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stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition
4.0
A very well written murder mystery. The only thing I didn't like was the uneven pacing; for the majority of the book the pacing is somewhere between slow and steady, unlike the ending where I felt that it was rushing to wrap things up nicely.
acarlson0487's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
uruseibaka's review against another edition
5.0
THIS. IS. SO. AMAZING. I now understand the people who praise Victoria/V.E. Schwab for her books. This is my first Schwab book but she’s already a favorite author to me! I can tell I’ll enjoy her other books because she just has this charm in her writing. Ya feel me?
The way Victoria reimagined the ghost/death (or whatever you call it) world is so dark and awesome.
Full review here.
The way Victoria reimagined the ghost/death (or whatever you call it) world is so dark and awesome.
Full review here.
harleyrae's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not gonna lie, I was very disappointed in this book. I was so excited when I got this book, I had heard many amazing things about it. I thought it sounded interesting and I had been waiting forever to read it. Sadly i didn't enjoy it at all.
First off I couldn't get past the characters. I just couldn't connect with Mackenzie so that made it unenjoyable. I did like Wesly, I found him charming and funny. I wasn't a fan of the flashbacks, I felt they had no standing in the book, and that it as difficult to figure out who was talking in those sections.
Now I found the idea of the story to be quite interesting, but the book I got from when i read what it's about is completely different than the book i really got. I found this to be slow paced with not much going on. It wasn't until the last 50 pages that it seemed to start speed up. And who the bad guy turned out to be I had guess it was said person 200 pages ago. I didn't like some of the decisions Mac made, I felt some of this stuff would have been resolved a lot sooner if she had told someone, or even dug a little deeper on what exactly is going on.
All in all I was disappointed with the turn out of the book. It had a few good qualities, but many bad.
First off I couldn't get past the characters. I just couldn't connect with Mackenzie so that made it unenjoyable. I did like Wesly, I found him charming and funny. I wasn't a fan of the flashbacks, I felt they had no standing in the book, and that it as difficult to figure out who was talking in those sections.
Now I found the idea of the story to be quite interesting, but the book I got from when i read what it's about is completely different than the book i really got. I found this to be slow paced with not much going on. It wasn't until the last 50 pages that it seemed to start speed up. And who the bad guy turned out to be I had guess it was said person 200 pages ago. I didn't like some of the decisions Mac made, I felt some of this stuff would have been resolved a lot sooner if she had told someone, or even dug a little deeper on what exactly is going on.
All in all I was disappointed with the turn out of the book. It had a few good qualities, but many bad.
keryyys's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
kylajfountain's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
guyliner vs. skinny blond guy with a knife <3
danielled75's review against another edition
5.0
OMG why did I wait so long to read this!!! I need to give myself a good swift kick in the ass for waiting this long.
freadomlibrary's review against another edition
5.0
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com
Critically
Plot – 4.5 out of 5 stars
Absolutely loved it, hooked me the entire time. It was exciting and intriguing. There were elements of mystery as well as heart-wrenching moments. It was full of twists and turns and I spent the entire time on the edge of my seat.
Writing Style – 5 out of 5 stars
Victoria’s writing style has always been hard for me to describe, all I know it that I love it. It’s hypnotic and addictive. It’s incredibly engaging while being elaborate and emotional. There’s also a mix of first and second person points of view that really allows us to get to know the main character and gives the story a very dynamic feel.
Characters – 5 out of 5 stars
I’m going to be repeating myself the entire time but I don’t care. I LOVE ALL THE CHARACTERS! They’re freaking amazing all of them. Complex and entertaining and beautiful. Mac, the main character, is a legend. She’s fierce, strong and brave. But she’s also dealing with a lot, the new move, her little brother’s death and the things going on in the Archive. So part of her is vulnerable and defensive while she’s grieving but at the same time, hopeful for a positive change. I really really love her. She also meets a co-worker of her named Wes, who is as my close friend puts it “a pure cinnamon roll that needs to be protected.” He is kindhearted and witty. He’s really aware of Mac and super protective of her and it’s adorkable. There’s also the wonderfulness of his open vulnerability that contradicts her closed off attitude. Then we also have an antagonist who is frustrating as hell. He’s mysterious and crafty and insane and totally misguided. And you never see him coming.
