The Archived

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

5 out of 5 gnomes

The Archived gives History a whole new meaning. This is such an intriguing book with its plentiful flashbacks, insight into a grieving family, and a fantastical secret world. Mackenzie Bishop’s character is truly complex and will have you rooting for her to succeed.

This book also has a wholly unique explanation for what happens/where people go when they die. As the tag line of the book states, “Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.” If you’re anything like I am then what you imagine after hearing that phrase is both fascinating yet terrifying. The real explanation used in the world of The Archived is both creepy and cool. While reading I always had kind of a foreboding feeling about the Archive and especially The Narrows (I don’t know about you but narrow hallways and hundreds of doors would creep me out, not to mention you never know what kind of History you’re going to run in to).

Being a full-time Library Assistant, I love seeing how Librarians are portrayed in fiction. The Librarians in the Archive are an interesting bunch and like Mac. I’m also a fan of Roland because of how much he helps her in the book and of course a rule breaking Librarian is always a lot of fun.

Mac’s training and talking about her Da (grandfather) as seen in flashbacks is very well done and helps the structure of the story. These flashbacks have a bit of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer feel to them and always fall in a way that helps add to the tension of the story.

There’s so much depth to these characters and it feels like there are plenty of stories left to tell. The Coronado where her family now lives feels like a character in the story too, the old building really helps set up an old school mysterious type atmosphere. The residents that you do meet are all unique and or weird.

It’s refreshing to see her parents as a part of the story. They are all grieving and her parents grieve in ways that are pretty much polar opposites. Her mom is high energy always almost maniacally fake happy while her dad is quiet and low energy. Through all this though they are there for each other as a family and you can tell that they love each other.

I adore Mac and Wesley and the fact that they don’t have an insta-love connection. Their friendship feels realistic and they have great chemistry. Their partnership is fun because she’d definitely the serious one while he’s more charming/goofy. They work so well because they ground each other and find that they have a lot in common.

The ending was full of WOW moments for me. I actually had more than one moment in the book where I found myself gasping because I couldn’t believe what had just happened. The mysteries and secrets all culminate in to one heck of an ending. I cannot wait to read this sequel and jump back into the world of The Archived.

They really shouldn't make this show up immediately after the last page on the kindle because all I can think is "So Good!!!" And "Mooooooore! Now!"

I read this in one sitting. It is exciting and gritty and balanced. The characters actually resemble people and react like people! I loved this book so much! Highly recommend to everyone!

TW: sibling death

Victoria Schwab pretty much never fails to make me fall in love with her books. Ever. I'm not kidding. If you look back to my post about favorite authors, you'll see she qualifies as an instabuy author, and with good reason.

Anyways, that said, time for me to wax poetic, huh?

This book punches hard.

I almost wasn't ready, not really. I was expecting fun, sort of ghosty and occasionally perilous adventures. There is that, yes, but there's also a big dose of grief. This isn't just a story about making sure the dead stay dead. It's about mourning, coping. Mac, the main character, isn't just trying to live up to her dead grandfather's legacy. She's trying to cope with her little brother's tragic death at the same time. That was what hit me hardest as the oldest child of three: the main character's little brother died, and I couldn't help but think of my own siblings and how hard it would be to lose either one of them. I cried maybe more than I'd like to admit while reading The Archived purely because of that. It was emotional and it hit home like very few things I've read.

And when I wasn't getting all choked up, I was in awe of the characters and the world. Everything is so multifaceted and full. The characters are flawed but still enjoyable. The roles they fill, particularly the job Mac has as a Keeper, are fascinating and incredibly creative, especially in the way they cause conflict, internal and external. The world itself, the second, hidden places of the Narrows and the Library were haunting and eerie but full of adventure. And best of all (look, some things I am always a sucker for), Mac has very cool powers.

Well, cool from a reading perspective. She can touch things and feel their emotional history, see it for herself. For her, this means a lot of pain, a lot of relying on a ring to block it out and create distance. It's not an ability I'd particularly like to have. But as a reader, it's absolutely an ability I'd like to see more of. Here, that skill drops Mac straight into the primary plot of the book via an old, old murder. I'd love to see how it could play out in other ways, murdery or not.

Really, the only faults I had with this book are, on the whole, small. I'm not typically fond of the "we just moved to a new place and I'm all alone" opening (though thank goodness this didn't go into first day of school nonsense, instead taking place over the summer), and that kept me from getting into the book properly until the Library and the Narrows were introduced, which is within the first third of the book. First fourth, even.

The other thing I didn't love was that the plot felt a touch predictable. I saw the antagonist coming a mile away, which ruined a little of the reveal. But take that with a grain of salt: I like pulling novels apart and racing the main characters to the conclusion, so that may just be me putting two and two together out of long habit.

Basically, if you like books with tough emotion, murder, ghostly goings-on, and a strong sense of family, this is an excellent candidate for your TBR. It has a lot of oomph to it that sometimes caught me by surprise and had me all teary-eyed, but it was soooooooo worth it.

I really liked The Archived, even though it started out a bit slow for me (which we'll get to later). Schwab tells a very interesting and unique story full of mystery, intrigue, loss and love.

Every single person has a story to tell and when you die, you become a History and the realm where you rest is called the Archive (which is basically a huge library where the dead rest on the shelves like books). Librarians are in charge at the Archive and they have the ability to "read" the dead, viewing their history in pictures. Sometimes Histories wake up, so we have Keepers who patrol the Narrows (the place that lies between the Outer and the Archive) to catch and return them to the Archive. Keepers, if they want, have the ability to become Crew and catch violent Histories that manage to escape to the Outer.

It's important that everyday folk don't find out about the Archive, because: a.) People need to grieve and eventually move on with their lives after their loved ones pass and b.) We don't want people trying to get to the Archive. So Mac has to constantly lie to her family and friends about the dangers she faces.

As you can see, Schwab has built a pretty intricate world here and world building takes time...so the first part of the book was a little confusing and kind of dragged for me. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I wasn't ever really bored and I never even considered giving up, but it took me longer than normal to get through the book. The confusion came from learning the intricacies of the world and the whole "Da" vs. "Dad". I seriously flipped back and forth several times trying to figure out if Da was Dad or if Dad was dead. Probably not the best idea to have such similar names for two characters (looks like numerous readers had this same problem).

I actually really enjoyed the main characters. I love books with strong female protagonists and Mac totally fits that mold. She's independent, strong, feisty and she gets the job done. Plus, she literally kicks ass...and that's always awesome. Wesley, even with his guyliner, grew on me too. He's obviously swoon worthy and he's generally a good guy. He's invested in Mac, but he lets her lead. And then there's Roland...the ChuckTaylor wearing Librarian, who in my mind looks a lot like David Tennant's version of Doctor Who. He doesn't always play by the rules, especially if there's something fishy going on. Schwab did a great job with characterization and character development. I was truly invested in their stories and wanted to see how they played out.

So if you are looking for an inventive book that's unique, original and actually really good (it kind of reminds me of one of my favorite Doctor Who episodes "Silence in the Library), then this one may be for you! I really enjoyed it and can't wait to check out more of Schwab's work.

"The dead are silent, and objects, when they hold impressions, are quiet until you reach through them. But the touch of the living is loud. Living people haven't been compiled, organized—which means they're a jumble of memory and thought and emotion, all tangled up and held at bay only by the silver band on my finger."

I loved this story so much. I am starting to fear the power in Schwab's fingers because magic and all-consuming stories are all that come out. The Archived is no different. She took me on another whirlwind of a ride but this time I was hunting Histories which are dead people that don't seem all that dead. I love that she can craft a tale from anything and have me devouring it whole. How does she do it you ask? I don't know and I don't care because I love it.

"The Narrows remind me of August nights in the South. They remind me of old rocks and places where the light can't reach. They remind me of smoke—the stale, settled kind—and of storms and damp earth."

The writing and beautiful prose in this book were breathtaking. Her writing in this book was so haunting and whimsical. I was intrigued and captivated from chapter one. The whole story had an air of mystery to it. I felt like I was trying to solve the dilemma with Mackenzie & Roland right along with them lol. Like pages 131-133 I was screaming who is to blame? What is happening? I don't trust Owen! My gut was right obviously but it was such a rush and I had many jaw-dropping OMG moments like with Carmen.

"The only thing the three places have in common," you say, "are doors. Doors in, and doors out. And doors need keys."

I loved how Victoria set up this world. Her world building is always phenomenal but this was amazing because it was three different place all in one book. The Outer is the regular world. The Narrows was an eerie, daunting, and nightmarish corridor place with different doors leading to different places. The Archive was a large, warm, peaceful place where the dead rest. I pictured it all yet all were so different and gave a different feeling.

"There's only one reason Keepers have the ability to read things," you say sternly. "It makes us better hunters. It helps us track down Histories."

Mac's job is a great aspect to the book. The job of a keeper is quite lonely. It's mysterious, tiring, dangerous, and loud. It was interesting seeing how Schwab handled the fact that when a keeper touches someone they see their memories and heard their noise. I really felt like I did too and I enjoyed that because it made it more real and daunting. It's a sad life though always having to lie even if it protects the ones we love so I felt that emotion as well from Mackenzie.

"No, I wouldn't. I wouldn't give anything. I wouldn't give the bond I had with Da. I wouldn't give the time I had with Ben's drawer. I wouldn't give Roland, and I wouldn't give the Archive, with its impossible light and the closest thing I've ever had to peace. This is all I have. This is all I am."

I really related to her love for her brother because that's how I am with my sister. If I was Mac and my sister suffered the same fate as Ben I would probably do a lot of what she did. Even though I don't have the gift she has I related to not like being touched lol. I really love that on page 108 she mentions not being afraid of fear and that it helps to survive. 

The pace of the story is crazy good. It's the perfect blend of action and quiet moments. I like that it's not too much but not too little. I was able to appreciate every moment and retain it all. The juicy moments, the mystery, the haunting.

"I am still frozen when he reaches out and brushes a finger over the three lines etched into the surface of my ring, then twists one of his own rings to reveal a cleaner but identical set of lines."

I adored Wesley from the moment he closed his eyes and smiled at Mac as she crossed over him. He was such a ball of cheer, charm, and love. It was a slow burning romance and I loved it because it hasn't still yet reached full potential. I am going to mention my favorite moments by pages 98, 279-280,300, 319-320. I liked how the story felt lonely and sad like Mackenzie and then when Wes came their loneliness was gone and the story felt happier. I don't know if Schwab matched the characters feelings on purpose but it worked so well.

"Look at me." You knock my chin up with your finger. "Curiosity is a gateway drug to sympathy. Sympathy leads to hesitation. Hesitation will get you killed. Do you understand?"

We didn't read about Da when he was alive but we learned about his through Mac and I loved him. He was wise and prepared her for a lot of what she would deal with. The lessons in bold that we saw throughout added to the overall plot and understanding of Mac's character development. 

"The first trick to lying is to tell the truth as often as possible. If you start lying about everything, big and small, it becomes impossible to keep things straight, and you'll get caught. Once suspicion is planted it becomes exponentially harder to sell the next lie."

THE WORLD:

The world that Victoria Schwab has created is simply wonderful and very unique! A library where the DEAD are stored instead of books is a concept I have never encountered before. And I ADORED it! I think the uniqueness of it is what drew me to this book in the first place.

I love the whole system of the Archive and the people who work within or for it. The dead, called Histories, can escape into these dark hallways called Narrows (it’s all quiet creepy, if you ask me) and that is when the Keepers come into play, it’s their job to bring these Histories back. That are the basics about this world (of course, it’s a lot more complicated than that).

THE CHARACTERS:

Mackenzie Bishop is our main character. And Mac is a Keeper, meaning it’s her job to take care of the Histories that manage to escape. Which is amazing, but also quiet frightening. (Trust me, I wouldn’t be comfortable in going through those dark corridors on my own.) I really really liked Mac. She is a very strong character and I LOVED reading about her. She did make some very stupid decisions (in my opinion that is) – that were kind of understandable but also not. She is flawed and I loved that even more! I also love the way she developed and grew throughout the book, she was just an amazing character.

My personal favourite character was Wes. He is a guy who Mac meets when she moves to the new place with her parents and they start hanging out together from time to time. He is simply amazing and I loved EVERY scene that he was in. Though honestly I wish there was more of him (simply because I adored him, and let’s be honest there would never be enough of him for me). I love his personality and his style and everything about him. (Can you see a pattern here?) I just don’t know how to write about him without fangirling…sooo I’ll leave it at this. I do hope that there will be more of him in the sequel (fingers crossed)!

Then there is Owen, who mac meets in the Narrows (those creepy dark corridors that I keep mentioning). He is very mysterious and someone I wanted to know more about immediately when he was introduced. I can’t say that I liked him much, from the beginning he wasn’t my favourite – but he was very interesting and I wanted to read more about him as well.

The side characters were quiet interesting as well, from Mac’s parents to her best friend, to the people who work in the Archive (or for it, however you want to call it), to the people who lived in the new places Mac moved to – I was interested in all of them (okay…NEARLY all of them to be fair). And that doesn’t happen often with me.

THE STORY:

This story was full of twists and turns. I did not see most of them coming! And I loved being surprised at every corner and some of the revelations were simply crazy. I also enjoyed where the story went and how everything progressed. It was frustrating from time to time not knowing what was happening (as Mac didn’t have the information either), but in the best way possible. It just made it impossible to put the book down.

I found the way Victoria Schwab portrayed grief over losing someone very realistic. Mac’s little brother died some time before they moved, and I found the way it affected Mac and her parents very believable. They all dealt with it in different ways and I just felt for all of them.

Have I fangirled enough about this book ? Most definitely YES. So lets wrap it up!

