What happens to your history after you die? In Mackenzie Bishop’s world, your history might just get up and start walking around. In the land of The Archived by Victoria Schwab, there are three main sections in the world: The Outer, ¨the normal world, the only one most people ever know about¨(6), The Narrows, ¨a nightmarish place, all stained corridors and distant whispers, doors and darkness thick like grime¨(6), and The Archive, ¨a library of the dead, vast and warm, wood and stone and colored glass, and all throughout, a sense of peace¨(6).  Mackenzie is a Keeper. It’s her job to keep The Narrows clean of the Histories who manage to escape from The Archive. Victoria Schwab creates a complex world that challenges Mackenzie and the reader’s trust as she leads them through an action-packed journey that’s nothing but entertaining.

The story begins after Mac’s brother, Ben, has died and her family has decided to move into “The Coronado, the hotel-turned-apartment building”(3) they think will give them the fresh start that they need. Being a Keeper, Mackenzie sees the history of anything and everything that she touches, and an old worn down building is full of memories. The mystery that fills The Coronado is certainly one of the most compelling aspects of this story. Mackenzie notices bloodstains on her floor and when she reads the memory she witnesses a boy running into the room. “Even in the faded world of the memory, I know it’s blood”(32). Now Mac has witnessed a murder. A decades old murder that her curiosity won’t let her let go of. So, the story persists and as Mac meets more people, more and more questions arise. Mackenzie won’t rest until she solves this crime and it turns out those closest to her may be hiding all the answers.

The characters not only fuel this story, but the secondary characters were some of my favorite parts to read. Mackenzie Bishop is the feisty and always curious main character, but I wouldn’t say she was the best character in the book. The character of Owen is truly a character Schwab should be proud of. My opinion of this character throughout the novel went from: Oh my gosh this is the coolest character ever, to, wow I really hate this kid! Not only does this boy have crazy character development, but he adds to the mystery that kept me so invested in the tale. Then there’s the kid you can always count on for a laugh, Wesley Ayers AKA “Guyliner”. There is never a scene that Wes is in where I didn’t chuckle to myself. His poking at Mackenzie gave a hilarious serving of comic relief from the ever-brewing mystery murders. Then we have Roland “with his gray eyes and his easy grin and his red Chucks”(43). Roland works as a librarian in The Archive, and though he has the power to remove Mackenzie’s Keeper membership, he proves to be her most valuable confidant in getting to the bottom of this mess. All three of these guys bring amazing character to Schwab’s story and I’m sure I wouldn’t have enjoyed the book as much without each of them.

The Archived is a very interesting Young Adult novel that I’d highly suggest to anyone willing to go on a fantastical mystery. After attempting to describe Mackenzie’s world to you, I now realize Schwab’s amazing ability to make a complex world seem so easy to understand for the reader. Many books take forever to world build, but Schwab’s book, lasting only 321 pages, thrusts the reader directly into her complicated world. If you’re a reader that enjoys being mysteriously confused until the last few chapters, The Archived is the book for you. Throughout the story, the reader is treated with flashbacks between Mackenzie and her grandfather, Da. So I leave you with some words of wisdom Da told Mackenzie the day he died, “When I first learned of the Archive, Kenzie, I thought[…]we are nothing but recorded moments. [Then] I met my first Histories, and they weren’t books, and they weren’t lists, and they weren’t files.[…]The fact is, they were people.[…] The only way to truly record a person is[...]in bone and skin and memory.[...]Like I said, Kenzie. Everything ends. I’m not afraid to die.[...]I just hope I’m smart enough to stay dead”(301-302).