I tried so hard to get through this book. I made it almost half way through and decided it was a dnf for me. I couldn’t get into the story, the characters were just blah for me.

If you’ve ever read Chuck Wendig before, you know exactly what you’re signing up for: eerie settings, whip-smart dialogue, and moments so bizarre you can’t help but mutter “What the actual…” under your breath. The Staircase in the Woods delivers all of this in spades, even if it doesn’t quite hit the heights of some of Wendig’s best work.

The premise—a mysterious staircase in the woods, a friend who vanished, and a decades-long obsession—has all the makings of a classic horror setup. And, true to form, Wendig doesn’t shy away from diving headfirst into the unsettling and uncanny. The atmosphere is thick with unease, and the dialogue crackles with Wendig’s signature sharpness, grounding the supernatural in the banter and bickering of old friends who have all grown into versions of themselves they’re not entirely comfortable with.

Thematically, this isn’t breaking new ground. You’ve got your usual suspects—trauma, guilt, the past haunting the present—but it’s the way Wendig unpacks these ideas that makes it so engaging. Subtlety isn’t his strong suit (and honestly, would we want it to be?), but there’s something undeniably satisfying about the blunt-force way he tackles these well-worn themes. It’s loud, it’s messy, and it’s a lot of fun.

The pacing occasionally wobbles, and while the twists and turns are thrilling, not all of them land with the same impact. But even when the story stumbles, it never loses its grip. You’re pulled along, willingly or not, toward the final reveal, which, in true Wendig fashion, leaves you unsettled in the best way.

Bottom line, if you’re a fan, you’ll likely love it. If you’re new to his work, this is a solid introduction to the wild and weird world of Chuck Wendig.

5 kids who reunited after several years to work together to confront a monster...who doesn't love an "It" storyline! Each of them are now adults who have been affected by the trauma in their youth in their own individual ways. I enjoyed the characters and I really enjoyed the pacing of the books and all the twists and turn the storyline took. Loving reading this during the fall months for the chilling atmosphere!

Thank you to the Del Rey, Random House Worlds and NetGalley for this e-arc. I received this book for free and all opinions of this review are my own.

Wow, I was going through a whole range of emotions reading this book and admittedly yelped out loud in public at least once! The book starts with an unlikely group of five friends in the late 1990s who are supposed to have each other's backs always. They go camping and find a random staircase in the middle of the woods. One goes up and never comes back. All are scarred and live with the consequences. Years later those left come back together and find another staircase in the same woods.

I was totally enthralled. This is my first book by Mr. Wendig but surely not my last. What happens after the staircase is found again is strange, creepy and fascinating. Does this place hate you or love you? I was surprised with the twists and turns and had heartache for the characters and the things they encountered and dealt with. The character development from the first meeting to the end of the book was impressive and well fleshed out. I found myself at first a little indifferent to the group but really was cheering for them to succeed as the story progressed. I particularly thought the ending was absolutely fitting and am still in disbelief of the ride that was this book.

I'm unsure how I feel about this, other than "meh." The concept is fun - a liminal space, backrooms sort of scenario where a staircase in the woods transports you to somewhere, something, else. I love this kind of story, typically, but the execution here just wasn't it for me.

I'll admit I'm not that familiar with Wendig, only reading one other book by him before (a middle grade horror novel I enjoyed), so I'm not sure if this is his typical writing style... if so, I'll probably peace out from reading anymore from him but I'm willing to give another book a try because I didn't outright hate The Staircase in the Woods. It felt like an overwrought episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark, but it just kept going and going and going... like, if this were 50 pages less and tighter paced, I'd like it better. But Wendig likes to both meander and hyper-focus on certain things, and it was just all too much for me. I found it distracting. I found his informal third person startling at times because it feels like such a first-person voice but it's not, it's his character's third person voice... I don't know why but this sort of thing triggers an annoyance in me.

But then, it's still a good book. I disliked the characters a lot, even when Wendig throws trauma after trauma about them at the reader. It was, again, just all too much. Overwrought. Like the people behind Euphoria wrote an R-rated daytime soap-opera. This will absolutely be right up some folks alley, and I can even imagine this being some folks' favorite book. It just wasn't mine!

Similar vibes: Episode Thirteen, Uzumaki, season 3 of tv show Channel Zero (literally about random staircase in the woods that leads...elsewhere, though the whole show vibes with this book)

*DNF*

I made it 40% in before I had to DNF…it was entirely too repetitive for me and honestly too close to SK’s It. I’m sure the goal was a play on that book but it was just too close to it for me. So unfortunately I cannot give a true rating. I’m sure this book will be for someone who is a huge horror junkie and can look past the SK similarities but it’s just not for me. In addition, the political references were very off putting for me…I read to escape all that and to have it so heavily in a book especially in the beginning when it’s trying to get my attention was disappointing to say the least.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was unable to finish this due to mental health but got around 60-70% of the way through it and loved it! I cannot wait to finish it when I'm doing better but I love the story, the writing and the originality. I love the topics it touched on and definitely going to be looking at grabbing some more books from this author 🥰

📶🪵On Friday, June 5th, 1998, five teenagers went into the woods surrounding Highchair Rocks in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Only four of them came out.