OVERALL:

The Archived was simply amazing. I loved EVERYTHING about it, from the world to the characters to the actual story. This is a wonderful book and I would HIGHLY recommend it! And I can’t wait to read the sequel – I just want to see where the story will go and what more I’ll learn about this world.

The Archive protects the past by way of keeping physical copies of the dead, called Histories. Mackenzie Bishop works for the Archive as a Keeper, a dangerous job that includes patrolling the Narrows for escaped and possibly violent Histories and putting them back where they belong. But after her brother’s death she and her family move into a new place in a former hotel, the Coronado. Not only does Mackenzie have to leave behind her best friend and everything that was connected to Ben, she also has to deal with an uprise in escaped Histories that leaves her wondering just what is going on in the Archive lately.

I got my hands on The Archived ages ago because (in case you weren’t aware of it yet) I am shallow and was intrigued by the cover. I never actually got around to reading it and with The Unbound coming out earlier this year I figured now was as good a time as any to read it.

Frankly, I didn’t think I would finish this book. It’s not bad, but the pacing was all over the place. The beginning was awfully slow and I just wanted the book to get to the point and it took quite a while until it got there. Add to that the constant flashbacks, I just kept being irritated at how badly the story flowed in the beginning – though on the upside, the flashbacks were nicely formatted in my ebook, which helped with distinguishing them from the rest of the plot. I had troubles with the POV because while it was from Mac’s point of view, the flashbacks were in second person and addressed to her Da and that was pretty jarring.

Which brings me to the Da thing. I don’t want to spoil the book, but the person Mac affectionately calls Da was not who I thought she meant. Maybe it’s a cultural thing and my being unversed in the ways of what to call certain relatives, but it was very confusing when I eventually at some point in the middle of the book found out that her Da was not the relation I thought he was. I eventually got over that, though. It just would’ve been nice to know in the beginning because reading it I was under the impression we were actually dealing with interesting family dynamics, but nope. Not the case.

That said, I did come to enjoy it eventually. The world-building was interesting. I wish we could’ve read more about how the Archive works, how the different branches work, but I figure that’ll come in subsequent books. Still, I could imagine the Narrows and the Archive well enough and I had no trouble seeing the Coronado in my head, so that’s good enough for me.

As for the characters… Mackenzie’s story was interesting and she wasn’t without faults, which I really enjoyed. I also adored Roland, even though I couldn’t quite pin him down all the time. But he was lovely to Mackenzie and that’s a thumbs up from me, considering the other people who work for the Archive. As far as sympathies go, I really enjoyed that I didn’t know who to trust. I wasn’t sure whose side to be on until the end, really, and maybe that’s just a sign for my inability to foresee plot points, but hey, I liked it. It kept me on my toes and intrigued enough to finish!

I also enjoyed that the the romance wasn’t the most important bit of the book, I was rather afraid that it might be. I don’t know why I am so averse to romance – perhaps because it’s overdone and often just the same kind of events, no matter which book you pick up. I really liked what the author did with it in this book though, as it wasn’t too in-your-face.

The one thing that I really just don’t understand about the book and which is partly why I am only giving it three teacups is the Archive as an institution. What is the point of it? To protect the past, yes, but why? Why are they doing that, what is the purpose of it, why do they keep the Histories? Just why?! I didn’t understand it at all.

All in all, I’m feeling fine with giving the book three stars. It wasn’t perfect and while I liked it, it didn’t wow me. I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes slightly otherworldly mysteries with a bit of action and romance that doesn’t overpower everything else.

More than a year after Sil, Katie and Sue ordered me to read this I finally did! What a great ride this was. I didn't think it would be that creepy, but this extremely atmospheric book made for an eerie read that I thoroughly enjoyed (even if I was a little scared at some points, hah).

The story was well-paced, in my opinion. I know a lot of people say that it's slow and perhaps difficult, but it wasn't the case at all for me! I like the combination of mystery, creating the atmosphere, world-building, getting to know the characters and having a decent amount of plot. It may seem like there is none, because there pretty much are mostly three-four locations where everything takes place, but I thought the plot was decent.

I loved the characters: Mac, Wesley (what a cinnamon roll), ROLAND (what a cinnamon roll vol 2) and the rest of the cast pretty much more or less so. Mac's narrative is really great and I adored the parts of the second person POVs about her gradfather. Wes and Mac's friendship was so cute and I AM SO READY FOR BOOK TWO BECAUSE... WELL I AM, OKAY!

I must say though that there was one thing that bothered me and it was the ending bits. You see, I thought the solution to this mystery was fairly easy? While I didn't have all the roads to the solution (and those were interesting to discover), but I knew the solution all along which made the climax very uneventful. Especially seeing as I thought Mac was smarter than this. I know there was this one second person's narrative excerpt where it pretty much explained why Mac was keen on doing this [I don't want to spoil in case anyone clicks on this by accident but the same parallel is when her Da said why he smokes that it's so he feels normal and forgets everything else], but it was so foolish, in my opinion, because I don't get how she didn't ask questions or connect the dots in these instances. For the sake of the story, I know why not, because there wouldn't be a story, but from a reader's POV it was highly predictable which is why this book won't get the 5 stars it probably would have gotten.

Still though, the uneventful climax aside, this was such a great read and I'm very eager to continue this story with the second book, because FEELS ABOUT THE LAST PAGE!!!

The main character, Mackenzie, drives the story. It is all about her life and how she deals with it on a daily basis. She has deep sadness, heartache, and loss and sometimes all of that just makes her want to forget and not think about anything. She meets a few interesting characters over the course of the story. There is some mystery/intrigue, along with daily life woven in. I liked the mystery aspect of it and how it brought her and Roland (her supervisor) a little closer too. She meets Wes when the family moves into the Coronado. He is a good character that brings balance to the story and also helps Mackenzie work through some of her issues. Then Owen is thrown into the mix... All-in-all a good story. Piqued my interest enough that I may read the next story to see where this all goes...

This story is narrated in the third person, but interspersed are segments where MacKenzie talks to her Da (grandfather) and her dead brother Ben, recalling memories and important lessons. That’s how we meet Da in the beginning, as Mackenzie talks to him and describes his “accent full of smoke.”

That line I just quoted was the exact moment that I knew I was hooked. When I read about Da having an “accent full of smoke,” I immediately thought of Louisiana. I don’t know why. I don’t know if it was because the first sentence on the page mentioned the South or what, but I just knew Da had a Louisiana accent, only to have it confirmed not a sentence later. When an author is capable of planting such vivid sensory information into my head on the first page, I know the rest of the book will be an awesome ride.

Mac’s musings to Da and Ben were some of my favorite parts of the book. Through them we learn some choice tidbits about the Archive (the library where the dead are kept) and the Narrows (the creepy maze separating our world from the Archive) as well as watch Mac develop as a Keeper-in-training. We also are allowed our closest glimpse as Mac’s inner workings. Da and Ben were the two people in the world that Mac was closest to. Da, as a fellow Keeper, was the only one who knew about the Archive, and Ben was her innocent, rambunctious little brother.

When Da dies from an unspecified illness and Ben is hit by a car, Mac is left virtually alone. Her father becomes a pale ghost of himself and her mother hides behind a too-bright smile and an almost manic compulsion to hop from one project to the next. Mrs. Bishop’s latest project moves the family an hour away to the spooky Coronado, a hotel-turned-apartment complex where Mrs. Bishop hopes to open a coffee shop. There Mac meets a fellow Keeper, strikes a deal with an impossible History, and stumbles upon a mystery that threatens to erase the Archive itself.

I have never before in my life read a book that made me love a world so much and yet simultaneously tell me so little about that same world. According to Mac’s Da, the world is divided into three parts. The natural world that everyone knows about is the Outer. Hidden away is the Archive, a vast, limitless library where the dead are kept. When a person dies, their likeness is put in a drawer in the Archive. This likeness is used as a vessel, within which are placed all of that person’s memories – everything they have ever seen, done, and experienced in their life, from birth to death. In between the Outer and the Archive are the Narrows, a labyrinth system used to corral the Histories who wake themselves from their death-sleep.

Despite being spooky, dangerous, and totally off-limits, I would love to visit the Narrows and the Archive. I’m one of those naughty readers who rarely pays attention to descriptions of physical places, but Ms. Schwab must have worked her subliminal magic on me again, because I felt like I was there. I could see the registration desk at the Archive, feel the cramped quarters of the Narrows. Heck, I could even tell you what the echoes of my footsteps would sound like among the stacks! The Coronado, Mac’s home in the Outer, was also impressively dilapidated and therefore awesome.

I devoured every detail we were given about the Archive and the system set up by those who work for it (Keepers, Crew, and Librarians). However, part of my hunger comes from the starvation diet we’re put on. Mac is told very little, only enough to do her job, and we by extension are left in the dark. Part of the lack of information is a necessary plot device to keep Mac guessing and searching on her own, but I wish we had been given a little more substance. Still, I think my overwhelming love for Mac’s world is a testament to Ms. Schwab’s talent as a writer.

The plot itself is also a suspenseful delight. Rather than have one big task to tackle, Mac is simultaneously battling multiple catastrophes. From the overarching chaos that arrives when the Archive starts to crash to the smaller, more personal tragedies that unfold as Mac tries to deal with the death of her brother, the battering never stops. Literally. The injuries that girl sustains are impressive.

Oddly, I connected less to the characters than I thought I would. MacKenzie was a great protagonist – stubborn, standoffish, and caring – but she lost major points in my book by withholding key information from characters who could have helped her. It’s harder to connect with a character when you’re constantly yelling, “You stupid girl! Just SAY something!” Wesley and Roland (referred to in my head as Guyliner and Chucks) were also fun, though, once again, I wish I could have connected with them more. Despite his unusual appearance, Wesley didn’t have the flair I had expected from him, and his entire family was oddly absent. At one point, the boy disappears for days and no mention is made of worried authority figures. (I will say, though, that I fully expect to love both characters more upon multiple rereadings.)

I’m purposely bringing up all these flaws for two reasons. 1) You need to know. 2) I’m hoping that the issues I mention will be ironed out in the sequel. I got a very Beka Cooperish vibe from the end of The Archived, and my wish is to see Mac progress from Keeper to Crew as Beka progressed from Pup to Dog. If Ms. Schwab can make the sequel progress in the same manner, I expect the rest of the series to be…

Points Added For: The world-building. Oh my gosh, the world-building. The entire construct of the Archive and the Narrows and the list, the use of keys, the atmosphere of the Coronado, Mac’s ability to “read” things, her standoffishness, the heartbreaking portrayal of the Bishop family’s grieving process, etc.

Points Subtracted For: Mac being such a stubborn idiot for not telling anyone everything she saw, Wesley’s missing background.

Good For Fans Of: Spooky old houses, dead people terrorizing the living, kick-butt protagonists, Doctor Who.

Notes For Parents: Language, making out, death.

[this review was originally posted to goodreads on 3/11/17] this was just ...so completely underwhelming. i'm still giving it 3 stars because the concept is great and it was well written technically so giving it 2 stars seem petty but ... it was just so BORING. how do you take a concept this interesting and make it so unbearably dull? especially since i know what this writer can do and adore everything else i've ever read by her.

basically this was just Standard YA nonsense with bland predictable characters and a mildly predictable outcome. it did get kind of exciting there at the very end but i swear almost nothing interesting happened for the first 3/4ths of this book. i'm hoping the next one is better and more focused on ...well, the library and the actual plot instead of teenagers being stupid and love triangles

There's something about this book that pulls you in - an atmospheric quality that wraps itself around you. Old buildings, mysterious doors, supernatural keys, spirits of the dead, libraries... It's a familiar feeling, being immersed in this kind of world, yet Schwab sets up a universe that's entirely new and fascinating. She's also very skilled at describing emotion, and her writing has a soft, whispering quality about it, from the poetic use of repetition to the second person flashbacks, in which Mackenzie talks to her dead grandfather. That's one of the cleverer devices I've seen for filling in a character's past without telling too much, and it works in the context of this story.

And then there's the mystery. We humans are hard-wired to want to know what happened when something's amiss, and Schwab uses the lure of a cover-up to keep the story moving forward. It's not a very plot-heavy book, being more about Mac's emotions in dealing with her brother's death, adjusting to a new place, and contemplating what the Archive means, and so the hints that something is rotten in Scotland are the hooks she uses to advance the story. Much of the book is devoted to musings and world-building, and the writing and imaginative universe are definitely the book's strong points.

My one point of contention - and this has to do with the publisher/marketer rather than the book itself - is that this book is decidedly NOT DYSTOPIA. Someone with sales on their mind clearly slapped the label on it to cash in on the whole Hunger Games craze. The only hints at dystopian themes is in the Archive's rigid rules. Really, this book is paranormal - contemporary setting with an otherworldly element. It's even got paranormal romance in it. Had the book been published in 2009, when Twilight was sweeping the charts, I'm sure that's what it would have been labeled. Oh, marketers!

In Archived Schwab examines some of the ways we deal with our dead, our memories, guilt and trust. It is both dark and fun.

The first person perspective pulled me in from the beginning with Mackenzie’s reaction to her grandfather and brother’s death. As an adventurous mystery the story tackles parent issues, moving, new friendships and a budding love interest.

Mackenzie inherits the Keeper duties of her grandfather in the Archive (a special library where each person’s life history is stored when they die). She is tasked with ensuring Histories don’t wake up and cause havoc. When Histories begin to wake up, causing dangerous situations, she realizes someone is altering things in the library. If she doesn’t find who and stop them the entire archival library will crumble and release all the Histories.

Archived is a warped vision answering the question of where we go after we die, but I enjoyed the ride.

