Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this enthralling dark fantasy thriller. Absolutely creepy atmosphere with beautifully flawed characters.

This is a slow grower, so give it a bit of time. A group of teenagers, now adults, reunite to search for one of their group who went up a staircase in the woods years before, and disappeared. Of course, that's the synopsis of the book itself, so I don't think it's a spoiler to say things go rather poorly from there. And while this book does take a while to get going, it does, and you'll want to know how it ends. If you find the charaters a bit one note to start, they reveal layers as they go through some things, and maybe they weren't the friends they thought they were. You might think this is a creepypasta, but along the way it's a more standard horror story, although it flips the haunted house trope on its head. Or does it make it more literal? You'll have to read it to find out for yourself.

Fear is Like a Splinter In the Soul

Stories of kids whose extraordinary experiences bind them to each other, for good or evil, are a well-loved trope in literature. Stand By Me, It, The Goonies, Stranger Things: all explorations of kids coping with forces that are far beyond normal. This is one of those stories, but the author has blended it with elements that keep it from being just another one in the genre.

The kids are grown as we enter the story. Lore is an interesting character. Inner fragility didn't make her a weak person in terms of pushing through discouragement. But, success doesn't equal fulfillment. Owen, Hamish, Nick, Matty---each very different from each other but, like Lore, each carrying the burdens of heavy secrets.

The plot shows how their respective strengths and weaknesses can be pivotal to how things work out for them, but these traits have had positive and negative effects on them. This was true in the past, but now, it's vital information. While a supernatural threat endangers them, it's their attitudes toward the mundane that may be the greater danger. The Staircase In The Woods isn't a simple book.

All of them are flawed adults, but their flaws are rooted in abuse, neglect, or less easily generalized mistreatment of them as children. They all found in each other a common need as kids and they made an oath to stand by each other and did so, until that one time. That one event changed their lives and ripped them apart. They've each been living with pain ever since, with an essential piece of themselves missing. This time, the damage may be worse.

Thank you to Chuck Wendig, who has an extremely entertaining blog at terribleminds.com for giving me a crack at this before it's published with a free advanced reader's copy; thanks as well to Random House Worlds/DelRey and to NetGalley. I owe them neither a review nor a favorable review, but here's one anyway: it's yet another disturbing, scary, and outstanding read from a masterful horror author.

I tried getting into this one and it just didn’t keep my attention like I hoped it would. The description sounded great but it just wasn’t for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read!

The beginning was super slow until about Chapter 20. Once they climbed the staircase and were in the house I loved it but the end started getting confusing. There are a lot of characters and traits/traumas to keep up with. That in combination with the characters within the house got to be a bit much. I wanted to love this but ended up gibing it a 2.75

I have to say that The Staircase in the Woods reminded me of a nightmare I had, with Escheresque staircases that looped back upon themselves and doors to nowhere. This was seriously disturbing, in a fun way.

This story had me hooked immediately. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I believe the story will be with me for a long time. I’m hoping for a sequel with the OMG ending!

A Brief Ascent into Hell.

This book was a fantastic, and very dark read. The story Chuck tells is supremely entertaining, even when the plot goes to pitch black places. This was a very quick, easy read for me. The one thing that I disliked about it was that sometimes, the pacing was interrupted with flashbacks right when things were taking off.
4.25/5 Stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the arc.

Get ready for another wild ride from Chuck Wendig!

Five friends Hamish, Owen, Lore, Nick and Matty stumble upon a staircase in the woods. One of them decides to go up it and…

Chuck’s character development and world building is top notch!

this book is so f*cked but in such an amazing way.

I finished this book and literally screamed. it was one of those books that you're like "what in the world did i just read?" but also you can not put it down. I had so many questions and of course, they were not really answered but that is OK.

Matty goes missing when they are teenagers after climbing a staircase in the woods. Unless you are living under a rock, you know that there are tons of random staircases in places all around the world and the thing that everyone says is "DO NOT CLIMB THEM!". This book is a perfect example of why you should never do it.

i love love loved all the characters. They were nerdy, easy going, screw up's and a everyone's golden boy that become best friends. what they do to find Matty is.... crazy. CRAZY. many triggers in this book that i simply did not know/ did not look at before i read it. it is very graphic but wow. it is good.

crossing my fingers there is a second book? although there probs wont be but i would LOVE for it to carry on where it ended because i am INVESTED.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you Chuck Wendig and Kay Popple at Penguin Random House for reaching out to me with this ARC!

This book was something that i really didn’t know what to expect, and honestly? Any of my expectations were squashed and thrown out the window by this INSANE work. The cover, while seemingly very serene and tranquil, is so misleading to the type of book this is and im kinda in love with that.

Staircase follows a group of five high school friends that are grown now, and are still grappling with the disappearance of their sixth friend who disappeared in senior year after climbing an abandoned staircase.

The way that Wendig writes his characters in this book is just.. so interesting because i feel like none of them are honestly particularly likable but that’s partially why i really liked this book and why it just REALLY worked. Each character is flawed and has their own issues in a way that actually allows for them to figure out what is going on more effectively and they can work together (in a way) to get themselves out of any of the situations they’re put in.

The actual plot line i feel I can’t review much about it because this is one that really should be gone into blind but I will say, this is absolutely for anyone who loves horror, mystery escape rooms, and the 2004 Saw movie.

This was my first foray into Chuck Wendig’s work, and wow—what a way to start! He’s been on my TBR for ages (along with 49,504 other books), but now I’m kicking myself for not diving into his stories sooner. The Staircase in the Woods was everything I could want from a horror novel: dark, atmospheric, and so intensely creepy that it invaded my dreams. Yes, this book literally gave me nightmares.

