I absolutely love chuck wendigo and his books. I met him during his last book tour and he is hilarious. It doesn't hurt that he is also local to where I live in Pennsylvania.

This book is gruesome, in the best way possible. There are so many times I read something an shivered because it was grotesque, but written in a way that felt real.

This story is about a group of 5 high school friends who find a staircase in the woods. One goes up, and never returns. Almost 30 years later one of them is dying and he asks them to meet. Instead of a hotel, he takes them into the woods, where another staircase waits for them.
The 4 remaining friends decide it's time to find Their missing friend. They climb the stairs only to find chaos, murder, blood and horror behind every door.

They must figure out how to escape the house and save themselves and their missing friend.

I would have given this book a 5 out of 5, but the ending left me wanting a definitive clear and concise ending. I hate cliff hangers!

Regardless, Chuck's writing style draws me in every time. He is to Bucks County, what Stephen King is to Maine.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I accidentally found myself reading two books with a very similar setting....a group of people find themselves in a building that continually changes, different rooms speaking directly to individual members of the group, wondering if they will ever find a way or will die searching. But the two books are also so very different. While the other was definitely sci-fi, this was more horror, more paranormal, and more....human? Definitely dark and sometimes difficult to read. How much of us is what we share with friends, and how much is what we hide away, even from ourselves? Definitely recommend this.

The Staircase in the Woods uses a lot of classic horror elements with a fresh, modern feel. It hit all the right emotional notes, and the horror aspects were scary and fun as hell. Definitely recommend this one.

“The Staircase in The Woods” by Chuck Wendig - 5 stars - Out 4/29

Like all of Wendig’s books this particular one left me stunned as I finished it. Then I spent some time, ruminating on all the underlying storylines and complexities and ended up brain on fire and ready for him to release a new book immediately.

In true Chuck Wendig fashion this book has a slow build, amazing characters and a setting in a definitive and very fucked up version of reality. The characters in the story were particularly endearing to me because they reminded me of my own young adulthood. This being my third or fourth book by this author, I’m really beginning to enjoy the feeling of place that all of his stories inhabit, especially given the fact that they are all the same “universe“, very similar to Stephen King’s “Derry“. Plenty of Black River Orchard and Book of Accidents Easter Eggs.

The story dragged a little in the middle, but I am uncertain if that was the authors pacing or my own mental fog brought on by crumbling democracy, so I am only deducting a half a star. The somewhat ambiguous ending also always gets a slight deduction, but I do appreciate the fact that he made it a little less ambiguous than it could’ve been. He is an author that helps you to remember that writing is actually art and he is an expert artist.

Personally, I have been struggling to read at all, first last fall during the election cycle and now —since inauguration, I’ve struggled even more. The current state of our country, the crumbling of what I believe to be my future and the future of my children coupled with feelings of rage and helplessness as it all seems to fall apart, have made it hard for me to focus on stories as an escape. I’m so glad that authors keep writing even as things burn around us.

This story provided an excellent conversation between me and my husband. We were trying to determine why a loved one that we both know prefers to read “real “violent/crime stories“ rather than true horror like what Wendig and King create. My husband suggested that the story of being dissolved in a bathtub, while rooted in reality and being something that has factually been done to someone, is less unsettling because it has a definable defense. If you don’t wanna be kidnapped and murdered then lock your doors, don’t talk to strangers and follow the rules. This logic allows you to purposefully ignore the reality that crime can be committed against you at any time, similar to how we all push aside the fact that we could die at any minute and that we all will eventually. Acknowledge and move on…easy peasy. Books like ‘staircase’ are more scary because there are no rules. There is nothing that “you“ can do when it just goes bat shit bonkers in a totally fucked up irrational way. This definition of why things are so scary when you read a horror story rooted in magic, fantasy, and sci-fi helped me not only think more about the authors that I love and why I love them but also about why my husband does not like horror. He says his imagination without rules is bad enough.

Thank you, Mr. Wendig for helping me to remember that when all else fails, stories and the artists that create them still provide.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Worlds | Del Rey for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. #chuckwendig #thestaircaseinthewoods #horror #netgalley #netgalleyreview

This was my first time reading Chuck Wendig and it certainly won’t be my last- I had so much fun reading this title!

The premise of the book is a group of adult friends from childhood reunite when one of them invokes “The Covenant” as a dying wish. (Yes, it’s giving “The Losers Club” from “It” and, yes, I love the nod and nostalgic feeling it gives me.)

However, when the crew reach their meeting destination, it turns out they are right back at the staircase in the woods where one of the friends went missing when they were teens. (Creepy pasta vibes FTW)

Overall, as a person who has been deeply entrenched in horror books and movies for going on 30 years now, I can’t say I was surprised by much in this book- but what I can say is that I had so much fun I didn’t really care that I found it pretty predictable.