Emotionally
The plot kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. First of all, the Archive is an intricate place. There’s a lot of sections and rules to it and there are so many things we learn about it that it could’ve gotten overwhelming except for the fact that those tidbits are released little by little. It keeps the mystery of the place alive while still keeping the reader hooked and interested to know more. We always have this sense that we don’t know the whole truth and that’s true for the entire book. We meet a lot of new characters in this place and you never know who to trust. It seems like there’s someone out to get Mac, kill her or get her fired who knows, but they want her to fail. So the entire time the plot is developing and you’re trying to find out who this is and you have no freaking idea until it’s revealed to you and then it’s like WHAT?!
There’s a lot of things going on at the same time which makes it so exciting and then you get the mother of all plot twists. My jaw dropped. I did not see it coming. If this was a normal review, I would tell you exactly what that is. But since this is one of my favorite books ever and I want you to read it, I’m not gonna tell you. NA NA NA NA NA NA.
Mac, our main character, is fucking badass. She’s strong and tough, working hard on the job she inherited from her Da, not only because she loves it but because he honored her with it. But she is still vulnerable. She’s not over her brother’s death and she feels like a lot of the grieving she wanted to do because of her parents and the move. It’s heart breaking to see her try to remember and collect as many things from her little brother as she can so she doesn’t feel like she’s losing him. Yet she still does her very best at her job and does her best to make sure her parents are okay and that they don’t worry about her.
Wes is bae. He’s the first other Keeper that Mac ever meets and in the beginning she’s kind of standoffish towards him but her desire to talk about her secret life wins her over and she seeks him out. He is the perfect balance to her. He’s kind and funny and protective of her. He gently pushes her to trust him when she doesn’t want her, pushes her to open up to him and it’s a constant push that never lets up but doesn’t seem to bother him at all. He is just what she needs.
The supporting characters are just as amazing in this series. Roland, who is a Librarian, is Mac’s confidant, her supporter and her friend. He’s there for her as much as he can be and always has her best interests at heart. Something quick that I want to mention to wrap this up which I feel is something really unique and outstanding in this series is Mac’s flashbacks with her Da, who is her grandfather and the person who taught her about the Archive. It really gives us great insight about Mac and how her personality developed and also insight on the Archive and how you get in which I would totally do if I could.
Critically
Plot – 4.5 out of 5 stars
Absolutely loved it, hooked me the entire time. It was exciting and intriguing. There were elements of mystery as well as heart-wrenching moments. It was full of twists and turns and I spent the entire time on the edge of my seat.
Writing Style – 5 out of 5 stars
Victoria’s writing style has always been hard for me to describe, all I know it that I love it. It’s hypnotic and addictive. It’s incredibly engaging while being elaborate and emotional. There’s also a mix of first and second person points of view that really allows us to get to know the main character and gives the story a very dynamic feel.
Characters – 5 out of 5 stars
I’m going to be repeating myself the entire time but I don’t care. I LOVE ALL THE CHARACTERS! They’re freaking amazing all of them. Complex and entertaining and beautiful. Mac, the main character, is a legend. She’s fierce, strong and brave. But she’s also dealing with a lot, the new move, her little brother’s death and the things going on in the Archive. So part of her is vulnerable and defensive while she’s grieving but at the same time, hopeful for a positive change. I really really love her. She also meets a co-worker of her named Wes, who is as my close friend puts it “a pure cinnamon roll that needs to be protected.” He is kindhearted and witty. He’s really aware of Mac and super protective of her and it’s adorkable. There’s also the wonderfulness of his open vulnerability that contradicts her closed off attitude. Then we also have an antagonist who is frustrating as hell. He’s mysterious and crafty and insane and totally misguided. And you never see him coming.
