What do you think?
Archivist
In Complex 441, the most feared punishment of all is to be made an Archivist, and be sentenced to read the journals of those who came before—before the Loss, before the holes appeared in people's memories and the cities vanished. But an Archivist doesn't simply read the journals—he re-lives the events written down inside. His own memories are slowly replaced by those of the Recorder, and the Archivist becomes a different person—if he doesn't go insane first.
When Michael Driftveil, a petty thief, is sentenced to become an Archivist, he is sure there is some mistake. He's given a harsh 64-year term, reading the journals of an eleven-year-old boy named Johnny, who survived in an underground bunker during the Loss. But the more he reads, the more he learns that the world he thought he knew is not as it seems. The government who sentenced him, who sentenced all the Archivists, is using him. It's after information. Powerful information. Information that could change everything.
Now Michael must escape, must find a way to stop the government’s dangerous plan.
And he must do it before his own memories are gone.
When Michael Driftveil, a petty thief, is sentenced to become an Archivist, he is sure there is some mistake. He's given a harsh 64-year term, reading the journals of an eleven-year-old boy named Johnny, who survived in an underground bunker during the Loss. But the more he reads, the more he learns that the world he thought he knew is not as it seems. The government who sentenced him, who sentenced all the Archivists, is using him. It's after information. Powerful information. Information that could change everything.
Now Michael must escape, must find a way to stop the government’s dangerous plan.
And he must do it before his own memories are gone.
313 pages, Paperback
First published September 26, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 5, 2015
"The Archivist" which I won through Goodreads Giveaways is a chilling blend of dystopian and the apocalyptic as Corryn Andersen creates an imaginative world where those sentenced for a crime are isolated in Complex 441 and rehabilitated by reading the records of those that survived the Loss. Michael Driftveil has been sentenced to a 64-year term for stealing, and has been hooked to the Mnemosyne, technology that not only awakens the words but emotions of an eleven year old Recorder who lived with other children in an underground bunker as cities crumbled and the population died. What he comes to realize as his thoughts begin to merge with Johnny's is that the government of the Republic has a sinister plan for the vital information he may uncover; one that will change the history of mankind again.
The plot blends the present and the past as Michael struggles to retain his identity and memories while reading the journals of eleven-year old Johnny, one of the children saved to document their lives, culture and important events before the Loss. With clever dexterity Corryn Andersen sets her story in the gloom and drabness of Complex 441 where Michael has been sentenced unjustly, and inhumanly treated not only by the cruelty of a Minder, but by having a metal plate embedded in his arm and software inserted in his neck. His only escape is in reading the words of eleven-year-old Johnny whose life in the bunker was boring but far happier as he still had hope for his future. As their memories and emotions merge, and Johnny's physical world begins to collapse, Michael's misery is compounded. But he is slowly realizing that the government of the Republic is looking for dangerous information and using Archivists to find it.
Although the plot is gloomy and filled with suffering, shock and despair, it also includes brighter elements of determination, courage and human resilience. Although slow at first as the author builds intensity and suspense with unfolding events in the past that impact Michael in the present, the story is riveting from the first chapter to the last. Even the surprising ending with its understated cliff-hanger engenders hope that this novel is just the first in a series.
The personalities of the characters like the plot are well-developed, realistic and complex with all their flaws, faults and strengths. Michael Driftveil haunted by the death of his fiancée and the loss of his child thinks he's a coward. Thrown into a hopeless environment for the next 64 years, he grows in stubbornness, determination and awareness as he reads Johnny's journals with their distinctive doodles in the margins. His friend Mary a volunteer in Complex 441 is energetic, flirtatious and clever, but self-protective, snubbing Michael when ordered. Eleven -year-old Johnny assigned as a Recorder in the Conservation Program is quick-witted, frank, observant and at times rebellious while Angel, the girl he adores is knowledgeable, sensitive but naive. The main characters add drama, passion and power to this story, especially when facing antagonists like Coleman or the Minder, Buchanan who are spiteful, heartless and cruel.
Reminiscent of "the Giver" with its secrecy and government fanaticism, "The Archivist" is a unique and exciting tale which I highly recommend. If the scale allowed I would rate it a 4.5.
