A review by goodbyerachel
The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig

dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

My initial response to this book is to applaud whoever wrote the synopsis. It immediately piques your interest - a staircase just appearing in the middle of the woods? Horror fans are going to want to pick this up. BUT it does not give away the game of the book and that created just a very fun reading experience for me where I was constantly surprised and on the edge of my seat (and also saying “wtf is going on”[positive]). 

So in that vein I am pretty limited in my review to not spoil the twists and turns. But STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS was what I have come to expect from Chuck. It’s a little less weird and wild than BLACK RIVIER ORCHARD but that’s a high bar. 

The spirit of this book made me think of IT as we have this group of friends who fell apart coming back together and the joy and complicated emotions that come with it. These characters are not perfect and it was fascinating to go through this reunion primarily with Owen and Lore’s POV and the baggage that comes from childhood friendships. 

One part that I will tag as a spoiler but when it clicked into my head while reading I truly felt that Chuck must really have spent such time fleshing out this story even outside the pages.
But I was just so pleased when we acknowledged these folks trapped in a murder haunted house NEEDED to rotate through some rooms to find themselves some showers and toilets. I feel like so much media be it movies, tv, or books don’t acknowledge stuff like so it felt all the more immersive and emphasized the length of time spent there.


Lots of enjoyment. I thought about this book throughout my day excited to pick it up again. Lots of  CW though but most instances are brief.  
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