The Staircase in the Woods

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 (SO FAR)

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. . . .

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Published Apr 29, 2025

400 pages

Average rating: 6.98

41 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *The Staircase in the Woods* offers a gripping, creepy supernatural tale with strong themes of friendship, guilt, and trauma, often likene...

BMC
Oct 10, 2025
9/10 stars
New fear unlocked: staircases in weird places.
Andrea-The Shelf Life Books
Jul 03, 2025
8/10 stars
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.
Alice63
Oct 19, 2025
6/10 stars
I feel pays were drawn out a little. At times it reminded me a little of Rose Red. I enjoyed the book, but the ending sucked!
allmimsyweretheborogoves
Sep 12, 2025
9/10 stars
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.
Hartfullofbooks
Sep 05, 2025
7/10 stars
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.

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