Title: The Archived
Author: Victoria Schwab
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Disney*Hyperion
On-Sale Date: January 22, 2013
Format: ARC paperback
What if a copy of you – your History – lived on after death? What if there was a place – the Archive – where every History
sleeps? What if you were given the task
– Keeper, Crew, Librarian – of
protecting the Archive?
The entrances to the Archive
are hidden except to those who know where to look, and locked to those without
a key. Mackenzie Bishop fits under
neither of those categories. She’s been
trained to be a Keeper by Da. Now, with
Da dead, she protects the Archive from restless Histories who threaten its
secrecy.
Sometimes Histories wake up,
and when they wake up, they slip. It’s
up to Keepers, like Mackenzie, to return them to the Archive before they cause
any damage.
Now, Mackenzie’s faced with some
demons of her own. Grief from her little
brother’s death has caused Mackenzie’s parents to move them away as a way of
starting over. That’s fine; Mackenzie’s
a Keeper no matter where she lives.
Only, the Coronado ends up being a dangerous place for a Keeper. Mackenzie soon finds herself knee-deep in unexplainable
chaos and lies that the Archive has tried to conceal.
The Archived was dark and
thought provoking. Every chapter brought
about new questions waiting to be answered and secrets waiting to be told. It wasn’t predictable and it was definitely powerful. Mysteries slowly unraveled, lies built up,
and the past was shaken.
The story of The Archived
grew increasingly interesting. There was
the world we know – the Outer – the hidden
world where the dead are kept – the
Archive – and the labyrinth that connected the two – the Narrows. You had to
learn how the Archive, and subsequently the Narrows, functioned and fit in with
the Outer. A balance needed to be kept so,
there were rules, and those rules couldn’t be bent or broken without dire
consequences. However, with friends in
high places one could potentially find a loophole or two.
This wasn’t like anything I
had ever read before.
It seemed that there was
always something rooted below the surface, like a lie waiting to be uncovered. You were left breadcrumbs to follow that led
to some truths, only to find that there were still mysteries left. Every exposed truth led to more questions. In fact, a whole new set of questions awaited
you once you read The Archived’s final pages.
It was incredibly easy to
slip into The Archived’s world.
Mackenzie’s voice just pulled you in, and she was a character you grew
attached to. She became even more
likeable as the story progressed, and you watched her delve deeper into her Archive
duties. There was something strange
happening and Mackenzie was right in the middle of it. She had even more burdens to carry and lies
to keep straight. Mackenzie was facing dangers
more threatening than her regular Keeper duties, all while trying to cope and put
her brother to rest. Mackenzie wasn’t
given a moment of peace while wading through her pain.
A good Keeper must be quick
efficient. Every member of the Archive
has a world to hide and Histories to protect.
Mackenzie was a good Keeper, but she was a teenager, and she let her
emotions get the better of her. Da
raised her to be deceptive and evasive, so it was second nature for her to be
guarded. However, several people were
able to slip past Mackenzie’s shell, see through her lies and into her grief. There were times when Mackenzie was torn
apart and ripped to pieces, but that made her even more of an admirable
character. She was resilient and
independent, curious and doubtful. She
was an integral part of the Archive.
I would read any story with
Mackenzie Bishop. I liked getting to
know her.
I developed a fondness for
certain characters immediately while I sat on the fence with others. I was hesitant because I had no idea who was
behind all the chaos. Everyone was
potentially suspicious, and I hoped that certain characters would be as good as
they seemed.
The secondary characters made
just as strong an impact as Mackenzie, and I looked forward to reading them.
The Archived will shock you
and just when you think you’ve got it figured out, the ground will drop right
from under you. Victoria Schwab knew
when to reveal truths and unveil lies. The
Archived kept me guessing till the last page.
Each surprise surpassed the one before it, and at the end, secrets
dropped like bombs and I couldn’t keep up.
At one point I was chanting, “HOLY COW HOLY COW HOLY COW.” (Actually, there were curse words in there
somewhere).
The Archived is a book to be
read more than once. There would always
be secrets hidden away in corners.
Schwab’s writing
simply captures you; it’s impossible not to fall into this story.
Rating
Premise: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Disclosure: I was given an Advanced Reading Copy to review. This did not influence my review in any way.
