The Archived

January 18, 2013 Uncategorized 0

The Archived

Author: Victoria Schwab
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: January 22, 2013
Pages: 336
Series: The Archived, book one
Source: ARC from publisher

About the Book: 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.

My Thoughts: 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. 

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