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The Forgotten Staircase
About the book:
Journey into the realms of the human psyche; “The Forgotten Staircase” blurs the line between reality and the surreal. This chilling psychological thriller beckons readers to explore the darkest corners of their minds, where nightmares take on a life of their own.
Jade’s daily life is filled with personal horrors from a past she has been too afraid to explore, until now. Her trauma-fueled night terrors are vivid, haunting, and inexplicably real. As Jade ventures deeper into the labyrinth of her subconscious, she unravels a disturbing tapestry of twisted family secrets, each more unsettling than the last.
With every turn of the page, it takes readers on a heart-pounding odyssey through the fragmented landscapes of Jade’s dreamscape. These nightmarish visions grip the reader with an icy hand, refusing to let go.
As the line between dreams and reality blurs, Jade grapples with the ghostly remnants of her past, the oppressive presence (and absence) of her mother, and a malevolent force that seeks to destroy her sanity. Her journey becomes a race against time as her own fragile grasp on reality crumbles.
“The Forgotten Staircase” is an exploration of the human mind’s capacity for both beauty and terror. It dives deep into the emotional undercurrents that shape our realities and asks the question: Can we ever truly escape our past?
Jade has nightmares. Bad ones. The kind you don't just "wake up" from. After waking to find herself inexplicably committed to a mental institution, she fears the only person she can trust is an attractive female doctor with an unconventional treatment style. But Jade also has a secret hidden inside her, something even she doesn't know... until now. Would you want to know the truth no matter how terrifying?
Journey into the realms of the human psyche; “The Forgotten Staircase” blurs the line between reality and the surreal. This chilling psychological thriller beckons readers to explore the darkest corners of their minds, where nightmares take on a life of their own.
Jade’s daily life is filled with personal horrors from a past she has been too afraid to explore, until now. Her trauma-fueled night terrors are vivid, haunting, and inexplicably real. As Jade ventures deeper into the labyrinth of her subconscious, she unravels a disturbing tapestry of twisted family secrets, each more unsettling than the last.
With every turn of the page, it takes readers on a heart-pounding odyssey through the fragmented landscapes of Jade’s dreamscape. These nightmarish visions grip the reader with an icy hand, refusing to let go.
As the line between dreams and reality blurs, Jade grapples with the ghostly remnants of her past, the oppressive presence (and absence) of her mother, and a malevolent force that seeks to destroy her sanity. Her journey becomes a race against time as her own fragile grasp on reality crumbles.
“The Forgotten Staircase” is an exploration of the human mind’s capacity for both beauty and terror. It dives deep into the emotional undercurrents that shape our realities and asks the question: Can we ever truly escape our past?
Jade has nightmares. Bad ones. The kind you don't just "wake up" from. After waking to find herself inexplicably committed to a mental institution, she fears the only person she can trust is an attractive female doctor with an unconventional treatment style. But Jade also has a secret hidden inside her, something even she doesn't know... until now. Would you want to know the truth no matter how terrifying?
307 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2023
91 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
Willow Zane
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 1, 2025
The Forgotten Staircase by Willow Zane is a mystery thriller / psychological horror with some wild-ass twists and turns throughout. Willow is a brilliant storyteller.
THERE ARE NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: child abuse, assault, sexual abuse, rape, murder, manipulation, torture, suicide, mutilation and slavery.
Pre-Read:
//I've been reading so many non-fiction books lately that I really need something to clean my palette. This will do nicely. I'm not sure what to expect from it, though. We will see.//
Review:
"Journey into the realms of the human psyche; “The Forgotten Staircase” blurs the line between reality and the surreal. This chilling psychological thriller beckons readers to explore the darkest corners of their minds, where nightmares take on a life of their own." — the GoodReads website for the book.
Jade has terrible, vivid dreams that she sometimes records in her dream book in a creative abstract way, whether it be a poem or a picture. Her dreams seem to be more than just dreams though, they seem to be her frightening past unlocking piece by piece. But how will Jade know what is real and what is a dream of everything is so damned vivid? And unlocking her past and trauma seems to be unlocking some dark family secrets, each one more dramatic than the last.
— Woah.
I was caught off guard multiple times by the fantastic plot and easy to read story.
This doesn't happen that often, I find a lot of horrors boring and hard to keep me entertained but this book didn't have that issue. It was clear and precise without any major errors and I didn't find myself pulled out of the story for anything but my actual life — apparently time doesn't freeze in real life when you're reading a really good book, it just feels that way.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Since Willow Zane is a new author there isn't a lot known about her, however we do know that she lives in the United States of America and her writing style is pensive and intense while still remaining readable to its readers.