Wendig put a bunch of stuff that I love in a blender and turned it into something with a contemporary twist and told the story with a solid individual voice and it made me happy as a horror fan. AND honestly, what more can one ask for?

Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Staircase in the Woods is creepy, scary, and tense story about five friends on a camping trip . They take a walk in the woods together, and only four of them return. Life goes on, the friends lose touch with each other, but then twenty years later, the four friends return to the woods hoping to find their missing friend. Wendig knows how to build tension, and this book is a page-turner. The writing is superb, vivid, and elegant. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Chuck Wendig is an author that doesn’t flinch in the face of the weird. His previous novel, Black River Orchard, managed to create a whole new, nefarious spin on a common fruit, leaving no produce aisle ever looking quite the same. It seems that when Wendig grasps an idea, no matter how mundane or malicious, creativity is bound to bloom. The Staircase in the Woods fortifies this idea, exploring every poignant, mesmerizing, and complex angle of friendships and the bond we forge in the strangest of ways.

A group of high school friends wander into the woods one night, only to stumble upon the strangest of sights, a staircase smack in the middle of the woods. While five friends enter the forest, only four emerge with the mystery of the vanishing staircase looming large. Flash forward twenty-ish years, and things don’t quite look the same for these friends as each has drifted into their own corners of life. Yet, one thing remains, the loss of their dear friend and the haunting reality of the staircase in the woods.

Anyone who has logged onto the internet in the last few years and spent any amount of time of Reddit is probably well aware of the infamous staircase-in-the-woods, creepy-pasta stories. While these make for fun, one-off ventures of terror, something much more sinister bubbles below the surface of these stories, something that Chuck Wendig has recognized and fleshed out in full force. A certain “wrongness” thrives within the mental image of a staircase, a manmade structure, existing in the vastness of the unruly wilderness. This sentiment carries The Staircase in the Woods into unthinkable territory as the foundation of friendships are tested in rather frightening ways.

Where this staircase leads is part of the mystery surrounding this novel, and thus one I will not spoil. But, what I can say, is that the vivid, imaginative, and sometimes torturous places (literal and metaphorical) these characters find themselves speak so loudly regarding the immense vulnerabilities of love and humanity. Wendig manages to shatter your heart and stitch it back together with this unique group of folks each complete with their own idiosyncrasies, flaws, and merits that feel so real. We all know the past comes back to haunt us, a truth that is all too real for these characters. Yet, we get a fresh spin on this narrative with a unique setting that lends itself to the feelings, thoughts, and emotions that fall through the proverbial cracks as we grow older. With every door opened, every room explored, and every struggle faced, Wendig brings us closer to the truth of love in all its forms. To say this is a haunting novel is a vast understatement with every choice existing as a ghost that lingers much longer than the turn of the page.

In what feels like an autopsy of the idea friendship itself, The Staircase in the Woods leaves a resonant notion that speaks to each reader individually, a truly haunting narrative. This is a novel that revels in the darkest corners of any room, transcending the strange to deliver an emotionally tumultuous journey of complex friendship. While there is plenty to love on the surface of this story, the underlying tones, reckonings, and reflections of each character echo with a resounding force, compounding to form one remarkable narrative. Harrowing for all the right reasons, The Staircase in the Woods gives depth to the topics we would rather leave shallow.

Truly one of those novels that is hard to explain without giving it away. It's creepy, horror that is all the more scary because you have either heard a story like this or experienced something that's a shadow of it. This is a school playground story at it's finest as a sinister staircase, a disappearing friend, and all the uncertainty and dread of the unknown are showcased masterfully.

The Staircase in the Woods is excellent horror that is all the more dread-inducing by it's grounding in the real world.

Twenty years ago, a group of friends discovered a mysterious staircase in the middle of the woods. After one of them decided to go up and through the door at the top, the staircase disappeared, along with their friend, never to be seen again. Present day, the remaining friends are back together and journeying to a newly discovered staircase, setting off a nightmare of events.

This is the perfect example of classic storytelling. Each setting was meticulously crafted, giving the reader an easy visual to the nightmare surrounding the characters in every scene. This author created such an eerie atmosphere with an insidious undercurrent felt throughout from beginning to end. Not only did this delve deep into its horror elements portraying true terror, but it also explored friendship and self reflection as well. This one hit the mark on everything it took on and exceeded my expectations by far. Five perfect stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House Worlds, for this ARC.

Staircase in the Woods was a surprisingly excellent read. After enjoying the internet urban legend of the staircases for a long time it was fantastic to see an author having a go at bringing the story to life. The novel does have a bit of a pacing issue, it spends far too long getting to the point of the story and the flashbacks felt like a obstacle to the main story. However, overall the story was a creative one with an interesting, if not wholly satisfying ending.

Is this what I’ve been missing all this time not reading Chuck Wendig’s horror all these years?! Because I’m so upset about it!