The plot blends the present and the past as Michael struggles to retain his identity and memories while reading the journals of eleven-year old Johnny, one of the children saved to document their lives, culture and important events before the Loss. With clever dexterity Corryn Andersen sets her story in the gloom and drabness of Complex 441 where Michael has been sentenced unjustly, and inhumanly treated not only by the cruelty of a Minder, but by having a metal plate embedded in his arm and software inserted in his neck. His only escape is in reading the words of eleven-year-old Johnny whose life in the bunker was boring but far happier as he still had hope for his future. As their memories and emotions merge, and Johnny's physical world begins to collapse, Michael's misery is compounded. But he is slowly realizing that the government of the Republic is looking for dangerous information and using Archivists to find it.
Although the plot is gloomy and filled with suffering, shock and despair, it also includes brighter elements of determination, courage and human resilience. Although slow at first as the author builds intensity and suspense with unfolding events in the past that impact Michael in the present, the story is riveting from the first chapter to the last. Even the surprising ending with its understated cliff-hanger engenders hope that this novel is just the first in a series.
The personalities of the characters like the plot are well-developed, realistic and complex with all their flaws, faults and strengths. Michael Driftveil haunted by the death of his fiancée and the loss of his child thinks he's a coward. Thrown into a hopeless environment for the next 64 years, he grows in stubbornness, determination and awareness as he reads Johnny's journals with their distinctive doodles in the margins. His friend Mary a volunteer in Complex 441 is energetic, flirtatious and clever, but self-protective, snubbing Michael when ordered. Eleven -year-old Johnny assigned as a Recorder in the Conservation Program is quick-witted, frank, observant and at times rebellious while Angel, the girl he adores is knowledgeable, sensitive but naive. The main characters add drama, passion and power to this story, especially when facing antagonists like Coleman or the Minder, Buchanan who are spiteful, heartless and cruel.
Reminiscent of "the Giver" with its secrecy and government fanaticism, "The Archivist" is a unique and exciting tale which I highly recommend. If the scale allowed I would rate it a 4.5.
July 26, 2017
I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
I got the book a couple years back. I started it many times before I could really get into it. For some reason, I had a lot of trouble caring about the characters. But now I am finished, and here is what I think of the book.
The Archivist is an ok post-apocalyptic dystopia story in the larger sea of dystopian stories flooding the market over the past decade. The story takes place years after someone or something has used a weapon (possibly by accident) that erases several major cities and the memory of the people and things within.
The main character, Michael Driftveil, is presented in a 3rd person narrative. He is written in a way that keeps his life and details rather vague. We know that he has been convicted of a crime and sentenced to an overly harsh punishment for a seemingly minor crime. Interspersed with his story is the story of Johnny, a child from before/during the apocalypse, which is presented in 1st person journal entries that Michael is reading. The journals were written as part of a US government program in the time of a major crisis to keep the future from forgetting what came before. Michael's punishment is to be hooked up to a machine while reading the journals...a machine that makes him experience the memories of the things he reads.
I gained empathy for Johnny that I could never quite get for Michael. Maybe the author intended this to happen. It simulates the way Michael's memories began to slip away being overwritten by those of Johnny. It just did not resonate with me.
Overall, the concept and foundation for this novel is great. There are several "Wow, that is cool!" moments, but there were also many angsty, whiny, plodding moments.
Once I got into the book, I enjoyed reading it. The ending feels a bit forced and could have been expanded or even made to set up an obvious sequel. Instead of anticipating a sequel, I found myself reading the Epilogue saying "Who cares?!?"
Verdict: Not bad, but with so many dystopia to choose from you should read the several better ones first.
I got the book a couple years back. I started it many times before I could really get into it. For some reason, I had a lot of trouble caring about the characters. But now I am finished, and here is what I think of the book.
The Archivist is an ok post-apocalyptic dystopia story in the larger sea of dystopian stories flooding the market over the past decade. The story takes place years after someone or something has used a weapon (possibly by accident) that erases several major cities and the memory of the people and things within.
The main character, Michael Driftveil, is presented in a 3rd person narrative. He is written in a way that keeps his life and details rather vague. We know that he has been convicted of a crime and sentenced to an overly harsh punishment for a seemingly minor crime. Interspersed with his story is the story of Johnny, a child from before/during the apocalypse, which is presented in 1st person journal entries that Michael is reading. The journals were written as part of a US government program in the time of a major crisis to keep the future from forgetting what came before. Michael's punishment is to be hooked up to a machine while reading the journals...a machine that makes him experience the memories of the things he reads.