Willow Zane works wonders with with this creative plot, the twists And turns sneaking up on you, just like the characters in this. Watching each character grow and fall into the plot is a masterpiece to watch; you never know what's coming from character to characters they'll surprise you until the very end of the book.
It ended way too soon for me and I would definitely read this again, it's already added to my "to buy" wishlist and I would recommend this to anyone into pyschologically suspenseful writing.
THERE ARE NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: child abuse, assault, sexual abuse, rape, murder, manipulation, torture, suicide, mutilation and slavery.
Pre-Read:
//I've been reading so many non-fiction books lately that I really need something to clean my palette. This will do nicely. I'm not sure what to expect from it, though. We will see.//
Review:
"Journey into the realms of the human psyche; “The Forgotten Staircase” blurs the line between reality and the surreal. This chilling psychological thriller beckons readers to explore the darkest corners of their minds, where nightmares take on a life of their own." — the GoodReads website for the book.
Jade has terrible, vivid dreams that she sometimes records in her dream book in a creative abstract way, whether it be a poem or a picture. Her dreams seem to be more than just dreams though, they seem to be her frightening past unlocking piece by piece. But how will Jade know what is real and what is a dream of everything is so damned vivid? And unlocking her past and trauma seems to be unlocking some dark family secrets, each one more dramatic than the last.
— Woah.
I was caught off guard multiple times by the fantastic plot and easy to read story.
This doesn't happen that often, I find a lot of horrors boring and hard to keep me entertained but this book didn't have that issue. It was clear and precise without any major errors and I didn't find myself pulled out of the story for anything but my actual life — apparently time doesn't freeze in real life when you're reading a really good book, it just feels that way.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Since Willow Zane is a new author there isn't a lot known about her, however we do know that she lives in the United States of America and her writing style is pensive and intense while still remaining readable to its readers.
Willow Zane works wonders with with this creative plot, the twists And turns sneaking up on you, just like the characters in this. Watching each character grow and fall into the plot is a masterpiece to watch; you never know what's coming from character to characters they'll surprise you until the very end of the book.
It ended way too soon for me and I would definitely read this again, it's already added to my "to buy" wishlist and I would recommend this to anyone into pyschologically suspenseful writing.
August 12, 2024
This was a very emotional read for me, it's dark, but it's a necessary darkness. As Jade's nightmares and reality become blurred she has to try and discover what she's locked inside her to survive. This one took me a little longer to read, processing all the emotions the author was able to make you feel throughout the story.
September 25, 2024
Really had me lost at first and I lost interest quite a few times, but after I focused on what I was reading it turned out to be a great book!
August 18, 2025
Look, I don't like it when books have stereotypical elements like a super passive aggressive, well-off mother taking her shit out on a damaged, fragile adult child. Because it's like, dude, can you not, but also, that's my heart you're messing with now. So yeah, fair warning: Willow gives us one of those and she's a right proper monster. And 100% believable.
...And she's not even in the top three monsters of the book, all of whom you've probably walked past at some point in your life and thought, 'huh, wonder what they did to be so successful at life?'
Anyway, Jade's got issues. She's agoraphobic; she's deluded; she has a history of pretty much every self-destructive tendency you can imagine. But hey, at least she has a cat. It can't be all that bad, can it?
And she has a therapist. A really devoted one. So that's good too.
What she doesn't have is a chance in hell of surviving the sheer amount of crap her existence piles upon her, which is why she spends quite a lot of time in her own head. Lovely...until even that detachment from reality proves to be haunted by all the ghosts she can't remember, only sense in whiffs of this aroma or glimpses of that colour. It's all very Hitchcockian and I fucking loved it.
Didn't so much love the odd tendency to use full stops in dialogue before dialogue tags but eh, between that and a few oh-no-you-didn't shifts in perspective where Willow failed to trust her own writing chops, I'm really digging deep for criticism there.
So there you go. Caveat lector and all that. This book's fucking not right and it's disturbing in its surgically acute catharsis, but it absolutely respects your time, attention, and investment.
And no, I'm going to tell you what happens to the cat. Or maybe I just did.
...And she's not even in the top three monsters of the book, all of whom you've probably walked past at some point in your life and thought, 'huh, wonder what they did to be so successful at life?'
Anyway, Jade's got issues. She's agoraphobic; she's deluded; she has a history of pretty much every self-destructive tendency you can imagine. But hey, at least she has a cat. It can't be all that bad, can it?
And she has a therapist. A really devoted one. So that's good too.
