Book Review: The Archived

Good Day Everyone!

What happens when you die? Where do you go? I recently read a book with an interesting take on the dead and what happens to them.

Title: The Archived
Author: Victoria Schwab
Series: The Archived #1
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: January 22, 2013
Format Read: kindle
Genre: YA Paranormal
Purchase: Amazon

Description from Goodreads:

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.

I was very intrigued by the concept of this book. The publisher did an excellent job with the descriptions and world building. This book goes back and forth between now and four years ago (via Mac's thoughts) before her Da (or grandpa) died. The author did an excellent job of the whole back and forth thing. Although, at first I thought something was weird with the margins on my Kindle when I realized that was her way of making sure I knew I was in the past in the book.

I liked the author's idea of their being a world beneath(?) our own. You only need to know what you are looking for and a key to get in and out of the narrows and into the Archive.

I liked the first half of the book or so more than I did the last half. One example of the writing I really liked was this little tidbit from chapter 4:

     "And stop.

      I’m not alone.

      Halfway down the corridor a boy my age is leaning against the faded wallpaper, right beside the painting of the sea. He’s staring up at the ceiling, or past it, the thin black wire from his headphones tracing a line over his jaw, down his throat. I can hear the whisper of music from here. I take a soundless step, but still he rolls his head, lazily, to look at me. And he smiles. Smiles like he’s caught me cheating, caught me sneaking out.

     Which, in all fairness, he has.

      His smile reminds me of the paintings here. I don’t think any of them are hung straight. One side of his mouth tilts up like that, like it’s not set level. He has several inches of spiked black hair, and I’m pretty sure he’s wearing eyeliner."

I really think this is a great visual. As the book went on I found it harder and harder to spot little gems like the one above. That's not to say I didn't like the story. There is a mystery going on in this book. 

Here is a tidbit from chapter 11, about half-way through the book when I felt things were getting really good. I like Mac's internal thoughts (Possible SPOILER ALERT!):

     "I think of calling Lyndsey, but it’s late, and what would I say?

      How was your day?… Yeah? Oh, mine?

      I got attacked by a Keeper-Killer.

      I know! And saved by a stranger who just vanished—

      And that guyliner boy, he’s a Keeper!

      …No, Keeper with a capital K.

      And there’s the murder in my room. Someone tried to cover it up, ripped the pages right out of the history books.

      Oh, and I almost forgot. Someone in the Archive might be trying to get me killed.

      I laugh. It’s a strained sound, but it helps."

For a while I wasn't quite sure if X or Y was involved somehow with the mystery, but when it came right down to it, I was a little disappointed when things were solved. I'm not quite sure what I expected, but I did expect better. I know I'm in the minority here. I have seen several reviews where they just LOVED the second half of the book. 

Overall, when I started the book and through the first half or so, I was all set for a four star or higher review. When it came to the end I decided I needed to lower my rating. I still plan on reading the second book in this series, as I'm curious as to where the author will go with the story.

Normally at this point I recommend some books you may like based on this book, but this book is so different from others I've read I can't think of one. If you have read this and can think of a book others might like too, please feel free to comment.

My Rating:  (because I loved the unique world Victoria Schwab created so much, but was disappointed in the ending)