If you would have asked me yesterday, I would have told you that I had mixed emotions about this book. I had heard so many good things about this book that the first couple of chapters had me very, very nervous. I was having trouble getting into it. It starts off slow and takes a few chapters to pick up the pace and hold my attention.

But let me tell you, once it perked up, it definitely got a little intense. The story had a 0 to 60 effect I had not expected an nothing could have prepared me for. There were several parts of the story where I felt a surge of adrenaline and my heart started racing. From the first time that happened, I finished the last 50% of this book in under 4 hours. I couldn't walk away. Chores were neglected, the husband was ignored and, migraine and all, I plowed through on my Kindle app until I could reach the very end.

The world building was interesting and the story premise was absolutely unique. Let's face it, this book is a bibliophile's dream come true. A story where people are shelved in a Library like books, and there are placards mimicking the indicators for the Dewey Decimal System!!!!! How could I not be sucked in.

Nothing could have prepared me for the adrenaline rush I was going to be met with in reading this book. I loved every minute of it and it was impossible to turn away. At this very moment, I am struggling with the intense need to pick up and read The Unbound, but there are so many other books that need my attention right now. It is going to be a struggle to stay the course, I can tell you that much with immense certainty.

If you enjoy unique story lines and heart-stopping plot twists, then you have to pick up this book. Go and do it. Like right now. And after you do, come back here and tell me what you think. I am dying to hear from every one of you about this book, because it was just intense.

[I think I managed to make this review spoiler-free? What is happening to me?!]
This is a good book. This is a really fun book find symbols in. The writing is solid, it does a thing, and it does it well. It's a bit about death, more about loss, most about moving through grief. And it addresses these topics in a really quiet way most of the time. The idea is that if you don't deal with you grief it will destroy you, but with the exception of one like... paragraph, that topic was worked with fairly subtly. That one paragraph was a, "no, I'm nothing like you" kind of situation, but otherwise it was quite gentle. As Jasmine pointed out to me, you can see this whole "white noise" thing as a metaphor for grieving; if you fight with it, it will only get louder. You have to let it go through you and allow it to become white noise. It can't be ignored, it must be processed. (all of that is basically verbatim from Jasmine... what would I do without her?) And there are other really interesting things going on; the idea of living in a hotel, a transitory place, but it's been turned into apartments, so the transitory becomes a place to stay. What does that say about life and death in the context of the story? When I mentioned that at book club, Zack related it to purgatory, which I actually hadn't thought about. That adds the interesting idea of waiting or working towards something, while I was thinking more about the idea of impermanence vs. ... I don't know, routine maybe? And the way those two things get turned around and one becomes the other. There's the places we visit and the places we stay and what do we do when one becomes the other. Then you can pick that up and overlay it with the idea of death that the book presents. There are lots of really cool things to think about.

The plot was good. Not terribly surprising, I wasn't caught off guard by any of the big reveals, but it was solid. The characters were good, the flashbacks were well constructed, and I liked the concept.
The world-building was rough. There was almost no time spent on world-building, actually. It felt a little like, "come or don't, but don't think to hard about where we are." We don't know why the Archive is a thing, or who started it, and the narrative never even poses these as possible questions. It's just accepted, this is a thing. It was a confusing start for me, I felt dropped into an already established world without a map; I kept thinking I was missing something. (This point was agreed upon by the rest of my book club... it's nice to be lost with other people.)

So why three stars? My fault, I think, but I feel no emotions in regards to this books. I like stepping back and looking at it academically, and I feel it's largely well written and interesting, but I dunno. I never got into it. It does its thing well, but it wasn't my thing. Cool book, fun to dissect, but it never grabbed me.

Review also posted on my blog, Babblings of a Book Babe.

This book was amazing and unique and just a huge breath of fresh air compared to a lot of YA books I’ve been reading lately. After I read this book I got that sort of sick feeling in my stomach, the one that comes with realizing that you’ve totally been missing out on a great book for over a year. The worst part was I picked this up when it first came out, read the first like three pages, then didn’t pick it back up again until now. What is wrong with me?!

Just the atmosphere in this book really got to me. It was so tense and creepy and I constantly has this tingly feeling on the back of my neck, like something was just off. And there was never really any sort of break from it. The hotel that Mackenzie is living in is super old and dusty and strange, a place where murders happens and people are keeping secrets. Then when she has to go to The Narrows, it’s beyond spooky and just this big dark maze of corridors and closed doors and it gives you the jeebies. The only time you feel like she might be remotely safe is when she is actually in The Archive with all the dead bodies. How messed up is that?

Mac was a really interesting character for me, it’s obvious that she has a lot of issues she has to deal with, from the death of her younger brother, to constantly lying to her parents. I feel like she has a lot of mixed feelings about her life and being a Keeper, she seems to love having a sense of purpose, but finds out that she has been lied to a lot and she also has to struggle with the temptation of knowing that her brother could come back to life. I found myself feeling bad for Mac a lot though, I think she was brought into being a Keeper too young, a little girl that just wanted to make her grandfather proud and didn’t actually know what she was signing up for. She has obviously proved to be more than capable with handling Histories that wake up, but it still makes me sad that she doesn’t really have a choice anymore.

One of the things that I loved most about this book was Wes. Damn, I loved this boy so much, even though we don’t get a whole lot of time with him. I loved that sense of release he gives Mac by letting her be honest and share her secrets and they have this strange sort of intimacy because of it. They both have things to teach and show one another, but they have a sort of flow about their relationship that makes them fit together and I love it. He was also really funny and playful sometimes, providing contrast to Mac’s constantly serious personality, and he provided a lot of comic relief, something that this book definitely needed at times. I can’t wait to see more of him in the next book, he was my favorite character and such a cutie.

The plot in this book was a little slow and confusing in the beginning, and it took a little bit for the pace to pick up. I was confused when I first started because I thought “Da” was her dad, not her grandfather. But once the pace started picking up, I couldn’t put this book down. I really liked how we would get peeks back to important times with her grandfather, when he was teaching her about being a Keeper. She obviously had a very close relationship with him and you can see that through her memories. Between the flashbacks, the glimpses of the past in her hotel that she gets, and all of the mysteries, this book really kept my attention. It wasn’t predictable at all, a few things happen that caught me completely off guard and I loved how it really kept me guessing.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book. If you can make it past the kind of confusing and slow beginning, I promise, it will completely be worth it. The characters are interesting and the world is unsettling, the writing is absolutely beautiful and makes you feel like you are really part of this world. The story and concepts themselves were so unique and well formed, but enough was withheld that I hope the next books goes a lot more into how exactly The Archive works.

This is perfect for fans of The Devouring by Simon Holt or The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. It's got an eerie tone and an original premise that I adored. It's one part ghost story, one part murder mystery, and one part magic.

Mac is a Keeper, which means she hunts down Histories in the Narrows. A History is the essence, or literal history, of a dead person. The Narrows are a place between the Outer (our world) and the Archive (where sleeping Histories are normally kept, it's like a giant library). Keeping up? After moving to a new house (actually, a really awesome hotel/apartment complex) to escape a family tragedy, she finds herself busy with a massive amount of Histories and a mystery that stretches back to the original inhabitants of her building.

The premise sounds really cool (I don't particularly do it justice) and the cover is freaking awesome, so I had high expectations. It met them. It didn't really surpass them though, so that, in addition to a slower pacing around the middle, kept it from being five stars.

The characters are great, I feel like I know them pretty well. Wesley, in particular, has become a new favorite among characters. I was hoping more would be done with the other residents, but leaving them out didn't hurt the book in any way. Additionally, some of Wesley's back-story would have been nice, but again, without it the book is perfectly fine.

As for the story itself, that was written very well. The mystery had me, as a reader, on my guard, pointing fingers at everyone. When the reveal happens it's not completely unexpected, but it's also a sigh of relief to finally take your nails from your mouth. I was very literally biting mine in anticipation.

This promises a decent series, but as far as I know, only one other book has been published and a third one is tentatively expected at some point in the future.

There are books I enjoy. There are books that excite me. And ever so rarely, there is a book where reading it feels like home.

Reading “The Archived” was home.

I think it’s mostly thanks to the prose. Schwab wrote in such a way that pretty much every phrase felt like it just belonged; the kind of writing that reads so easy, you wonder at the amounts of work that had to have gone into the making of the magic.

Of course, in matters of voice, I must give due credit to the speaker – in this case, Mackenzie Bishop. Her telling of the tale held me engaged from start to end, transporting me to and from remembered moments with the grandfather who mentored her and her present life as a Keeper. She finds herself in a challenging position that only gets tougher as the story goes on, and she handles it humanly, full of brave intentions and of choices good and bad.

The Archive itself is a fascinating place, more of a mystery than even Mac at first knows to suspect. (Hats off to Schwab for dreaming up such a premise!) On the other side of things is the normal life she tries to keep separate from her secret job – if getting to live in a cool old hotel counts as officially normal. Also in the almost-too-cool-for-normal category is Wesley, a fun personality in guyliner whom I, for one, would be pleased to make a friend of mine.

As the plot goes on, stakes raise, enigmas intensify, and dangers compound, until the next thing I know, it’s two in the morning, and shut up, bedtime, I’m read— HOLY WOW, I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING, OH NO (in a “yay for shocking revelations” sort of way)!

Schwab had me at “Vicious”, and “The Archived” gripped me more tightly still. I’ve read a decent number of books, over the course of 2014, and this novel may well tie for favorite.

Mackenzie Bishop became a Keeper at 12, four years under the required minimum age for that job. Her dying grandfather managed to intrigue one of the three Librarians on the interview board, Roland, and now - with "Mac" a high schooler and her grandfather long dead - Roland remains her ally. That's a good thing, because Mackenzie breaks rules and the Archive exists because of them.

What is the Archive? It's a secret from all of humanity except the few who inherit their jobs from relatives such as Mac's grandfather: Keepers, Crew, and Librarians. In the Archive, beyond the interworld corridors called the Narrows, the dead lie on shelves. Their bodies serve only as containers for the Archive's content: their memories. From time to time, a History (the name used for the Archive's dead) wakes up and tries to get out. Usually it's a child or young teenager, who never had a chance to live life fully; but sometimes it's a Keeper-Killer. An adult, disturbed by noises within the Archive (unusual though that is), or troubled by dreams. Histories always "slip" and panic, in their quests to get Outside and back to where they lived their lives. That can't be allowed. Keepers like Mac are notified of Histories loose in their territories within the Narrows, and they must leave their own everyday lives - lying as necessary to families and friends who know nothing about the Archive - to hunt the wandering Histories down and get them through the door to Returns.

Mac's grandfather taught her well. But no one planned on her only sibling, little brother Ben, dying in a hit and run car accident. Now Mac's grieving parents have decided their diminished family needs a fresh start, so they've sold their house and bought an apartment in a converted hotel called the Coronado. Mac's mother handles grieving with frenetic activity, which now takes the form of reopening the Coronado's coffee shop. Mac's father simply withdraws. She's alone, despite a best friend who continues to connect with her after she's moved away, because no one in her Outside life can know that she's a Keeper; and although she knows Roland isn't doing her a kindness by letting her break this particular rule, she often convinces him to let her "visit" Ben's shelf. Then one day she wakes her baby brother...whether by accident or not, even Mac herself doesn't know. That's when she and her new partner, fellow teenaged Keeper Wesley, finally begin to unravel the mystery that is the Coronado. A mystery they desperately need to solve, because someone from within the Archive has erased key events from its past and - in total violation of the rules - has altered the Content of the Histories who once lived there.

Author Schwab's first novel for adults, VICIOUS, intrigued me so much that I had to give her YA books a try. As a 30-year archives employee, now retired and working part time in an academic library, I found her use of twists on familiar environments and titles amusing in a macabre fashion; but her storytelling captured me early and held me until the last word of the final page. My one criticism is that for me, the jumping back and forth between Mac's memories of her grandfather and her "present" life didn't work as well as it probably should have. I found it jarring. Otherwise, what a terrific read! I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel.

--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of 2005 science fiction EPPIE winner "Regs"

Typically, I’d like to do these recommendations for newer releases but since a sequel to The Archived came out in January (The Unbound), I thought this would be a fine time to recommend the first in the series.

I can’t remember the last time I read a book on my e-reader and loved it so much that I purchased a copy in print form as well. I love digital reading for many reasons, but sometimes I want to hold the book and bend its spine with love. The Archived is that kind of a book (as is its equally wonderful sequel).

Somewhere in a world parallel (but accessible) to ours, the dead–called Histories–are catalogued in a library called the Archive. When Histories occasionally wake up from their shelves, disoriented, Keepers like sixteen-year-old Mackenzie Bishop are responsible for making sure they are safely returned. It’s a dangerous occupation that sometimes turns violent and always requires Mackenzie to lie to everyone she knows, but she still loves her job. The position–and the unique powers that accompany it–were passed down to her by her grandfather, Da.

Mackenzie’s dealing with death on the outside world as well as in the Archives. Her Da has passed away, and her little brother was recently killed in a hit-and-run accident. She and her family are starting over in a new city, and their apartment building means a new Archive territory for Mackenzie–a much more active one.

Aside from its status as a true page-turner, The Archived takes place within one of the most fully realized fantasy worlds I’ve experienced through a novel. Victoria Schwab has a remarkable eye for detail that makes the world feel both creepy and deeply believable.

Every character in the story comes to life with his or her own set of unique motivations, from Mackenzie herself–who’s likable, smart, and strong, while also flawed–to her parents, who are fairly minor yet still stand out as memorable and sympathetic (they’re more present in The Unbound).

And then there’s Wesley Ayers. Wesley is amazing. I don’t want to give much away, but let’s just say I have a major book crush (from what I’ve seen, I’m not alone in this). He’s a really different kind of character, someone I really found myself cheering for.

