Always have been fascinated with the idea of abandoned staircases in forests, creepy yes, but there is something eerily fascinating about them. Then again it may be due to my creepy pasta phase.

Anyways, the book captivated me from the beginning with characters, the disappearance of their friend Matty, however, halfway through I did start to lose momentum as I found the story arc and happenings a bit redundant with the changing of the rooms and then the possession. However, the ending was intriguing and reads a bit like a movie ending of "tbc".

Enjoyable book for one who likes friendships, fear, and twisting labyrinths of rooms and creepy happenings.

Reading the ARC of this novel, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

So to be clear, I read to 53%, skimmed a bit, then read the last two chapters because I was done with the seemingly endless place of creepiness but needed to know if it ended. It does! Sort of. I can recommend it to those of you who enjoy puzzles that get very personal to the characters and are confusing and upsetting and weird.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig.

This book is honestly hard to describe because of its incredible layers and complexity. The story completely blew my mind.

It begins with a group of friends who go camping and stumble upon a mysterious staircase in the woods. From there, a series of strange and unsettling events unfolds, culminating in one of the friends climbing the staircase and disappearing without a trace.

Years later, the group returns to search for their missing friend, only to find themselves trapped in a nightmarish house of horrors. They must work together not only to survive, but to preserve their sanity as they face escalating dangers.

The Staircase in the Woods is a fantastic blend of mystery, thriller, and horror. Its unique storyline, combined with a tense, almost game-like atmosphere, will keep you hooked, constantly questioning what’s going to happen next and how the characters will escape. If you're looking for a truly original and mind-bending story, this is a must-read.

I love everything and anything that has to do with folklore and urban legends so when I saw this book was based on real staircases attached to nothing in the woods, I knew I had to read it. Even if there’s an actual explanation as to why they’re there, it’s still a really creepy phenomenon.

This book is about a group of friends as teens who see a staircase in the woods. One goes up and disappears along with the staircase. Years later, they find a set of stairs again and go up it together to save their missing friend.

Although it started out slow, I LOVED this book. Once they’re up the stairs I was completely invested. The creepiness of the story, the guilt, the grief, and all they have to go through is written in a beautiful way. The ending left some stuff up to your imagination but was totally satisfying.

Why the four stars instead of 5? My issue with this story is that there is a few pages of a political rant very early on that honestly made me want to stop reading. It had nothing at all to do with the book and I wasn’t sure if it was going to keep coming up and that’s not something I’m interested in reading about right now. I think people who agree with the author and people who don’t agree with the author will still find this totally out of place and I hope that it gets taken out before it’s published, as I think people will not keep reading. Mind you, I agreed with author and still it was jarring to read. It’s a great story - just skip over this part it’s so unnecessary.

Also PLEASE READ the authors note at the end! I lovedddd his real life connection to the staircase.

Thanks to NetGalley, Chuck Wendig and the publisher for this eARC. I am a sucker for woods and stories set in woods or off the beaten track. I love the premise random stairs in woods that lead to a house or the concept of a house through which you might find infinite rooms. It’s different and I feel an original concept. When the characters got separated I was desperately willing them to find each other. Feeling a kind of claustrophobia that makes me feel as if it is happening to me. I was drawn straight into the story and enjoyed it the whole way through. On the back of this I shall be trying his other books, as I really enjoyed his writing style.

Will not be climbing any staircases in any woods at any time in the future. This was really good, though it became slightly repetitive toward the middle. I tend to love stories of friend groups fighting evil together— think the Loser’s Club from Stephen King’s It and the Stranger Things gang. There’s no friendship like the friendships you forge at 13 years old. I really enjoyed this story— especially the concept of the story itself. The house within a house, the copies/ghosts of rooms and people within the rooms. I’ll have to check out Wendig’s other work.

It's like Chuck Wendig wrote The Staircase in the Woods specifically for me. Ever since I went down a Reddit rabbit hole about these mysterious staircases to nowhere that can be found all over the forests of this country, I've wanted to know more, imagining what horrifying things could come from following those stairs...that is, if we lived in a scary story. Thank god for Chuck Wendig, who apparently also had the same thought.

