Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 328pgs
The Story
Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.
Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.
Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.
Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.
Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.
Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.
Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.
The Review
I've been meaning to start a Victoria Schwab book for quite some time now, especially with her debut The Near Witch. But I have to say I'm pretty glad that I started with this one instead. I mean, just by reading the synopsis alone and checking out the book's gorgeous cover, you're immediately drawn to this fictional and yet very creative world of Schwab's and come on anything to do with books, librarians, death, dimension-type places with very present characters to relate to . . . it's almost like a dream come true for readers like myself.
I won't be the first to admit that THE ARCHIVED was definitely a very different book compared most I've read in the past. But that's the beauty of it really because it had this Doctor Who vibe about it and don't get me wrong here, whether you're a fan of it or not, there are still plenty of aspects to be wowed by and I love how the author took risks with her book. It was definitely a wonderful little treat this book especially when it comes to the characters inside of it.
Our main protagonist, Mackenzie Bishop, is such a solid character. She's interesting, spunky, straightforward, surprisingly normal (well mostly normal), and stays completely true to herself as a person which is rare to find in our leading characters lately. At least that's how it felt for me. I mean, sure, Mackenzie makes some pretty silly decisions at a certain points in the book and may trust the wrong people, but ultimately she is still a strong character who can hold her own in many dangerous and complicated situations, and I just love reading all about her little adventures that she goes on when it comes to THE ARCHIVED world. It's just so . . . interesting.
Then there's that boy Wesley freakin' Ayers! At first I wasn't entirely sure about Wesley's character because he was all mysterious and strange for the most part, but once he and Mackenzie meet and begin interacting with each other and once his own secrets are gradually revealed, I couldn't help but love Wesley for being such a goof and boy I wanted more from him. He was like the comic relief in the book and thank god for it. And . . . he was genuinely charming too and has spiked black hair AND has guyliner which gives him a big old tick in my books. Wes, on a whole, was such a sweetheart and I'm looking forward to reading more about him in the next upcoming sequel.
Overall, THE ARCHIVED definitely sets up a great start to a YA series and I'm delighted to say I'll be reading plenty more from this author because I love her work already!
The Rating
4 1/2 / 5 stars