Review: The Archived by Victoria Schwab

 Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.
Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.
Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.
Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.
In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.

Wow. This book is just…wow.

Victoria Schwab has won me as a reader with her story telling and characters. Reading this book reminded me why I love to read-it takes me to another world where everything isn’t what it seems. I enjoyed following Mackenzie Bishop on her journey to put Histories back to sleep. The Archive was so interesting to read about and Schwab described everything almost perfectly. I could feel myself in the dark Narrows and it was kinda creepy.. There was a lot of mystery and intrigue in this book and I honestly didn’t know who trustful characters were.  The ending totally blew my mind (brain matter is now scattered across my floor:P).

The only thing I didn’t like about The Archived was how quickly it went by; I need book two now!!! The world building was great and I liked how Mac actually had interaction with her parents and friend. There was also a nice subtle romance that’ll hopefully build in the next book that I enjoyed. I loved this book. LOVED IT. Go buy it and be prepared for the second book to come out next year.

 5 stars!

Source: ALA 2012

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