This book is the 1997 movie Cube meets the power of friendship. Read this when you're in a particular headspace.

TW: suicide , murder, self harm, violence, drug and alcohol abuse, just about everything you can think of.

In “The Staircase in the Woods," Chuck Wendig weaves a haunting narrative that blends horror, mystery, and deep emotional resonance, leaving a lasting impression long after turning the final page.

With his signature masterful prose, Wendig crafts a tightly spun tale filled with characters who feel like old friends. As you navigate through spine-tingling suspense and heart-wrenching drama, your pulse quickens and your stomach churns, creating an experience that is anything but ordinary. Prepare yourself for a journey into the depths of fear and humanity that only the bold should undertake.

At the story's core lies “The Covenant,” a group of five friends whose lives spiral into chaos after a terrifying incident in which one vanishes into the abyss of a mysterious staircase deep in the woods. Fast forward twenty years and the scars of that fateful day still shape their realities, pushing them toward self-destructive paths and creating rifts that appear impossible to mend. When the staircase re-emerges, old wounds are reopened, prompting the friends to confront their past and venture into the unknown to rescue their missing friend — a daunting challenge filled with horrors beyond their imagination.

Wendig skillfully alternates between past and present, illuminating the evolution and deterioration of their once unbreakable bonds. He richly develops each character's history and inner struggles, allowing for an intricate exploration of their pasts. This depth transforms the narrative from a simple quest into a harrowing examination of survival, guilt, and the desperate search for closure. The heavy themes resonate deeply, ensuring that the emotional weight hits as hard as the unsettling moments of terror.

The story unfolds gradually, acting as a slow burn that kindles suspense and builds toward a nail-biting climax. The horror is grotesque and psychological, with the staircase as the enigmatic centrepiece. Wendig artfully reflects the characters' primal fears and regrets, intertwining elements of body horror and surreal menace that may linger long after you’ve closed the book. For anyone who's ever wrestled with anxiety, feared the unknown lurking in the shadows, or grappled with their inner critic, the terrors in this tale will feel all too relatable.

Yet, amid the chills and spine-tingling encounters, themes of friendship, loyalty, and redemption elevate this novel to extraordinary heights. “The Staircase in the Woods” is as much about the ties that bind us as it is about the spectral horrors that haunt us. These relatable themes make the terrifying moments even more gut-wrenching. We've all felt the pangs of drifting apart from friends, the awkwardness of reuniting with someone who has changed, or the burden of grudges carried for too long. Wendig encourages us to ponder meaningful questions: How far would you go for someone you love? What happens when grief, guilt, and fear collide? How well do we know those closest to us?

More than just an eerie staircase, this story delves into the ghosts of our pasts, the fraying threads of friendship, and the lengths we’ll go to right our wrongs. It serves as a chilling reminder that the scariest journeys often lead us within ourselves and that confronting our past can be the greatest challenge for all. For those who crave supernatural horror infused with heart and depth, Chuck Wendig delivers an unforgettable experience that strikes at the core of what it means to be human.

I highly recommend adding this to your TBR list! You won’t be disappointed! The expected release date for “The Staircase in the Woods” by Chuck Wendig is April 29, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Worlds, and Del Rey for providing me with the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve been excited for this book all year, and it did not disappoint. Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC—I couldn’t wait to dive in. This story follows five high school friends bound by a promise to always look out for each other. Their bond is tested when they stumble on a mysterious staircase in the woods that leads, quite literally, to nowhere. When one friend climbs up and never returns, the staircase vanishes—only to reappear twenty years later, drawing them back to solve the chilling mystery of what really happened that night.

The sense of dread grows with every page, and the eerie setting of that impossible staircase is enough to keep you up at night. If you’re a fan of the author’s The Book of Accidents, you’ll find the same mesmerizing blend of horror, heart, and unforgettable atmosphere here. It’s a gripping tale of friendship, the things we fear, and the lengths we’ll go to protect the ones we love. Definitely one of my top reads of the year.

This was an interesting concept. Very atmospheric and just stairs in the woods stories are always a fun concept to play around with. The characters didn't hit for me though. I had no attachment to them personally even if I was intrigued by the friend dynamic. Odd how that can work like that. The cover is great though and with the right narrator this has potential as a creepy read / listen for fans of thrillers.

Is home where the heart is or is the heart where the home is? Five friends find a staircase in the woods, one of them climbs it only to disappear. Years later, the rest of the friends begin a journey to find him but also themselves. A heartbreaking but heartfelt look at the human condition.

This novel pits 4 former friends back together as they rediscover an old terror that they hope to overcome.

