The Archived (The Archived #1)

This story was amazing. Victoria's prose is gorgeous and atmospheric, and it was easy to lose myself in the story. She reveals the workings and mythology of The Archive in bits and pieces instead of info-dumping all at once, so when I started out, it took me a little bit to get my bearings. But gradually, without really noticing it was happening, I began to understand. And before I knew it, I was totally immersed in Mackenzie's world.

What I liked about Mac was that she was strong, but flawed. She constantly tried to do her best, but made some very bad decisions. She had been trained to be so secretive that she didn't ask for help when she needed it. She had closed her emotions to the point where she didn't notice warning signs and ignored her gut instincts. But what was amazing about this is that because of the way her character was developed, I understood why she was doing those things. I may not agree with them, but it made sense. I liked that she wasn't perfect and sometimes didn't piece together the clues about what was happening until it was too late.

I know I'm painting her as kind of clueless, and you may be wondering what's so appealing about a closed-off and ignorant character, but she was also smart, resourceful, and determined. She was just a very well-rounded and human character, which in a story with such fantastic elements, kept it grounded in the believable.

Then there was Wes, who I thought was fabulous. Although there's hints of romance between him and Mac, he's so much more than just "the love interest." Wesley has his own struggles and complexities. I loved how his approach to life not only differed from Mac's, but challenged her, and how while Mac is undoubtedly the hero of the story, Wes has his moments of heroism as well. I can't wait to learn more about Wes in the sequels.

The plotting and pacing of The Archived was excellent. I felt like I was constantly gaining new insight into the world while asking new questions. Victoria is a master at keeping the reader turning pages, giving enough information to appease, but not so much that you stop asking questions. She weaves small details into the early pages that you don't realize are important until the end, so that a savvy reader may be able to figure out what's going on...but probably won't. I like when plot twists are subtly foreshadowed, because it makes the payoff that much more satisfying.

Ultimately, I thought The Archived was a beautifully written, tightly plotted, brilliantly original story. I was riveted from beginning to end, and can't wait to see what Victoria has planned next for these characters.

What I Loved:
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.

What Left Me Wanting More:
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.

Final Verdict:
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.

Victoria Schwab captivated me with her beautiful writing in The Near Witch, so I was more than excited to read her latest, The Archived.

What I loved: Everything! The story was unique and so were each of the characters. The world of The Archived jumped off the page and had enough creepy to keep me on the edge of my seat and enough of Wesley to keep me hooked. This book has so many intricate details to it but I never felt overwhelmed, everything just fit.

The Archived is sure to intrigue and captivate many readers. I am generally not a fan of ghost stories but I was totally sold on this one. There is so much more to be told in this story, I'm sure, and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

Mystery. Hot Boys. Intrigue. All wrapped up in a cool setting. What more do you need? The Archived was a stunning sophomore novel from Victoria Schwab. Eerie and intense, The Archived is one of the best books of the year.

By page 3 I was already drawn into the expert world Victoria Schwab has crafted. It was interesting beyond belief and one of those that really makes you stop and think. The tagline for the book, "Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books." provides the foundation for the world and as soon as you begin reading, you are completely submerged. Two parts mystery paired with quite a bit of paranormal, and some action on the side sums up the brilliant world of The Archived.

The Archived is such an intricately woven story that just glows with the excellence of the prose on the page. The images Victoria Schwab writes are absolutely chilling; they are images that haunt you and will not leave you alone. I loved the format Victoria Schwab chose. Memories that are relevant to the story are placed alongside the chapters, showing more of Mackenzie's past and how she has become the Keeper she is today.

The stakes are high! And they only keep getting higher. By The Archived's end, it was a fast paced scene where one thing after the other simply flew by. Which all wrapped up to the absolutely beautiful ending Victoria Schwab leaves readers with. I am very antsy to see where Victoria Schwab will take readers next, as The Archived was so bewitching and intense. I loved that The Archived is by no means predictable. Every turn came as a complete surprise to me.

The characters were wonderful. Mackenzie is such a complex character. She is juggling so much and really has been doing so since such a young age. Roland was a mystery. One that I could never figure out. And Wesley, I fell for good old Wes right as he walked into the story. He is witty and charming.

I enjoyed Schwab's debut, The Near Witch, but The Archived really blows The Near Witch out of the water. Bigger and better, The Archived will wow readers with its unique story line and strong cast of characters.