[1] The book's poems tackle issues of racism faced by Asian Americans and other communities in the United States.

[5] In a starred review, Publishers Weekly stated: "Intimate yet expansive, Youn’s poems bring remarkable depth, candor, and intensity to personal and social history.

"[6] Also in a starred review, Library Journal said "Youn does an extraordinary job of blending historical themes with haunting modern-day experiences to clarify sense of self.

"[7] Some critics observed Youn's tackling of race issues in the United States to an extent unseen in her previous work.

[8] The New York Times concluded that "In reflecting and refracting the fantasies and absurdities, dark secrets and blatant cruelties by which American racism invents and maintains itself, Youn counters our brutal imagination with flammable, superior dreams.

The Harvard Review stated that "Youn’s unsettlingly patient tone acts as the ultimate condemnation: she exposes the delusions of racist reasoning simply by laying them bare.