"At the top, someone had crudely carved a message in erratic slashes of wallpaper: THIS PLACE HATES YOU. A chill clawed its way up from her feet, a centipede winding its way toward her scalp."


💭 Even though it has a perfectly rational explanation, there's something unexplainably unsettling and freaky about a random staircase in the woods that leads to nowhere. As the author mentioned, it's like a glimpse into some interstitial, intermediary dimension.
https://travelermagazine.net/stairs-in-the-woods/ ; https://medium.com/inside-the-simulation/isolated-staircases-are-being-found-in-national-forests-eb36da9339c8
Also - "This is a book very much about fear, and very much about friendship— both friendships of the past and adult friendships and the difficulty of keeping them and the pain of losing them and the joy of reclaiming them."
This book is deceptively deep and raw and felt like a sucker punch. You'll feel seen, heard and even attacked all at the same time. This one will either unlock in you a new fear or will just entirely open up old wounds. It takes you to a torment and trauma-filled experience as the house was torturing the characters with the torment of others. And sometimes, with their own torment, too. It reminds me of the Well House or the haunted house in Neibolt street and the Losers Club in IT. This is my first book by Wendig and I pretty much liked it. Glad I got approved for this ARC (uncorrected copy) expected to be published April 29, 2025.

Big thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore / NetGalley for the arc. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.🖤

I was pretty scared to read this book as I think we have all heard of staircases in woods and to stay away from them by any means. But. I love a good horror movie and or book so gave it a go. This follows a group of high school kids whose friend climbs the stairs and disappears. Along with the stairs, on a camping trip. Twenty years later the stairs have re appeared and they reconnect to try to save their friend and bring them back. The book was super slow in the middle and did wrap it up well in the end but it was a struggle to get through. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Staircase in the Woods is a story about five friends who find a mysterious staircase in the middle of the woods which seemingly goes nowhere. When one friend, climbs the staircase and disappears into the void, the others lives are turned upside down. Now many years later, they have come to terms with their friend being dead, except for one who invites them to a camping trip where another set of stairs has appeared....

Wow, just wow. This was my first Chuck Wendig book even though he has been on my list to read for some time. I loved this story. I loved the weirdness surrounding the staircase and the representation of the house. It is a strange metaphysical horror which I absolutely love. It was fast paced. The characters, the setting and the overall themes of the book were amazing.

Chuck Wendig has a way with telling a story that makes me very excited to start reading his backlog of books. The Staircase in the Woods was a great story about losing yourself in the negativity of your life and how one could overcome it.

Thank you for NetGalley and Del Rey Books for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from Random House - Del Ray via NetGalley. Chuck Wendig has become an automatic read for me. It takes a lot for me to enjoy horror, but this was top notch. The four friends were each unique and easy to identify throughout the story. After the disappearance of their friend Matty in high school, the adults who have drifted away from each other are back together. Now they are trapped, navigating a haunted house like no other haunted house. The maze of it seems completely illogical... The mechanics of the environment should not make sense, but the way Wendig has fully developed the story it all comes together to create an immersive world. Memorable and fantastic. I want more.

I can’t give a proper review for this book. Unfortunately, I’m choosing to DNF this one for now. I was initially intrigued with the story and was getting vibes similar to “TAG” the movie and the book The Wonder State by Sara Flannery Murphy but was completely thrown off with the political rant in the very beginning. I’m all for queer rep but I just felt entirely put off by that. It’s supposed to be about friends coming together and I feel if there was supposed to be animosity it should have and could have been handled better than that. It didn’t feel like it fit the story concept and was just thrown in for the authors own opinion to be voiced, and that’s cool but I don’t think it’s meant for this type of book. Especially considering it was written before the election and won’t be published for months after. Love diversity and queer rep though just not when it feels forced and entirely random.

The Staircase in the Woods is the story of five friends who, while camping in the woods, find a staircase that appears to go nowhere. One daring member ascends the stairs and never comes back.

Years later, one member of the group calls everyone back together. The staircase is back. Now is the time to go up themselves and save their friend.

I love horror novels and this did not disappoint. The main point of this review will be that you should really read it yourself because to explain everything I loved would be to spoil the fun of this book and the mysteries inside. Who wants to do that? No one.

If you like puzzles, escape rooms, hidden meaning and friendship stories mixed with some horror—this is for you. This book was creative and kept me guessing even after the last page! (Seriously Chuck, that last chapter!! What are you doing to me? Sequel? Please?)

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Del Ray, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book for review.

Firstly I would like to thank Chuck Wendig, Random House Worlds | Del Rey and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of 'The Staircase in the Woods' .
I had previously heard so many positive reviews about this author , so was overjoyed to receive a copy of his upcoming release.
The title grabbed my attention from the offset . I have always gravitated towards any film or literature about the urban legend of finding mysterious staircases in woodland. I find it a fascinating concept. Chuck Wendig certainly brought the tension filled atmosphere right from the very first page to the last.