He has crafted a deeply atmospheric and haunting tale that blends the supernatural with the power of friendship and the scars of the past. The premise is simple, yet chilling: a group of high school friends, united by an oath to always protect one another, goes on a camping trip in the woods. While there, they discover a mysterious staircase that seems to lead to nowhere. One of the friends walks up the stairs—and disappears without a trace. The staircase vanishes, and the group is left with a mystery that haunts them for years.

Fast forward twenty years, and the staircase reappears in the woods. The group, now fractured and carrying the weight of the years, returns to uncover what happened that night and to find the friend they lost. But what they discover on the other side of the staircase is far darker—and more dangerous—than they could have ever imagined.

The shift between past and present adds emotional depth to the story, as we see the characters as both their younger selves—full of hope and camaraderie—and as adults, carrying the weight of lost time and unresolved trauma. Wendig expertly explores themes of guilt, grief, and the bonds that hold us together, even when time and distance have pushed us apart.

If you’re a fan of horror that’s as much about atmosphere and emotional depth as it is about thrills, The Staircase in the Woods will leave you hooked. It’s a gripping, chilling story about friendship, mystery, and the terrifying things that may be waiting just beyond the edge of reality.

Five high school friends are bonded by an oath to protect one another no matter what. Then, on a camping trip in the middle of the forest, they find something extraordinary: a mysterious staircase to nowhere.One friend walks up—and never comes back down. Then the staircase disappears.

Twenty years later, the staircase has reappeared. Now the group returns to find the lost boy—and what lies beyond the staircase in the woods. . . .

This page turner had me hooked from the beginning. It's a fascinating concept. Wendig's writing is top-notch. The pace in this book is perfect. The characters are each broken in their own ways, and their own worst nightmares reflect them. Chilling atmosphere. Excellent execution. 5⭐

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Another great title from Wendig. The chilling atmosphere mixed with great characters makes The Staircase in the Woods an instant horror classic.

This book was creepy in all the best ways. The story centers around one mysterious night when a group of teenagers stumble across a weird staircase (sans house) in the middle of the forest, leading to the puzzling disappearance of one of them. Fast forward twenty years - the teenagers are all grown up but still remember that haunting experience with the staircase and their missing friend. And once the opportunity arises, will they be brave enough to solve the mystery of what happened to their friend all those years ago?

This one had me in full-on spooked out mode practically the entire time. I stayed up way too late to finish it! Great for any sci-fi horror enthusiasts. Just be prepared to keep your nightlight on.

I think that I had such high expectations for this book with the book title, the cover and the description but it just didn’t deliver and I was really disappointed.

3 stars

Overall, this book was thrilling and quite intense but in the best way. It gave me similar vibes of both The Cabin in the Woods, and It.

It started off strong for me. The premise seemed great, and I was really intrigued to see how this story was going to unfold. Unfortunately, within the first few chapters it was clear that I was not going to like any of the characters.

The chapters in this book were really short, which at the beginning created great momentum and made me really excited to read the next chapter. However, after about halfway the intrigue disappeared for me. It became very repetitive, and I feel like lots of the rooms in the house didn’t need to be mentioned as they were irrelevant to the plot.

The book also ended on a cliffhanger, almost making me think that there will be a part 2. However, sometimes I would rather a book have a SUPER good ending and just wrap it up in 1 book.

Overall, I loved the plot, but did not like the characters or the pacing.

Reviewed December 2024

Book publishing date: April 2025

An unlikely premise it seems: a staircase in the woods. (Not so unlikely as it happens, there really are abandoned staircases in remote areas - the staircase being the most solid structure in the house, with the rest of the house in ruins).

Some interesting reading about them here: https://www.historicmysteries.com/myths-legends/mysterious-stairs-forests-legends-history/11628/

This is a horror story - but what I would call a soft-horror story. It's a good read, with plenty of gory details, but it won't keep you up at night, and it won't give you nightmares.

It's a story of teenagers then, and now - the first story about a camping trip in the woods, where they find a staircase. One teenager climbs the staircase and disappears. They search for him, but give up after a while. And after all, they're only teenagers, they've been drinking and taking drugs; they're frightened and they leave.
The missing boy is never found.

