the archived*

Title: The Archived
Author: Victoria Schwab

Release date: January 23, 2013
Publisher: Hyperion

Pages: 336

Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Goodreads: {via}

Summary:

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.

Review:

What if this isn't our end? What if, after we've died, we're taken to a place where we're kept, sleeping, a shadow of our former selves? Such is the premise of Victoria Schwab's newest novel, The Archived. 

I got the email, much like everyone else, to read the sneak peek on NetGalley. I started reading and immediately was drawn in. Fortunately for me, I was next on an ARC tour for The Archived, so I got to read the whole thing. I have to say, I'm glad that I got the full book, because once you start reading, it's very hard to stop. 

Victoria has created a world unlike any other. She takes a thought that many of us have had – is this really it? – and she brings it to life by introducing new and interesting variables and characters. Our heroine, Mackenzie, wants to be a normal teenage girl. Unfortunately for her, she's anything but normal. She has an important job, one that protects the ones that she loves from bad things, but she must keep it secret. She shares a history with her beloved grandfather, and she hides a huge part of herself from her loved ones, including her parents. 

The Bishop family as a whole is broken and grieving. Mac's little brother, Ben, is dead, and there's a huge hole in their lives. Mac's mother uproots the whole family to live in a new place. This new place is not quite what it seems at first, and it makes Mackenzie's secret job all that much harder. 

The character building and relationships in the book are great. Mackenzie has to distance herself from all she cares for to protect them, and I felt that immensely throughout the book. However, I never felt as if I didn't know her enough. I felt that it was just one of the many faces of Mackenzie. We got to see other faces, especially when it came to Owen or Wes. The relationship between Mackenzie and Wes is the most interesting, and I can't wait to see where it goes in future books.

Which leads me to another point – this book is part of a series, but it reads like it could stand alone. I loved this. I'm all for the next big trilogy or cycle, but sometimes, I like my books to wrap up in one sitting. And this one did. There were some lingering questions, and I know we haven't learned all there is to know about the Archive and the Library, but I felt enough of a sense of closure that I was happy and satisfied. 

I know this review doesn't have too many details, but I don't want to give it away to anyone. It has a ton of twists and turns, and they need to be found out by the reader, not told by me. Pre-order this book if you get a chance. It's great!