Twenty years ago, five friends go camping in the woods and find a weird, random staircase standing sentinel. After some drinking and sitting around the fire, one member of the group decides to go up the staircase and jump off. But he never comes down. In the present day, the friends are back together, and another staircase has appeared, and they gave you decide what they want to do.

This book is told from the POVs of each of the four “left behind” friends.

This was probably one of the best horror novels I’ve read in a long time. It just really had so many elements that just worked together: a compelling mystery, interesting characters, a dark and suspenseful storyline that makes you question whether or not the characters will make it out alive, and truly scary elements and moments. I was definitely freaked out at certain points.

I won’t say too much more about the full premise - it’s best when it’s a surprise unfolding before you, like it was when I read it, but trust me, it is something original and twisted in the best way for a horror novel.

And like any good suspense novel, there are some great twists that will make you gasp and question everything you thought you had figured out about the story.

So, so good!

So, yeah, excuse me while I go check out Chuck Wendig’d bibliography.

From the eerie allure of an impossible staircase to the haunting bonds of a fractured friendship, Chuck Wendig delivers a story that is both terrifying and profoundly human. The Staircase in the Woods is an electrifying fusion of horror, mystery, and emotional drama that lingers long after the final page. With masterful prose, a tautly wound plot, and characters so real they feel like old friends, Wendig will have your heart racing and your stomach clenching between deep emotional scenes and moments of genuine horror. Buckle up — this isn’t a story for the faint hearted; it’s an unforgettable journey into the unknown.

At the heart of the novel are the five members of 'The Covenant', whose lives are forever altered by one terrifying moment when their friend disappears up the titular staircase in the woods. Twenty years on they have each dealt with the fall out of this event in different, often self destructive, ways and grown apart. Now with the return of the staircase its time to try to find and save their friend - little do they know the horrors they will experience. Wendig skillfully alternates between the past and the present, showing how their relationships have evolved and fractured over the years. Each character feels layered and authentic, with personal struggles that enhance the stakes beyond the search for their friend to their very survival. Whether it’s the guilt of leaving someone behind, the longing for closure, or the terror of confronting the unknown, the emotional beats hit just as hard as the horror is unsettling.

And the horror is both unsettling and disturbing. The central mystery of the staircase is the kind of premise that gets under your skin but this is not just a mystery romp through the woods. Wendig shines a distorted mirror on each character’s deepest fears, regrets, or memories, blending psychological terror with body horror and surreal, otherworldly menace. While each horror is deeply personal to the characters vulnerabilities they're also things that speak to the shared human experience, if you've ever been a nail biter, afraid of something under the bed or struggled to silence that voice in your head, you may find them hitting close to home yourself.

While the novel delivers its fair share of chills and unsettling moments, it’s the themes of friendship, loyalty, and redemption that really take it somewhere special. The Staircase in the Woods is just as much about the bonds between people as it is about the otherworldly terror they face. And its how relatable and realistic these themes are that make the moments of horror all the more gut wrenching. At some point in our lives we've all had that group of friends that just grew apart, met up with an old friend only to realise they weren't the same person anymore, or held that grudge long after others have moved on. Wendig asks big questions: How far would you go for someone you love? What happens when grief, guilt, and fear collide? How well do we ever really know the people in our lives, even our best friends?

More than just a creepy staircase, this is a story about the ghosts of the past, fractured friendships, and the lengths we'll go to set things right. The Staircase in the Woods is a haunting reminder that the scariest journeys are often the ones we take within ourselves and that sometimes, the hardest thing to face is the past. For those who love their supernatural horror with soul, Chuck Wendig is here to hit you where it hurts with this unforgettable journey.

Thank you to Del Rey for providing a DRC in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

[Snack-Size Review] The Staircase in the Woods, by Chuck Wendig

Quick Bite: Chuck Wendig is becoming one of my favorite authors.

(*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*)

What It’s About: When Lore, Owen, Nick, Hamish & Matty go camping as high-schoolers, they discover a staircase - just standing there, with no house attached, in the middle of the woods. After an argument, Matty climbs to the top, jumps off, and disappears, as does the staircase. Twenty years later, Nick has found a new staircase, and persuades the others to climb it with him…

A Word From The Nerd: Duckies, if you’ve read a Chuck Wendig book before, I don’t need to tell you about his masterful way of blending horror and heartache, the touches of humor and the real, relatable characters. And if you haven’t, as we say around here: welp, you’d best get on that.

The Nerd’s Rating: FIVE HAPPY NEURONS (and some store brand Cap’n Crunch.)

