In a review for The Irish Times, Sarah Gilmartin commented on the opening section of the novel, which narrates the life of a Jamaican immigrant trying to settle in the Black Country during the 1950s.

The reviewer said the "early parts of Jesse’s life make for an engrossing read," but said the author should have made obvious the connection between the initial chapter and McCarthy's story sooner.

Leuzzi commented on Mendez' writing ability in letting the main character "articulate his thoughts and feelings without exploiting his struggles for cheap consumption."

In his text, Leuzzi also discussed the reviews left by readers on sites such as Goodreads or Amazon, which "complained about excessive, 'pointless' sex scenes", and said that "[s]uch criticism is misplaced" due to their importance to understand the main character's "psychological and emotional trajectory.

[4] The novel received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which called it "an explosive Bildungsroman drawing on the legacy of Britain’s Windrush generation of 1950s migrants from the West Indies.