What she doesn't have is a chance in hell of surviving the sheer amount of crap her existence piles upon her, which is why she spends quite a lot of time in her own head. Lovely...until even that detachment from reality proves to be haunted by all the ghosts she can't remember, only sense in whiffs of this aroma or glimpses of that colour. It's all very Hitchcockian and I fucking loved it.
Didn't so much love the odd tendency to use full stops in dialogue before dialogue tags but eh, between that and a few oh-no-you-didn't shifts in perspective where Willow failed to trust her own writing chops, I'm really digging deep for criticism there.
So there you go. Caveat lector and all that. This book's fucking not right and it's disturbing in its surgically acute catharsis, but it absolutely respects your time, attention, and investment.
And no, I'm going to tell you what happens to the cat. Or maybe I just did.
October 9, 2024
twists and turns kept me up all night reading
This book isn’t for the faint of heart.
At its core, this book, to me, is about how hard it is for femme bodied people navigating the mental health care system and how they are mocked and ignored, belittled and gaslit by medical professionals and people in their lives who should help but don’t. Can’t. Won’t.
How when you’re neglected and abused so badly by people who should DO and BE better, any offering of help seems like a lifeline, even against one’s better or repressed judgement.
The author’s writing cuts straight to an emotional quick, we experience Jade’s life with her moment to moment, rather than through a lot of dialogue. Her visual imagery and the emotional lyricism in her writing left me wanting more, and that plus some tiny tweaks to editing are my only complaint.
A somewhat chill start gives way to a bold, intense, hallucination of a novel that reminds me most of Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, Gothika, A Cure for Wellness, and Girl, Interrupted. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking and transgressive and even with Jade’s descent into madness, still horrifically real to those of us who unfortunately have tread similar paths to Jade’s.
If that subject sounds good to you, you will be beautifully eviscerated by this read.
I loved it, and I hope those of us who understand a character like Jade find the peace you deserve in life, and a soul pet like Swifty to help us push through.
This book isn’t for the faint of heart.
At its core, this book, to me, is about how hard it is for femme bodied people navigating the mental health care system and how they are mocked and ignored, belittled and gaslit by medical professionals and people in their lives who should help but don’t. Can’t. Won’t.
How when you’re neglected and abused so badly by people who should DO and BE better, any offering of help seems like a lifeline, even against one’s better or repressed judgement.
The author’s writing cuts straight to an emotional quick, we experience Jade’s life with her moment to moment, rather than through a lot of dialogue. Her visual imagery and the emotional lyricism in her writing left me wanting more, and that plus some tiny tweaks to editing are my only complaint.
A somewhat chill start gives way to a bold, intense, hallucination of a novel that reminds me most of Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, Gothika, A Cure for Wellness, and Girl, Interrupted. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking and transgressive and even with Jade’s descent into madness, still horrifically real to those of us who unfortunately have tread similar paths to Jade’s.
If that subject sounds good to you, you will be beautifully eviscerated by this read.
I loved it, and I hope those of us who understand a character like Jade find the peace you deserve in life, and a soul pet like Swifty to help us push through.
March 27, 2025
From the very beginning, you will want to save Jade.
You cannot save Jade.
Jade has to do that herself.
There is so much I want to say about The Forgotten Staircase, but so much of it becomes complicated or trite-sounding without explicit spoilers, but I'm going to do my very best to relate just how much you need to read this book without ruining anything. OK? OK. Let's go.
The Forgotten Staircase is an emotional and disturbing journey through several different aspects and levels of the mental health system, with a very traumatised individual as both its focus and its lens. You will spend most of the story cheerleading for Jade to get better and find peace, but also wish you could just step in and sweep the obstacles from her path on her behalf--this temptation is a trap, and a key theme in the storytelling. When you're unwell, people can help or harm you, and it can be difficult to tell which they might do. Jade's judgment becomes increasingly compromised on this point by being trapped in the complicated and opaque system of state-mandated mental health stays.
The narrative moves between dream, delusion, and reality with a fluidity that will make you question whether Jade is capable of telling the truth--to herself, her therapists, or you, the reader. There are elements of magical realism to Jade's shifts in perception, as she slides from one state to another, and you will go along with her, wondering how to get back to the "real" world, or if she's already there and just unaware of it.
My one criticism overall is that the climax and denouement are very rushed compared to the long build-up of the rest of the plot and the exploration of Jade's internal life and external circumstances. While this is necessary for the story to end in a satisfying (and honestly realistic) manner, it does feel like both aspects of Jade's recovery could have been explored in a bit more detail.
P.S. For those who worry about animals in thrillers:
You cannot save Jade.
Jade has to do that herself.
