The world of Victoria Schwab’s The Archived is so unique in YA fiction right now that it requires some explanation before I dive into the review.
The setting is just a few years into the future, somewhere in the South, and there’s nothing to indicate things are much different than they are in our real, modern world. Except in this world, when a person dies, a “backup” – or History – of them is created and kept in a place called the Archive.
The History is a solid flesh copy of a person, but does not bleed, feel pain, or die again, and is kept asleep – with memories and personality intact – in a drawer stacked among dozens of other drawers, shelves, wings, floors, etc of the Archive.
The Archive is watched over by Librarians, who keep track of all the Histories and keep things quiet so they can sleep. But sometimes the Histories wake, and make their way out of the Archive into the Narrows, a shadowy labyrinth between the Archive and the Outer – our world.
In The Archived, Mackenzie Bishop is a 16yo Keeper, someone tasked with the job of tracking down the awakened Histories and bringing them back to the Archive.
The juxtaposition of Mackenzie’s everyday family life and the secret of her Keeper life is interesting, and Schwab does a good job of painting the emotional details of these complicated dynamics. Mackenzie is a formidable character, seeming to enjoy the “hunt” of her job, and dangerously curious about the finer workings of the Archive as well as the history of her new home, a hotel-turned-apartment complex called the Coronado. Part of a Keeper’s gift is being able to “read” memories off of people and places, and soon after she moves in, Mackenzie starts to explore the history behind the Coronado. What she finds is a murder mystery with ties back to the Archive, which sets off a domino effect of disruption and violence.
My favorite parts of The Archived are Mackenzie’s recollections of her grandfather and all he taught her regarding her role as Keeper. They are poignant memories, laced with love, and it helps to sharpen Mackenzie’s character and bring Da into focus, a character who is never actually alive in the time period of the book.
The writing style is measured, with parts of the story picking up the pace, which gives the book some nice dynamics. I liked the character of Wes – a boy Mackenzie meets at the Coronado – and even some of the minor characters (like her parents, her best friend, and some of the other residents of the Coronado) are given enough weight to matter. The Librarian Roland is also a favorite as a mentor and father figure to her in the Archive.
For all of its unique qualities and solid characters, though, some aspects of the plot become a little convoluted as the murder mystery grows to include more details, more people, and more long-lasting implications. When I finished the book, I literally had to scratch out notes as to how all the pieces ultimately fit together. I was also more than a little confused at the speed at which a relationship develops between Mackenzie and Owen, a character she meets in the Narrows. It didn’t make much sense and didn’t hold much tension or meaning to me since it seemed to happen in an instant.
Despite those slight drawbacks, The Archived was a solid, fresh read, and I’m looking forward to seeing what other mysteries and adventures are in store for this new series.
BOOK:30 