The Archived (review)

When her grandfather died, twelve-year-old Mackenzie eagerly took up his mantle as a Keeper, hunting the halls of the Narrows and sending any restless dead back to the peace of the Archives, a library that holds the physical manifestations of the memories of the deceased. Four years later, Mac is numb with grief after her little brother is killed in a hit and run, and the necessity of having to lie to everyone in her life about what she does is taking its toll. Complicating matters is the recent uptick in the numbers of restless dead roaming the Narrows, a development that seems to be linked to a decades-old murder—that took place in Mac's family's new apartment. The premise of a place where the dead can still be "accessed" is one that is sure to snag readers, and the intriguing but complex backstory of the Archives and its various rules is made accessible through Mac's flashbacks to her Keeper training sessions with her grandfather, a device that also serves to humanize Mac. Her narration alternates between being casually distant and painfully, in-your-face emotional, making it clear that her heartache over her brother drives her every move. When the true villain is revealed to be as grief-stricken as Mac, readers are forced to negotiate notions of good and bad as well as the purpose of grief and mourning. There's plenty of action to balance out these more contemplative aspects, however, and teens who like a quick pace and a smart read will enjoy their journey to the Archives and hope for a return trip.