The Archived is a thoughtful and emotionally engaging read as well as a fun and exciting one. I wanted these characters to win, and I spent a lot of time thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading it. Isn’t that what we’re all looking for when we pick up a novel?

I’ll admit it. I went on a Victoria Schwab reading binge after The Archived, and it was hard to move on to reading something else when I was done. She’s really a versatile writer, and I recommend checking out all her books.

(This review was originally posted on my blog)

Review from [...]

This book came into my life all thanks to my lovely friend Lisa, and I never want to let go of it. When I read the synopsis, I thought to myself, "Oh, this sounds interesting but I'm not sure if I'll really be able to get into it." My thoughts lied. My thoughts are dumb.

What I liked: Where do I start? I like that the book didn't start with Ben's (Mac's ten year old little brother) death. If it had, it might have turned me off and distracted from the overall story. I like that the book takes place between two separate but equally majestic worlds--one being the old fashioned hotel where Mac's family moves into and the second being the world of the Archive. I love the idea of Histories (big 'h'), of people's souls and lives not truly being gone when they die but asleep (it's not that simple, but it's the best description I can come up with). The world of the Archives is complex but fascinating, and I crave more information about them and the people that are involved--i.e. the Keepers, Crew, and Librarians.

Now, to move on to the characters. Mac (Mackenzie) is an awesome protagonist. She's flawed and makes mistakes but owns up to them--she's so incredibly real. Attitude-wise (and job-wise to a certain extent), she really reminded me of Suze Simon from Meg Cabot's Mediator series (one of my favorite series of all time). I'm a super big fan of Wesley, the adorable guyliner wearing boy with big brown eyes and a cute sense of humor, who will hopefully maybe (fingers crossed) become a serious love interest in the next book.

What I didn't like: At first, I was really confused about who Da was because I thought he was her dad. He's not, he's Mac's grandfather but it would have been nice if that was a teeny bit more clear. I also thought the beginning was a little bit slow and confusing--there's a lot to wrap your brain around world-building wise--and it took me a couple chapters to get really into it, but once I was, I couldn't stop. It was also just a little bit predictable, but I wasn't upset about it. In fact, I got over the predictability real quick. That's where my complaints end, though.

A beautiful story with a creepy feel to it, this is a book worth reading. As long as you can get through the first couple chapters, you'll be hooked and drawn into this world like no other. It's unlike anything else I've seen (world-wise) and has great characters and an intriguing plot to boot.

I have waited for The Archived for many months now. It doesn't come out until January, and I knew there were ARCs out there. So I sent an ARC request to the publisher, and they sent me one :D Super, super excited about that. This book is gorgeous. The cover is stunning. The key looks amazing as well ;) And yeah. Keys have a big part in this book. I loved The Archived. It was amazing, like I thought it would be, but there was this one thing I didn't approve of. Will talk about that later. First I want to let you all know about the things I loved :D

This book is about Mackenzie. She's a pretty amazing girl. I liked her a lot. She's smart and kind. Well. Sometimes :D Didn't like that she lied all the time, and didn't really care too much about her best friend. But I did like her, even though they didn't live at the same place anymore :) We get to know Mac quite a lot. She just moved to a new place with her mom and dad. They are all still grieving the loss of Ben, Mac's little brother. Which was so sad, just so you know. He seemed amazing. But he was killed a year before, they haven't been the same since then.

We get to see her parents a bit as well, and I must admit that I didn't really like them. They didn't seem to care much at all. Might be because of Ben, though, so I can't really blame them that much. We also get to know Mac's grandfather. Her Da. First I thought it was her father, since I'm not used to the American words. Hih. But yeah. It's her grandpa. He's also dead, been dead for four years. But we got to see her memories of him. Must admit it might have been some of my favorite moments. I adored him.

Something I also loved in this book was the story. The story is amazing. I loved learning about The Archive, and the Keepers and the Librarians. And getting to know what a History was. It was so amazing, and unique, in a way. I just loved this plot so much. It was perfect. This book is kind of a big mystery. Lots of exciting things happen. Lots of scary things too. And it is full of mysteries. We get to know so many interesting things. We also get to know many amazing people. Like Wesley. Sniffs.

Anyway. First I must explain what Mac is. She's a Keeper. She lives a normal life on the outside, but in secret she has this job that her grandfather passed on to her when he died. She has to send the dead that wakes back to their "sleeping place." Okay. I suck at explaining this. But it is amazing to read about :) She hunts down the Histories. People who have died goes to 'sleep,' sort of, in the Archive. It's like a library, just that the dead is the books. They hold so many memories. But sometimes the dead wakes up. If there is too much noise around, or if someone wakes them. Then Mac must take them back. That's her job. And I found that to be pretty amazing, to be honest :) Everything about her job was amazing. Just wish this book had been longer, so we could have gotten to know more about it all ;)

Tiny warning. Below this part there is a few spoilers about this one character, Owen.

Wesley is an amazing person, so be honest. He's funny and sweet and kind. I loved him a lot. I'm just also so sad. I'm giving this book a four star because of the romance. Or lack of. Well. Okay. I wouldn't have minded no romance :) Just hated that one thing that was there. Wesley was a perfect love interest. He liked Mac a lot, and he was just so damn sweet. Amazing, really. But Mac is a private person. She was supposed to be that. I think she liked Wesley as well. It seemed like it.

But she wouldn't give it a chance. Instead she went into the Narrows and found herself a History to make-out with. MANY make-out sessions. I do not approve one bit. She didn't love him, or seem to like him much. She just wanted to have the quiet that his mind gave her. So she used him. And I hated her for it. She didn't ever kiss Wesley or touch him or talk important things with him. And it just broke my heart over and over and over again. And it's almost making me cry now. Sorry. Heh.

Anyway. I'm just really sensitive to these things. Because Wesley liked her a lot. And she knew that. But she betrayed him. By going and kissing someone else. Many times. And gaaah. Even though it might have ended pretty good, and I might have enjoyed very much what happened to Owen, it was not alright. At all. And yeah. I can't give it a five star, because I didn't like that part :\ Also, kind of worst part: he was dead. And she didn't care one bit. She just wanted the quiet. Ugh. Not happy.

Anyway. Sorry about those negative things (A) I just didn't like that part at all. But still. The Archived was amazing. The story is perfect, and the characters were great. I loved getting to the bottom of the mystery. The climax was pretty good as well ;) Just, yeah. I wished for more romance with Wesley. Especially since there was so much kissing with Owen. It wasn't fair at all. This book ended way too soon. There must be a second one. There must be <3 Because I need more plot. And romance. And I just need more of everything. I loved The Archived. It was very much worth the wait :)

I must admit though that I had some trouble getting into the writing at first. But that is mostly just my own fault, since I have not read much lately. So it was a bit hard for me to start reading. But once I got over that, it didn't last very long, I ended up loving the writing. And I want more of Victoria's words. I cannot wait for the second book in this series. Hope it's out soon. If you haven't yet pre-ordered The Archived, then you must do so :) Because it is an amazing book that you must read. <3 It is also a book full of pain and sorrow. Which is totally amazing, to be honest :)

Thank you so, so much to Disney Hyperion for sending me a review copy of this book :D
I will love and cherish it always. <3

I was scrolling through Goodreads to see what books called to me a few weeks ago and I came across The Archived by Victoria Schwab. The cover was enough to capture my attention but the synopsis closed the deal!

The Archived ended up surpassing all my expectations! It's filled with heart break, sorrow, healing, love as well as a bit of horror (more spooky than scary) interactions between the living and the dead. The story is fast paced, plenty of action and the characters well rounded and believable. I found the concept of "the archives" absolutely intriguing and the story had some twist and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

All in all ~ a fantastic read! I can't wait to read Unbound, the second book in this series. 4.5 Stars!

The first in a series introduces us to Mackenzie, whose family has just moved to a new town, into an old building that was formerly a hotel. Her mother is busy restarting a bakery cafe in an old shop space in the building. The family is trying to get over their grief for the death of her younger brother. What makes Mackenzie different is that her grandfather, whom she calls Da, has passed on his position as Keeper to her. Keepers can enter a supernatural place where memories of the dead , called Histories, are kept on shelves like books, aptly called the Library. Keepers are responsible for capturing Histories that escape from the Library. They use their key to open a doorway to the area in between the "real" world and the Library, receiving assignments on a piece of special paper where the names and ages of those escapees appear. It can be a dangerous job, possibly a deadly Mackenzie must balance her real life, her job as a Keeper and her need to visit her brother's History in the Library, She finds that something rotten is going on in the Library and someone is trying to get her out of the way. She meets another Keeper and a renegade History and must decide who is on her side and who is trying to kill her. This was an interesting world view and I look forward to seeing where the series will go from here.

The Archived has everything I need in a book: depth, beauty, mystery, action, suspense, and fantastic characters.

So let’s start with the main one. Mackenzie is a teenager dealing with two huge losses in her life – first, the loss of her grandfather a few years before the book starts, and more recently, the loss of her younger brother. Dealing with these two issues would be enough for anyone, but she is also working for the Archive, which surrounds her with death (and the possibility of coming back from it) every day. She handles herself really well, but it’s not easy on her, especially after the loss of her younger brother. And she also has to keep her job at the Archive a secret from her parents, which as the book goes on, gets harder and harder for her to do. But even as she’s dealing with all these gut-wrenching things in her life, she is strong and fierce, and still allows herself to get emotional and scared, to grieve and get angry and break down — at the end of the day, she picks herself back up. Above all, I found Mac to be relatable and real, with her very fair share of flaws, but also someone we can learn from and admire.

Mac spends her time in two main places. There’s the 50s-era hotel-turned-apartments where she and her parents have just moved. And there’s the Archive, “where the dead rest on shelves like books”; as well as the eerie, labyrinthine Narrows, endless hallways lined with doors, where Mac hunts the Histories that have woken up. These locations give the entire book a sort of dark, mysterious quality that I loved. Everywhere you turn, it’s old and eerie and full of history (or Histories, as the case may be). So even when there isn’t actual bite-your-nails action going on (there is that, too), there’s still a pervasive feeling of tension that’s just delicious.

The supporting characters in this book are amazing – Wesley is a truly great friend to Mac, at a time in her life when she needs one the most. I love him (and not because of the guyliner thing… ok, well maybe a little.) Roland (DEAR, DEAR ROLAND) is a fantastic friend and mentor; after Victoria Schwab tweeted a Buffy/Giles comparison, I can’t get that out of my head – so yeah, he’s totally the Giles to Mac’s Buffy. Albeit a Giles whom I picture looking like the Tenth Doctor in a sweater-vest and red Chucks. Roland has got some serious surprises up his sleeve though, so watch out. Owen was another character that I (surprisingly?) really liked. There are surprises galore with him, as well.

Finally, the last and probably most important thing that I loved about The Archived is its complete originality. There is no other book out there that I can adequately compare it to. This is not the same ol’ YA book that we’ve all seen before (but still enjoy). It has a mythology that has never been written before, and it is beautiful. It’s something different and dripping with meaning and depth, while still being entertaining and exciting as all get-out.

I cannot recommend this book enough. If you’ve thought about picking it up, but put it off because you think you have better books to read – you’re wrong. Out of all the books I read in 2013, The Archived remains one of my favorites.

--
This review originally appeared on my blog, There Were Books Involved.

The Archived has everything I need in a book: depth, beauty, mystery, action, suspense, and fantastic characters.

So let’s start with the main one. Mackenzie is a teenager dealing with two huge losses in her life – first, the loss of her grandfather a few years before the book starts, and more recently, the loss of her younger brother. Dealing with these two issues would be enough for anyone, but she is also working for the Archive, which surrounds her with death (and the possibility of coming back from it) every day. She handles herself really well, but it’s not easy on her, especially after the loss of her younger brother. And she also has to keep her job at the Archive a secret from her parents, which as the book goes on, gets harder and harder for her to do. But even as she’s dealing with all these gut-wrenching things in her life, she is strong and fierce, and still allows herself to get emotional and scared, to grieve and get angry and break down — at the end of the day, she picks herself back up. Above all, I found Mac to be relatable and real, with her very fair share of flaws, but also someone we can learn from and admire.

Mac spends her time in two main places. There’s the 50s-era hotel-turned-apartments where she and her parents have just moved. And there’s the Archive, “where the dead rest on shelves like books”; as well as the eerie, labyrinthine Narrows, endless hallways lined with doors, where Mac hunts the Histories that have woken up. These locations give the entire book a sort of dark, mysterious quality that I loved. Everywhere you turn, it’s old and eerie and full of history (or Histories, as the case may be). So even when there isn’t actual bite-your-nails action going on (there is that, too), there’s still a pervasive feeling of tension that’s just delicious.

The supporting characters in this book are amazing – Wesley is a truly great friend to Mac, at a time in her life when she needs one the most. I love him (and not because of the guyliner thing… ok, well maybe a little.) Roland (DEAR, DEAR ROLAND) is a fantastic friend and mentor; after Victoria Schwab tweeted a Buffy/Giles comparison, I can’t get that out of my head – so yeah, he’s totally the Giles to Mac’s Buffy. Albeit a Giles whom I picture looking like the Tenth Doctor in a sweater-vest and red Chucks. Roland has got some serious surprises up his sleeve though, so watch out. Owen was another character that I (surprisingly?) really liked. There are surprises galore with him, as well.

Finally, the last and probably most important thing that I loved about The Archived is its complete originality. There is no other book out there that I can adequately compare it to. This is not the same ol’ YA book that we’ve all seen before (but still enjoy). It has a mythology that has never been written before, and it is beautiful. It’s something different and dripping with meaning and depth, while still being entertaining and exciting as all get-out.

