I’m not sure what I was expecting from this book, but it wasn’t what I got. More than anything this is a look at mental health. Cel (Celeste) suffers from depression so deep she can not keep a job. But in order to survive in this world you have to work. How ever she is stuck in dead end jobs because she has no education beyond high school. It’s a good luck moment when she gets a job as an archivist in a local museum. However this museum is haunted and strange things happen. It’s even worse because Celeste has to live on site and do her work in the evening, instead of when the museum is open. It is her duty to help put the restless spirit to sleep.

It’s an interesting story, and overall I like it. However, as an overtrained and over educated librarian, I feel archivist and librarian are thrown around too much. I used not to feel this way, but our modern climate devalues the education of a true librarian and archivist. Celeste is just scanning pictures into a database. A simple enough job. And since this book seems loosely based on a person real life, I hate to say that I disagree with it, but I do. If we let the stereotype exist that archivist and librarians do not need an education, then the public will start asking those questions. We have enough schools, libraries, and museums losing qualified staff because of budget cuts, that I just don’t care for a book that makes it seems like our jobs can be done by anyone. There is a lot more to an archivists job than scanning pictures. It seems a weird reason to not like a book, but that is my main reason.

A quick, fun read full of mystery, ghosts, and diversity and good mental health representation. in a well-drawn graphic novel.

Sometimes you root for the ghost.

Celeste Walden has fallen on hard times. She’s struggled with anxiety and depression for most of her life, and a recent breakdown cost Cel her dream job as a librarian. So when she lands a position as live-in, night shift archivist at the mysterious Logan Museum, it seems too good to be true. And it is: before long, Cel begins to lose time and wake up in strange places. She pulls away from her long-time boyfriend, Kyle, and her already-strained relationship with her mother continues to fray. She dreams of a sad, hurt girl who roams the museum’s grounds.

Cel fears she’s losing her mind again – that is, until she sees the face of the sad girl, staring back at her from one of the photographs in the museum’s collections. Celine is real, and her ghost is stuck in the museum, calling out to Cel for help. But why? And can Cel convince her co-workers, librarian Holly and curator Abayomi “Aba” Abiola, that Celine is real?

There’s so much to love here. ARCHIVAL QUALITY is a great mashup of supernatural ghost story, historical fiction, and semi-autobiographical memoir. There’s intrigue, villainy, self-introspection, greed, and a haunting set in a spooky museum that used to be a terrifying asylum. As a former psych student who also has anxiety and depression, I found the mental health aspect both engaging and compassionately done. The history of psychiatry – steeped in racism, misogyny, and ableism – is equally parts fascinating and horrifying, and makes compelling fodder for a ghost story. The setting of a museum/library is pretty great too, and is sure to tickle the fancy of all the bookworms out there. (C’mon, who doesn’t dream of roaming a library after dark?)

Perhaps my favorite part, though, is the cast, which is fun and interesting and diverse as heck – but in a way that feels natural and organic. I fell in love with Holly – fabulous wardrobe and b*tchin’ purple-and-blue hair – from panel one, and her girlfriend Gina has an ace up her sleeve too. Aba is an enigmatic and ultimately sympathetic character. The only person I didn’t much care for is Kyle (good riddance!), who clearly cares for Cel but comes off as a bit of a nag (for lack of a better word).

Cel, though: Cel is awesome. I see a bit of myself in her struggle, and found hope in her ending. She’s just one cool broad.

Read it if you like: books and libraries; ghosts; revenge; research; museums of oddities; nefarious white guys getting their due.

After losing her library job after a breakdown, Cel begins working as an archivist at the haunted Logan Museum. While there, she is able to confront her mental health and relationships as well as work to help the young woman who keeps showing up in her dreams. The story is fun and moves quickly but would have really benefited from being further fleshed out.

An excellently told and heartwarming tale concerning mental health and redemption.

A young woman who's been having a tough time with her mental health gets a new job at a medical museum even creepier than the London ones (which is saying something). It involves her working nights and living on site. What could possibly go wrong? The set-up could seem implausible enough to break the story (see also: the way that despite the organisation being run by a sinister old-money board, it has such a commendably diverse hiring policy), but instead served mainly to remind me that yeah, late capitalism does nobody's mental health any favours. So when the haunting inevitably begins, the reader can see it's very likely real, but can also understand why other characters are hesitant to believe Cel. Her boyfriend is handled particularly well; he wants to look after her, but when it's so tricky to know how well someone is, negotiating the line between support and suffocation can be next to impossible. But all of them, despite/because of the cartoony, chunky art style, feel like living, breathing people. Well, except for the ghost.

