Published: January 2013
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 328
Copy Provided by: Library
Summary: By Goodreads
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.
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:
Victoria Schwab is not a new name to me but her name may be new to some of you readers. She has written The Near Witch (which I will be reading shortly) and The Archived. When I first started blogging and reviewing, I was all over the map learning about different authors and new books coming out. A few years ago I remember a state being badly hit by floods. Actually, I'm not even 100% sure of the disaster that hit but I was absolutely inspired by a particular group of young authors who had come together and networked with their writing community (Do the Write thing for Nashville). Together they used a blog to host a series of online book auctions and donated the money to rebuilding their community. Victoria was one of the young authors who organized this entire project. She truly is an inspiration to her craft. So now let's talk about her book...
Wow. What a ride. It has been a long time since I have read a stand-alone title that I have enjoyed half as much as The Archived. The concept was a little hard to grasp at first but once I started reading, it was hard to put down. Victoria has a great gift for the written word. Her story flowed right off the page and right into my imagination. She is an incredibly talented writer and it would be a shame not to try reading one of her titles. If you are looking for a truly unique plotline as a stand-alone title, this is the one to try. You will not be disappointed....especially if you work in a library. :) Love it like I did and share this under-acknowledged author with your friends. Definitely a gem not worth missing.
Victoria Schwab is not a new name to me but her name may be new to some of you readers. She has written The Near Witch (which I will be reading shortly) and The Archived. When I first started blogging and reviewing, I was all over the map learning about different authors and new books coming out. A few years ago I remember a state being badly hit by floods. Actually, I'm not even 100% sure of the disaster that hit but I was absolutely inspired by a particular group of young authors who had come together and networked with their writing community (Do the Write thing for Nashville). Together they used a blog to host a series of online book auctions and donated the money to rebuilding their community. Victoria was one of the young authors who organized this entire project. She truly is an inspiration to her craft. So now let's talk about her book...
Wow. What a ride. It has been a long time since I have read a stand-alone title that I have enjoyed half as much as The Archived. The concept was a little hard to grasp at first but once I started reading, it was hard to put down. Victoria has a great gift for the written word. Her story flowed right off the page and right into my imagination. She is an incredibly talented writer and it would be a shame not to try reading one of her titles. If you are looking for a truly unique plotline as a stand-alone title, this is the one to try. You will not be disappointed....especially if you work in a library. :) Love it like I did and share this under-acknowledged author with your friends. Definitely a gem not worth missing.