(I received this book from the editor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
I have been several days thinking about what to say in this review and I am still doubting myself, which I feel is very appropriate taking into account that I am still not sure whether I liked this book or not.
At first glance, this novel offers several characteristics that I love in a book, such as a kind of original haunted house I did not even know I was going to get inside of or the depiction of mental health. Unfortunately, there are some other several things that I did not enjoy at all, the biggest one being (trigger warning in capital letters here): the very graphic descriptions of different criminal scenes or the way someone is thinking of unaliving themselves. Or even acting upon it. I do understand how this works for the house and the characters, but do they need to be so vivid? I don’t really think so, it sometimes felt like the scene was trying to hide the fact that there was nothing more really going on.
I also need to talk about the characters, and especially about how some of them felt like predetermined NPCs, just repeating the same idea (even the same phrase) again and again, as if there was no other way of portraying them.
So… I think I did not really like it? Maybe I will come back to this review in the near future and have a clearer image.

Ok. For real this time...I am done with Chuck. I said after I slogged through Black Rivee Orchard, I said it after Book Of Accidents, but now I MEAN it!
I think the synopsis of his book are always 90% better than the said book.

This book was great!!!! I really enjoyed it from start to finish. It is very much in the horror genre and was quite creepy. If you like It by Stephen King, particularly the “adults come back together to deal with creepy shit they experienced in childhood” part, you might dig this one. I was so invested in what on earth was going on, even the somewhat unlikable characters worked for me (I think they’re meant to be that way, and it is well done). This would make a great horror movie (imagine the visuals!), and I hope I get to see it on the big screen one day.

Wendig really draws in the reader with this haunted house tale of sorts about a staircase that appears in the woods. Loosely inspired by an abandoned staircase of a decaying mansion that he came across in New Hampshire, he deftly weaves his characters' stories into his framework. Mysterious and spooky.

**Review: *The Staircase in the Woods* by Chuck Wendig**

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Chuck Wendig delivers another eerie, mind-bending horror novel with *The Staircase in the Woods*, blending supernatural terror with a deep exploration of trauma, friendship, and the haunting grip of the past.

The story follows five high school friends who, during a camping trip in 1998, discover an eerie staircase in the middle of the woods. When one of them climbs it, he vanishes without a trace—along with the staircase itself. Twenty years later, the staircase reappears, forcing the now-estranged friends to reunite and confront what happened that fateful night.

Wendig masterfully crafts an unsettling atmosphere that lingers long after the book is closed. The horror elements are relentless, offering a mix of psychological dread and grotesque, visceral imagery that will appeal to fans of *The House of Leaves* and *It*. The dual timeline structure adds layers to the narrative, revealing not just the supernatural mystery but also the personal horrors each character carries with them.

However, while the premise is fantastic, the pacing is uneven. The middle section drags a bit, occasionally weighed down by repetitive introspection and heavy-handed themes. Some revelations feel predictable, and the dialogue—while sharp—sometimes leans too much into modern references, momentarily pulling the reader out of the immersive dread.

That said, *The Staircase in the Woods* remains a compelling, chilling read. If you love cosmic horror, unsettling folklore, and stories about the scars we carry into adulthood, this one is worth the climb. Just be careful—you might not come back the same.

An amazing concept that had me gripped from beginning to end.

I ended up giving this 3 stars for a few reasons. I loved the characters and the variety of personalities, and I found myself relating to all of them in unique ways. There were many graphic depictions of both mental and physical trauma that I don't think will be suitable for many readers. Although it was hard to read at times, I personally appreciated the representation. (Please be sure to check the trigger warnings!) The concept of a staircase in the woods that leads to unbelievable horrors, which the characters must solve in order to survive, was insanely intriguing, and I believe it was executed quite well.

However, I had a few personal issues, including instances where characters would blurt out information with no explanation. One character would solve a problem, and the only explanation for them knowing the solution was, "I just knew." Huh?! Or, "I could just feel it." What do you mean? This felt cheap to me personally and frustrated me at times. I also felt the ending was too open-ended and left me unsatisfied with the novel as a whole. I enjoy a good open-ended book, but this left me with too many questions, making my entire reading experience feel somewhat wasted.

Overall, I did enjoy reading this, but I couldn't wholeheartedly recommend it. Thank you to the publisher for the arc through NetGalley! All opinions are my own honest opinions.

This very pedestrian haunted house novel is more or less a retread of better novels like "The Shining" and "The Haunting" and isn't nearly as eery or disorienting as the Reddit r/nosleep story that it appears to have been lifted from. Despite some well written, extremely grim scenes of the tragedies that "built" it this particular haunted house isn't so much frightening as it is gross and the group of unlikeable, stereotypical friends who walk its halls in search of a lost comrade never feel like characters the reader can root for.

The book feels cinematic in the sense that it's as though the author is waiting for clever cinematography and good acting to elevate the story telling. The plot unfolds exactly as you'd expect it to, there are no surprises here. Its message, when your friend runs up a random staircase in the middle of the woods and vanishes if you don't follow him you're a terrible person, is honestly ridiculous.