Their mother raised Jacqueline to be the perfect, feminine daughter, always dressing her in fine clothes and ensuring she never dirtied herself or acted impolite.

Downey Howerton also discussed how the novel portrayed the human "yearn[ing] for love, recognition, and belonging" as the girls "chaf[e] against rules both external and internal as they long to break free of the expectations of others".

[3] Reviewers also discussed the novella's genre conventions, with Downey Howerton highlighting how McGuire "taps into the horror and romance of classic fairy tales".

[1] Kirkus Reviews noted that "the trappings of gothic fantasy act as an eloquent backdrop to this vivid portrayal of a painfully dysfunctional family".

The petulance of the adolescent characters occasionally bleeds into the rest of the narration, and her voice for the Frankenstein-like mad scientist Dr. Bleek is such a soft whisper that his dialogue is barely intelligible.