(Netgalley ARC)

I was not a fan of the art, but I enjoyed the twisty story about a possibly haunted museum.

This is lowkey advertised as a ghost story but it's the lowkey part that you should pay attention bc a ghost we do see but literally for one panel & the story itself tries, I suppose, but is neither really creepy nor frightening. It works a little better as a story abt struggling w mental illness but even there it's nothing to write home about. The characters feel flat & not exactly believable so you end up not caring much for their well-being anyway. Not even the art saves this graphic novel since it seems kind of rushed & really only there to tell the story as fast as possible. Which wasn't actually fast at all - that's what I had the biggest problem with!! The whole thing is so slow paced, we get to the middle almost before anything interesting happens & even then it's not gripping enough to hold your attention.

Seems like a shame, this could have been a cool story if only given more care.

Archival Quality is a gem of a little comic. Starring Celeste Walden, who has just lost her library job due to a nervous breakdown, the story follows her explorations as archivist in a strange and secretive library. There's a mystery to uncover, one that becomes deeply personal to her as she begins to identify with the ghost contacting her. But these things are harder to investigate when people question your perceptions at every turn, and maybe you question your own.

Delving into the dark history of the treatment of mental illness in America, and reflecting on lingering perceptions and reactions that all people who have mental illness must face, Archival Quality transcends its mystery format to be exploratory and highly relatable. I read it in one sitting and will probably purchase a paperback copy for my collection later in the year when it's published.

I'd also say that this story in itself would be a good text for cultural/literary studies for young people, and it could be well paired with many staples in literature that deal with a narrator that is treated as unreliable or dismissed based on their mental status.

Full review on SAF forthcoming.

A little slow to get anywhere, but overall, I really enjoyed the story.

The main character was highly relatable. Going in, I did not know much about the story, but her depression is something I can understand. She was so harsh to some of the other characters. That was in part to her depression, but I honestly felt it was overdone a little. I felt sorry for the person she was really harsh toward. I understand depression can make you do things you don't mean, but this is just how I felt when I read those parts.

I enjoyed her growing friendship with her coworkers at the museum.

The story was super slow. I liked that for the most part, but I really did not like all the time skips. I felt like there were huge chunks of the story I wasn't being told.

The artwork took some getting used to.

This was a quick read even at 280+ pages. I want to see what a print copy looks like, as I did not care for the art as it looked in the digital copy. The story felt a little jumbled, like I was missing pages. I think it could have been fleshed out more for a full novel. I didn't feel particularly invested in any of the characters.
Overall it was interesting material.

Obligatory Statement: I received this e-ARC from the publisher through NetGalley and this in no way affected my opinion of the book. 

This was a unique story about recovering from a mental breakdown, learning to love yourself, and a little paranormal mystery. 

The main character, Cel, is a very relatable bookish librarian who at the being of the story is recovering from a mental breakdown. Throughout the book, we witness her struggling with depression and her unwillingness to get help even though she knows that it will help her. Cel's depression is represented as the disease truly is and her fears about therapy are ones that many with depression and other mental illnesses share.  I loved all of the characters. There is Aba, the super posh museum director who I imagine has a British accent and drinks brandy on the weekends in his massive home library, Holly, the head librarian who helps Cel get adjusted to living in the Museum, and Gina, Holly's girlfriend as well as Cel's Boyfriend, Kyle. There is also the Museum Board which reminded me of the City Council from Welcome to Night Vale. 

Now for the paranormal aspect of the story, it is not super scary and the panels are creepy but I not in that horror movie, nightmarish creepy. And though Cel solved this one mystery, there is still a lot more to be said about where the story could go. One thing that I did not care for was the art style. It just did not do anything for me.

When Celeste loses her job as a librarian, she's willing to accept any new job, even one in a haunted museum. The more she dives into the archives, Celeste discovers the secrets of the museum's past, and begins to have dreams of a ghost who died there. She'll need the help of her new coworkers to uncover the truth about the ghost and the secretive museum board.

I was disappointed in this comic. The artwork isn't that good, and looks as though it were just thrown together. The story fell flat for me. It takes a long time for the plot to get going, and the mystery didn't have much to it. I felt like a lot of plot points were unnecessarily repeated again and again. The pacing of the story was odd, and there were many plot holes and unresolved questions at the end.

It's a pretty good comic, but nothing special.

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.

