The plot revolves around a group of four friends, who had drifted apart over time, following the disappearance of the fifth member of their group when they were kids. I loved how Chuck Wendig gave each character enough time to develop, without focusing too much on one over another. This gives the reader the opportunity to not have favourite characters, and instead rooting for them all to win! Wendig was also not afraid of tackling some difficult topics in this book, but seeing how the other characters react and bond was heartwarming.

The plot of this book had the potential to be repetitive with the same thing happening again and again; however, Wendig avoided this through good pacing of the plot, creative descriptions, and putting flashbacks in all the right places. I loved the theme and unique aspect of this story, and definitely not like anything I’ve read before!

A really gripping horror story, and Wendig does a fantastic job of creating something really atmospheric and mysterious.

This is one of those, "all right if you like this kind of thing" books, as so many are. I'm always mindful that this is not really my genre and therefore I am not the target audience. I was interested to read it because I quite enjoyed the author's Wanderers during one of the lockdowns. And you should know that a lot of readers on NetGalley etc. have expressed enthusiasm for this.

There was one moment for me, where I got the gooseflesh, and it came somewhere in the first half. There was a description of some horror that captured some essence of the uncanny and as I lay in the dark that night reading on my Kindle, I reacted physically to what I was reading. Which is what fans of this genre are after, I assume. But like any form of stimulus, surely you develop a tolerance? Which means you're always chasing that high…

One of my problems with this was that I felt the premise was a bit clichéd. Four people who were friends at school but have since gone their separate ways come back together in order to reckon with the Big Event that happened when they were teenagers. We've definitely been here before. The event was that a fifth member of their group, Matty, disappeared one night when they were camping in the woods.

How and why he disappeared and what happens when the friends get the gang back together is the substance of this book, and I won't say any more about the events therein. Needless to say, the title is a clue.

But I need to mention another issue I have with this, which is that I don't believe in this group of friends. This is not a, "but the characters aren't likeable" critique. This is more that I don't believe they were that close, because at no point do they seem to actually like each other. Sure, you could argue that such outsider groups are often formed simply because they are exiled from all other tribes. There's certainly something here about bullying for one of the group — except that the bullying within the group seems just as bad. And, equally, one of them is supposed to be Mr Popular, captain of the team, lead in the school play. Anyway, I just felt like the bonds weren't strong enough in the first place for the call to adventure to function.

But look who's talking.

My other issue is the perennial complaint about gender imbalance. There's a token… well, I can't even say woman. Because she's kind of vaguely nonbinary, although that detail felt like a later addition and the pronouns skew towards 'she/her', as far as I remember. Anyway, the point is that there are too many blokes. You see it all the time. Half the population, but only a fifth of the characters – in so many media. I saw a picture on Bluesky the other day, some kind of Tom Cruise project that someone was excited (?) about, and it was the same: bloke-bloke-bloke-woman-bloke-bloke.

Some of the horrors that turn up in the book are girls/women, but they're not characters so much as things-that-go-boo. So there's absolutely no way for two women characters to have even a small conversation… about anything.

Anyway, it's all right. He's a good writer. The text flows and it's not a slog to read. But this was not for me.

Thanks to Del Rey and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig. The plot took a well-known urban legend and gave it a fresh twist. The plot deals with five friends who formed an unbelievably tight bond, and one of them goes missing after a camping trip. The bulk of The Staircase in the Woods deals with the remaining friends trying to correct what went wrong the day that their friend went missing. While I believed from reading the excerpt that this was all the novel had to offer, I was totally wrong as it had so much more. The novel successfully sucks you in with tight character development as it deals with how this missing friend has affected the group. Eventually, however, the novel veers into a new direction that plays more into the horror aspect as the characters simply try to survive the predicament they are in.

Highly gripping and atmospheric; I loved it! I thought it was very creepy and full of mystery. I really liked the dual timelines and the depth it added to the story. It had well-developed characters with great character development. I loved the writing style. The ending did feel a little rushed and too easy.

My first Chuck Wendig but definitely NOT MY LAST!! The Staircase in the Woods is such an amazing and unique mystery and I loved it! The characters and their relationships are also chef‘s kiss 😚🤌
One of my favorite books of the year!

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House Worlds / Del Rey, for the ARC!

First, I’m going to start at the end. Chuck Wendig’s explanation about getting lost described in the last chapter of The Staircase in the Woods was thought-provoking. (I also had no idea there were actually staircases in the woods).

The main storyline is that five high school friends go camping in the woods and come across a mysterious staircase. One friend walks up—and never comes back down. Then the staircase disappears.

Twenty years later four of the friends return and climb the staircase themselves.

I dont want to give too much away, but what I will say is that I had hoped for the same kind of imagery that Wendig painted in Black River Orchard (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) and it didn’t quite achieve that. The premise of the story is inviting, the flawed characters are complex, and what’s at the top of the staircase is atmospherically creepy.