There is so much I want to say about The Forgotten Staircase, but so much of it becomes complicated or trite-sounding without explicit spoilers, but I'm going to do my very best to relate just how much you need to read this book without ruining anything. OK? OK. Let's go.
The Forgotten Staircase is an emotional and disturbing journey through several different aspects and levels of the mental health system, with a very traumatised individual as both its focus and its lens. You will spend most of the story cheerleading for Jade to get better and find peace, but also wish you could just step in and sweep the obstacles from her path on her behalf--this temptation is a trap, and a key theme in the storytelling. When you're unwell, people can help or harm you, and it can be difficult to tell which they might do. Jade's judgment becomes increasingly compromised on this point by being trapped in the complicated and opaque system of state-mandated mental health stays.
The narrative moves between dream, delusion, and reality with a fluidity that will make you question whether Jade is capable of telling the truth--to herself, her therapists, or you, the reader. There are elements of magical realism to Jade's shifts in perception, as she slides from one state to another, and you will go along with her, wondering how to get back to the "real" world, or if she's already there and just unaware of it.
My one criticism overall is that the climax and denouement are very rushed compared to the long build-up of the rest of the plot and the exploration of Jade's internal life and external circumstances. While this is necessary for the story to end in a satisfying (and honestly realistic) manner, it does feel like both aspects of Jade's recovery could have been explored in a bit more detail.
P.S. For those who worry about animals in thrillers:
June 25, 2024
A brave and insightful book.
This is a somewhat disturbing book to read. It is, however, a well thought out and intimate look at mental illness. Jade is not a character you will soon forget, nor should you. The events that shaped her life are heartbreaking to read as you discover over time the horrid bits and pieces imposed on her by those who should have been her protectors. I did notice that while the book has many ratings, it had few actual reviews. This might simply be that readers are unsure how to address even talking about mental illness. I would have liked to have seen even a few true glimmers of hope interspersed throughout the story to keep the reader from falling into total despair and not giving up on her. What I do hope other readers take away from Jade's story is that when you don't think you have nothing more to lose, reach inside yourself because sometimes the bravest you meet in the dark of life might be your own self.
This is a somewhat disturbing book to read. It is, however, a well thought out and intimate look at mental illness. Jade is not a character you will soon forget, nor should you. The events that shaped her life are heartbreaking to read as you discover over time the horrid bits and pieces imposed on her by those who should have been her protectors. I did notice that while the book has many ratings, it had few actual reviews. This might simply be that readers are unsure how to address even talking about mental illness. I would have liked to have seen even a few true glimmers of hope interspersed throughout the story to keep the reader from falling into total despair and not giving up on her. What I do hope other readers take away from Jade's story is that when you don't think you have nothing more to lose, reach inside yourself because sometimes the bravest you meet in the dark of life might be your own self.
December 14, 2024
This is definitely a darker book; however, it definitely is an easy read. It's also emotional. Unfortunately, this is one of those books that is really good until it isn't. The twist wasn't quite what I would've imagined, but it was predictable.
The ending seemed rushed. There's a lot of buildup and suspense until there wasn't. It seemed like the author wanted the book to just end. As a reader, you want a happy ending, but it didn't feel organic.
Was this an easy read? Yes. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. Is it worth the read? I wouldn't recommend it. If you need a buffer book to throw in the mix, this would be fine, but it's not something amazing or bad.
The ending seemed rushed. There's a lot of buildup and suspense until there wasn't. It seemed like the author wanted the book to just end. As a reader, you want a happy ending, but it didn't feel organic.
Was this an easy read? Yes. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. Is it worth the read? I wouldn't recommend it. If you need a buffer book to throw in the mix, this would be fine, but it's not something amazing or bad.
March 27, 2024
Great book!
Well developed characters, along with an outstanding plot = winner! This is my favorite passage in the book (no spoilers!):
To her, people had woven themselves into a web of consciousness stretching from birth to death. Everyone was tied to everyone else, and the will of the masses decided the movement of the web. She could no more change the course of humanity than a single stone could stop the path of a river.
A fine example of Willow Zane's stunning ability to write.
Well developed characters, along with an outstanding plot = winner! This is my favorite passage in the book (no spoilers!):
To her, people had woven themselves into a web of consciousness stretching from birth to death. Everyone was tied to everyone else, and the will of the masses decided the movement of the web. She could no more change the course of humanity than a single stone could stop the path of a river.
A fine example of Willow Zane's stunning ability to write.
