[2] Booklist's David Pitt called the protagonist "utterly compelling" and noted that the novel is "brilliantly written and completely original.

"[3] Describing the novel, Publisher Weekly wrote about how Hand "explores the narrow boundary between artistic genius and madness in this gritty, profoundly unsettling literary thriller.

"[2] In addition to other praise, they noted that "the novel's final chapters [...] are a terror tour-de-force that testify to the power of great fiction to disturb and provoke.

"[2] The Washington Post's Lloyd Rose stated that the novel's "portrayal of gritty suffering is as strong as its fantastical elements".

"[3] Graham Joyce, writing for The Washington Post, noted, "Generation Loss is a crossover novel, difficult to classify, uncomfortable, spiky.