Uff. I knew this book was going to destrói me, and it did. I wish I could tell these authors in person how much it means to us readers of memoirs that they are brave enough, vulnerable enough to share their stories. I Will alwaya treasure the privilege that is having access and reading these stories.

Told through journal entries, DETAINED recounts D. Esperanza’s harrowing journey from Honduras to a U.S. detention camp at just 13 years old.
Separated from his parents as an infant when they left for America to support the family, D. Esperanza grew up longing for reunion. But when violence in Honduras made staying impossible, he made the painful decision to head north clinging to hope, chasing safety, and dreaming of family.

Instead of finding refuge, Esperanza was met with steel fences, locked doors, and a cold, indifferent system. Seeking asylum, he was thrust into a detention center that felt more like a prison–-crowded, isolating, and heavy with despair.

Through raw and unfiltered entries, DETAINED offers a rare, intimate look inside one of the darkest periods of his young life. In sharing his story, Esperanza urges readers to see beyond the politics and policies, to see the people.
He reminds us: every child deserves dignity.

READ THIS IF YOU:
-appreciate stories that humanize the headlines
-want a deeper, more personal understanding of the border crisis
-believe in the power of stories to build empathy and compassion

Many thanks to Atria for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

I've always had the opinion that most people coming to this country are not here to be dangerous criminals, and this story is an example of that. D is a child who chose to migrate to the United States when he was a young teenager with his three cousins. His parents are undocumented in America, sending him and his extended family money. When D's primary caregivers both die and he realizes that it is impossible for a young child like him to survive on his own, he decides to chance it all in America. This is his story of how he reunited with his family.

It's so heartbreaking to read about how much pain and suffering D and other immigrants like him faced. Not only did he have to walk hours and hours without any food or water, when he got to America, he was treated like he was a criminal already. The fact that people in these holding camps were treated like they were less than human, it's disgusting. D and his roommates were called by a number, not by their name. They were given less than the bare minimum. I understand our immigration system is broken, but I feel as if there is a more humane way to treat people who want to simply survive in this country.

Thank you to D and Ivan for publishing this. I hope a lot of people read this and take a more humane approach to immigration, not one filled with hatred and racism.

My mind is blown and my heart is raw--what an incredible memoir by D. Esperanza (and Gerardo Ivan Morales)! Written in journal-style from D. Esperanza's perspective at age 13 when he left Honduras and traveled North during Trump's first term in office when undocumented persons were "detained" and taken to facilities (including children). This is such an important voice in this conversation. Epilogue was healing. 5 stars--one of my favorite memoirs to date.

Many content warnings for this book (and I will probably miss some so please read several reviews): death, racisim, xenophobia, detaining of children/confinement/deportation.

**I received a complimentary ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I'm sorry but I just don't believe this is actually a translated journal from this adolescent boy. The way it's written feels like it is trying to tug on your heartstrings, and it brings up a lot of things that would be strong talking points when discussing the horrors of our immigration system. Reviewing only the book, which is allegedly just a translated journal, I couldn't get over the thought that it did not seem real. Also the idea that he was writing this in a cramped cell where they had taken away all of their belongings just did not feel credible to me.

After reading this, you can't help but hope that it is the Anne Frank's Diary of our time. That said, I will say that the story itself is gripping and I couldn't put it down until I had read to the very end of it. What these children went through is tragic. One would expect that the journey itself would be filled with challenges. But their reception by the border police and the facilities that the author had to stay in for five months is something that never had to happen and is an absolutely horrid reflection of a country of immigrants. We should be able to do far better. These children deserved much much more than this.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I hope that when it goes out into the world, it gets the reception that it deserves.

This book is poignantly heartbreaking at its core.

A first ever memoir of a child's experience in the detention on the US and Mexico border while under Trump's " family separation" policy.
I absolutely loved the honesty and the outlook through the child's eyes.

Thank you to Primero Sueño Press via Netgalley for providing me with this ARC!

I wish I could capture how powerful, tragic, hopeful, and enduring this story is in a few sentences, but I’m not sure that’s possible. An epistolary novel addressed to his Grandmother who he calls Tía, D tells us the 10-month long journey he endured. I felt like I was there with him and the thought that this person was only 14 years old and experiencing everything he did is truly heartbreaking.

I remember when I was working on research projects that aimed to understand the short and long-term effects of child separations at the border, all while seeing it unfold on the tv screen. This novel is a must read always, but especially in the current state of the world.