Emotionally
Spoiler
This is only the second book I read from Victoria Schwab and I can say with certainty that she’s one of my favorite authors ever.The plot kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. First of all, the Archive is an intricate place. There’s a lot of sections and rules to it and there are so many things we learn about it that it could’ve gotten overwhelming except for the fact that those tidbits are released little by little. It keeps the mystery of the place alive while still keeping the reader hooked and interested to know more. We always have this sense that we don’t know the whole truth and that’s true for the entire book. We meet a lot of new characters in this place and you never know who to trust. It seems like there’s someone out to get Mac, kill her or get her fired who knows, but they want her to fail. So the entire time the plot is developing and you’re trying to find out who this is and you have no freaking idea until it’s revealed to you and then it’s like WHAT?!
There’s a lot of things going on at the same time which makes it so exciting and then you get the mother of all plot twists. My jaw dropped. I did not see it coming. If this was a normal review, I would tell you exactly what that is. But since this is one of my favorite books ever and I want you to read it, I’m not gonna tell you. NA NA NA NA NA NA.
Mac, our main character, is fucking badass. She’s strong and tough, working hard on the job she inherited from her Da, not only because she loves it but because he honored her with it. But she is still vulnerable. She’s not over her brother’s death and she feels like a lot of the grieving she wanted to do because of her parents and the move. It’s heart breaking to see her try to remember and collect as many things from her little brother as she can so she doesn’t feel like she’s losing him. Yet she still does her very best at her job and does her best to make sure her parents are okay and that they don’t worry about her.
Wes is bae. He’s the first other Keeper that Mac ever meets and in the beginning she’s kind of standoffish towards him but her desire to talk about her secret life wins her over and she seeks him out. He is the perfect balance to her. He’s kind and funny and protective of her. He gently pushes her to trust him when she doesn’t want her, pushes her to open up to him and it’s a constant push that never lets up but doesn’t seem to bother him at all. He is just what she needs.
The supporting characters are just as amazing in this series. Roland, who is a Librarian, is Mac’s confidant, her supporter and her friend. He’s there for her as much as he can be and always has her best interests at heart. Something quick that I want to mention to wrap this up which I feel is something really unique and outstanding in this series is Mac’s flashbacks with her Da, who is her grandfather and the person who taught her about the Archive. It really gives us great insight about Mac and how her personality developed and also insight on the Archive and how you get in which I would totally do if I could.
astheplotthickens24's review against another edition
4.0
"Because the only way to truly record a person is not in words, not in still frames, but in bone and skin and memory."
This book honestly creeps me out, it feels like the author was using some dark magic to keep the readers captivated. I usually finish a novel as short as this in just one sitting but it oddly took me days to finish The Archived it's like the story itself wants to be savoured, not rushed, not overlooked.
It's hard to find the accurate word to describe Victoria Schwab's writing style but I think I'll go with timeless, every single page is equivalent to ten. Every scenes were full of happenings that even if the character was just sitting there and talking you know that something fundamental to the story was being unraveled. You never get bored but you weirdly felt tired it's like all the things that the protagonists has been doing were catching up to you so you have no choice but to stop and continue when you're fresh enough to read again. Never have I ever read a book like this and it's unnerving because it feels like the book itself was in control of your pacing as a reader. You cannot skim the pages because it feels like a sin, you cannot skip lines because you will miss something important which was why the writing is terrifying and exciting (mostly exciting) at the same time.
The only problem I had with this novel was the beginning, I was confused about who Da is and on how the Archived works but I gradually grasp the notion as I continue head on. I loved that the main character was flawed but still lovable.
The concept of the story was one of the most original concepts I've ever seen. The idea that dead people were kept and cataloged like books was so pioneer that I loved it the instant I heard about it.
The thing that I always look forward when reading an interesting book is theorizing, and I was a little disappointed when I busted who the real villains are before they even revealed themselves (I knew it, the moment they were introduced to Mac) and that's the reason why I did not give this book a five star rating. I worship a book that surprises me. Lol
I'm looking forward to reading more of Victoria Schwab's writing. Definitely a must read novel.
4.5 stars