I cannot recommend this book enough. If you’ve thought about picking it up, but put it off because you think you have better books to read – you’re wrong. Out of all the books I read in 2013, The Archived remains one of my favorites.

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This review originally appeared on my blog, There Were Books Involved.

This book was amazing! I loved the world and the characters and how she wrote about grief. I loved Mac and Wesley. Each of the characters were interesting in their own right.
I appreciate this book so much because it was not just well written in one area- like world building but lacking in relationship- it did both equally well. I also like that it is an environment that exists within the current world but separate.
Shelving the dead as library books was inventive and reminded me a little of the Hall of Prophecy from Harry Potter. And I love anything that makes me think of Harry.
Because there is a lot to this world, I won't way much more in case is spoiling it for someone. Just know it is a wonderfully written, inventive story with great world building and great connections too.

Unique. That is the first word that comes to mine when I think about what I just read. Amazing would be the second word. I am still swooning.

Mackenzie's little brother just recently died so her parents moved her away from her childhood home into an old hotel turned apartments. I don't approve of what her parents did. I would think that after someone dies you should try to keep life as normal as possible. Not move your family away from everything you've ever known.

Alas, without this move, Mackenzie never would have had this "adventure".

I really loved the ideas in this book. That when you die you don't go to heaven or hell. Instead you are stored away like a book. I think that would be pretty awesome.

I really liked Roland and the way he took Mac under his wing and protected her as best he could. I think Da would really appreciate that.

Wes... What to say about Wes. Guys who wear eyeliner and look like poster boys for attention seekers aren't my type. Even those Wes may dress like that, he actually isn't. He seems like a very sweet and caring guy and I was hoping throughout the entire book that SOMETHING would happen between Mac and Wes. I think that is the only part about this book that I disliked.

Mac's parents seem like they are running from the death of their son and I don't find that very admiring. By the end of the book though they seem to be doing a little better. They need to remember that, while, yes, Ben is dead, they still have another child who needs them.

I enjoyed the fact that I could actually picture the Coronado and everything else in this book. It is very visually appealing.

Mac reached a low point in her life and allowed her need to quiet to get in her way of doing her job. Owen should have been returned IMMEDIATELY! I did like the fact that there was always action in the book. It wasn't all built up and then throw at me in the end like most books do. So the entire book wasn't rushed so we could get to the end.

Even though I didn't like Mac's irresponsibility with Owen, I never thought the book would end the way it did. I just didn't see the deceiving nature in Owen. I was fooled! Fooled I tell you!!

And don't even get me started on the Librarian things. I never expected that part! But in the end it made a lot of sense and explained why Owen never slipped.

I really enjoyed this book and am hoping for a little more romancing in the second one. Wes BETTER make a move! And not just kissing her to read her life either.

Overall, I gave the book 5/5 stars.

This book was pretty darn amazing. It kept me guessing who was the villain from start to finish. I would have my guess and then change my mind, only to change it again and again until the ending was revealed.

The characters were all riveting and somehow I even fell in love with Wes despite his eyeliner. I'm mean really? He was referred to by Mac and her best friend as guyliner which initially put me off of him but his personality soon won me over. My other favorite character was Roland. I loved how into the fashion and gossip magazines he was and I can only imagine how it must be to be trapped in the archives for who knows how many years with little to no contact with every day life.

The story itself was fascinating and provides a unique look at what happens after death. The world was intricate and I loved reading about all the different layers. The main reason I did not rate this book higher was that the beginning was confusing and took some getting use to the style of writing. But trust me once you get into it this was an amazing story.

Victoria Schwab is a literary artist. By the end of the first chapter of The Archived I knew, with absolute certainty, that it would be one of my absolute favorite books, one that I will recommend to everyone I know until I've forced them all to read it. This is a book that tackles so many painful issues: love, loss and the destruction grief can wreak on a person and relationships. It's got a lot of wonderful features to recommend it: beautiful writing, wonderfully real characters, murder, mystery, some action and a tiny bit of romance, but it's the painful choices and questions that Mac is faced with, specifically how far would you go and what would you risk to bring back someone you thought you'd lost forever?

The premise of the novel is unlike anything I've read before, and it was one that instantly grabbed my attention. Parallel to our world are the Archives, where each life, called Histories, are kept. Between the Archives and our world is a hallway that functions as a type of limbo and sometimes the Histories escape out of the Archives into that limbo world, particularly the older and violent ones. Our protagonist, Mackenzie Bishop, is a Keeper, named by her grandfather at the unheard of age of twelve. The Keepers have one job-return escaped Histories from back to the Archives before they escape into our world. When Mac's family moves into an old hotel, The Coronado, that has been refashioned into apartments, her role as Keeper becomes a full time job, one that is dangerous and that she must keep secret from everyone in her life.

I could endlessly wax poetic about Victoria's writing. Her prose is simply beautiful. Vivid, lush, haunting, this is a writer who knows how to tell a story. Every page is drenched in emotion, bringing me to tears and laughter as Mac comes to terms with the loss of her brother and her changed family dynamic. One thing I really appreciated was the way the author wrote in flashbacks of Mac's training with her grandfather, Da, a character I came to love as we get to know him through her memories. Oftentimes jumping between past and present is distracting for readers, especially me, but Victoria handled it seamlessly.

The worlds of the Archive and the Coronado and the characters that inhabit them are brilliantly developed. Mac herself is a wonderful narrator, one of my new favorites. She's incredibly authentic and it was easy for me to fall into her head and feel as if I was taking this journey with her. Like any teenager whose faced with so many hard choices, she makes mistakes, but they are understandable ones, and easily forgivable. I know that if I had been in Mac's situation and it had been one of my brothers, I would have torn the world apart to find a way to have them back. I would have grasped onto any hope and told any lie. Part of why I admire her so much is the fact that despite the mistakes she does make, her choices are still much better than the ones I would have made.

Mac's sort-of love interest, Wesley Ayers is utterly delicious. My first love was a boy in guy-liner and black nail polish and I've always been attracted to the look so its no wonder I fell for him at first sighting. His charm, bravery, and ability to understand Mac and forgive what others might not find forgivable only cemented my love for him. I immensely enjoyed the development of their friendship. There isn't much in the way of actual romance between them, which I loved, because I found the flirting and the build-up of their friendship to be so much more enjoyable and realistic then if they had immediately fallen into some ~forbidden romance. I can't wait to see how their relationship develops from here. Really, all I want in life is more Wesley.

Mac's world is lovely and haunting and I can't wait to dive into more of Victoria's beautifully lyrical writing when the sequel hits shelves next year. In the meantime I'll just have to satisfy myself with her adult novel, Vicious which comes out this September!

Ohmygosh, you guys, this book. When I heard so many people gushing about this book, saying how extraordinary it was, I had no idea that they were so right. This book has everything that makes a book wonderful - the writing is phenomenal, The world-building is awesome, and the characters are fantastic. I was hooked as soon as I started reading.

I love the idea that there are three worlds that are all connected, and that most people only know about the Outers. The Narrows are so creepy, I'm glad that they aren't real. I'd be really terrified if I was walking around one day and all of a sudden someone who is supposed to be dead escaped into my world and started running around killing people. And if I were like Mackenzie, I would not enjoy walking around in hallways that often have trapped Histories. And then there are the Archives. I love how much it resembles a library (because who doesn't love libraries), and I love that the people who work there are Librarians. And that everyone becomes a History when they die - it's really interesting to think that no one is ever completely lost.

The whole time I was reading this book, I felt like the three separate worlds could totally exist, and I think a lot of that has to do with Schwab's writing. I mean, of course the world-building and the creativity behind it was great, but everything just flows so nicely together. There are details, but not too many. And I liked that Schwab doesn't take too much time to describe the Outers, since we already know what our world is like. Instead, she focus on the worlds we DON'T know.

I really loved the relationships between Mackenzie and her family, her friends, and her love interest(s). The familial relationship is so real. Broken and strained, but real considering the circumstances. I really love Mac's dad too, he seems like he would be a lot of fun in different circumstances. And then there's Wes, who is absolutely wonderful. I love their friendship, and how they can talk to each other about things they can't mention to anyone else.

I would totally recommend this book to pretty much everyone who enjoys contemporary, paranormal stories. Especially ones with mystery, twists, and adventure. I can't wait for the sequel to come out to learn more about the Archives, and the people who work for them. A 5/5 from me on this one!!

The Archived by Victoria Schwab was everything I hoped it would be and more. For book lovers everywhere, I'm sure they would all appreciate the fact that dead and their histories is storied in place called The Archive and are being watched over by Librarians. That, in itself, is a pretty epic idea.

For main protagonist, Mackenzie, the life of being a Keeper is a role that was bestowed upon her by her dying grandfather, Da. Where the ability to become a Keeper is not allowed until the age of 12, Mackenzie finds herself holding that position even earlier, thanks to the training provided by Da, and with the backing of Roland, a Librarian in the Archive, who believes that Mackenzie is ready.

After the loss of her younger brother Ben, Mackenzie and her parents leave their roots and move into The Coronado, where, once upon a time, it was a hotel, but has now been renovated into apartments. It is here that Mackenzie's parents hope to bury the pain and memories of such a terrible loss, and start over again.

But in a place full of pasts and histories, The Coronado keeps Mackenzie's duties as a Keeper on her toes. Change also comes to Mackenzie in the form of an eyeliner wearing boy named Wesely. But it seems, Wesley is not all that he seems to be. Wesley seems to know a lot about the hidden secrets that Mackenzie has, and Mackenzie isn't sure if it's a blessing to have someone she can speak to, or if it's another obstacle in her life where she must keep more secrets.

And secrets seems to be the theme of The Coronado. As stated before, an old place holds lots of history and past, and when Mackenzie stumbles upon a string of mysterious deaths, who can Mackenzie really trust to find the truth and answers she needs. Not only does she fill her time with investigating these murders, there is also an influx in Histories in The Narrows. Histories being the dead who have awakened from The Archive and are lost and confused and are trying to find a way to The Outer, the place where the living live, and the dead used to call home.

And to complicate things even further, Mackenzie runs into an anomaly within The Narrows...a History that does not appear on her paper that needs to be returned, a History that is out and about under the radar of The Archive. Owen...who seems to have some of the answers that Mackenzie has been looking for regarding the murders, Owen...who is mystery unto himself, Owen...who makes the all the noise in Mackenzie head...quiet.

But still grieving the loss of her brother, some sort of breech that is happening within The Archive itself, and with more Histories that need to be returned and who are becoming more violent, how will Mackenzie handle all this chaos without slipping and finding herself dead and archived.

The Archived by Victoria Schwab is a masterpiece. This story had me from the very beginning and held my attention right to the very end. I loved how the story was told in a back and forth manner. Where we are told the story in the present, but are allowed glimpses into the past whether it be through Mackenzie's skills as a Keeper, or by the memories of Mackenzie's time with Da as she is slowly being trained to become what she is today...a Keeper.

The world building found in this book is phenomenal. You can't help but be caught up in this world of Librarians, Keepers, Crew, and Histories. Every little piece of information provided in the book leads way to another exciting chapter in the book. You're kept guessing until the very end as to the outcome of the mysterious deaths in The Coronado. And when you think you have it all figured out, Schwab throws in another twist that will have you reeling.

The pacing is quick and easy to follow and I quickly found myself devouring every word, not wanting to leave this world and the characters found within. The idea of The Archived is so unique that that in itself will draw readers in. Once you get a taste of the story within the first few chapters, you will quickly find that The Archived is a story that you will not soon forget.

Fans of mystery reads and are in the mood for something different but breathtaking will fall in love with The Archived by Victoria Schwab. Believe me when I tell you that you will NOT have read anything like this, and you will be so glad that you were able to experience this epic read.

Da was dying, so he taught Mackenzie everything he knew. He taught her everything she would need to know in order to be a Keeper. As Keeper, Mackenzie has to escort the waking dead back into the Archive where they can be put to rest again. Of course, the job is never as easy as it seems and comes with a price. She has to lie to everyone she knows and she has to deal with the thought that one of those waking dead might be someone she doesn't want to put back to sleep. When her family moves into a new place, the activity picks up around the Archive, it almost seems like someone is waking the dead on purpose. Who would do that though and how would they get access to them? Mackenzie has to figure it out before she loses everyone she loved or herself.

The was a very wonderful and exciting novel. I loved this re-imagined afterlife. The idea that we are constantly recording our own histories and that when we die a copy of ourselves keeps all of that intact is comforting, strange and wonderful. I always love new twists on things, especially things that no one knows the truth about.

I like Mackenzie too, even if she seemed a bit boy crazy. The second she sees one she latches on. It was a bit strange. But, sans boys she seems quite nice. I wish we could have gotten to know Da. He seemed like a very closed person, but very interesting. There was a lot going on behind his eyes.

I thought I had the plot all figured out, but then some quite unexpected things were revealed. It was all most excellent. I can not wait to see what happens in the next book, even though this ending was wholly satisfying. I just want to hand out in the Archives a bit more.

So, if you haven't checked this one out yet, get to it. It's amazing.

First Line:
"The Narrows remind me of August nights in the South."

Favorite Line:
"But you left something out.
It is beautiful."

The Archived is one of those creepy, melancholy, engagingly-voiced books that comes out of nowhere (at least for me, I can't even remember where I heard about it in the first place) and then completely fascinates you.

Mackenzie Bishop is no ordinary teenager. She and her family are moving to a Grand Old Hotel converted into apartments-- The Coronado-- after the loss of her beloved younger brother. Her mother is going to force them to move on with her brittle happiness, and her father is going to just make affirmative noises and retreat behind papers.

