The Archived

I really, really loved the concept behind this book. Without ruining it for readers, I'll just say it is kind of fascinating. It is not an easy read and by that I meant there is quite a few layers of meat here that the characters have to wade through. The world building is supreme. And really, there are two worlds here. One is a creepy formally glorious hotel that is currently an apartment house for quirky people and the other world is a giant library that houses souls.
Mac, for all of her faults is lovable and the most dutiful worker on the face of the planet (despite letting her list pile up). She gets thrown by two boys, one who may be an equal and one that makes her feel “normal”. I'm not a fan of love triangles, but this one didn't bother me too much, and I have to concede that at least one of those stars in the rating has to do with how cool the librarians are in this story;)
That said, while I enjoyed it, the slow pace will not appeal to many readers and there are quite a few places where the story bogs down in details and the plot slams to a halt, other than that, it's damn near perfect.
One more confession: I was rather “meh” about the Near Witch, so I was not going to read this one, but I am very glad I did. It has a completely different feel from NW. Enjoy it for the quirky characters if nothing else.