Review: Unbound by Victoria Schwab

Unbound by Victoria Schwab
368 Pages
Release Date: January 28th, 2014
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: 5 STARS

Goodreads Summary:
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.

Last summer, Mackenzie Bishop, a Keeper tasked with stopping violent Histories from escaping the Archive, almost lost her life to one. Now, as she starts her junior year at Hyde School, she's struggling to get her life back. But moving on isn't easy -- not when her dreams are haunted by what happened. She knows the past is past, knows it cannot hurt her, but it feels so real, and when her nightmares begin to creep into her waking hours, she starts to wonder if she's really safe. 

Meanwhile, people are vanishing without a trace, and the only thing they seem to have in common is Mackenzie. She's sure the Archive knows more than they are letting on, but before she can prove it, she becomes the prime suspect. And unless Mac can track down the real culprit, she'll lose everything, not only her role as Keeper, but her memories, and even her life. Can Mackenzie untangle the mystery before she herself unravels?

With stunning prose and a captivating mixture of action, romance, and horror, The Unbound delves into a richly imagined world where no choice is easy and love and loss feel like two sides of the same coin.



MY THOUGHTS:
       I completely forgot how much I adored The Archived. Captivating with sparkles of fun characters and an outstanding plot, The Unbound had me engrossed from the very first page and exceeded my expectations for the book. I liked how much the events from the last book make an impact on this book yet there are different plots with a hint of familiarity to them.

     Mac. Oh how much she was affected by the ordeal with Owen. I feel that what happened in the last book affected Mac a lot more than it would have in any other YA book. I get how she has nightmares and see how it was hard for her to deal with it. I love that unlike other YA parents who don't have a role in the main plot, Mac's parents can sometimes see through the lies and her facade. She has so many walls built that I feel bad that her parents can't know the truth and all that she's been through. While Mac is a bit more mellow in this book, she does have her moments and does has the drive to carry out what she thinks is her responsibility. It was nice having other teens introduced in this book and they help shape Mac's "normal" identity.

   And then there's Wes. Guys. He. Is. Perfect. I can't even. One of my favorite scenes in this book is when Wes first makes an appearance and boy is it AWESOME and HILARIOUS. He's her rock in the Archived world and he was a surprise. From guyliner to preppy rich kid......UH what?! I love that he goes to the same school as her and we learn more about his past and see him interact with his friends. He is a guy that has a vulnerable side to them and one hit will utterly drain him. His cheeriness definitely lightens up the mood of the book. I do wish that he was more a partner to Mac and someone she could whole heartedly trust with her knowledge.

    One of my favorite aspects of this book was the addition of characters. Cash of course being my favorite. As Wes's childhood and best friend, which was unexpected, he was a kind of love interest but not really because well...Wes. I did love his positive impact on Mac and how he's able to befriend her and just bring this stableness to her school life. Mac easily fits in with his gang of friends and it's really hard to actually hate on any of them. They were secondary characters that really helped progress the book.

    Overall, The Unbound is definitely worth the read. Unfortunately I am not a person that has a way of words to express my LOVE for this book but alas you have to trust me that you won't want to miss out on this book. Definitely recommend this to those who loved The Archived, those who like the blend of living a normal life while also carrying a responsibility on your shoulder, and paranormal lovers. Happy Readings!