The Archived (Archived, #1)

by Victoria Schwab

[leahrosereads]

One of these days I’ll get around to really sitting down and planning out how I want my reviews to look and read. I really should make them consistent, but it’s not happening yet.

THE ARCHIVED is the second book by Victoria Schwab/VE Schwab that I’ve read, and she’s definitely becoming an author whose work I’ll be on the lookout for in the future. The plot of this story seemed so freaking original and creative to me. I really don’t think I’ve read anything like it. The idea that the dead are lined up on shelves like books in a library is just really a cool idea.

I just really thought that Schwab did so much right with this book.

Mackenzie Bishop, our main character, is incredibly relatable to me, and I loved that she didn’t follow the rules all the time (even if it seemed like a dumb decision when she didn’t). I really thought that her focus on her recently dead brother seemed extremely honest. She’s 16, and losing her brother violently and completely unexpectedly must have been so hard, but working where she does and doing what she does, I can see where this all consuming desire to see her brother again in the Archives could take over her common sense with that type of single focused drive.

I really liked Wes. He’s also a Keeper, but he’s a lot lighter than Mackenzie. He’s more opened and honest, and I think he’ll be really good for her, if she can just let him in.

Really all the characters felt well thought out. I was intrigued about how the Librarians could live in the Archives, because to me, while the place sounds fascinating, I wouldn’t want to stay around the dead for long periods of time. I’d be seriously creeped out.

And then there was Owen (Mackenzie’s love interest), and I guessed what he was pretty quickly. I don’t know if that’s just because I felt like he had to be what he was, or just dumb luck on my part, but I wasn’t shocked when Mackenzie figured it out. I was creeped the hell out by their romance though. No thank you.


I loved that THE ARCHIVED had such a build-up before we got to the meat of the story and mystery. I was able to connect with the characters and really give a damn when everything started to get really crazy. I also finished reading this with an intense desire to pick up the next book from my library. So, that’s exactly what I’m planning on doing. I cannot wait to see where this story goes from here, and I really hope that Mackenzie and Wes continue to work closely together (maybe become Crew partners). Oh, that would be so freaking great.