The second story starts 20 years on when the group get back together: one of them having never stopped researching and searching, and having found another staircase, (although the others are unaware of this when they reunite). And this time, they all climb it, and the story unfolds.

It wasn't a page-turner for me; and I didn't get that invested in the characters that I had to find out what happened to them, but it was an enjoyable read. It ends with a question - perhaps leaving room for a follow-up story.

Suitable for older teenagers and young adults, I sometimes felt that this was who the story was aimed at; as a female in her 60s the narrative seemed a little immature, so probably not written for my age group.

I think it would make an interesting, and scary, movie.

Holy guacamole. Usually I have complete book blindness. I'll forget it all as soon as the story is over. But man this book is embedded in my brain. I love it so much. I hope there's a part two. Because where were you Matty?!

Years after one of their friends goes missing after climbing a staircase that rises into the air, a group of once-close (or were they? hmmm) friends reconvenes. Most of them have been hornswoggled by one, who has been searching for similar staircases ever long after the others have accepted their friend is gone. This time, they all climb up, and never a house full of horrors, some of them related to the protagonists, some of them not. Their own personal terrors and experiences fill the house as they try to find ways to keep the house from driving them mad, and to escape. While the concept of the house haunted by one's own personal experiences and horrors isn't new, it's well done here, with a mix of various kinds of horrors--body horror, emotional and psychological trauma, physical abuse--and the characters are interesting and strong.

Group of friends find a staircase to nowhere in the woods.

A cosmic horror tale of friends initially failing each other, this is a story full of creeping dread and hopelessness.

Each member of the group has a troubled past and is living a less than ideal life post Matty’s disappearance . An email makes them meet up again after many years.

The “house” set up is brilliant in its nastiness and gore.
Thoroughly enjoyed the nod to “the apple book” as it is known in my head .

The Staircase in the Woods exudes an unsettling and eerie atmosphere. A reunion of adults, haunted by a traumatic event from their teenage years, inevitably leads to unexpected twists and bizarre supernatural occurrences. The staircase itself feels like a scene pulled straight from a nightmare. I found it difficult to choose a favorite character among the group. The narrative flows smoothly, making it an engaging read. If you're a fan of horror tales, this one is sure to captivate you.

If there is one thing I know for certain after reading this book, it’s that if I find a staircase in the woods (or any other random place) I will never ascend them. The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig had me hooked from the very beginning. The unique concept alone had me intrigued but when I learned the theme was a group of friends coming together after a long period of time to face something awful that happened in their past, I knew I was going to love it. That is one of my favorite tropes, plus a coming of age (at any age) theme is always fun. This story kept me on the edge of my seat and totally creeped me out. There were a few parts that had me under my blanket at night. I feel like if “IT”, “Stranger Things”, and “The Haunting of Hill House” had a book baby this is it! Loved this book and I can easily give it five stars.

Thank you NetGalley and DelRey for this eARC!

4 stars

Five friends, one night, one staircase in the woods and everything changed. Lore, Owen, Nick, Hamish, and Matty are high school friends just about to graduate and move into an uncertain adulthood. They share a bond that is at it's strongest when they invoke "the covenant". When invoked, it can't be refused. But what happens when Matty invokes the covenant and the other four don't follow?

This story has vibes of Stephen King's It and T. Kingfisher's Hollow Places. The premise of a staircase out in the middle of the woods is definitely creepy, made creepier by virtue of the fact that these staircases actually exist.

The story begins with Matt climbing the staircase and disappearing. Years later, the remaining four friends come together to try to find their friend and bring him back. What they find at the top of the stairs is horrifying, gorey, and takes them all back to the most painful and terrifying aspects of their childhoods.

I recommend this book for fans of this author and anyone who finds an abandoned staircase creepy. Warnings for childhood trauma and body horror.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So nostalgic and terrifying… I didn't expect to like this one as much as I did, and I'm pleasantly surprised. The writing is a little repetitive at times, but overall I enjoyed it. It's a creepy and entertaining read that takes an old horror trope in new directions.

Overall rating: 4 stars
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Pub Date Apr 29 2025

Thank you to the author, Random House Worlds, Del Rey and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.