I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy on release day!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date: May 13th, 2025

D. Esperanza's "Detained" is not simply a memoir; it is a raw, unflinching, and profoundly moving testament to the human cost of immigration policies. To call it the Anne Frank's Diary of our time is not hyperbole, but a stark recognition of its power to illuminate the darkness of a specific historical moment through the intimate lens of a child's experience. Like Anne Frank's diary, "Detained" offers an unvarnished and deeply personal account of confinement, fear, and the enduring flicker of hope amidst dehumanizing circumstances.

We meet D. Esperanza as a resilient yet vulnerable thirteen-year-old, suddenly adrift after the loss of his anchors in Honduras. His decision to embark on the perilous journey north, driven by the fundamental need for survival and the longing for family, immediately humanizes the often-politicized narrative of migration. The harrowing account of his journey through Central America and Mexico, undertaken with his cousins, paints a vivid picture of the dangers and uncertainties faced by those seeking refuge and opportunity. The bonds forged in the face of such adversity only amplify the cruelty of their eventual separation at the US border.

The heart of "Detained" lies within the five months D spent in a detention facility, meticulously documented in his journal. These pages are a stark indictment of a system that offers no information, no solace, and seemingly little regard for the well-being of children. Through D's innocent yet perceptive eyes, we witness the pain, the cruelty, and the senseless inhumanity that permeate these spaces. The lack of updates, the constant uncertainty, and the emotional toll of confinement are laid bare with a heartbreaking honesty that cuts through political rhetoric.

Yet, amidst the despair, "Detained" also shines a light on the resilience of the human spirit. D's journal entries reveal the unexpected friendships forged within the walls of the detention center, offering glimmers of connection and shared humanity in the face of dehumanization. The unwavering support of his advocate, Gerardo Iván Morales, serves as a crucial beacon of hope, underscoring the vital role of compassion and advocacy in navigating such a brutal system.

Like Anne Frank's diary, "Detained" is a powerful coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of injustice. It forces us to confront the human consequences of policies that often reduce individuals to statistics. D's voice, clear and unwavering despite the trauma he endures, demands our attention and empathy. It compels us to look beyond the headlines and see the individual stories of courage, vulnerability, and the fundamental human desire for safety and belonging.

"Detained" is not an easy read, but it is an essential one. It is a vital document of our time, offering a firsthand account of the realities at the border that will undoubtedly resonate for years to come. D. Esperanza's journal is a testament to the enduring power of the human spirit to find connection and hope even in the darkest of circumstances, making "Detained" a crucial and unforgettable contribution to the literature of human rights and survival.

This book tore me to pieces.
The journey that D. Esperanza went on seems like it could have been so farfetched, but it is the sad reality of so many children brought here and who come on their own looking for a better life to escape so much violence and poverty. Along the way despite going through so much pain and suffering he meets a few good people who show him kindness in a situation that is anything but kind. I sobbed and my heart breaks for every single child who's had to endure this and will continue to endure it.

No matter what side of the immigrant argument you're on - no child deserves to be treated the way that they continue to be treated.
How will future generations look at the fact that children, babies were kept in cages for the simple act of wanting a better future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Primero Sueño Press for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Poignant. Via D, Detained gives voice to the many (children!!!) who have been forced to endure under similar circumstances. Inhumane doesn’t cover it. Hoping this book will help to spread greater awareness.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Detained follows the harrowing journey of D Esperanza, a thirteen-year-old boy from Honduras, who set out to reunite with his parents in the U.S. after losing his caregivers. The story unfolds as D and his cousins endure a dangerous trek through Central America and Mexico, only to be separated at the U.S. border. Through journal entries chronicling his time in detention, D's tale sheds light on the resilience, friendships, and inhumanity experienced by migrants caught in the web of U.S. immigration policy.

This deeply moving and timely book offers a rare insider's perspective on the horrors of detainment camps under Trump's administration and the hardships migrants face in pursuit of a better future. Heartbreaking yet infused with hope, Detained is an essential voice in the ongoing conversation around immigration reform.

Wow.. simply an incredible story. D. Esperanza's journey to the United States, through the perils of the wilderness to the perils of the immigration system, is unlike anything I've ever read. I can't imagine a more pertinent story to these times than this one - it's coming at the perfect moment in history. Sadly, what D went through is the reality for so many - more and more each day, now. But the fact that his story had a happy ending, that he was able to share the ups and downs of his migration is so powerful and so brave. He and his cousins are some of the strongest among us, and I applaud them for putting this story into the world.

I'd urge everyone to read this - but especially those who are hard on immigration. This is vital information and humanizing on a level not seen before.