When Celeste has a nervous breakdown at work, it eventually leads to the loss of her beloved job at the library. After ignoring treatment for mental health, she finally scores a new job at the Logan Museum, a place that has a lot of history and possibly a dark past. As the Archivist, Celeste spends hours alone at night in the library, but when she begins to see a mysterious girl in her dreams, things start to heat up. Celeste must find a way to help this girl and convince the people around her that she isn't crazy all while avoiding the menacing eye of "The Board".

I was pleasantly surprised by Archival Quality. Normally, I don't enjoy reading paranormal stories, but I was hooked throughout the entire graphic novel. I think my reading was probably biased. As a librarian, I connected with Celeste's job and the environment.

4/5 stars for me.

TW: Self harm and blood.

First of all, as someone who has been taking prescription medication for depression and anxiety for many years, I feel that I need to put this out there - it is not weak or giving in or losing yourself to make the decision to use medication to manage any kind of mental condition. There are many kinds of medication on the market and just because one doesn't work for you doesn't mean that none of them will. If you are struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, please reach out to someone you care about or call 1-800-273-8255.

I wanted to like this story. A ghost story topped with mental illness and an interracial lesbian couple? Sign me up. That rings all my bells. Unfortunately, I just felt that Archival Quality fell short.

Cel is at a turning point in her life. Just coming out of a recent breakdown and looking for a new job, she is doing her best to manage everything on her own without accepting any assistance from medication, therapy, or even her loving boyfriend. We've all been there, I get it. That's when she accepts a position as the archivist for a local small medical museum.

The illustration and coloring is reminiscent of Lumberjanes and Nimona, but a little less crisp. The characters are deliciously diverse and well-developed. I felt that they were all real people that I could imaging being friends with.

Unfortunately, my joy with this novel ends there. I found the ending disappointing and I wanted so much more from Cel. I wanted some serious character development, but I'm not sure that she ever really got there.

This is a short, easy read. If you're coming off of something deep and need a little brain candy, this will definitely do it. I don't know that this is something I would purchase or give as a gift, personally, but at the same time I don't regret spending the time reading this.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

This beautifully drawn graphic novel brings representation to mental illness while also being a fun, haunted library/museum ghost story. I love how more and more comics have diverse casts. The character designs for each of the characters are wonderful.

I also really enjoyed the afterword and Weir's own personal story. This story was very close to her and that is evident in the detail put into it.

I give this graphic novel a 4/5. If you like ghost stories, creepy old asylums, and libraries, but also want a story with heart, you'll love this book.

I wanted to love this book, because it combines archival work and graphic novels, but it really wasn't all there for me. I liked the cast of characters mostly. Celeste, Holly, Gina, and Aba were all really great. Well-rounded for a fairly short graphic novel. The plot, however, was not. Maybe it was just too rushed for me, especially towards the end. I feel like we don't really find out much about the girl. Much more haunting could have ensued. Overall, three stars.

I wouldn’t say this book is semi-autobiographical, but the author does know about mental illness and archiving medical history.

Cel, the main character, has such a job, and the mental illness, but she loves the structure of doing this sort of work.

If you pick up and only read the first few pages, you might say, “what the heck is going on,” which is what I did, but then I got past that, and realized that this was a pretty cool little story of the bad things that happened to people of mental illness in the bad-old-days.

Well written, and it shows that the author know from where these expereinces and feelings come from.

You have to be in the mood, a bit, because this is quick, but not easy. There is pain and sadness, but homor too.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I think in the end the biggest surprise for me with this book is that it's being pitched at a junior audience, which is a pity given its ghost story trappings - but that's not to say it's a bad read. I have to say I really liked my time with Cel, the young woman with a lovely set of funky/cute clobber and a dumb-ass hipster boyfriend, who takes a job and lodgings at a never-visited medical museum, and ends up investigating what seems to be a haunting. It's a really rich book, one that hints at taking in so many threads - a romance here, a bit of lesbian exploration there, a new kind of metaphor for the damage the damaged mind can cause (for Cel has had mental health issues in the past, and there's the possibility the 'ghost' is her damaging her own environs, whether wilfully or otherwise)...

What we get is a snappy book that only really forces itself to appeal to just teens by way of its thick, chunky line and gaudy colouring. The adult on the commute won't find much favour with that. But in nudging the reader towards the ways it could have gone that I suggested, and yet ploughing its own furrow the read is a very good one. I found that, given the richness in both character and set-up, the ending was a little weak, but it was a great debut novel from this author/artist partnership. This can be counted as a strong four stars, as it's a compelling read.