Wendig masterfully weaves a tale that is equal parts supernatural mystery and raw human drama. Every page crackles with tension, and Wendig doesn’t shy away from plunging into the darkest corners of fear, guilt, and the unknown.

What I loved most was how the novel balanced its scares with emotional depth. The characters feel achingly real, their struggles and regrets making them more than just archetypes in a spooky story. And the pacing? Perfect. Wendig knows exactly when to ratchet up the dread and when to let the characters breathe, giving the story a rhythm that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Five stars, without question. Now, excuse me while I add every other Chuck Wendig book to the top of my list (and maybe sleep with the lights on).

Call me Matty Shiffman because I would definitely climb a random, creepy staircase in the middle of the woods that leads to nowhere (and it wouldn't even have to be on a dare. Or because of drugs. I'm just a curious idiot).

The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig digs into themes of abandonment and shame, of grief and the consequences of being trapped in the past. It also asks questions like 'what makes a ghost a ghost?' And 'how does a house become haunted?'. All of which I thought was handled very well and in an entertaining, unique way.

This book was super tense (in the best way that horror novels can be) and suspenseful, with one of the eeriest vibes I've read all year. I absolutely love that feeling. That scene with Owen going solo down the hallway...a true nightmare.

The four main characters are great, all in their own ways. I loved Lore and Owen, who are probably the most relatable--though that could also be because their narration had more page-time. Lore's narcissim grates at first, but the development throughout the story really helped round her out and make her easier to understand. Similar to Owen's waffling and inability to make important decisions. It was annoying, but that was the point. And even while we don't get too much detailed introspection from Hamish or Nick, they're still believable. Everyone knows a guy with an attitude adjustment problem, or that old high school friend that got into weird pyramid scheme stuff after you graduated. They're real.

I just wish there was some more insight into Matty's life and thoughts, the things that truly made him so well loved. As it stands, we only ever read other characters talking about him and his "greatness."

I was gripped from the start, and kept trying to sneak in reading at random times like at work or during dinner. I guessed at that first twist a bit earlier on in the book, but that doesn't take away the real gut-punch moment that ensues. The reality of the situation the characters find themselves in. The mystery of the staircase and the house was really interesting, the ending especially was giving off House of Leaves vibes (mainly the scenes directly involving the house). I also like the, not necessarily cliffhanger-ending, but the definitely-left-ambiguous-ending. It was a good fit for what the story was.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Chuck Wendig for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, thank you NetGalley and Random House Worlds for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first read of 2025 and it was phenomenal. I immediately went and added more of Chuck Wendig's books to my tbr, because this book had me on edge throughout. Usually when there are dual timelines and multiple character POV's it can become confusing, but Wendig did a great job of giving each one a distinct voice in their writing. Each character was complicated and truly drew the reader in with their dark past and present. Without giving too much away, this book gives off Steven King's "It" vibes with an ultimate monster that kids come back as adults to defeat. I was creeped out when each room faced a new challenge and I found myself constantly highlighting and annotating this book when I gasped in shock or horror.

Be on the lookout for "The Staircase in the Woods" when it is released in April, 2025. #TheStaircaseintheWoods #NetGalley

Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey for giving me access to this title in exchange for an honest review and without further ado...

I liked it, decent/solid read. It's like "IT," "Picnic on Hanging Rock," "Haunting of Hill House," and "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" all combined without being too derivative. The book has its own voice and story to tell.

It had a bit of a slow start it took around 20% to get to the meat and potatoes of the real reason we're here. That being said, the overall pacing is nice nothing felt like it was dragged out forever. The dialogue is great, and the characters though flawed—and even though I don't like some of the characters—they're dynamic and interesting. Everyone's relationship with each other is also uniquely introspective and even though at first you can't believe they were all once friends by the end it's no doubt why they would be. There are a couple of content warnings to watch out for like suicide, and sexual assault of a minor to look out for. (Nothing in graphic detail and I believe this was done with a lot of sensitivity. I just don't want it to be something that was triggering.)

I thought the conclusion more or less wrapped everything up while giving room for a potential sequel.

Overall, I think this is a strong book and I'm glad I got the chance to read it, it just won't be my favorite for the year.

3.25/3.5

This novel was creepy with great atmosphere and tension building. It also examines the bonds between humans.

The Staircase in the Woods
Chuck Wendig

Release Date: April 29, 2025

4 out of 5 stars

This is the newest release from renowned horror author Chuck Wendig. This book follows a group of friends who discovered a mysterious staircase in the woods twenty years ago. One of them goes up the stairs, only to disappear and to never be heard from again. Twenty years later, the remaining friends are reunited and the staircase has reappeared. They decide it is high time to search for their missing friend, and decide to follow the staircase themselves…

This is an interesting concept for a novel, the setting the characters find themselves is bleak and horrifying. Each character has to face their deepest fears throughout the novel. As the characters move through an ever-changing nightmare, they learn more about themselves and each other. I found the characterization and the setting extremely well done, as to be expected from Wendig. However, some of the dialogue between characters seemed added only to be controversial, or introduce topics that were not really revisited completely later in the story. For that reason I am giving it four stars, but I highly recommend it for those looking for a scary story filled with grief and trauma.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Worlds / Del Rey for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

I included this in my wrap-up of top reads of the year on my blog, which is also publicized on social media, in my newsletter, and in my writing community.

Not my cup of tea. Strong start, meandering middle that felt like it would never end (though probably the point, thematically speaking), and an ending that I personally did not find satisfying.

This novel was creepy and atmospheric, and I loved all of it. This book was five stars, amazing! I saw a lot of reviews hoping for a sequel for Matty, and I am here for it!