The Staircase in the Woods

By Chuck Wendig

Book Overview

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - A group of friends investigates the mystery of a strange staircase in the woods in this mesmerizing horror novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents.

"Chuck Wendig weaves his magic once more, turning a lonely staircase in the woods into a searing, propulsive, dread-filled exploration of the horrors of knowing and being known."--Kiersten White, author of Hide and Lucy Undying

ONE OF VULTURE'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

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. . . .

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593156560
• ISBN13: 9780593156568
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Del Rey Books
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.17 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.5" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Very immersive and well-written

Wendig does a great job at portraying the disparity felt by the characters as they traverse this entrapping setting, each going through expansive transformations as they’re forced to look through the windows of their, and their friend’s, all-too-real past. This book is great for those looking to dive into the best and worst parts of humanity, friendship, and what it means to be “broken.”

Too much fluff, not enough substance.

Up until about two-thirds into the book, almost every chapter has a very lengthy paragraph dedicated to information that is neither important nor interesting. It grew very tiring very quickly to read about a DND character from 20 years ago, or a guy's trip to get a pocketknife, or an entire chapter dedicated to covering something I was already able to figure out without any explanation at all. The concept itself is solid, and the characters go through beautiful arcs. But the fluffy exposition really sucked me out of the experience.