Let’s go camping! It’s summer in the late 90’s and a close group of misfits using camping as an escape from parents, responsibilities, and anxieties. Each member of this strange crew is so different, but yet this friendship works. Come take a walk with “The covenant” and discover a random eerie staircase in the woods they camp in as teens. Matty goes up… and never comes down. Fast forward decades later and each is living a life or lie of their own. When Nick decides to get the crew back together, playing on sympathy due to a fatal illness, the others have no choice but to concede and meet up. After all, they called themselves “the covenant”. There for each other no matter what. But when they meet, they discover more lies and truths about themselves and each other, as the eeriness from decades ago comes slowly creeping back in. Is Matty still alive? Are they losing their minds? Will they end up hating each other for all their built up resentments and guilt? The story bounces between timelines and reveals the hidden labyrinth world above the staircase in one horror after another. This story literally kept me reading into the morning hours. The concept of this strange otherworldly place will eat away at your mind like a parasite, clawing at the back of your eyelids as you try to rest and release the day. Hold on, because it WON’T release you even long after you’ve read it! Such a great read and this author doesn’t disappoint!

One of my favorite authors has done it again! It's a slowburn, it's not action packed but it's smart and entertaining on an other level. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Staircase in the Woods was such an intriguing mystery and I enjoyed every page of it! Right off the bat I could tell that this book would be something special and as I read more of it, I found myself completely immersed in the story and the journeys of each of the characters. I found the mystery of the novel (a staircase that is found in the middle of the woods and in which the friend of the main characters in the book goes up and is never seen again) to be unique and intriguing. I also loved the pacing of the novel and how the characters progressed throughout the story, both independently and also in their relationships with each other. I think a lot of people will enjoy this novel! I can definitely say it was one of my favorite novels of the year!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first Chuck Wendig novel and it sucked me right in. I loved the premise of the staircase in the woods and the fall out of a friendship group after a tragedy. The descriptions of the house as an entity were extremely compelling and kept me invested as the characters unraveled its mysteries. The dynamics of the friendship group, and each characters’ personal struggles, benefited so much from their background stories. I think it’s hard to pull off a story as complex as this one - multiple characters, jumps in time, a horrific atmosphere, a mystery, and supernatural occurrences- but it was very well executed and had a satisfying ending. I appreciated that it had enough answers without answering them all. The book is very bleak at times but never lets go of hope and the knowledge that we’re all better off together in the mess of life instead of going it alone. Content warnings for self-harm, substance abuse, child SA, child loss, and abuse.

Expected Publication: April 29, 2025

In this horror novel, I followed a group of friends who return as adults to face a supernatural event that haunted them in their youth. When they ascend a mysterious staircase in the woods for a second time, things get eerie, confusing, and emotional, exploring themes of friendship, guilt, grief, and letting go. The story leans into classic horror tropes, reminding me of Stephen King’s It, with flashbacks and characters wrestling with unresolved trauma.

I found the book creepy, captivating, and almost impossible to put down. Although the writing is occasionally repetitive due to the plot structure, it didn’t distract much from the experience.

Rating: 4.35 stars, rounded down.
Thanks to NetGalley and Del Ray for the ARC!

Chuck Wendig does it again! What would it be like to live in this man's head for a day? I absolutely loved the flawed characters in this. One thing that Chuck does so well is keep the hope alive even in times of great turmoil and distress. His characters never have to handle the tough stuff alone and can lean on each other even if they can't stand each other in the moment. I don't want to spoil anything so I will just say that the characters do in fact get trapped and where they are trapped is absolutely terrifying.

The story revolves around four friends coming back together to solve a 20 year old mystery involving an inexplicable staircase in the woods and the disappearance of another friend.

I found the premise of this book intriguing, but it takes quite a bit of time before the story actually becomes interesting. The first 1/3 of the book kind of drags and made me really detest most of the characters. Once things get moving, there is at least some creep factor and tension to the story, though the ending felt a bit anticlimactic.
It is well written and overall, not a bad book; it just wasn't as compelling as I had hoped. 3.5⭐️

Thanks to Random House Worlds|Del Rey for providing this book for review consideration via Netgalley. All opinions provided are my own. #TheStaircaseInTheWoods #NetGalley

I really enjoyed this book! I thought an uncorrected proof might have more errors than the last book I read that came with no such warning but only one issue stood out to me.

I think it was very successfully spooky. I was creeped out consistently. And the ending really resonated for me, a lot of horror books kind of peter out after the big bad is revealed but this felt satisfying and complete. Also loved that we mostly stuck with two characters perspectives, I feel like many authors are tempted to throw in everyone’s narrative voice nowadays but sticking with two makes the characters feel solid and unique.

Similarly with Wendig’s other books I’ve read, I think the plot could be tightened up some. I definitely scanned some passages instead of fully reading them because I wanted to know what would happen next. But overall, would recommend to scary book fans!

My first book by Chuck Wendig and definitely not my last!

