The Archived is an intriguing Young Adult novel written by Victoria Schwab. She seamlessly weaves the supernatural into our world through a series of hidden doors that lead to a narrow borderland between us and a mystical library called the Archive that houses the memories of the departed, which are called histories.
The main character is a young girl named Mackenzie. She is tasked with keeping the histories that wake up from escaping the Archive, an interesting premise within itself considering all the possibilities an escape can include. However, Schwab takes the story a step further into the realm of mystery when she puts Mackenzie's strength and determination to a test. Someone is erasing the past instead of protecting it, and it is up to Mackenzie to figure out who and how to stop them.
Although this novel is designed for middle and high school readers, my fifth grader read it and recommended it for anyone in third grade or above. He rated this book five stars, claiming that it was one of the best books he'd ever read. He compared it to the likes of Harry Potter, and described it as "a thrilling mix of action and mystery!"
A great novel, sure to be a hit with any Young Adult reader interested in the supernatural, The Archived is definitely worthy of five stars.