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In 1998, five friends walk in to the woods and only four walk out; after a mysterious staircase appears, one friend walks up it and never comes back down. Now, 20 years later, the friends have gathered around the staircase again, giving them an opportunity to right their wrongs.

Crossing between reality and unreality, it can be hard to tell what’s up and what’s down in this new horror from Wendig. I was utterly hooked in the beginning but by about 40%, I began losing steam. Even though we were finally getting to the meat of the story, it dragged and felt repetitive and the characters' constant bickering between each other grew tiring. It’s also difficult to read Wendig without feeling like he’s trying to push some political agenda on you; it’s a common thread through his books. However, while many people despise it, I don’t find that it bothers me but it is definitely noticeable.

Out of all of his books that I have read�The Book of Accidents, Wanderers, Black River Orchard—I think this one is my least favorite. Still, The Staircase in the Woods is an interesting take on a classic horror trope and it is written well in typical Wendig fashion. I think that many readers will absolutely love it and I would still recommend it even though it wasn't a slam dunk for me.

Thank you Random House for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Available Apr 29 2025