The Nguyen cousins—Ursula, Alvin, Jen, and Duncan—are compelling protagonists, each navigating the upheaval of their lives in unique ways. Jen and Duncan’s experiences within the confines of Camp Tacoma are rendered with poignant detail, capturing the monotony, indignity, and quiet resistance of life under forced internment. Meanwhile, Ursula’s struggles as a journalist balancing moral imperatives with personal ambition provide a sharp counterpoint, reflecting the ethical dilemmas of telling stories that are not entirely one’s own.

The novel’s world-building is hauntingly effective, portraying the camps as both physical and psychological prisons. The lack of internet access and forced labor highlight the stripping away of personal agency, while the bonds formed between camp members underscore the resilience of the human spirit. Jen’s covert communication with the outside world adds a layer of tension and hope, driving the narrative toward its gripping climax.

The cousins’ differing experiences of privilege, guilt, and survival create a rich tapestry of perspectives, offering nuanced commentary on what it means to be both an individual and part of a community during a time of national crisis.

At its core, this is a powerful indictment of xenophobia and the cyclical nature of history. It asks difficult but necessary questions about the cost of safety, the fragility of rights, and the ways marginalized communities are scapegoated in times of fear.

My Documents is a must-read because of its riveting plot, fully realized characters, and incisive social commentary. It’s a story of courage, betrayal, and the enduring fight for justice, destined to leave a lasting impression.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kevin Nguyen’s Mỹ Documents is sharp, unsettling, and undeniably well-written. The premise—a government policy forces Vietnamese Americans into internment camps—hits close to home for me as someone of Japanese descent and the parallels to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. The story captures how fear, misinformation, and government overreach can lead to horrifying consequences. There are also themes of exploitation and appropriation of tragedy and the complications of family ties.

Unfortunately, while I don’t mind unlikable characters, I wish we’d seen more growth from them over the course of the story. Then again, maybe that’s the point: that bad things can happen and we don’t have to learn and grow from them—there does not need to be a silver lining.

I also found it jarring that there are moments where devastating things happen, but instead of sitting in the emotions, the narrative barrels ahead to the next event. It made it hard for me to feel fully connected to the story at times.

Still, the book is worth reading for its thought-provoking premise and its eerie relevance to today’s political climate. It’s one of those novels that’ll stick with you, even if it leaves you feeling more unsettled than satisfied. Solid four stars, and I could see myself pushing this up to five if I find myself thinking about it long after having finished it.

Thank you to NetGalley and One World!

This was a fairly quick read. It took me a little bit to get into it, but it was worth it and I'm glad I hung in there. I love historical fiction and this felt all too real in these times.

Although this is a work of fiction, it felt very real! The occurrences could definitely take place in the far to near future. I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend to anyone who likes dystopia books. I would love to read more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

I received a free ebook from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. I like historical fiction and general fiction. I liked the premise of the book.

I book starts off making you think. It starts off in a detention camp. It reminded me of interment camp in the modern era. The book shows how easily it could happen.

I finished the book in a week. It is a fairly easy read.

However, what happens in camp seems so tame at times. What I thought the author was talking about seemed to change in the book. I wondered if what I thought the themes were, may not have been.

The book is written from different perspectives. Sometimes, it is challenging to write from so many different points of view.

I am glad I was given the opportunity from Netgalley and the author to read this book. I hope to never live in the US when people are forcibly placed in detention camps.

I am reading this book as an advance release copy of the novel at the end of 2024. What scares me is that this book feels so real in a way that could possibly occur in the next year with or without terrorist activity. Nothing about living in the detainment center was a surprise to me, and I feel like the accounts accurately reflect conditions in the Japanese detainment centers of WWII. The author did a great job of constructing a current day situation in which detainment is ordered, as well as the speed of which it is enacted. It is also scary the way the media outlets play into public fear, and the way misinformation transforms public sentiment and sensibility. I found the story to almost read like an actual memoir, and my heart broke numerous times. I personally loved the play that was included at the end of the novel. I understood why survivors would have disliked it, as it did not fully reflect all that the Vietnamese were forced to suffer. But I easily understood the analogies and felt that they did a great job of reflecting the final disconnect between those interred and those who were not. The story left my heart heavy, but it was expertly researched and written.

A disjointed dystopian near future novel, the effort required to read seemed interminable. It begins with a family of related "cousins" who are actually half-siblings through the father Dan, a serial marrier and leaver of wives and children. Why? Who knows. It goes on to describe what occurs after five terrorist attacks on airports by Vietnamese men. The U.S. responds by having the Homeland Security Department i incarcerate all Vietnamese Americans, similarly to the way Japanese Americans were interred during World War II in camps.

The characters, Allegra, Jen, Duncan and their mothers and brothers, and father have intersecting stories, with Allegra narrating some chapters in the first person. Journalism and careers at Google are included. There is deprivation and cruelty. To round things out, there is a portion at the end that recounts the prisoner of war experience of John McCain. Again, why?

Nothing in this novel made for an interesting reading experience. The word "slog" is apt in describing why I had to force myself to finish it.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an early ARC copy.

This book starts with a great premise and executes it well. It's almost alternate history but set in the present, bringing the stain of racist internment camps into modern-day America.

Initially, I was hooked and thought it could be a five-star read. While others may love it, the author focused on aspects that didn’t resonate with me personally and glossed over areas I was eager to explore further. Ultimately, the story felt smaller in scope than I had anticipated. That’s perfectly fine—it just didn’t fully align with what I was looking for.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC opportunity.

thank you so much to the publisher for reaching out and giving me the digital galley for this book! i enjoyed reading it.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a great book!! It had me hooked from page one! I couldn’t put this down. I finished it in one sitting. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. This was a first for me by this author but it will not be my last!!

A very striking novel! My Documents starts Ursula, Alvin, Jen, and Duncan Nguyen as Vietnamese cousins (now a family). A dash of speculative fiction in introduced when the United States begins to incarcerate Vietnamese Americans in internment camps after violence has erupted. The younger family members are sent to a camp and the older, well off members receive exemptions.

Camp life is hopeless, dirty, rough and dangerous. The kids have a hard time without internet and contemporary life luxuries. Jen is able to connect with Ursula who wants to take the realities of the camps to press for her own career. Nguyen add wry humor and poignant moments from an incredibly scary premise. I found this quote from him that succinctly describes the artistic component of the story and how he keeps it from falling into despair.

"I wanted the characters — four Vietnamese half-siblings in their early twenties — all to come of age in an environment that heightens their sense of identity," Nguyen tells PEOPLE. "After all, one’s identity — especially when it comes to race — is somehow able to be marginalized or monetized or both. For some characters in the book, their ethnicity is what lands them in camp. For others, it’s what makes their career."

Pick up this book, it's a one of a kind! #randomhouse #mydocuments #kevinnguyen