This book was well constructed I wished that Marty, Nick, and Hamish were explored more we found the trauma they faced but not much else.

This book was a little harder to get into than I thought it would be. I couldn't really relate to the characters because each of their personalities seemed to be an extreme of their biggest personality trait. It also felt forced and fake.

I almost stopped reading at the beginning because of the rants about politics and gender/sexual identification. It felt so weird and forced and like someone's dad wrote it to prove they could be "hip with the times," and it just missed the mark and felt bizarre.

I liked the concept of the story, but the overall execution just wasn't for me.

The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig kept me hooked all the way to the end. A really fantastic story.

Chuck Wendig’s The Staircase in the Woods is a captivating, atmospheric blend of horror, nostalgia, and mystery that reeled me in, held tight, and refused to let go.

The heart of the story begins in the late 1990s, when five teenage friends stumble upon a mysterious staircase in the woods—one that leads to nowhere. When one of the friends climbs the staircase and vanishes, the four that remain are fractured and haunted by the past. Decades later, they reunite as adults to confront a new staircase and the secrets it holds.

Wendig excels at creating a world that feels both eerily surreal and deeply personal. The book starts with a slow, deliberate unraveling of each character’s life, building the kind of emotional stakes that make every strange and terrifying moment hit harder. And once the group steps into the unknown, the tension ratchets up to an almost unbearable level.

What’s exists beyond the staircase? What does it want? Every page is laced with dread and anticipation as the friends navigate a labyrinth that seems to know them all too well.

The atmosphere that Wendig created drew me in. He's crafted a fascinating and horrifying environment filled with a sense of unease that lingered with me long after I turned the last page.

Additionally, each of the characters in this story feels fully realized, and their relationships are the beating heart of the story.

There is a palpable sense of mystery throughout the book. Every revelation is layered with meaning, pulling you deeper into a narrative that’s as emotional as it is chilling

If you love books that mix psychological horror with unrelenting suspense, The Staircase in the Woods will have you hooked. This story explores friendship, memory, and the things we can’t outrun—set against a brilliantly executed backdrop of creeping terror.

Chuck Wendig has written a tale that’s as unsettling as it is captivating. With its blend of nostalgia, mystery, and sheer horror, The Staircase in the Woods kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. This is one of those rare stories that had me staying up well past my bedtime while telling myself, “just one more chapter”. I can’t wait to see what Wendig writes next.

4.5/5 stars

Absolutely loved this book, it gave knifes out vibes which I loved.
The book starts with a group of people and you find out one of them went missing in the woods, years later the people join back together but end up going back into the woods their friend went missing in.
The characters were relatable and gave a good understanding on people who have anxiety .
There is graphic language used in the back so just be aware.
Overall I did really enjoy this book and will be picking up the physical copy when it comes out!

Wendig's concept of an ominous staircase in The Staircase in the Woods as well as a shifting house give place to a very fascinating and high tension novel that kept me turning page after page, not being able to sleep until I finally finished the book.
The dynamic between the friends - how their shared childhood and teenage memories shaped their adult lives and interactions - adds layers of complexity to the story. Each character's background is compelling, and even though they aren't immediately likable, they become easy to root for as the stakes rise
While the horror elements could have been creepier and the ending deserved a bit more room to breathe, this is still an addictive read.

This was a true horror story with tension, vulnerability, and fear of the unknown.
The characters made me mad at times, but I was rooting for them like crazy.
At one point I yelled no, put the book down, and rested my head in my hands for a minute.
It left me feeling unsettled, creeped out, and uncomfortable. I thought the ending was perfect.
It was a 5⭐️ nightmare for me, I really enjoyed it!

-childhood friend group reunited
-claustrophobic
-gory horror

*There are many heavy topics in this book. Check the trigger warnings before reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for my eARC in exchange for my review!

I think more books should have vague blurbs like this one, because it allows for one of my favorite experiences, going into something almost completely blind to what it is about. I did not expect this book to go in the direction it does and let me tell you it’s a wild, dark, and crazy horrifying journey. This tense read is filled with twists and turns and the setting is dazzlingly labyrinthian. If you like a good and dark horror story, this might be a good one for you!

I like this genre, but this book was not a fit for me:

Pros:
- Fun and spooky concept. I'm a big fan of "stairs in the woods" stories and creepypasta, so the title and premise caught my eye.

- Without spoiling this detail, I liked the characters' method of navigating the house via a "safe space" (although I've seen this concept in another recent horror novel).

