Despite its complex crafting, the story never feels overwrought. It flows, grounded in character and the theme of preserving humanity from the machines of war. Even as Harry emerges from the abyss, a satisfying conclusion leads the reader from the darkness, delivering an emotional gut-punch that will provoke as much feeling as thought.
—Booklist (starred review)

Deacon’s black and white artwork, which deftly handles literal scenes of London under bombardment and the feverish imaginings of Harry’s injured brain, is by turns moving and appropriately troubling, and it will lure fans of World War II fiction to this moody tale.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

The marriage of fantastical elements with the atrocities of war is not new, nor is World War II an unexplored literary topic, but this triptych treatment is interesting...readers who enjoy their war stories steeped in philosophy will walk away satisfied. A recommended purchase. Hand to fans of Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief and even Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five.
—School Library Journal

Atmospheric and provocative.
—Kirkus Reviews