its stairs to unknown locations to weird and twisted heights.

Without giving too much away-a group of childhood friends reunite as adults when one they are called together after one of them receives a terminal diagnosis. Coming together for the first time in years means that they must face their past and the reasons why they don’t see one another anymore after one of the group disappeared into a staircase in the woods as a kid. Believing him to be dead, everyone blamed the kids for his death and they could never reveal the truth about the staircase.

Once gathered together, they will face their fears and the truth about that night in the past which will determine their futures.

I really enjoyed this one! I always love the trope of childhood friends gathering as adults after a trauma to face it. This is a new take on haunted houses as the ghosts that fill the house are familiar and all serve a purpose to each character. Weding perfectly evokes an atmosphere of claustrophobia and fear and the pacing is perfect as it unravels over short fast paced chapters over dual timelines. I recommend this one to lovers of horror and thrillers, fantasy, king, koontz, straub, and great storytellers!

Ooooo this one was sooo good! It was so interesting and such a unique type of story, different from anything I've read before. It was fast paced, intense, exciting, gruesome, and sad all at the same time. There were so many different themes going on, such as friendships, childhood trauma, fighting your internal battles. Overall just a great read, and I highly recommend it! I only wish I got more from the ending. Hopefully there's a second book on the way! It would be a great one!

Thank you to Random House Worlds publishing for providing me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my review.

“Owen had for himself an unspoken rule, one so unspoken he hadn’t even put it into words for himself until now: Don’t go into the woods. You go into the woods? You might not come out of them.“ 🌲

So mad at myself for putting this book off as long as I did because it’s damn good.

A few years ago I read and loved The Book of Accidents. Why I haven’t yet read Black River Orchard is beyond me, so needless to stay, I was *ready* for more Wendig weirdness. Staircase 100% delivered on that front. 🤌

Hard to review without giving much away, but it has so many engaging elements:
• Haunted houses + ghosts galore
• Dual timelines and POVs
• Truly creepy vibes
• Claustrophobic, all-consuming horror, but also a poignant story about coming of age, childhood friends, and facing our fears.

THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS by Chuck Wendig

Discovering portals to other dimensions!? It could be a great adventure or it could be totally traumatic. In this case, it’s a staircase leading to a labyrinthine house filled with all sorts of horrific things.

While I was initially interested in the story set up, I felt the plot was disjointed, the pacing was slow, and the misfit friend dynamics were lacking. These are supposed to be fully grown adults reuniting to look for their long lost friend, but the dialogue read more like a YA novel.

The potential was there. I liked the mysterious and foreboding atmosphere of the house. I didn’t find the scenes too violent or upsetting (but that’s my desensitization). I do wish the plot had more “action” instead of mostly being character driven.

While this ultimately wasn’t for me, don’t let that deter you. If you love all the creepypasta things, you might enjoy this.


Rating: 3/5 ⭐️

Pub Date: 04.29.25

**ARC courtesy of Netgalley & DelReyBooks

OK- I consider myself a pretty sensible person. However, I also love the woods. They are my happy place, I can wander and hang with nature, and I feel at home. And if I saw this staircase in the middle of the woods ( I mean look at it- it's gorgeous!), I have to admit that my curiosity would get the better of me, and I would probably climb right up to check it out!

That would probably be a huge mistake! After reading this, I think it will be a while til I roam freely throughout the woods, and I will certainly avoid any and all staircases that I happen upon!!!

So, five high school friends go camping in the woods and find a staircase that leads nowhere. One of the friends walks right up, and never comes back. And then the staircase disappears! Twenty years later, the staircase reappears, and one of the friends call the others to come back. The friends left behind really have not stayed in touch- there was too much trauma and sadness (all this is revealed in past/present form). They hope to find out what happened to the "lost" boy. They soon find that sometimes what you wish for can become your worst nightmare.

This story is so creepy, with a lot of suspense. Each of the characters bring a lot of tension as they try to explore and figure out what is going on. The themes of friendship, loss, love, and dealing with the past and lost dreams runs throughout the story. The setting is imbued with darkness and not seeing the path clearly ahead- and I loved it. It is really hard to write a review because there are so many twists and reveals that I do not want to spoil this. In some ways, reminiscent of King's "It"- yet Wendig is a fantastic writer and it is distinctly different and stands on it's own as a fantastic, haunting tale. Phenomenal characters, fantastic storyline, haunting setting. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes heart and connections blended in with a creepy horror story!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, and Random House/Del Rey for the ARC. This is my voluntary and honest review.

THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS by Chuck Wendig
Published: April 29, 2025 by Del Rey Publishing
Page Count: 400



A horrific improvement of the urban legend of a solitary Staircase in the Woods leading to nowhere. Wendig weaves a a terrifying story of a pack of five youths with terrible family lives, bound together by a pact of unbreakable friendship … a Covenant that they will always be there for the others in times of need. There are five teenagers : Nick, Lauren (Lore), Hamish and Matty, all with their own foibles, bound by drugs, drinks and the difficult suffocation of living in a small town. The Covenant was formed on the basis of surviving the torment of bullies. As a group they went on a camping trip following the arduous course of the trail leading to the Highchair Rocks with the reward of glorious scenic vistas. Instead of scenic wonders they come upon the isolated staircase leading to nowhere. They initially ignore its presence, however later in a fit of defiance, Matty runs up the staircase and never returns . They agree upon a story to tell the authorities, and yet the events are never fully understood. Decades later, Nick summons the group that have become strangers, leading separate and not too successful lives. He maintains that he is dying from pancreatic cancer and would like to group to return for a bonding trip to the nearby woods. They reluctantly join Nick and upon their incursion into the woods, come upon another isolated stairway. Nick convinces them to climb the stairs with the possibility of finding Matty after all these years. They climb into a literal house of horrors with no exit. They find themselves trapped in an ever changing horrific situation with shifting rooms with evidence of torture, murder, and mayhem of unbelievable circumstances. Frequently they come upon the “ghosts” or memories of the victims .. and occasionally the rooms and their dire consequences are tailored to fit their own past horrors.
Wendig proves to be a masterful storyteller as he weaves together the multiple scenarios reflecting their past trauma and horrors with escalating tension and intrigue. He expertly explores the delicate nature of friendship, love, and trauma and their interrelationships , that cascades into an astounding denouement. Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey books for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

Twenty years ago they found a mysterious staircase in the woods. One went up and was never seen again. Now, they are gathering again to figure out what happened.

The Staircase in the Woods is a slow, creepy story about processing trauma. Feels a bit long at times. Good ending.