Okay, first of all the way I SQUEALED when I was approved for this ARC! I've not yet read all of Wendig's backlist, but everything I have read has been a home run and I just knew this wouldn't be the exception and HOOOOOO BOY was I right!

I was immediately intrigued by the title alone - I have always been a fan of creepypastas and nosleep stories of staircases in the woods so I knew this would be right up my alley.

I absolutely loved it. I loved the characters, their development, the dual timelines of when they were teenagers vs adults, I loved the house, I loved the ending. I loved every single thing about it.

There's no doubt about it, Chuck has done it again, and I'm starting to believe that he can do no wrong. I also loved his final words, and if you follow him on Instagram, you might just hear his voice in your head when you read it, as I did.

Anyway, absolutely 5 big fat stars. I loved this freaking book.

This book just wasn't for me. It gave me the distinct impression that the author was trying very hard to be "of the time." I agree with his progressive skew completely, but I didn't like the feeling of info dump to explain certain view points.

he Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig is a masterclass in narrative voice—brazen, breathless, and wholly alive. Every sentence feels like it’s been carved with a rusted blade and blessed with stardust. Wendig’s prose doesn’t just describe—it grabs you by the collar, shoves you into the fog, and dares you to keep climbing.

This isn’t just a horror story—it’s folklore wired to a live current. The woods are not just haunted; they speak, and their voice sounds a lot like Wendig’s: sharp, strange, and stunningly human. Humor cuts through the dread like moonlight through branches, giving you just enough light to be afraid of what’s still out there.

Wendig’s voice is the real magic here—equal parts charm and menace, myth and modernity. He understands that fear doesn’t whisper, it echoes, and in this book, it echoes in the bones. With each twist and reveal, you’re not just pulled deeper into the mystery, you’re pulled deeper into Wendig’s unmistakable rhythm—wild, poetic, and punch-you-in-the-gut honest.

A story that feels ancient and electric, The Staircase in the Woods doesn’t just haunt you—it knows you. And by the time you reach the top step, you’re not sure if you’re looking down… or if something’s looking back.

Thank you to Del Rey Books for my copy of THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS.

This book is one that will stick with me. THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS is a slow burn that gets under your skin and keeps you hooked with insane tension and mystery. This is my first Wendig book and it definitely won't be my last. I'm so excited to explore his backlog. The way he mixes up eerie vibes with emotional depth is ::chef's kiss:: to me.

The Staircase in the Woods had a lot of potential. I liked the idea behind the book, but I didn't really enjoy the book. I think it's one of those things that I know other people would enjoy a good mystery of finding a staircase in the woods and what happens if you go up it. Love the idea.

In the Staircase in the Woods, Chuck Wendig has created a powerful and complex novel. While a pact between friends might not be a new concept, Wendig spins the story into something new and different, a story that tackles dark and intense themes without flinching.
In the novel, the first thing that I noticed was the complexity of the characters, each individual with a past, all of them weighted down by regret. Each character is flawed and has parental issues that they cope with and is what brought them together as friends in the first place. Told mostly from the perspective of two of the friends, Owen and Lore, each brings different viewpoints to allow us to see the dysfunctional relationships between them all.
Once the characters move up the staircase, the story becomes creepy and compelling. The narrative is very rooted in game dynamics although the true horror goes far beyond that aspect. This is full of dark corners and psychological truths, which is what makes the story so powerful. It is also full of surprising turns and a truly interesting ending.
If you like supernatural thriller and Chuck Wendig, I strongly suggest that you read this book. It is powerful and complex, a story that embraces characters that are flawed and believably human. The narrative tackles dark themes and it is creepy for what the characters face in their journey. But it is the emotional relationships that drive the story and create a compelling novel that is impossible to put down.

I loved the mysterious atmosphere and the supernatural elements. That was the best part of the story for me. The writing style wasn’t my favorite, I didn’t connect with any of the characters, and the pacing felt glacial. I found myself wanting to pick up anything but this book. I plan on trying some of Wendig’s other works because I have heard great things about his writing, unfortunately this one didn’t work for me.

