Nguyen, Kevin - My Documents

The paths of four family members diverge drastically when the U.S. government begins detaining Vietnamese Americans, in this “rich, gripping novel that lands squarely as a mirror of our contemporary moral squalor” (Los Angeles Times). His first book New Waves received great reviews (A Best Book of the Year at NPR, The New York Public Library, Parade, Kirkus Reviews) and immense buz, with blurbs from Tommy Orange, Celeste Ng, and Bryan Washington, among others. The book explores tough topics of racism, isolation, and exploitation in accessible language; difficult conversations are introduced with lucidity, care, and humour. Nguyen cleverly interweaves the stories of several characters throughout, continually raising the stakes of the plot in ways that will keep readers invested in what happens next. The four main characters are young adults figuring out their identities, their roles in society, and contemplating their futures, all the while uncertain of the country and community that will be left for them, a familiar dilemma for young and old readers alike.