I gained empathy for Johnny that I could never quite get for Michael. Maybe the author intended this to happen. It simulates the way Michael's memories began to slip away being overwritten by those of Johnny. It just did not resonate with me.
Overall, the concept and foundation for this novel is great. There are several "Wow, that is cool!" moments, but there were also many angsty, whiny, plodding moments.
Once I got into the book, I enjoyed reading it. The ending feels a bit forced and could have been expanded or even made to set up an obvious sequel. Instead of anticipating a sequel, I found myself reading the Epilogue saying "Who cares?!?"
Verdict: Not bad, but with so many dystopia to choose from you should read the several better ones first.
March 19, 2015
The book is set in a dystopian future. It opens with Michael (our main character) being sentenced to become an Archivist. You know this is terrible, because how much Michael is arguing about how his crime (theft) was small and that this must be a mistake. They say there is no mistake and implant his forearm with a large metal plate that says Archivist. The details in the book are amazing. I love how you can really picture the place they live in the Republic, and the bunker where Michael is sentenced, even his oozing arm from the implanted plate. I normally don't wish for books to be sequels, but I would like to keep reading about this world and what is going to happen next (yes, there is a bit of a cliffhanger.) You can really connect with the characters because each of them have very well developed personalities. To see the rest of this review please go to www.vivacioushobo.com
May 10, 2015
This book, in my opinion, started off very well. I liked the interplay between Michael's story and Johnny's story and thought the two wove together nicely. Then Michael escaped and the whole thing fell apart for me. What had previously been a smoothly-flowing story became disjointed and repetitive and shallow--and confusing. What's the deal with Captain? Why did Angel not tell Johnny the baby was his? Who was Coleman, really, and what were her motivations? Was the bomb really dropped mistakenly, or was leveling major American cities the true point? Who are the senators and where did they come from? What about Judah? Was there really a virus? I'm sure there are others I can't even remember now. The ending provided me with no closure whatsoever and given how disappointed I'd become by then I'm not sure I'd pick up a sequel if one were to appear.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2015
When a friend found this book I just HAD to read it, mainly for two reasons:
1) it's about my chosen profession
2) it's one of my favorite genres
Now, having finished it I can say that I did enjoy it, but it's left me a little confused.
I liked it cause I thought the author did a good job with the characters, they could get a little bit stereotypical at times but for the most part were well fleshed out and interesting to follow. I also liked the plot, it was different and even though I finished the book with a lot of questions regarding what actually happened, the major plot did get answered.
And with that cliffhanger I would reeeeeeally like a second book to be written so I can find out what happened!!
1) it's about my chosen profession
2) it's one of my favorite genres
Now, having finished it I can say that I did enjoy it, but it's left me a little confused.
I liked it cause I thought the author did a good job with the characters, they could get a little bit stereotypical at times but for the most part were well fleshed out and interesting to follow. I also liked the plot, it was different and even though I finished the book with a lot of questions regarding what actually happened, the major plot did get answered.
And with that cliffhanger I would reeeeeeally like a second book to be written so I can find out what happened!!
August 28, 2014
I loved this book! Although it's part apocalyptic and Dystopian, it showcases human resiliency and determination in the face of near extinction. Corryn Anderson did a great job with the storyline - weaving two time periods and characters together, and keeping you turning pages with twice the anticipation. Every time I thought I knew which direction the book was going to take, I was thrown a curve ball.... all the way to the last few pages. Now, I am anxiously awaiting the sequel! I hope another advance reader copy is in my future :-)
July 16, 2018
The story started off really well, and the whole idea behind it is incredibly interesting, but I felt as if the author suddenly was in a hurry to finish the book. A lot of scenes that could have had more developed background were rushed through and left me feeling underwhelmed and a little confused as to how the characters ended up where they were.
December 14, 2014
I won this in the giveaways in exchange for an honest review.
In a kind of post-apocalyptic world, those who commit the most heinous crimes are sent to the Archives as punishment. There, the Archivists are tasked with reading out loud the journals of those who lived generations before whilst suffering a sort of physical torture and taking on the memories of those they're reading the lives of. Think of it as a kind of painful digitisation project if you're in the business. Michael is sent to become an Archivist and this novel follows his progress as he learns just what happens in the Archives and tries to get out. I was happy to win this book as I work in archives myself - thank goodness we're not subjected to what Michael goes through. I enjoyed the story as it was something a little different although the plot wasn't totally coherent at times. It was obviously a first novel but the author shows promise and talent.