But Mackenzie doesn't have the luxury of forgetting the dead. Her job is to go into the Narrows, the halls between our world the The Archive where the sum history of each human life is shelved and kept. When a history wakes up, Mackenzie's job is to force that history back to the Archive before they "slip" or become violent and aggressive.

But one day she meets someone who makes her wonder if all Histories slip. If they don't, maybe her younger brother could be one....

This is not urban/paranormal fantasy where a realistic teenager is suddenly thrust into a paranormal world. At times Mackenzie seems a bit too old and reserved, but if you read this book like a horror-tinged fantasy, you'll see why I became so engrossed in Mackenzie's moral and emotional dilemmas.

And then there's the Coronado itself, which is so cool, and Mackenzie's ability to touch objects and "read" memories. And then there's Wesley (Guyliner), a spike-haired boy who knows more than he lets on at first, and then is the author of banter and flirting and fun in every scene he's in.

Excellent book. I hope there's another one in Mac's story, but it could stand alone as the major conflicts are resolved satisfyingly.

This Book's Snack Rating: Spiced, roasted almonds for looking like a plain paranormal on the outside that explodes into banter, action, moral dilemmas and a creepy hotel in your mouth.

With a truly unique and original storyline, The Archived is an easy five star young adult book for me. It provided not only a great set-up, but also great characters, a great mystery and a great concept-death. It is the Keeper's job to collect the Histories of the dead in the Narrows (the crew to collect them in the Outer,) and the Librarian's job to catalogue the dead in the Archive. When Mackenzie, a Keeper, moves into a new apartment with her parents, she's still racked with grief over the loss of her brother, but something ensues that turns an age old mystery into a new one. Mackenzie must learn to not only trust the right people, but to also bare and face her demons to protect The Archive from itself.

I love the adventure in this book as Mackenzie plays detective to figure out he mysterious deaths that occurred at her new home, The Coronado. Her guarded and strong characterization mad her a type of heroin that makes, deals, and learns from her mistakes. I also became very fond of Wesley and how he complemented Mackenzie's character as the sweet rogue who only wants to gain Mackenzie's trust.

This book is fresh, and a great read for those who tire of the typical young adult genre clichés. I would definitely recommend this book for the lovers of paranormal, fantasy, adventure and mystery. I absolutely cannot wait to delve into the next book of this series! What would you do if you had the power to wake up your deceased loved ones? Would you break all the rules, or would you let the past be?

First Line: "The Narrows remind me of August nights in the South." (1)
Last Line: "And I smile back, because I want him to be right." (321)

"Stories about winding halls, and invisible doors, and places where the dead are kept like books on shelves. Each time you finish a story, you make me tell it back to you, as if you're afraid I will forget.

"I never do."

Mackenzie Bishop became a Keeper for the Archive when she was twelve years old. Trained and groomed by her grandfather, Mackenzie knew exactly what being a Keeper would mean. It means danger as she hunts for escaped Histories--records of the dead bound in something very close to flesh and bone--that need to be returned to the Archive. She knows being a keeper means lying to everyone she knows.

It isn't easy work. But it gives Mac a solid link to Da and his years of training and stories. It gives Mac the illusion of being close to her younger brother who died a year ago.

Still grieving and lost, Mac's family moves to a decrepit building trying to start again. As she tiptoes around her mother's crazy new schemes and her father's avoidance, Mac soon discovers that a building as old as the Coronado is filled with secrets and lies of its own. As she learns more about the building Mac discovers disturbing alterations to Histories within the Archive. Someone wants to hide something about the Coronado. And perhaps about the Archive too. If Mac can't solve the mystery that remains the entire Archive could collapse in The Archived (2013) by Victoria Schwab.

The Archived is Schwab's second novel. It is also the first in a series although it stands very nicely on its own. The sequel, The Unbound, is due out in 2014.

The Archived sounds like it should be a grim book. There are dead people. There are sad characters. It should be depressing. Instead, The Archived is an eerie, original read that is simultaneously exciting and contemplative. Mac is a strong, resilient heroine who is flawed and as utterly authentic as the world she inhabits. And what a world. Filled with librarians and keys and secrets The Archived is a unique book filled with all of my favorite things right down to a beautiful cover and book design.

Lyrical memories of Mac's past are interspersed between action-packed chapters with Mac's work as a Keeper for the Archive. Schwab skillfully combines a compelling premise with themes of loss and family to create a nuanced mystery sure to dazzle readers.

Possible Pairings: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken, Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones Drawing the Ocean by Carolyn MacCullough, Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan, All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

4.5 stars

There's just something about Victoria Schwab's writing. The Near Witch was one of my favourite books of 2012, and from the moment I finished reading it I practically counted the days until I could get my hands on something else of Ms Schwab's. Her writing is so beautiful and fluid it seems to flow effortlessly, ensuring the reader is completely captivated and unable to stop reading.

The Archived has one of the most fascinating concepts I've ever come across. The idea of the dead resting on shelves, and there being this whole secret world of people who tend to them, is intriguing, creepy, haunting, and yet oddly mesmerizing.

Ms Schwab has a knack for writing characters that leap off the page and take up permanent residence in your mind (and heart). Over a year later, I still find myself thinking of Lexi and Cole from The Near Witch, and I'm certain that a year from now I'll still be thinking of Mac and Wesley from The Archived. But not just them - Da, Roland, Ben, Owen, and all the other characters in this book, all of whom felt like an integral part of the story, no matter how big or small their role was.

I connected with Mac immediately, feeling her pain and her desire to have her brother back and to make her family whole again. She wasn't perfect - she made mistakes, she had flaws, her judgment was questionable at times - but that made me love her even more. She didn't make excuses for who she was or what she did, and when you think about all she had seen and experienced and done at such a young age, it was a miracle she wasn't completely broken. Then there was Wesley...oh Wesley, with his eyeliner and tall hair and scars and lies and crooked smile. Just thinking about him makes me smile. I loved the interactions between Mac and Wes - they often brought just the right amount of levity to an otherwise darkly intense story.

As for the plot itself...I actually don't want to go into too much detail because I feel it needs to be experienced rather than read about. I'll say this: the mystery was so tightly woven that it kept me guessing and had me on the edge of my seat, with my fingers flipping the pages almost faster than my eyes could read. To say this book is a must-read would be downplaying its awesomeness. Simply put, if you haven't already read The Archived (and The Near Witch), you're missing out on an incredible book that deserves a spot on everyone's shelves.

Note: This review is based on the first nine chapters, which is all NetGalley included in its sneak peak, which in a suspense novel that chances are you will want to read in a single sitting strikes me as a bit cruel.

Victoria Schwab has imagined something extraordinary: an entirely new sort of afterlife. Well, maybe not an afterlife exactly; more like an after-something, a truly creepy after-something.

In a world that seems to be our own a mysterious secret organization of indeterminate but apparently considerable age known as the Archive scientifically (as opposed to supernaturally so far as has been revealed) maintains copies (?) of all the dead, known as Histories so that their memories in picture form can somehow be "read" by Librarians for some unknown but presumed to be benign purpose. The trouble is that these Histories can occasionally wake up, escape, go mad, and kill. In order to contain the multiple potential catastrophes that little quirk in the system might pose, genetically predisposed Keepers are employed for the purpose of hunting down rogue Histories and, uh, "reshelving" them.

Wow, hard to imagine something like this ever going wrong!

At 16 and still one of the youngest Keepers ever (too young in the opinion of some) Mackenzie Bishop is doing her job well, but she's starting to crack under the strain of losing first her grandfather and predecessor as Keeper four years ago, then her universally adored little brother less than a year ago, and finally her parents' arguably unhealthy manner of grieving that has resulted in her shattered family moving into and taking over a creepy rundown old hotel turned apartment building that is full of its own strange secrets like forgotten crimes Mackenzie can sense and at least three doors into the Narrows, the nightmarish No Man's Land of corridors and doors that separates and connects the Archive to the Outer world, our world. (Think the closet doors of Monsters, Inc. but without the pleasantness.)

Nine chapters in Mac's grim existence tilts on a hinge point between a surprising new ally and a grim old mystery that took place in her very room, and the main plot complication as described on the cover has yet to kick in.

It is going to be a long, Long, LONG wait until I can read the rest of it.

I read this book quite awhile ago, but just haven't been able to review it. I've written several versions out longhand, but nothing ever seemed good enough. That said, I am not going to promise a great review, because I honestly don't think I can properly do this amazing story justice. Here is my attempt...

When I finished reading The Archived back in November, my brief Goodreads review read, "Absolute perfection! I know it's only November of 2012, but I predict that this will make my 'Best of 2013' list!". As of now, it is still in the number one spot and holding strong. The Archived just had so much going for it. The writing was superb, the story was fantastic, and the characters were amazing. It was packed with so much emotion, yet still had enough action, adventure, mystery, and intrigue that it never felt heavy, and never, ever stalled.

The thing that I loved the most about this book was its originality. Books, in general, fall into genres because they mostly draw off of the same themes. This applies especially to YA; If something gets a lot of attention, it gets beaten to death (look at all the vampire books that came out in the wake of Twilight's success, dystopians on the heels of The Hunger Games). Sure, authors build on these themes, and make them their own, and I'm not saying that there haven't been amazing books written because of this type of inspiration, because there HAVE been, but I absolutely love it when a TRULY original idea comes along to knock my socks off. Victoria Schwab did this when she wrote The Archived. I loved the idea that when a person dies, the details of who that person was and the life they lead- their history- is archived by Historian, to be read by Librarians. I loved that there is a legacy left behind by each person, whether they knew it or not. As you all know, I am a lover of books (duh). That said, the idea of the history of every person being shelved and possibly read and learned from, like a book, sometime in the future, really appealed to me. I knew from the moment I saw the synopsis that I needed to read it, and I don't think I've ever jumped for joy over receiving an ARC in the mail like I did when I received this one (Thanks SO much, Disney Publishing!).

So this book has a great idea behind it. I read books that start with a great idea, and fail when it comes to execution, all the time. Did this one? No effing way! Here's why...

*The Characters: Every single character, no matter how big or small their role was, made a difference in this book. There wasn't one who was inconsequential, and I think that had a tremendous amount to do with Victoria's characterization. She made them count. In fact, some of the characters I went through the book believing to be "minor" turned out to be anything but... That said, I really formed attachments to the two main characters. Mackenzie (Mac), our protagonist, was fabulously drawn. Very human on a very emotional level, but quite kick-ass as well, in her determination to be the best at her job as a Keeper (someone who makes sure Histories who are awoken don't escape the Narrows- an in-between place- into the real world), and eventually make Crew, like her late grandfather. Her job is incredibly dangerous, very lonely, and quite thankless to boot. Add to that the fact that she and her parents are dealing with the sudden death of her younger brother, and she is especially fragile. Then there was Wesley... *swoon* Another Keeper close to Mac's age, Wesley is the perfect person to bring her intensity down a level. She meets him when her family moves to The Coronado, and old hotel with a lot of history, and apparently, a good number of Histories lurking in its Narrows as well. Which brings me to the setting...

*The World Building: The Archived is VERY character and plot driven, and honestly, I probably wouldn't have noticed much if Victoria had chosen to neglect the element of world building and setting. That said, the fact that she spent the time to really give us a rich, descriptive world for this story... I love her for it. The Coronado reminded me of a very old woman, who you can tell was once a great beauty, by her grace and the vestiges of charm and elegance that you see in her eyes and smile. I love buildings with history and Victoria did an outstanding job bringing this place to life. The same is true for the Archive itself. The pictures I had in my imagination of this library where the Histories were stored, and the layout of it! I was astounded by the detail her words brought forth in my mind. Finally, the Narrows. A nightmare on paper...

*The Plot/Pacing/Story: I will admit that the first couple chapters were slow for me, but after I got through them, it was abundantly clear how necessary those initial chapters and their slow build were. Once the story did pick up, I felt a undeniable compulsion to keep reading. The pacing was great, with just the right amount of information held back, to keep me turning pages, with reveals happening at the perfect times, to never leave me feeling frustrated. As I said early in this review, the story had uniqueness in spades. So brilliantly different from anything I've ever read. It makes me want to take up residence in Victoria Schwab's imagination for a day or two (especially given The Archived's vast departure in genre from her debut, The Near Witch).

*The Relationships/Romance: Although part of the story, which I addressed above, I felt like I had to address these elements separately First off, can we say, "Yay!" for no love triangles? Yes, there is a sort-of whisper of one, but it never felt like a true love triangle to me because I don't think it ever felt that way to Mac. Secondly, I loved that there was no insta-love. Mac actually questions her feelings about Wesley more than once, wondering if they weren't more to to with the fact that he could relate to her and what she does, and whether they were more out of loneliness than actual romantic inclinations. I felt like that showed a level of maturity that I wish was present in more YA. That aside, I really enjoyed the relationship between Mac and Wesley and I can't wait to see where it leads in book number two. As for the other relationships, I felt intense emotions as it related to Mac's relationship with her grandfather, Da, from whom she took over her Keeper position. He trained her and vouched for her, even when the powers that be felt she was too young. He wasn't the warm and fuzzy type, but still made her feel loved, but also left her t figure a lot of what she does out on her own, which made things quite complicated. Same was true for her connections to her parents and late brother. Her feelings toward her brother were intense and heartbreaking, and while her feelings toward her parents were strained because of her brother's untimely death and their difficulty coping with it, they were very real. I also wanted to touch on Mac's relationship with Roland, her sort-of mentor at the Archive. Another rather complex one, full of secrets, but very rich for its intricacies. There were some very key twists involving Roland, and I'm glad I paid attention to him from the beginning. Finally, there was Owen. I'm not going to say a whole lot about him, but he is a major player in this story, and the emotions he brings forth are puzzling, at best, which is why I found myself so drawn to his story, as it related to Mac's feelings toward him.

