That moment when I hated him for telling me, when I wished I could go back. But there is no going back.
So can't we just go forward?
Wow. This is definitely a mind-blowing novel. The premise drew me in instantly and I was hooked from the first chapter. If you feel like this has a slow start, just wait until you hit the half-way point. From there, it's impossible to put down.
Summary:
Note: This was hard to summarize, so I used the description from Goodreads.
Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.
Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.
Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.
Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.
Overall Review:
I gave this book a 5/5 stars because I purely enjoyed it. The characters were so fun and the world was so enchanting. Not many books surprise me, but this one definitely did. I was oblivious to some of the most obvious reveals. I was not expecting this to be a mystery, but I'm glad it was. It explored many themes such as the powers of secrets and lies, the concept of ignorance is bliss, and the past should stay in the past. My heart wrenched and it's a story I will never forget.
World Building:
The concept of the Archive was crafted so well. There are the Histories that are the dead's entire life. There are the Keepers who have to hunt the ones that wake up and escape into the Narrows, a place in between our world and the Archive. The next level in the process is becoming a Crew. They are the ones that hunt the adult Histories. Then there are the Librarians that can read the Histories' lives. The idea of the Keeper paper was an interesting concept.
Characters:
Mackenzie Bishop is the main character and she was an okay character. I didn't find her interesting. She would be very sarcastic in her dialogue, but her point of view was a tad bit bland. I absolutely loved Wesley! He was the guy wearing "guyliner". Roland was also a great fatherly character.
I hope you found this review helpful. Please note that I purchased this book with my own money and that I am not being paid to make this review.