If you're looking for a creepy, thrilling, and unputdownable book then this one's for you. Full of twists and turns that I never really saw coming and an unpredictable ending. The initial summary of the book immediately drew me in and I had to know what happened after the 20 years of the first appearance of the staircase in the woods. I enjoyed reading about each character and their unique storylines and how the different personalities influenced the house. I think it was interesting to see how everyone has secrets that can eat at them from the inside out. The staircase tested friendships but they never turned their backs on each other. Their friendship helped them survive even in the times where I thought it wouldn't, and the ending was a surprising twist I never expected BUT it left me wanting more!

I loved Chuck Wendigs writing. It was extremely descriptive and felt like I was right there in the book with the characters. At times it was a little spine-chilling and a bit gruesome so I had to put it down but I loved how detailed and immersive it was.

It's so hard to talk about this book without spoiling so all I have to say is that you need to read it...oh and never walk up random staircases in the woods ;)

Thank you NetGalley, Chuck Wendig and Random House Worlds for providing me with an advanced readers copy in exchange for a review.

I found the story to be rather slow and not gripping enough for me to finish the book. My apologies, but it just wasn't my type of book

DNF - I was so eager to read this book, I started it right away when I got the email confirming my approval. Unfortunately, there is significant editing that is required in this book to make for a decent story. The writing is chopping, expositional, dull, & uninspiring to the setting. The characters are shallow tropes, which could all be mear mirages of a single person's ramblings - none of them were unique or well-thought out. I can see, based on other reviews, that this book will find its niche audience. I, however, wanted a more cruelly gruesome story which requires it to have been well-written & planned out so that the execution threw a gnarly punch.

when i saw this available, i knew i had to try it out because it sounded so unique and i've read a book by this author before! sadly it didn't live up to my expectations.

🦇 i didn't really care for "before" chapters although i knew why it was needed, i was more invested in the present tho.
🦇 i don't think i have any favourite characters. all of them had things going on and none of them were exclusively different for me.
🦇 the writing style was also easy to get into and sometimes funny lol. but it did drag A LOT throughout the story and i kept putting it off often times which was a further proof that i didn't really enjoy this at all. i felt like i was reading this book forever.
🦇 i did like the sadness and trauma part of this book, it definitely felt real and atmospheric.
🦇 i didn't like the ending because i was like wait... it ends here?? I NEED ANSWERS. usually i don't mind it, but in this case i wanted to know what was up.
🦇 i also found out this thing about myself... i don't think i enjoy stories about mazes and illusional stuff like that, i find it extremely boring. 😭
🦇 one more thing about the writing style was that i don't usually mind cursing in books but in this case it was a bit much.
🦇 however, i loved the last two sentences in the acknowledgements bit, the author is hilarious for that. 😂
🦇 i've read "the book of accidents" (i gave it 3.5 stars) and i think i preferred that over this one. both of them weren't my favourites, but i'm still willing to try out chuck wendig's new books if they're not illusion or alternate universe type ones!

Years and years ago, five high school friends bonded by an oath they've deemed "the covenant" wander deep into the forest for a camping trip. On their journey, the discover something so simple and yet otherworldly: a winding staircase in the woods, leading seemingly to nowhere. One of them climbs the staircase, four of them don't.

And only those four return from the woods.

Years later, Nick has invoked "the covenant" for perhaps the last time: he's battling terminal cancer, and wants to see his friends for the last time. Enter Owen, anxious part-time bookshop clerk, Lore, a pansexual patriarchy-fighter with a venomous retort ready for anyone who crosses her path, and Hamish, straight-laced husband and father. Together, they fly out to meet Nick: but is that really all this is? Could there be something awaiting them in the woods from their past? With the ghost of Matty calling out from it's winding steps?

"Staircase in the Woods" was an auto-read for me because of Chuck Wendig's impressive sci-fi track record of "Wanderers," "The Book of Accidents," and most recently "Black River Orchard"--all incredible novels. However, from the start of "Staircase in the Woods", it was immediately apparent that Wendig's writing voice was different, and not in a good way. Chapters riddled with endless profanity contributing nothing to the plot, a deep dive into Lore's character that felt more like a stiff and tokenized display of Wendig's ability to write diverse characters, bits of shock-factor horror that felt more like Nick Cutter than any of Wendig's masterfully-woven works of the past...something here was not right. And unfortunately, readers, I felt that way throughout the entire story. What Wendig has crafted in "The Staircase in the Woods" is undoubtedly creative; in fact, it could have been excellent. But the plot itself was eclipsed by the distracting chaos of everything around it. Dare I say this felt unfinished? Not the Chuck Wendig I've come to love, which is such a disappointment to say.

I loved this. So intriguing. And, honestly, I had never heard of this before but apparently staircases in the woods is a huge horror trope. This opened the door to it for me and it was excellent. The characterization in this book is top tier. I struggled with the writing style a bit but still enjoyed this story so much.