I knew going into this book that it was going to shatter me, not only did it do that it also educated me on Trump’s family separation policy, something I always heard on the news, but never from someone who lived it to tell.

This is the first-ever memoir of a child’s experience in a detention on the US/Mexico border under President Trump family separation policy. This story of pain, survival, and resilience is a true raw testament to the reality of the border.

D Esperanza was only 13 years old when he lost both his caregivers, his beloved grandmother and uncle. With both of his parents working and living in in the US, D and his cousin were left to fend for themselves. The boys barely made ends meet in their small town of Honduras, by working various jobs. The boys made the difficult decision to venture to the US and hopefully reunite with D’s parents in el Norte for a better life, along with their two cousins from Guatemala.

D and his three cousins took on an enduring venture to the US with many hopes and dreams. This trek wasn’t an easy one, they had to endure a long and treacherous journey through Central America and Mexico from having to board La Bestia one of the world’s most dangerous trains, to many sleepless nights, sickness, danger and hunger.

Over the course of ten months D gives us a raw detailing of his experience throughout his journey via journal entries. D and his cousins form a deep bond, only to be separated at the border of the United States. D is captured and detained in a US detention center in Tornillo, Texas. The Tornillo facility will go down as a dark period in U.S. history when asylum-seeking, vulnerable children spent months living in a slapdash tent city in the desert, in the care of unqualified, negligent personnel.
During the senseless inhumanity of the immigration policy, D was able to find hope and friendships that advocated on his behalf.

This book will forever live in my heart.

This book will be on sale May 13, 2025, I highly recommend it. A big thank you to NetGalley and Atria/ Primero Sueño Press for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What can I say about this book? It was intense, devastating, mournful, enraging...and yet, still tinged with hope. I read this through the lens of a mother. My own child being just a few scant years younger than D when they embarked on their journey to El Norte from Honduras. It was challenging and painful to read at times, but felt incredibly necessary to bear witness to the heartbreak and trauma D experienced. Given the current political climate, increasing criminalization of migrants, unjust detention and carceral abuses, D's account of their experience at the Tornillo Detention Facility in 2018 is especially important.

Detained begins with the occasional journal entry by D, detailing aspects of his life in the small town of Naranjito, Honduras. Primarily raised by their grandmother, who they refer to as Tia (aunt), alongside their younger cousin Miguelito and uncle Felipe. Even before embarking on the journey north, circumstances force D into a caregiver role beyond their childhood years: an auto accident that kills his uncle Felipe, and his grandmother's death soon after. In the aftermath of the loss of the only adults in their lives, D's writing shifts from personal journal entries to letters to his "Querida Tia," a recounting of their daily experiences, fears, sorrow, and petitions for care, protection, and prayers. Unable to secure sufficient work and wages to sustain both himself and Miguelito, the boys decide to embark on the dangerous journey north together. Weeks of walking and hitchhiking finally bring them to Guatemala, where they are able to connect with a distant aunt and cousins, Elias and Damian. From Guatemala, the four cousins embark on the harrowing and dangerous trek to the US-Mexico border.

There are recurring themes of connection and separation, safety and danger, despair and hope. The four cousins form a powerful bond, emphasizing how integral each became to one another in order to survive. Together they look out for one another; buoy each other in the face of hunger, uncertainty, and violence from La Migra and cartels. Separated by the US Border Patrol immediately after crossing, D is alone during his detention at a number of processing facilities. D struggles to understand why he is being detained, why he is treated as a bed number and not a person, what happened to his cousins, why no one can give him answers, why no one cares. If ever there was a shadow of a doubt that carceral systems only perpetuate a system of violence, trauma, and harm, this book provides a firsthand account of how this impacted a child who had already endured so much loss and violence. There is, however, a glimmer of hope when D finds himself assigned to Alpha 13, a bunk at the Tornillo detention facility, where he meets Ivan, one of the adults assigned to oversee the children in this specific bunk. In Alpha 13 there is finally a semblance of consistency and genuine care for the wellbeing of it's inhabitants. And yet, the sense of safety D begins to feel there is challenged time and again when children cycle out of Tornillo in the middle of the night. No goodbye. No warning. An abrupt ending to tentative connections.

After 5 months of detention, D is finally reunited with his parents in Tenessee - parents he has only spoken to over the phone, who he has never met before, as they have been in the US since he was a baby. The epilogue provided some reassurance to the reader that D, now 20 years old, had managed to find joy and happiness, while also recognizing that they had endured more trauma than perhaps any child should ever have to experience.

This is a book that will stay with me forever.