After a series of terrorist attacks by individuals of Vietnamese descent, the U.S. government detains Vietnamese Americans in internment camps, fracturing the Nguyen family as some members are imprisoned while others remain free due to privilege or circumstance. Through multiple perspectives, the novel explores themes of racism, assimilation, family bonds, and the moral complexities of survival and storytelling in a society repeating its darkest historical patterns.

Reader Review Summary

Set in a near-future America, the novel follows four members of the Nguyen family—Ursula, Alvin, Jen, and Duncan—whose lives are upended when a series of terrorist attacks by individuals of Vietnamese descent leads the U.S. government to forcibly detain Vietnamese Americans in internment camps. The story alternates between the perspectives of these cousins: Ursula, a journalist in Manhattan; Alvin, a Google engineering intern; Jen, a college freshman at NYU; and Duncan, a high school football player. While Ursula and Alvin receive exemptions due to their jobs and perceived assimilation, Jen and Duncan, along with their mother, are sent to Camp Tacoma. Inside the camp, Jen becomes involved in an underground newspaper and a smuggling network, while Duncan finds a role on the camp football team. Outside, Ursula leverages Jen’s insider information to advance her own reporting career. The narrative draws on historical precedents such as Japanese American incarceration during WWII and modern immigrant detention, exploring themes of racism, assimilation, family, and the use of technology and media in both oppression and resistance.

Readers appreciated the book’s timely and unsettling premise, noting its close parallels to real historical events and current political climates. Many found the depiction of internment camps and the bureaucratic machinery behind them to be chillingly plausible, with detailed descriptions of daily life, underground communication networks like 'El Paquete,' and the creation of the camp newspaper 'Korematsu.' The multi-perspective structure allowed readers to see the impact of state violence and racism on different family members, highlighting issues of privilege, assimilation, and the complexities of Asian American identity. The exploration of journalistic ethics, the commodification of trauma, and the banality of oppression were also frequently cited as strengths. Some readers with personal or family histories of immigration or internment found the narrative especially resonant and thought-provoking.

Criticisms centered on the novel’s character development and narrative execution. Several readers felt that the four main characters were not fully fleshed out, with some describing them as flat or underdeveloped, making it difficult to connect emotionally. The multi-POV approach, while broadening the scope, was seen by some as spreading the narrative too thin, resulting in a lack of depth for individual storylines. Others noted that the book was more character-driven than plot-driven, which led to a perceived lack of narrative momentum and unresolved threads. Some readers found the world-building insufficient, particularly regarding the logistics and setting of the camps, and questioned the plausibility of certain elements like the ease of smuggling and the camp’s operations. The prose was described by a few as journalistic or lacking in style, and some felt that the emotional impact of key events was muted by the narrative’s pacing.

In addition to its focus on family dynamics and the effects of state-sanctioned racism, the novel examines the intersections of ambition, assimilation, and resistance within the Vietnamese American community. The book raises questions about who gets to tell stories of trauma, the role of corporations in perpetuating or resisting injustice, and the limits of solidarity within the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander identity. References to real-world events, such as Japanese American internment and contemporary immigration policies, are woven throughout, and the narrative includes meta-commentary on journalism, propaganda, and the transmission of culture under duress. The title 'My Documents' is interpreted on multiple levels, referring to both personal histories and official records. The book has been recommended for discussion in educational and book club settings, and has prompted readers to reflect on historical patterns of exclusion and the fragility of civil rights in America.