Review of The Staircase in the Woods

Blurb: A group of friends investigates the mystery of a strange staircase in the woods.

While on a camping trip, five high-schoolers bound by an oath to always protect one another discover something in the middle of the forest: a mysterious staircase to nowhere. One friend climbs up but does not come back down. Then the staircase disappears. Twenty years later it reappears, and the friends return to find the lost boy—and what lies beyond the staircase.

Review: Twenty years ago, a group of five teenagers went into the woods for the weekend and only four came back out. Their friend Matty disappeared up a strange staircase in the woods. Nick brings the remaining friends together after they all had went their separate ways in life. He's found another staircase, and they have a chance to make things right by finding their missing friend. Except where the staircase takes them is a trap near impossible to escape.

I've never read a Chuck Wendig book before. How did I miss this awesome author? The Staircase in the Woods is a wonderful twist on the haunted house trope in horror novels. This trope is one of my favorites, and I love how it was transformed into something that felt new and unusual. I've always been fascinated by haunted houses. The majority of my dreams involve an unusual house. Sometimes haunted, sometimes infinite, and most of the time, both.

I also loved that this book is based on the real phenomena of staircases in the woods. (Google it. It's fun!) They're magical and weird and are they portals to different dimensions? Of course, the staircases are mostly just remnants of houses that once stood, but their presence evokes strange feelings from people.

The story jumps back and forth between the past and present. Back when the group of friends were young and Matty went missing, and modern day. It's reminiscent of a Stephen King novel with its creepiness, vivid details, and great characterization. The characters are many layered, and they're real. No stereotypes or typical hero types. Real people fighting against the evil and dealing with the trauma of their pasts.

You can find Chuck Wendig on his site and buy the book here.