I'm having deja vus of House of Leaves in a great way. I started to listen to all the noises in my house and think about all the good and the bad that made the place my home. Offf... this book... this book...

"This, too, is part of a house's purview: a home away from prying eyes where you can finally drop the mask, lose the pretense, and be who you need to be. It's necessary and it is good. Until, of course. it's not"

Finishing this book made me feel sad that I didn't have my own crew to call a covenant. Maybe one day...

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Anytime an author is regarded as “the next Stephen King” or something similar based on genre, expectations skyrocket. This was the first thing I saw when Chuck Wendig released his almost masterpiece The Book of Accidents. Able to weave a twisting narrative with genuine terror and a cast of characters so fleshed out that we feel like they’re real, Wendig showed why that comparison was made. With this new one, The Staircase in the Woods, Wendig effectively solidifies that proclamation.

Fascinating with Wendig is that he takes a narrative with inherently supernatural elements, like this random staircase in the middle of a hiking trail, and not once does it FEEL supernatural. Everything he’s written is ground in “normal reality;” loss, grief, fear, any human emotion and how it’s impacted by the narrative. His characters here are flawed in various ways and in no way are they excessively written to the point of being caricatures. No, the 5 main characters could have been ripped right from any suburb and just had their name changed for the story.

In addition to making his characters living, breathing creatures, Wendig is a master at creating tension; seeing an apparition in a bedroom, the first time the staircase is seen, the fallout, the trek to the staircase a second time, all of these appear on the surface, as standard fare in a paint by numbers thriller, but there are layers of unease just beneath the surface, the reader never able to let a scene leave their head as they unconsciously apply it to the activities occurring on the page right in front of them.

This is my third Wendig book and at this juncture, there’s no point in beating around the bush: he’s one of the finest horror authors going today. Every Wendig book should be celebrated and longed for, like the aforementioned Stephen King, and if he keeps it up like this, he’s going to find his name under the header “greatest horror novelists of all time.”

The Staircase in the Woods introduces us to a friend group reunited twenty years after one of them, Matty, goes missing after climbing a staircase in the woods. I was drawn to this book by my interest in the urban legend, although this plays a small part in the actual suspense of the story when an even cooler concept is introduced at the top of the stairs. I don't think it's a major spoiler to tell you it's a house, as I feel this is somewhat expected from a staircase.
I thought the present-day storyline worked very well. The characters were distinct, and it was clear to see their motivations and sometimes annoying personalities (Hamish). For the past storyline, I think the day that Matty went missing was the majority of what we needed to feel the interactions and motivations of the group back then. I found these chapters stole from the suspense of the present-day chapters and would have preferred this to be a continuous part.
Overall, I found this a great read and thought the details were very well thought out! I wish I had read this in the Fall to reach peak spookiness and will put it on my re-read list for then.

TY for the opportunity to read this advanced copy!

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and Random House Del Ray for providing me with an ARC of this title.

Chuck Wendig has a penchant for writing strange and creepy tales. In The Staircase in the Woods, Chuck Wendig does just that telling readers about a group of friends that must address childhood trauma after one of their group disappears after climbing a mysterious staircase in the woods…and doesn’t come back before the staircase disappears. Twenty years later they have the chance to reconnect and set things right when the bizarre staircase reappears once more.

While the premise caught my eye, as did the author, I don’t know that I was the best audience for this book. I do like horror novels, but this one leans more disturbing than scary, there is a difference. There were sections of the book that were just a bit too much for me personally. (There are a lot of traumatic events for the characters which could potentially be very triggering for readers: suicide, death, sexual abuse, extreme violence, cutting and racism to name a few.)

The Staircase in the Woods is definitely a slow burn and I had a hard time connecting with the characters. There just wasn’t much that I could relate to, which, of course, is something that won’t be the case for everyone.