July 16, 2025
A harrowing tale of abuse and mental illness. Sometimes set in a fever-dream landscape the reader must wade through to learn all the secrets. It’s not the kind of book you’ll exactly enjoy reading, but one that you’ll be glad you did. It pulls no punches and leaves you feeling breathless at times. Some parts are exceptionally ugly, some parts are exceedingly beautiful. Not for the faint of heart, but a great read in the end. Those suffering the trauma of child abuse themselves will perhaps find it too triggering.
August 11, 2024
The Forgotten Staircase is one of those reads that keeps you up at night, stressing about the characters and wondering how the hell they're going to get out of their situation.
Centred on Jade, a mentally ill woman who is struggling to bury her past, The Forgotten Staircase explores the harsh realities of an underfunded mental health system - ill-equipped to protect its residents.
When Jade is preyed upon by those meant to protect her, she is forced to confront that which she'd tried so hard to leave behind.
The result is a whirlwind of torment, that broke my heart and kept me reading even when I really should have gone to bed!
I recommend this book to anyone who liked See Jane Run!!
Centred on Jade, a mentally ill woman who is struggling to bury her past, The Forgotten Staircase explores the harsh realities of an underfunded mental health system - ill-equipped to protect its residents.
When Jade is preyed upon by those meant to protect her, she is forced to confront that which she'd tried so hard to leave behind.
The result is a whirlwind of torment, that broke my heart and kept me reading even when I really should have gone to bed!
I recommend this book to anyone who liked See Jane Run!!
August 26, 2024
Started Slow but Picked Up
“The Forgotten Staircase” was a book that I started but almost did not finish. It started very slow, in my opinion. Starting with chapter 9, Willow Zane hits her stride. The book suddenly mashes the accelerator and never lets up.
Part Gothic mystery and part psychological horror, I recommend “The Forgotten Staircase” as it turned out to be an excellent tale!
“The Forgotten Staircase” was a book that I started but almost did not finish. It started very slow, in my opinion. Starting with chapter 9, Willow Zane hits her stride. The book suddenly mashes the accelerator and never lets up.
Part Gothic mystery and part psychological horror, I recommend “The Forgotten Staircase” as it turned out to be an excellent tale!
March 4, 2025
Haunting
Willow Zane will take you on a haunting ride into the human psyche.
The twists and turns in this book as you follow Jade's story will keep you turning the pages.
The emotions you feel along with Jade are ones I will not forget, struggling with mental illnesses is not easy and not having a support system makes it even harder.
This was a great read and I highly recommended it.
Willow Zane will take you on a haunting ride into the human psyche.
The twists and turns in this book as you follow Jade's story will keep you turning the pages.
The emotions you feel along with Jade are ones I will not forget, struggling with mental illnesses is not easy and not having a support system makes it even harder.
This was a great read and I highly recommended it.
February 8, 2025
I found myself fully invested in this psychological thriller and the main character Jade, who I won't forget any time soon. The mental health aspects are well done and it's a heartbreaking story. I had so much hope for Jade and needed her to be okay. The writing is excellent. It's definitely a story that will stay with me.
December 9, 2025
I won't be forgetting this one any time soon. The horror version of a mental asylum with constant sexual assault connotations and dehumanising activities really hits, the writer has a very interesting and dark imagination. I was very uncomfortable for a large duration of the book, exactly as intended. Reminded me a little of Stephen King
March 27, 2024
A very emotional and difficult story to get through. Not for anyone who struggles reading about mental illness or abuse. Its hard to say I enjoyed the book but was worth the read and admire the main character and all she's been through. Amazingly well written. 👌
December 8, 2024
Insightful and aluminating.
I felt the book gave an insight to the day to day thoughts of an agoraphobia patient and how she was misdiagnosed as a child, how she tried to cope being labeled as a troubled, and eventually working though her dreams
I felt the book gave an insight to the day to day thoughts of an agoraphobia patient and how she was misdiagnosed as a child, how she tried to cope being labeled as a troubled, and eventually working though her dreams
October 5, 2025
Great story, extremely detailed and well written... for 82% of the entire book. The last 18% flew by and wrapped everything up in a neat little bow. This book had so much potential. Unfortunately, it was wasted on a forced and hasty ending.
December 31, 2024
An amazing read! Heart wrenching and heart stopping! Well written and totally absorbing, a topic that unfortunately exists in our world. Highly recommended.
May 21, 2025
This book is like riding a roller coaster, starting slow and then speed up with twists and turns. Jade is a girl with a troubled past whose friend is her pet cat and doesn't like to go out in public unless she really has to. Her mother is quite overbearing who doesn't understand Jade's mental illness and her doctor appears to be a very understanding psychiatrist. All is not what it seems as you are drawn into a world most of us will never have want to enter. It's a good psychological read.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews