This book was the first thing to truly terrify me in a long time. This book is truly phenomenal and one of the most original ideas i’ve read in so long and is one that will haunt me at night for years to come.

The Staircase in the Woods was an absolutely terrifying read! The story was completely engrossing and a total mind bend. Phenomenal horror read, I can't recommend enough!

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Worlds for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Staircase in the Woods releases April 29, 2025

In 1998, a group of five teens go camping in the woods and come across a staircase. Late in the night, Matty invokes “the covenant” for the first and last time, which forces the rest of the crew to join him in scoping out the staircase, though none of them are too enthused about it.
Curiosity gets the best of Matty, and he traverses up the staircase leading to seemingly nowhere, yet when he reaches the top, he disappears for good.

Twenty or so years later, Nick reaches out to The Covenant letting them know that he’s dying of cancer and would like for them to reunite before it’s too late. Only, he’s not actually dying of cancer…
Nick has blindsided Lore, Owen, and Hamish into camping in the woods because Nick has finally found a staircase, similar to the one Matty disappeared from when they were teens.

Without hesitancy, the four of them go up the stairs, and disappear into a musty hallway of a home with rooms and doorways that constantly shift, leading them to different time periods of places where people have died and horrible things have happened.

Will they ever find a way out? Will the rooms lead them to Matty? What happens if they get separated from each other?

This was compulsively readable. Home is where the heart is, but it’s also where horrors reside, and we certainly saw that here.
With characters who are less than perfect, and those that you love to hate, it was easy to tag along for the ride and see what played out in the simulation that Wendig created.
My only qualm is that the story felt incomplete without Matty’s pov, and it would’ve been interesting to have seen Nick’s original reaction of entering the house.

cw: self harm, r-slur

The premise of this book had me very intrigued right from the start. I love a spooky mystery. I love a group of friends and a time jump to the future. I wanted to love this book but overall I found the characters to just be so unlikable that it was a bit of a miss. Maybe they are suppose to frustrate you, it is after all a story of broken friends trying to reconnect. But at times it felt redundant and cycle through the same character emotions over and over. I think it could have balanced better with more of their childhood being told, it’s hard to get a real idea of their friendship at a young age from the little snippets. It made their adult journey seem less believable. At times they were so annoying I didn’t care if the house took them. I guess this one just wasn’t for me.

DNF at 54%

I love the lore of staircases in the woods, but this wasn't it.
My main irritation is the political aspect. And the best part? I fully agree with the stances. So for me to actually be annoyed by it? Yeah. Didn't think that'd ever happen. Lore goes on an absolute pages-long rampage for no reason and I'm just.. What?
And the second part, which WHEWWWWWW, Wendig, you kinda did yourself dirty, man. I got quite excited to see a character with they/she pronouns. And 'they' was used UNTIL IT WAS EXPLICITELY MENTIONED. After that? Lore was only refered to as 'she'. Like, bro??????

Now, having starting to irritate me, the plot was just annoying me more and more. It's so repetative. And, yes, I know, it's part of the plot. But I'm sure it could've been pulled off better.
This book has become a chore and I'm over trying it.

The Staircase in the Woods
By Chuck Wendig, Release date April 2025.
They say home is where the heart is .... well not here it isint.
The Staircase in the Woods is an imersive experience which explores friendship, loss, self harm, mental health, abuse and grief along with so much much more.
I can't even begin to explain how imaginative this concept is so I just hope people pick it up when they can.

The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig is very appropriately about a staircase in the woods. Found by a group of friends in their teens one camping trip, they seem to lead no where. That is until one member of the group climbs them and prompts vanishes…as soon do the stairs. The missing friend is presumed dead and the group don’t meet again for decades. These are the two timelines in which the book is told.

First impressions had me hooked. This was very much a book for me. For the first third, it was engaging, original, sharp, fast paced and atmospheric. Who doesn’t love reading about a camping trip gone wrong in the woods! The characters very quickly felt vivid and personable. The concept was utterly intriguing. The two timelines were being effortlessly woven together, expertly delivered and I was enjoying both equally. The pacing was perfect! The chapter names were also interesting and endearing which was a fun added bonus. Unfortunately after starting out so strong, the story began a steady decline after the first third for me.

As soon as the ‘thing’ happened, the plot point the beginning had been leading up to, the book became repetitive, overly descriptive and felt like it lost its footing and momentum. There were just so many detailed descriptions that they all blurred together and became devoid of meaning, causing my interest to wane. I did start to gain slight* interest back at the 75% mark, but nothing like the excitement and anticipation that Wendig created at the beginning of the novel. The ending was very mediocre for me, but I think if the mid section had been as engaging as the beginning, the ending would’ve worked, but by that point I just wanted it over.

I really wanted to love this book. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Worlds for my Advanced Reader Copy.

Thank you for the advance copy of this book. I found the storyline very intriguing but did not realize this had some horror elements as well. That is not my typical genre but I did not deduct a star for it since it was not a flaw of the author but my own preference. I really liked the idea of the book and the overall execution. The ending and backstory of the house fell short for me and that is why I deducted one star. Still, I would recommend to anyone looking for a horror book.

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.