The Staircase in the Woods

Wow, this had me hooked from page one. Creepy, tense, well thought out, and hard to put down!

The Staircase in the Woods is a gripping tale that kept me hooked. It follows a dual timeline about five friends on a camping trip, where only four returned after encountering a mysterious staircase. Twenty years later, the remaining friends reunite to find their missing companion. The book is reminiscent of It, yet it stands out with its eerie atmosphere and vivid details. Themes of friendship, abandonment, and guilt are explored brilliantly. The tension and sense of danger throughout made it hard to put down, and the ending was unforgettable.

I really liked this book, but I was really kind of disappointed with the cliffhanger ending. I went into it expecting just a horror book, but it was SO much more. While it did have a decent amount of requisite creep factor, it was much more than that, it was really a book about mental health, fear, and relationships. This book explores dealing with trauma and grief using the horror element of a sentient, hateful house to expose those issues. I especially liked the idea that when houses are inhabited they become homes and homes have feelings and memories. It was a really great plot device.

This was an interesting take on the haunted house genre with a mysterious staircase leading to nowhere in the woods, and a group of teens with nobody but each other to rely on. While I did enjoy the weirdness of this one, and the overall theme of friendship and facing past traumas, there was something that just didn’t click for me. The characters were very unique but none of them were very likeable in my opinion so I wasn’t really attached to any of them. There are many pop culture references in here that were fun and gave it a comedic quality, but as a result this one was lacking in the horror department for me. If you’re into the staircase in the woods phenomenon, haunted houses, or liminal Spaces this could be a good one. Overall I enjoyed it, but wasn’t blown away.

This is the "Haunted House" book you didn't realize you needed. There are a few ⚠ TW to be aware of before you start. -Self Harm -Mental Health -Mentions (non-descriptive) of child abuse/SA -Violence -Gore -Murder -Drub Abuse OK, now that that's out of the way, I will try to keep this as short and simple as possible. 4 ⭐ Rounding up for GoodReads The heart of the story is about friendship and bonds and personal growth. Almost, a coming-of-age deal. While the meaty bits all around are filled with tragedy, grief, regret, pain, and violence. And this is all wrapped in a layer of mystery. Making you question your morals and loyalty the whole time. How far would you go for a friend? What lengths would you go to to right a past wrong? When is enough enough? ✅Pros: Short chapters. Much appreciated with longer books This novel was SPOOKY. Like, seriously. Gave you all the good creepy feels. 😱 I absolutely loved the Friendship-House parallels. Very thought-provoking. 🤔 And Chapter 74! 😮The birthing of the house. Sorry, I can't say more. No spoilers. But, wow. This book is PERFECT for film adaptation. I mean, Perfect! I will petition for it and raise funds for it. This needs to happen! Don't know if this is a Pro or Con, but it almost felt too long, while at the same time not long enough. If that makes sense. ❎Cons: My Biggest one is the repetitive use of the phrase "Yeah, yeah. Ok" And every variation. Past the point of annoying and right to aggravating.😡 I haven't decided if the ending should be on the Cons list... I can't come to terms with my feelings on it. I have questions. 👍I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good Horror Fantasy. Oh, and I forgot to tell you... There's a twist 😲

3.5 rounded up. I enjoyed this, but I definitely agree with others that a lot of this has been done before. Strong IT vibes and a little bit of House of Leaves. It did have some super creepy moments though.