The Archived by Victoria Schwab

(4.5/5 stars)

This book came into my life all thanks to my lovely friend Lisa, and I never want to let go of it. When I read the synopsis, I thought to myself, "Oh, this sounds interesting but I'm not sure if I'll really be able to get into it." My thoughts lied. My thoughts are dumb. 

What I liked: Where do I start? I like that the book didn't start with Ben's (Mac's ten year old little brother) death. If it had, it might have turned me off and distracted from the overall story. I like that the book takes place between two separate but equally majestic worlds--one being the old fashioned hotel where Mac's family moves into and the second being the world of the Archive. I love the idea of Histories (big 'h'), of people's souls and lives not truly being gone when they die but asleep (it's not that simple, but it's the best description I can come up with). The world of the Archives is complex but fascinating, and I crave more information about them and the people that are involved--i.e. the Keepers, Crew, and Librarians.

Now, to move on to the characters. Mac (Mackenzie) is an awesome protagonist. She's flawed and makes mistakes but owns up to them--she's so incredibly real. Attitude-wise (and job-wise to a certain extent), she really reminded me of Suze Simon from Meg Cabot's Mediator series (one of my favorite series of all time). I'm a super big fan of Wesley, the adorable guyliner wearing boy with big brown eyes and a cute sense of humor, who will hopefully maybe (fingers crossed) become a serious love interest in the next book. 

What I didn't like: At first, I was really confused about who Da was because I thought he was her dad. He's not, he's Mac's grandfather but it would have been nice if that was a teeny bit more clear. I also thought the beginning was a little bit slow and confusing--there's a lot to wrap your brain around world-building wise--and it took me a couple chapters to get really into it, but once I was, I couldn't stop. It was also just a little bit predictable, but I wasn't upset about it. In fact, I got over the predictability real quick. That's where my complaints end, though. 

A beautiful story with a creepy feel to it, this is a book worth reading. As long as you can get through the first couple chapters, you'll be hooked and drawn into this world like no other. It's unlike anything else I've seen (world-wise) and has great characters and an intriguing plot to boot.

-Annie