 Colfer has largely been praised for giving representation to the LGBTQ+ community, and for approaching relevant topics such as gender identity, sexuality, and self-worth that are considered controversial in modern times.However, the novel has also been criticized for perpetuating stereotypes and giving shallow depictions of the characters' struggles; reviewing for "USA Today", Jaleesa M. Jones noted that "instead of showing characters' anxieties — about their gender, their sexuality, their economic reality or their romantic one — Colfer explains them to diminishing effect.