It reads a bit like a YA novel, which surprised me since that is not usually the feel I get from Wendig’s writing.

I know a lot of people really enjoyed this and there are some great reviews to check out if this book seems more your speed. I will certainly continue to watch for new books from Wendig, as I have enjoyed his other works, this one just wasn’t quite for me.

What would you do if you saw a staircase to nowhere in the woods? It’s just a staircase, right?

Wendig's four characters were childhood friends but, after losing one of their friends to the mysterious staircase, they gradually stopped speaking to each other. As adults, three of them were tricked by the fourth into going to a (not the same one) mysterious staircase in the woods to search for their missing friend.

The staircase takes them to an inescapable house filled with horrifying rooms. Unfortunately, the house was much more intriguing than the characters, and there was a large amount of backstory for each one in the novel. I'm a sucker for a "childhood friends reunite as adults to beat evil" story, but I couldn't root for anyone. Their characterization seemed somewhat flat, and they were all unlikable people.

The house itself was terrifying, and reading about its infinite number of rooms filled with misery is what kept me interested in finishing the book.

I'm normally a fan of Wendig's writing, but this one just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Random House/Del Rey and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Five teenage friends go on a camping trip when they discover a strange staircase. One of them goes up the staircase and never comes back. The impact of this changes their lives and they've never forgotten. In the years since they've drifted apart, but one friend makes a plan to get everyone back together. When the staircase reappears, they're determined to find the truth.
This book is so creepy and nostalgic. I liked how each character is fleshed out so you feel like you truly know them. When the staircase reappears strange things start to happen that had me confused for a bit, but couldn't wait to find out what was going on! I've become such a fan of this writer and can't wait to see what he writes next.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig (2025) is an unsettling new novel focusing on themes of friendship, loyalty, ambition, obligation, and the act of losing yourself to find yourself. Full of liminal spaces and terrifying imagery, this book is bound to please.

If you're into stories where childhood trauma meets supernatural horror, this one's for you. Chuck Wendig brings us a tale about five friends who, back in 1998, stumbled upon a mysterious staircase in the woods. One of them climbs it and vanishes, leaving the rest haunted by the incident.

Overall, it's a gripping read that blends nostalgia with dread. Chuck Wendig is always a must-read.

I'm not exactly sure why I requested this as I could tell it wouldn't be my kind of thing from the blurb - but I think fantasy readers will love this, and we will definitely get a copy for our collection.

When a group of teenagers goes camping, they find a staircase in the middle of the forest. Then all of a sudden it disappears along with one of their friends. How do you go home without one of your closest friends? How do you deal with it? That’s exactly what this book covers and while it’s a decent read, it’s just way too dark for me.

3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Published : April 29 2025

Ok so if you haven't looked up real stories about staircases in the woods .. DO IT !!!
It had me down a rabbit hole & now I kinda want to find one but I think after reading this I would run away like a baby 😂

The political overtones were suffocating. When I read a book I would like to get away from all the political madness .
Like dude we get it , you don't like Trump .
The drugs didn't bother me but I know for some it was worse than the political BS .

All that said ^ I really did enjoy this story. It's gnarly & completely wild .
I also loved the authors note in the back .. even if he is a Trump hater 🙃

THE ENDING OF THIS BOOK !!!! 🤯
I read reviews that some are pretty salty about it but I personally loved it.


Thank u #NetGalley 🖤 another amazing Arc
#StaircaseInTheWoods 💀☠️
Definitely worth a read ❤️

I was actually able to review a finished copy and I did enjoy the horror elements of the book. The writing style and story/character development was spot on. I think it's more a of a character development story than horror so if you are looking for a good strong not so scary book this one is for you

I had to find out what happened in this book. It just kept going the twists and turns literal twist and turns kept me intrigued and interested in the entire time the mystery of the staircase where it came from and what it was what’s very engaging and interesting. A little bit gory for me, but overall very interesting and a great read.