The novel follows the story of five friends who have promised to protect one another no matter what. On a camping trip together in the middle of nowhere they discover an ornate wooden staircase in the middle of the woods. Completely random and unexplainable , the group are intrigued by how it came to be . One of the friends decides to venture up the steps that seemingly leads to nowhere, but never comes back down.
After the tragedy the friendship group go their separate ways as their lives take new directions. That is until a new staircase is discovered twenty years later. Maybe after all this time they will finally be able to get closure and find out what really happened all those years previously.

I loved the premise of this book . There were so many twists and turns along the way and I couldn't put it down . I don't want to spoil it for any other readers as I truly believe that this is a novel that has to be experienced first hand. It is unique and mind-bending in the best sort of way . I cant recommend this novel enough to anyone who wants an intriguing fast paced read .

#TheStaircaseintheWoods #NetGalley

This book really didn't resonate with me. The dialogue felt overly forced and contrived, there were odd political rants that went on for PAGES that completely took me out of the story, and every single character was bland and unlikeable. The OCD rep was amazing but other than that I didn't feel attached at all to the main group of characters.

*DNF*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

I couldn't finish this as there was too much swearing in this book for me.

The tension was amazing in this book. I was thoroughly creeped out, which luckily was the point! Excellent atmosphere and pacing. I could not put this one down.

Here’s the thing: I love coming across unusual, unexpected things when hiking in the woods. Abandoned, overgrown family cemeteries, the crumbling foundation of a ruined building being swallowed by the forest, a child’s rusted tricycle miles from civilization. Once, when hiking off trail in the Beartooth Mountains of Wyoming, I found an elk skull with a red lacquered chopstick poking out of one eye socket.

What’s that have to do with Chuck Wendig’s forthcoming new novel, The Staircase In the Woods? Nothing, and everything. A forest is the perfect place to find mysteries if you’re open to the possibilities. Sometimes those mysteries are harmless fun, oddities to ponder. Sometimes they’re decidedly not.

This is a tricky review to write, because one of the many pleasures of reading this immersive, unsettling novel is discovering its secrets for yourself, and I don’t want to give anything away.

I can give you the basics:

Five teenage friends, a close knit group that call themselves the Covenant, venture into the forest on a camping trip, when a mysterious staircase appears among the trees. One of the group dares to climb that staircase. He disappears, along with the staircase, sending his friends into a spiral of loss and confusion.

Twenty years later the staircase reappears, and the remaining members of the Covenant reunite to search for their long-lost friend.

And…that’s all you get. I will tell you that this is a story about friendship, and what that word means when the stakes escalate to unimaginable heights, how far you’re willing to go to have your friend’s back, even when they might be pushing you away.

Because this is Chuck Wendig, I can promise you that the characters are all complex, fully-realized people that you’ll find yourself rooting for. The plot is as tightly wound as a watch spring, ratcheting up tension with each chapter. The horrors, and they are many and varied, are visceral, even gut wrenching. Chuck Wendig does not fuck around.

Wendig has become one of my favorite writers. Wanderers and Wayward were masterpieces of apocalyptic science fiction, and his recent forays into horror—The Book of Accidents and Black River Orchard—are fresh and exciting additions to the genre. The Staircase In the Woods is a more than worthy addition to his impressive collection of work.

The Staircase In the Woods will be released on April 29, 1925, and is available for pre-order now. Don’t miss this one.

3.5/5

This story has a very interesting concept at the heart of it, where do the stairs go? It’s such a cool idea for a mystery, and the way it expands on this is also quite interesting.

However, the beginning felt rather rough, and I have no idea why there was a mini-rant about real world politics stuck in there. It was bizarre and had nothing to do with the story. It was rather off putting considering I was reading the book to learn about a creepy staircase and not the current political state. I nearly DNF’d there.

I did enjoy the mystery of the staircase though past that and learning what was “beyond”. The concepts were great and presented well at the start and the descent into the maze was well done. There were certainly lots of creepy and horror events in there, and the slow reveals of what the beyond was was very interesting, though slightly undercut by the constant comparison to video games. (And I love video games but it really made it feel fake in a weird way when it constantly compared the two)

The ending was rather bland though. It very much felt like, was that it? After all that chaos and weirdness and craziness it did not live up to the potential it had. I think we could have done without the explanation of the origins is the staircase as well, it once again kind of ruined the magic there. I just did not like the ending.

Overall though, if you remove the rough beginning and the bland ending the middle was actually very fun. I really enjoyed it and was really into the whole mystery and creepiness.

What's at the end of the staircase?
Something worse

Twenty years ago, five friends went on a camping trip in the woods where they found a staircase.
One friend went up, and was never seen again.
Now those friends are back together...and there is a new staircase, and the mystery that could never be solved.

What happened to Matty?

This was a supremely creepy story that is as much about the wounds each character held with them over two decades, as it is about what they find at the top of the staircase. Atmospheric and filled with enough dread that I was afraid of what was coming next, and couldn't stop reading.