Well- that was exhausting, as I actually ended up writing an entirely different review than the any of the ones I had written out longhand. It turned out to be a conglomerate of all of them... I guess if you get nothing else from this review, get this... YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK! It is brilliant and it really is perfection. Victoria Schwab experienced no "sophomore slump" with The Archived! She will forevermore join the ranks of likes of David Levithan, John Green, Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Ellen Hopkins, and Neal Shusterman, as an author whose books I will read without needing to know anything except that she wrote them. (Pretty good for someone with two published books under her belt!)

My Rating: 5 stars++++

Grade Level Recommendation: This book is perfectly fine for MS readers and up. I would even give it to a lot of 5th graders, because content-wise, it is fine. That said, I think the ideas behind it would be more intriguing to the more mature readers. Ages 10 and up (5th grade+).

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

I truly underestimated this book. You know how when you first read a book's blurb and it totally catches your attention as something different and unique? You know that feeling right afterwards that can only be described nothing short of "Gimme Syndrome"? Yeah, that's how I felt with The Archived. But for whatever reason, I got distracted and started picking up other books (you know how it is). Well, one day I was frolicking through my bookshelf, re-read the blurb and engaged the family in a battle of epic proportions for peace and quiet.

I won. Obviously.

It was a good thing that I had managed to find this rare thing called reading time, because once I started reading The Archived, I didn't want to stop. Oh boy, Schwab. I am a fan! The premise is so fascinating and fleshed out in the book, that you can't help but to drink the descriptions in. Just imagine a library existing for people who die with the sole purpose of preserving their memories. Then you'd have these Librarians who would catalogue the dead and Keepers to Return the Histories (the dead) to the Archive (library). Like I said, truly fascinating and I think Schawb really pulled it off well.

Mac was a fantastic main character. She was smart, resourceful and very relatable. In the beginning, we learn that she has lost both her grandfather, who she refers to as "Da", and her younger brother. The pain and grief that she feels for her brother, in particular, felt very realistic to me. There were scenes where she was desperate to hold onto her brother's memory by clinging to items that once belonged to him. Her feelings of guilt for not being able to protect him, anger at her parents for attempting to move on, frustration at herself for not remembering every detail about him, all resonated with me quite a bit due to my own personal experiences. I thought Mac was brave for dealing with her grief while still upholding her Keeper duties and coming in contact with Histories everyday.

Speaking of Histories, I thought that was a really creative way to show a new kind of paranormal character. I would almost classify them as a ghost/zombie hybrid. They look exactly like their human selves except for their eyes. They talk, walk around in corporeal forms and are generally confused about their whereabouts. They also don't know they are dead. (Yikes! Talk about being the bearer of bad news...) Because of that little complication, Mac has to sometimes fight the Histories, forcing them back to the Returns. If you are having trouble with picturing that scenario, just think of Cas hunting ghosts from Anna Dressed in Blood and you'll have a pretty good idea.

The plot is where a lot of the magic in The Archived happens. Schwab really wove a great mystery together that had me flipping pages without letup. Since she created a world so different from what I usually seen in YA lit, I was completely surprised at the twists and turns. The ending to this murder mystery is something I never saw coming.

Oh and *high fives Schwab for the love interest* I LOVED Wes. Even though he didn't get a ton of page time, I enjoyed the refreshing comical flare he brought to the story. I especially love how his existence didn't take over Mac's life. 'Cause the girl had bigger fish to fry, like, say hunting Histories, making sure they didn't escape into the real world and murder people in their sleep. Kinda important.

The only reason why I'm not giving out 5 stars is due to the beginning. It was a little slow and complex with the narrative mode switching back and forth. Sometimes Mac is narrating to the audience and other times she's chronicling her past Keeper lessons with her grandfather, but it's like she's narrating to him (ex. "We used to do this or that together, Da.") I adjusted to this style pretty quickly, but I can see it throwing off other readers a bit. However, hang in there because the flip-flopping tapers off pretty quickly as the story progresses. Not to mention the second half is simply phenomenal.

Anyway, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. I definitely highly recommend people check out The Archived. It's the perfect murder mystery to keep you on the edge of your seat. It's the kind of book that had me thinking about the events long after I finished and now I'll be desperately waiting for book 2.

ARC was received from the publisher. Thanks, Disney-Hyperion!

More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.

Victoria Schwab is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. The Near Witch was one of my favorite books of 2011 and it really impressed me. I was pretty sure her sophomore novel couldn't be better than that one but boy was I wrong. The Archived is one of the best books I have read in 2012 and one of my all-time favorites.

The Archived is one of the most unique books I have ever read. The concept is fabulous and the execution is perfect! I wasn't quite sure where the story was going to go in the beginning but I honestly didn't care because it was just so interesting. However, once the story really picked up and things started to come together, I was fascinated. I won't try and tell you exactly how things work in the Archive because the book does a way better job of explaining it. Just know that it's an awesome concept and it's kind of spooky.

That's another thing about The Archived that I didn't expect but I should have given the spookiness of The Near Witch. The Archived takes place in two locations: the Coronado, an old hotel turned apartment building, and the Narrows/Archive. Both places are pretty much equally creepy. The Coronado is a building full of secrets. A series of strange deaths happened shortly after the place became apartments and somehow these murders tie in with strange things happening in the Narrows and the Archive. While it's not a horror story by any means, I was sufficiently creeped out yet equally intrigued.

Mackenzie is one stubborn, strong-willed, hard-headed girl. She did not want to accept help from anyone and she wanted to do everything her own way. She was a little closed off with people but she did grow out of that a little bit throughout the book. She was lonely and she just wanted someone who could relate to her. She found that someone in the very unlikely form of Wesley Ayers. (By the way, Wesley Ayers is my new fictional crush and none of you can have him!) Wesley is the comic relief in this book. He's the complete opposite of Mac. He's free-spirited, friendly, and a little goofy. He's pretty much the definition of a nice guy. I have no complaints regarding Wesley's character! As for the rest of the characters, it was hard to judge them. The Librarians were very aloof and mysterious, Mackenzie's parents were heartbroken and lost, and the Histories were kind of creepy yet kind of sad. I look forward to learning more about everyone in the next book.

As for the writing itself, if you've read The Near Witch you know what to expect from Victoria Schwab. Her writing is beautiful and creepy and mysterious and just freaking fantastic. Victoria Schwab is one of those authors who could write a phone book and have people fall in love with it. I really can't put into words how much I love her writing. =)

Overall, The Archived is a stunning sophomore novel from Victoria Schwab. It's a creeptastic story full of mystery and secrets and I can't recommend it enough!

This ended up being just another hyped book that disappointed me. I can say lots of good things about it: the incredible world-building, the solid and oftentimes suspenseful storyline, and the wholly developed characters that gave it life. Clearly, the problem isn’t with the story, but it’s something I can’t pinpoint. It just happened that more than often I was somewhat bored by the tedious pace, even though much seemed to be going on in every chapter. Apart from the setting and complexities of the mystery, it felt as though I wasn’t reading anything new. Whichever it was, this is a good story that would be enjoyed by many (as attested to by the glowing reviews), but it just wasn’t for me.

I have so much love for this book. Victoria Schwab's evocative writing style and stellar story premise swept me up and didn't let me down. There was so much I adored about the story but this is another one of those books where I feel most of what I have to discuss at any depth would lessen the reading experience for you! Instead, I'm going to point out a few of the "general" things I loved:

*Writing Style: As I said, Victoria Schwab's writing style swept me up! I was totally engrossed in the story. The cadence was perfect and I found myself enjoying the way the words were put together as much as the story itself.

*Flashbacks: We get to go with Mac on a number of trips down memory lane. Her Da (grandfather) introduced her to the life of the Keepers. He didn't throw her in blindly but spent time explaining it to her. As she remembers these conversations and events the reader gains a deeper understanding of the world of The Archived and what went in to shaping Mac.

*The "other" World: The Archived, Librarians, Histories, Keepers (Not the Harry Potter variety! But just as cool, if not cooler!) I always enjoy learning more about "the order of things" in books set in a world not quite or own. The secrecy surrounding the Keepers and their world made learning about it all that much more interesting.

*Surprises: Some of the events of the book I had figured out but there were a good number where I was like, "WHAT?!?!?" in the best possible way. Of the twisty, twisty, twists!

*Librarians: How could I, a middle school librarian, not give a cheer for the role of librarians in this book! Granted, they aren't like your typically librarian but still.... awesome!

*The Cover: Yes. I am shallow. But, but, but.... I love the pretty!

Basically, you just really need to give this book a try. The writing and the mystery and danger of the Keeper world combine to make The Archived a story that will stick with you long after you've turned the last page.

Victoria Schwab’s The Archived was a really interesting read, with a concept that I’ve never really seen before. The idea of the afterlife as a kind of supernatural library is not only creative, but it allows the novel to explore some very deep issues. Complementing the imaginative world, Schwab’s evocative prose makes The Archived an entertaining and attention-grabbing book.

Mackenzie Bishop, the protagonist, is a nice balance of unique and relatable. Balancing a stressful job and dealing with a family tragedy, Makenzie is allowed some great character growth. Schwab really allows the reader to feel what Mackenzie is going through and understand her decision process.

The other characters of The Archived are also interesting. From Mackenzie’s mother, who masks her grief with work, to Wes, charismatic and funny, to Da, Mackenzie’s grandfather whose influence is still felt even after he is gone; each character adds something unique to this story about death, love and what makes one human.

Schwab’s descriptive and poignant writing really adds depth to The Archived. The writing really captures the complex feelings that accompany grief. While not everyone is a fan of flashbacks, I really enjoyed the flashbacks that Mackenzie had of her training with her grandfather. I thought that flashbacks were any interesting way to get backstory, while illustrating how Mackenzie became the person she is today.

The only complaints I have of The Archived are that I wish the world of the Archive had been explained a little more and also that the antagonist had been a little more fleshed out, but other than that I thought that the novel was fantastic. I highly recommend The Archived and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

I really, really liked this book. I liked that Mackenzie has all these painful memories of her grandpa and her brother and doesn’t want to let go. I liked that Wesley seems carefree but is actually far from it. I loved the worldbuilding and the plot. And while I expected, again, that Mac will fall in love – as is usual in much of YA nowadays, I was exceptionally glad she didn’t – because there’s more to life than relationships and teenage crushes. I did like the fact that she tried, and failed, to make her pain go away by hooking up with a boy.

I find the idea of shelving the dead for their Histories quite terrifying (how do they keep them from rotting?). Imagine being able to access the memories of hundreds of thousands of dead people … What would you do with that knowledge? Catch escaped murderers, like Mac is trying to do with the girl who was killed in the appartment her family has moved into? Find buried treasures everyone has forgotten? Bring peace to those who survived their loved ones?

Read the review at my blog, Of Dragons and Hearts ([...])

This book is so beautifully written. I just love Victoria Schwab's writing style. It's perfectly paced. It's also very descriptive, allowing readers to easily visualize the complex world of the the Archive. I think the idea of Histories is so unique and it brings the world-building together.

I love Mac as the main character. She's strong and brave. She knows how to return Histories and she's good at it. She may be young when she first became a Keeper, but she proves to everyone that she's just as good as they are. I really like the parts of the book where she talks about what she and Da used to do and the lessons he taught her. Her need for connection with her brother is another reason as to why I like her. She has a need to feel connected to her dead brother. She refuses to forget him. She is compelled to do all that she can to see him; she even tries to see his History. It's so moving how she really cares and loves her little brother. Even though she feels like she's losing him and constantly want to be with him, she doesn't let it hinder her job, which is admirable.

The thing I loved most about the book is the twist. It was action-packed and suspenseful. I was so shocked when I finally found out about what happened with all the deaths at the house.

While starting out a bit confusing, this book really took off and was impossible to put down. The twist at the ending . . . superb! The most interesting thing about this book for me was seeing hints of Schwab's DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC in it--the doors to other places, the magic, the different worlds. Fan theory: Lisa the Librarian, with her dark hair and two different colored eyes, is Lila from DSOM. Also, Schwab is brilliant at pacing. This book unravels not too fast, not too slow, with no wasted or excessive words.

This may be my newest obsession. This was such an amazing read and I don't know why I waited so long to read a book by Victoria Schwab.

The story was engaging and I was invested in it the entire time. There were a few minor events near the end that were a bit predictable, but it was still a great and fast read.

Despite being somewhat predictable at some points, the mystery involving the plot and the world building were really interesting and I think these were beautifully done by the author. The writing style and the characters made the story unique and also the relationship between the characters was quite enjoyable, specially Mackenzie and Wesley. Another thing I really like was the end, although everything was resolved, it wasn't convenient or an ending were everyone was happy and back to normal without consequences. It was satisfying, but also opened up a lot of new possibilities for the next book.

At first, I was a bit put off by the change between second and first person narrative, but in the end I think it came together really nice and I like that it was a different way to provide more information about this world. Another point that I really wasn't happy about was the lack of communication between Mackenzie and her parents and even with her partner, a lot of stuff could have been avoided. If the mystery surrounding the events happening in The Archived and Mac's territory would have handled differently, then maybe the lack of communication could have avoided, it was just a thing of execution, but in the end I still enjoyed how everything wrapped up.

This was the first in the trilogy?, so I'm hopping the next one to be just as engaging, a lot more world building and maybe the relationships between some of the characters would improve.

I'm really excited for the sequel.

With each new book Victoria Schwab blows me away. It's her second novel, and it's the best yet. I don't know how to describe her writing very well other than to say it makes me yearn for more. More of this really good writing. The kind that is full of emotion and and and... Gahh! It just makes me smile a lot. She writes books that leave me truly satisfied as a reader.