In a kind of post-apocalyptic world, those who commit the most heinous crimes are sent to the Archives as punishment. There, the Archivists are tasked with reading out loud the journals of those who lived generations before whilst suffering a sort of physical torture and taking on the memories of those they're reading the lives of. Think of it as a kind of painful digitisation project if you're in the business. Michael is sent to become an Archivist and this novel follows his progress as he learns just what happens in the Archives and tries to get out. I was happy to win this book as I work in archives myself - thank goodness we're not subjected to what Michael goes through. I enjoyed the story as it was something a little different although the plot wasn't totally coherent at times. It was obviously a first novel but the author shows promise and talent.
December 2, 2014
I received this book through goodreads' giveaway.
I found this book to be very interesting. A good dystopia, I found it a little reminiscent of "The Giver", though only in a limited way, mainly just due to the transfer of older memories. The author brings you back and forth from the journal to the present very well, I found the flow between these two to be easy to follow.
I gave it four stars, due to it's unique, well written storyline and the way if held my attention.
I found this book to be very interesting. A good dystopia, I found it a little reminiscent of "The Giver", though only in a limited way, mainly just due to the transfer of older memories. The author brings you back and forth from the journal to the present very well, I found the flow between these two to be easy to follow.
I gave it four stars, due to it's unique, well written storyline and the way if held my attention.
September 28, 2014
Great fast read - perfect for that rainy afternoon! Loved the dark dystopian imagery, this was a surprising gem to find. I got drawn into the characters, and want to hear more about what happens. The ending was frustrating, because there isn't another to read yet! Keep writing, anxious to see more from this new author!
March 3, 2015
Creepy good
I liked that this dystopia worked differently from many others. The concept of the archivists was original and creepy. There were some plot holes and it ended abruptly, but I enjoyed the characters even though I didn't get as attached to them as I might have if she had stuck to one character's point of view.
I liked that this dystopia worked differently from many others. The concept of the archivists was original and creepy. There were some plot holes and it ended abruptly, but I enjoyed the characters even though I didn't get as attached to them as I might have if she had stuck to one character's point of view.
June 18, 2015
I received this book as a Goodreads winner. I really like the theme of this book as I pretty much love anything in the 'post-apocalyptic' genre. It often feels quite depressing but there was always a glimmer of hope. It would have been five stars but I don't feel like all the questions the story brought up, were answered.
September 28, 2014
With a dark world much like The Giver, The Handmaid's Tale, The Maze Runner and Hunger Games, this was a great and terrible read! The images drew me on and I had a hard time putting this one down, and I was sorry to see it end.
October 27, 2014
Archivist introduces a new dystopian world and some great plot ideas. I would love to read a sequel to follow these characters as they delve deeper into the mystery that ended the world as we know it.
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
November 30, 2014
I picked this book up because I love books about dystopias.
Unfortunately, I didn't quite love this one.
Initially, it starts out intriguing but the interest quickly fades with predictable plot and underdeveloped characters.
Unfortunately, I didn't quite love this one.
Initially, it starts out intriguing but the interest quickly fades with predictable plot and underdeveloped characters.
November 19, 2014
Wow! An imaginative debut about a terrible future earth. This novel held my interest from beginning to end. Looking forward to next installment.
February 21, 2015
A book by a female author
February 26, 2015
Interesting dystopian read
June 8, 2015
While I think more could have been done with the story, I really enjoyed the book. The characters were well written and the plot well thought out.
July 5, 2015
Good read
Good read but characters need to be fleshed out more and end was weak. The story lacked more substance and clarity.
Good read but characters need to be fleshed out more and end was weak. The story lacked more substance and clarity.
July 14, 2015
Another series.
I know people need to make a living and I don't mind series, but I would like to occasionally read a book with a definite ending.
I know people need to make a living and I don't mind series, but I would like to occasionally read a book with a definite ending.
May 18, 2019
Ugh. I read it, it kept me reading, but an ugly story.
September 23, 2014
I enjoyed this story. I immediately looked to see if there was a #2 yet.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews