The Archived

Imagine a place where the deceased are arranged like books on shelves.

Every person has a tale to tell, a life depicted in images that are only readable by librarians. The Archive is the enormous region in where the deceased, known as Histories, repose.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Since Da's death, Mac has become into the vicious Keeper he once was, whose job it is to prevent often violent Histories from awakening and leaving. She lies to the people she loves because of her profession, and she understands that fear is a necessary survival skill.

Not only is being a Keeper perilous, but it also serves as a continual reminder of the people Mac has lost. Da's passing was difficult enough, but now that her younger brother has also passed away, Mac begins to question where the lines are between life and death and between sleeping and waking. The deceased must never be disturbed in the Archive. And yet, someone is deleting important chapters from Histories on purpose. If Mac is unable to reconstruct what's left, the Archive could collapse.

Victoria Schwab explores the blurry boundaries between the past and present, love and suffering, treachery and trust, unfathomable loss and hard-won atonement in this eerie, vividly portrayed book.