Cons:
- None of the characters was (to me) likeable. I think I'm about the same age as the characters would be, based on details in their flashbacks, but if I saw all of these people in my high school, it's very unlikely that they'd be hanging out together. Their relationship seems to be mostly made up of inflicting trauma upon each other..or distracting each other from their own Stuff. Trauma bonding is a thing, sure, but why would they want to make a damned agreement to protect each other when their relationship is based on triggering each other?

- I can't take calling their agreement "The Covenant"; it sounds too contrived. Why not just come up with a nerdy/cheesy/sarcastic name that better fits their group vibe? Like... I don't know, "Rolling Ones" or "Edgelords" or--wait for it--"The Insiders"?

- This book could have been a nice email novella, but instead uses repeats of the same action as a vehicle for attempts to flesh out the characters. It ends up being tedious and jarring, especially when the story bounces between past and present.

- The book stumbles over several politics-based interjections (as part of characters' introspection). This is very distracting, and annoying for me personally, since I often pick up a book to take a break from what media tries to shove in my face at every opportunity.

- This book contains a lot of gore and disturbing commentary... And it's horror, yes, but it feels forced and as if a bunch of middle schoolers sat around trying to gross each other out. There's not much suspense to be had here, which is a shame; building it up as more of a thriller would probably have made these elements actually scary.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book surprised me! It reminded me a little of the show stranger things. It was packed with suspense and kept me on the edge of my seat most of the way through. A little exorcism mentioned. Some Stephen King vibes. This is not my normal genre of book to read but I did enjoy it. Loved learning about each characters point of view and family struggles and also loved that the ending left it open for more to be written. All in all great book! 3.5 stars for me!

Thank you so much random house for the review copy. First, I think the cover is top notch. The story itself was ok. I felt like I was reading some old r/nosleep copy pasta from the early days of Reddit, I thought the story was a little slow and overly descriptive at times. The characters all had flaws which made them interesting. I will recommend this book for some of my friends that enjoy this type of story,

Thanks to netgalley and Chuck Wendig for sharing this as an ARC.

I found this really interesting and there were a lot of horrors/sci-fi type books and movies that popped into mind as I went through.

I love Stephen King's IT and to some extent The Covenant reminded me of the losers club. However, the dynamics were different and Lore is definitely not like Beverley. The characters in this do have their demons and the house exploits it in a way similar to Pennywise. I did want to unpick Matty and Owen's friendship more as I did find it odd that they'd be so close and yet so far where Lore was concerned. I'm not sure their friendship was as good as they'd perhaps believed at the time although everything is intense during childhood and adolescence.

I did feel at times that there'd be a Stranger Things occurrence but we never get there and that's fine, I enjoyed the way things progressed. The 'House' and 'Cube' vibe that it gave off also helped make this a fun and quirky read!!

I wasn't surprised by the end but did want a bit more. Hopefully it's leaving us to ponder and maybe a sequel might follow...

Thank you NetGalley, for this uncorrected ebook ARC of 'The Staircase In The Woods' by Chuck Wendig - expected release date 04/29/2025

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

This was an extremely disturbing, highly descriptive horror/supernatural type book. I don't know if this is normal for Wendig, I've never read anything by him before. I kinda expected this book to be suspenseful, maybe thriller-esque but whoa, Wendig really went there in the trauma, gore and devastation department. While I felt terrible for all the characters (intense, unhealed childhood trauma for all), I didn't like any of them, not as teens in the flashbacks or adults in the present. This wasn't my cup of tea, but, I've gotta hand it to the author, the creativity and depth in his writing was impressive. I don't know how he came up with so much horror and disgusting things throughout. At 400 pages it definitely played out slow, didn't need to go that long. I felt like it especially dragged thru the second half. And then, it just ends. No answers or info about Matty and his present life. Thanks.

I'm not a huge horror lover, and for sure there were times in this book where I just wanted to make all of the scary stuff stop. But what I liked was the depth of the characters. They were all broken in their own ways, and getting to know each of them made the story interesting.

Wow, I ended up LOVING this book. I went in pretty blind aside from knowing that a staircase in the woods would factor in and it was a horror book. My only issue was, it took about 25% in to really get going into the page-turner that it is. While a lot of plot points happen that need to be there, the beginning did drag a little bit and didn’t seem to match the exceptional writing of the next 75% of the book. Once things start going and we get past meeting the friend group this book revolves around and the traumatic events that united their past, and get to the actual “staircase”, this was unputdownable. I rarely get so frightened and yet can’t stop reading as much as I did with this read. This was a “stay up into the morning” to finish and I’d recommend it to any horror fan. Great pacing and storyline wrapped together with an interesting conclusion I didn’t see coming.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for access to this fabulous read! 4.5 stars but rounding up :)