Maya Gittelman of Tor.com writes that the novel explores the "central tension of what might be known as 'southern hospitality': kindness without goodness, ill-gotten power, and violent, xenophobic insecurity."

Kingfisher uses the protagonist Sam as a "fully realized fat girl scientist fighting real horrors and bigoted family members.

"[1] Publishers Weekly gave the novel a starred review, calling Kingfisher "the best in the business at using horror and fantasy to explore abusive relationships and how to escape them."

The review compared the novel to the 2017 horror film Get Out, in that "both works derive their frightening power from placing reasonable people in unreasonable circumstances and forcing them to respond".

He praised Sam's narrative style, including the diversions on insect life that "acted as a lighthearted balance to the dark family secrets".

Milas writes that "although you may find that the ending of A House with Good Bones ties things up a little too neatly, Kingfisher’s startlingly well-written prose is always worth the price of admission".

[6] Maya Gittelman of Tor.com wrote that "the book is most effective when it unapologetically leans into the grotesque truth of a land’s legacy, and the harm a single powerful person’s hatred can enact".

Gittelman also noted that "the lighter tone and touch of romance felt inconsistent at times with a plot dealing so heavily in monstrous whiteness".

[1] In a review for Locus, Adrienne Martini called the novel "a nice enough story to pass the time with", though she felt it was inferior to Kingfisher's recent novel Nettle & Bone.