MacKenzie's brother had recently passed away and coincidentally a few days after I read this book, my own grandpa passed away. Of course I thought to myself, "If I could wake him up and talk to his History, would I?" It's a scary thought and it's something Mac deals with throughout the book. I just felt a big connection with MacKenzie during and even as I go through my own grieving process. While she's picking through her brother's stuff and looking for any possible memory... All of it.

So basically, MacKenzie is grieving and she's living in a new home where she meets a new friend and comes across all sorts of crazy. Especially with the histories that beg her to let them see the outside world. She shows her vulnerability, but when tension is at its highest, we see her stand her ground and find the truth.

I think Victoria Schwab did a great job at having two living and breathing parents that live in close quarters with Mac. I feel like in YA, the parents get killed off or are so faceless. I'm sure it's for good reason, but I always like to applaud authors who have the parents involved in the story, even if they aren't in on the action. And Mac is a smart gal who knows how to sneak around, but knows how to respect and help her parents as they're setting up the coffee shop/bakery doo-dad in the apartment building lobby.

The Archived is a book that will be near and dear to me for years to come.

Also, that one History, the one she let stay in the Narrows, FREAKED ME OUT. Even when she was hanging out with him, I was all "AHHH I CAN'T HANDLE THIS."

[Originally posted at [...]]

So, if y'all have hung out here at Bookworm in Love for a while, you know that I wanted The Archived so bad I would have sacrificed my firstborn child for it (and quite possibly every other child after that...). When I saw that Southern Book Bloggers had it for an ARC tour, I nearly peed myself. And then I got chosen to be part of it. And I was SECOND on the list. Like, I'm fairly certain I had heart palpitations. I was that excited. So it showed up at my house last Tuesday, and the first thing I did was stick my signed The Archived bookmark in it... just you know... because they wanted to be united (my best friend told me that was really sad, but I DON'T CARE). I was so overcome with excitement that I couldn't even bring myself to start it that day (I did the same thing with Opal).

When I calmed down (the next day), and sat down and finally started this beautiful piece of young adult literature, I finished it in one sitting. Like, I didn't even get up from my incredibly uncomfortable position at the kitchen table. I was riveted. It was funny and quirky, but dealt with Mackenzie's family's loss of several people very close to them and how Mac deals with having to lie to everyone all the time very well. The whole premise of this archive thing is so new, and that seems to be an increasingly difficult feat these days, since it seems that almost everything has already been thought of and done. (This is where I jump up and shout "Bravo, Ms. Schwab. Bravo." Because she's full of awesomeness and writing skills and more awesomeness and definitely deserves some clapping in here somewhere.) It's just so dang good.

So, the book starts off with Mackenzie and her parents moving to a new place, and Mackenzie doesn't like it. There are several flashbacks in which Mac is remembering something about someone but it isn't specifically stated. Like, it'll have dialogue, but it'll be "you said."

"It's not a party trick, Kenzie," you snap. (ARC pg. 27)

(I loved this, because the pieces all fell together later, and I just felt like I had reached enlightenment...) Anyways, so they're movin' into this place and Kenzie goes to look for "doors" to this part of the archive called the Narrows, because that's where she works as a Keeper. The majority of the story involves Mackenzie dealing with her two lives (family Mackenzie and Keeper Mackenzie) and keep them from colliding. She meets this awesome boy named Wesley in her building and he becomes a very important character (and I love him sososososososoooo much!).

The characters were brilliantly written. I feel like Mackenzie, Kami (from Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan), and I should all be BFFs. Mackenzie just has a similar sense of humor (ish) as Kami, and I feel as though we would all get along swimmingly (swimmingly, I tell you!). She's kind of quirky and very secretive, also (wouldn't you be if you had to hide a huge portion of your life from everyone around you?). She has a hard time letting people in, but I liked that about her. She's very curious, though, and that gets her in trouble a couple times, but I feel like it was an important part of her character. She wasn't bland like so many YA heroines tend to be. She learns things and then acts upon them. She is not irrational. She has normal emotions. She is a little OCD with compartmentalizing things, but we all have our faults.

And then there is our leading male, Wesley. I LOVE HIM. Even if he wears eyeliner (erm... guyliner?) He's funny and so incredibly the opposite of Mackenzie. He lets every aspect of his life run together, while Mac wants it all separate. I think they compliment each other perfectly. Despite his emo-type appearance, he's a really nice, smart guy. He's read The Inferno guys. HE READS. I like that about him! He and Mackenzie are really great as a pair, too. He's like a nice version of Jace, I think.

"Do you think she's falling for my dashing good looks, my charm, or the fact that I supply her with pastries?" (ARC pg. 183)

He's kind, yet very confident. He's also extremely... theatrical? Yeah, that's it. He's dramatic, and it's awesome. He's so perfect. Like, really girls. SO PERFECT. I enjoyed reading about him.

The secondary characters are written beautifully, too. Like, even though Mackenzie's Mom and Dad aren't super prominent characters, we still see and feel the pain their going through with their grief and they way they each were dealing with it. Roland was by far my favorite secondary character. He is what they call a librarian (two rungs higher than a Keeper like Mackenzie), and he wears converse. Like, how cool is that? We never learn exactly how old he is, but it is the reader can't help but assume he is a bit ancient. He's funny, too, for a guy who works in a shelving area for the dead. There were many more characters, but I'm not going into detail about any more. Y'all are just gonna have to wait. :)

Obviously, I'm giving this one five 'staches, because it is just pure literary awesome.

Schwab's second novel, The Archived, is a beautiful, tricksy book about grief. Mac (Mackenzie) is a teen whose grandfather and little brother dies. She feels as though, of her family, she is the only one still mourning them. Told through flashbacks and present day, Schwab expertly weaves an incredibly awesome world where "grim reapers" as we'd know them are Keepers, the dead are 'The Archived'/Histories and there are Libraries.

The Archived novel is fun, full of way cool world building and beautiful language. Definitely must read for those who enjoy their fantasy (or paranormal) books on the darker/almost more realistic side as well as ones who don't always need a romance in them to read. (The Archived has a romance but it is small and tiny compared to the family/grief focus.)

A wonderfully creative idea, but it plodded on without going much of anywhere. Nothing felt intriguing or exciting, and it plunges readers into the world that's been created without giving them much of a background or base so readers can ease into it. It seems to just hope you catch on and figure out. I loved what the story could've been, but the execution just didn't work out for me.

My first parting thought about this book? I. Love. Wesley. He is basically everything that my high school emo-heart beated for (don't judge, I was 16). He was just so cute and fun and brought a much needed light-heartedness to the novel. My second parting thought? Whoa. Every now and again a book comes along where all you can do is gape at it, specifically about how the author came up with it- with its concept, world building, characters and whatnot. I mean, Library + dead people + keys + hallways + pyschopaths + piece of paper not unlike the Marauders Map = WHA? And while it may seem like a strange combination I can assure you that it works.

However, I must admit that while I did LOVE Wesley I am more than a little on the fence when it comes to Mac. On the one hand I thought that she was super strong physically but on the other I am a bit annoyed by how easily manipulable she was. I have noticed a recent trend in YA where a female is quickly swept off of her feet by a male who is obviously NOT right for her when the RIGHT boy is standing right in front of her (either because she doesn't realize that he is right for her or because she is being rebellious, refusing the accept the fact- a la "House of Night" and "The Demon Trappers Daughter"). She allows the wrong boy to essentially dictate her life, putting everyone that she loves about at risk and so on, when it was easily avoidable (WHY? Why does it always have to be the female character to trek down this path? Why isn't it ever the male character? Why did Mac have to be one of those girls?).

All in all, (despite liking Wesley and the twisted ending, just when I was convinced that I had everything figured out Victoria made everything topsy turvy, in the best possible way) after finishing this book I just can't really say that I feel anything for it. That being said, despite my complaints this book did pique my curiosity enough to continue on with the series- I feel like this is one of those series where each book will get progressively better and better.

I went into THE ARCHIVED loving how the premise sounded. The dead are stored on shelves? There is a secret society of people who can read them and hunt them down if they escape? How unique of an idea is that?! I was so blown away by the summary that I was dying to crack this book open. THE ARCHIVED did not disappoint!

Mackenzie is an elite member of the Archive known as a Keeper. It's her job, and her job alone, to catch woken up Histories and return them back to being a lifeless shell of a person in a drawer. When she moves to a new place and resides in an old hotel turned apartments, the list and mysteries just keep piling on. She finds herself dealing with more and more Histories and has this nagging feeling that it's being done on purpose. Not only that, but she's found that the Coronado, where she now lives, has a history of it's own. One that is somehow just missing. Vanished.

This book had me glued from start to finish. The concept of these histories was enough to keep me tuned in. Adding the missing history of the hotel, was a cherry on top of the cake. I love a good mystery. Mackenzie was a great main character whose curiosity and determination was applause worthy and had me rooting for her. While her real world is crumbling after the loss of her brother, she immerses herself in the Archive world to keep busy. When she thinks things are going awry, she puts it upon herself to figure everything out. She apparently doesn't care about the ramifications of digging in too deep...or battling Histories twice her age. She thinks she can do everything herself. This is sort of her Achilles heel. Sometimes she can be so stupid and not use her head at all. She lets her pride rule her and obviously, it's not the best idea. She's also way too trusting, even when all signs point not to trust someone. But overall, she makes mistakes and learns and luckily, she's got a cute boy who is slowly able to crack down her mile high wall.

I want to take a second and mention the world-building. I'll be the first to admit that I was sort of very confused at the beginning. I had no idea that we were going back and forth between conversations that took place in the past with Mac and her grandfather and the present. I had no clue what her and Da were even talking about. It was written like we should know all the workings of the Archive. Well, yeah, I didn't. BUT, things did get better a couple of chapters in. We were finally in the present and Schwab was letting piece by piece of information in so we could understand. Once you were able to grasp everything, the world was awesome. It was magical, scary, puzzling, thought provoking, everything. What if there is a place really like this? You'll completely understand why people should never know about it.

The plot was deep rooted and had you guessing the whole time. You're told about some disturbances in the Library, you know that Mac's list is getting more and more unmanageable, you know that the Coronado sort of disappeared off the map for a couple of years, but you never can fully grasp why until almost the very end. Mackenzie herself gets caught completely off guard with the revelations. This kept the plot extremely fascinating. It was hard to set the book down.

Schwab is a great story teller and has truly created a wonderfully mysterious world with THE ARCHIVED. While this is the first book in a series, this book ended perfectly. Mackenzie discovers everything she was searching for with a heart pounding climax near the end. The bittersweet last chapter lets you know that this is only the beginning. Who knows what secrets are left to be uncovered in the next book? I certainly can't wait to find out!

Mackenzie bishop is no ordinary 16 year old. She's a Keeper. Mac and others like her have been tasked with keeping awakened, and sometimes violent, Histories-the dead-from escaping the tunnels where they sometimes roam. There job is to subdue and return these escaped histories to the Archive where they are supposed to sleep. It's a dangerous job, but someone's got to do it, right? Unfortunately for Mackenzie, things are about to get super interesting. After Mackenzie's brother dies in a hit and run, her parents-unable to cope with the memories of their home and surroundings-pick up and move to an apartment building away from everything Mackenzie knows. While there, she meets Wesley-an intriguing and loyal friend...and maybe more -and Roland-a mysterious tunnel wanderer like herself. She also begins to uncover the building's extremely dark and mysterious past which seems to be deleted from both the Archive and the outside world. More and more Histories are waking up and Mackenzie needs to figure out why, but at what cost?

The Archived is a truly intriguing and unique novel. I loved the prose and imagery, the integration of Mackenzie's memories about her Da-her Keeper grandfather who chose her to be his successor-and the twisty, turny plot development. It did take me a bit to get into the story as the beginning is a bit slow. However, once things get going...WHOA! Hold on because it's a sprint to the end!

I truly enjoyed Mackenzie's perspective. She has lost so much in her short life...her Da, her brother, and even her home. She's forced to lie about her "other life" which forces her to have distant and superficial relationships with even her family. This makes her more comfortable lying than telling the truth, leaving her hopeless, lost and confused. She's buried her grief and thrown herself into her Keeper duties. She's a tad rebellious as well as impetuous, which just adds to her "charm." I was struck by her utter aloneness and the way she simply wants to connect with someone. Victoria Schwab did a fantastic job truly showing Mackenzie's depth and building a solid, relatable character.

Wesley. Sweet, reliable, understanding Wesley. I adored him and his total loyalty and support for Mackenzie. He was both much needed comic relief and a perfect balance for Mackenzie and her "lostness." Wes is the type of guy who seems to take everything in stride which made me love him all the more. Totally, great book boy.

Roland. Roland intrigued me right to the end. I wanted to know his backstory. I needed to understand his presence and importance to the story. The development of his character was perfect. I absolutely loved the way it played out.

Secondary characters also added a great dimension to the story. There weren't any placeholders. Everyone had a purpose and a necessary plot point, which I loved. The plot, world, and characters were complex and interesting while also remaining mysterious. While everything resolved at the end of the story to give completeness and a satisfying ending, I was left with a lot of questions and a need to know more.

Another truly strong point was the incredible world building. Mackenzie began her career as a Keeper extremely young and, because of losing her Da so early into her training, was woefully unprepared for some of the aspects of Keeper life. The Archive is also an extremely secretive organization. It is not meant to be questioned. All of these aspects added to an incredibly riveting world that I look forward to exploring further as the series continues.

Overall, The Archived is a thrill ride of awesome with a dusting of favorite shelf potential. Though it had a slow start, the ending left me absolutely desperate to know what happens next!