Book 30 of my 2020 Reading Challenge
read from April 7 - 18
The Archived
by Victoria Schwab
Book 1 of The Archived series
Summary (via Goodreads)
published 2013
Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures 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 that 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 may crumble and fall.
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 that 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 may crumble and fall.
My Opinion
2 stars
I'm so disappointed. Excellent premise, decent writing, poor execution.
I liked the main plot point but there was so much going on - brother, grandfather, moving, multiple love interests, the Archives, the other residents - that it was too hectic and the pacing felt off and bogged down. Not a single thing was resolved/answered until the final third of the book and then everything was rushed.
One of the two romance plots felt weird and quick and didn't make sense based on her behavior with the other interest. Plus I know that some reality must be suspended in these types of books but I can't believe her parents pay so little attention to her that she can spend so much time over the span of a day or two working on all of this and nobody notices anything.
I'm not sure if I'll continue this series or not. Maybe now that some introductory stuff is out of the way the next book wouldn't be so jam-packed but who knows? I would probably read this author again though.
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