Associated Press wrote that Unger "immerses the reader in the nuances of the frustrations and anxietyfelt when obligation is the reason for a family visit" and "examines the feelings of abandonment and anger when it seems your family doesn't care." Oline H. Cogdill of the Sun Sentinel wrote that the novel "works well as an intense psychological thriller that explores a family with complex relationships, destructive secrets and uneasy legacies." Kirkus Reviews wrote that Unger is a "master at building characters that crackle with personality and purpose, and the women in this novel are no exception" and "knows how to write a taut thriller" while criticising her characterisation of Emily, which "keeps this book from being extraordinary."