renettereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book follows teenage Mackenzie, a Keeper whose job it is to return souls or Histories to the Archive once they slip into the Narrows and before they can escape into the Outer. When she finds a secret, she must juggle it and the consequences along with everything else she’s already hiding.
This has shot up into my top 3 favourite V.E. Schwab books – and yes, I know it’s technically two, combining the duology of The Archived and The Unbound, but I make the rules here. Reimaging the afterlife as a library is inspired and with another nod at Schwab’s trademark theme of overlapping worlds, I loved this world and all the little facets that made it just fantastical enough. Mac was a brilliant main character, standing strong on her own, but I couldn’t help but crave the scenes in which she and Wesley both appeared – their dynamic was phenomenal.
I thought book two, when we start to see Mac really deal with the fallout of the first book, was a super strong follow-up to a solid first book. I absolutely adored this story and everyone in it. And of course, Schwab is such a master of weaving emotion and prose. I highly recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Death
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