The Year of Blue Water's poems range in form from lyric to prose poetry, addressing subject matter such as transgender Chinese American identity, trauma, gender, and art.

With regard to art, the book converses with traditions and legacies by artists like Maggie Nelson, Robin Coste Lewis, Frank O'Hara, and Louise Glück.

[7] BOMB Magazine said, "The book is a stunning archive of Yanyi’s mental universe as he examines the construction of selfhood from a trans masculine perspective, the cultural boundaries of nation states as both a Chinese and American citizen, and intergenerational dialogue between friends and literati".

[3] The New York Journal of Books wrote that "The experiences that Yanyi captures in his poetry sensitizes the readers’ understanding of the trans community still striving to claim respect and dignity.

"[8] The Year of Blue Water won the 2018 Yale Series of Younger Poets and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Poetry.