A Key to Treehouse Living is a very unusual book and I like unusual things so I couldn’t wait to dive in. The plot begins with ten-year-old William Tyce. William’s mother died when he was little and his father took him to stay with his uncle and never came back for him. His uncle is rarely around so he spends most of his time on his own, although he did build him a treehouse.

Through a glossary of words in alphabetical order (although only by the first letter, the order of those words beginning with the same letter can come in any order), William tells the reader the story of his life beginning with Absence.

I’ve never read a book like it. Part of me felt like I was reading an encyclopedia or a non-fiction book, whilst another part was enjoying how the story was laid out and intrigued to learn how each word fitted into William’s life.

The way in which the book is written has you getting inside the main character’s head as he shares his thoughts with you. It was engaging and fascinating the way William shared his life and the way he viewed his past and how it has affected his present. Just imagine getting inside the head of a child!

The book is certainly like riding an emotional roller coaster as we share some fun times as well as some sad times with William, all are very important to him. As William ages, the words become more drawn out and richer in detail.

I feel that the author has taken a very big risk in the way he has written the book. I also feel that readers will find this book a bit like Marmite – they will either love it or hate it. I personally found it a breath of fresh air. Would I read a book like this again? Probably not. Did I enjoy the story? Most definitely.

Elliot Reed received his MFA from the University of Florida in Gainesville and is currently living in Spokane, Washington.