Lost in a Good Book

Published: 5 September 2023 (print)/5 September 2023 (audio)
Publisher: Macmillan Australia/Macmillan Australia Audio
Pages: 272/1 hr and 37 mins
Narrator: Stig Wemyss
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Junior Fiction
★   ★   ★   ★ – 4 Stars

Now, Andy and Terry have built their biggest and most astonishing treehouse yet! It has everything they – and you – could wish for, including an electric pony stable, a Santa Land, a NOISY level, a kangaroo-riding range, a weather dome (where you can have whatever weather you want whenever you want it), a 100% edible gingerbread house and a potato-powered translation transmitter that allows you to talk to everything everywhere all at the same time.

There’s also a hall of funhouse mirrors, which is the perfect place to hide from Mr Bunkoff who is trying to catch Andy, Terry and Jill in order to send them to SCHOOL.

But Anti-Andy, Terrible Terry and Junkyard Jill, their trouble-making opposites, are trapped in one of the mirrors – and they want out. (Oh, and Mr Big Nose wants them to write their book … RIGHT NOW.)
Well, what are you waiting for? Can our heroes escape school, do battle with their doppelgangers AND meet their book deadline? Come on up to find out! 

After thirteen books the Treehouse series has come to an end. It doesn’t feel that long ago since The 13-Storey Treehouse came out, but here we are thirteen books later and it’s all over. After a rocky previous book I was so glad this one was back on point. It was funny, it had classic Andy and Terry bits, classic absurd logic while still being realistic in universe, and a great new set of levels to enjoy.

I enjoyed the throwback to a level full of Santa clones, a nice reminder of the slightly forgettable 156-Storey book. There is also a fun level with a treehouse in the treehouse. I would like to see a giant wall sized poster of each level because a treehouse level could be an open flat landing, or it could be an enclosed space with rooms, I have seen both through this series so it would be nice to see a definitive look now that we’re finished.

After thirteen books of antics it’s finally addressed that these kids should be in school. The principal is the typical adult who is loud and unreasonable. I enjoyed the depiction of school as something strange and unwelcoming. As it’s described to the trio it isn’t that far from the truth, but it is also described in a way that would be unappealing to those used to running free. It would definitely be a fun read for kids currently being forced to attend school against their wishes.

One of the new features I loved was the WHATEVER-THE-WEATHER-YOU-WANT dome. What makes Griffiths’ writing great is the way Andy and Terry play off one another and this new storey was a perfect example. The banter and bickering between them starts off funny, goes on long enough to keep being funny, but stops just shy of becoming too much. There is an unspoken self-awareness of how long Terry’s ineptitude should be and Griffith balances it great in the book.

A reoccurring theme is signage, the use of signage, and Terry’s inability to follow signage. A great repeating gag that works well. Terry’s antics are fun as stand alones, but there is something fun about an ongoing joke, especially when executed well as Griffith usually does.

There is a lot of use of the new levels, I always find it more interesting to have new levels introduced and them being used. Nothing worse than adding thirteen new levels and have them never seen again. I know some of them don’t always add to the plot and are very nonsensical, but a few books in the past have made good use of them into the plot and this is another great example. The mirror trio that come to cause trouble are fun and it’s interesting the way the opposites are shown.

One of the joyful things about the Treehouse series is how it defies logic while also having its own set of rules for their universe. Flying cats, aliens, translators that work for animals, and cloning machines make sense in the forest but rules like injuries and gravity do still apply.

Stig’s voice shines through as he narrates the host of characters in this story. I will miss his exasperated tones as Andy and his befuddlement as Terry. Not to mention his wonderful way of bringing the illustrations to life with his chatter from the various creatures Denton draws on the page.

After thirteen books it’s a little sad to see this series come to an end but in true Andy and Terry form it’s an entertaining conclusion to the series. The formula remains and is integrated into the plot remarkably well, it’s hardly noticeable. We get a final Mr Big Nose book, a great additional break in the fourth wall, antic, chaos, a lot of laughs, and an ending that makes you know the trio will be living their best Treehouse lives in the forest.

You can purchase The 169-Storey Treehouse via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Dymocks

Wordery | Angus and Robinson | Blackwell’s

 Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible