▁in ▁the ▁same ▁month , ▁writing ▁in ▁The ▁Guardian , ▁critic ▁Steven ▁Po ole ▁wrote : ▁" In ▁its ▁pre - indust rial ▁sur real ism , ▁the ▁world ▁here ▁at ▁first ▁res emb les ▁slightly ▁that ▁of ▁Ben ▁Marcus ... But ▁Jones ' s ▁is ▁a ▁sac char ine ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁style , ▁too ▁concerned ▁to ▁be ▁pretty ▁or ▁child like ▁( with ▁its ▁ow ls ▁and ▁te ac ups ▁and ▁mint ▁leaves ) ▁to ▁prov oke ▁any ▁real ▁a est h etic ▁shock ▁within ▁a ▁single ▁sentence ." ▁Book list ▁said , ▁" This ▁literary ▁gem ▁of ▁met aph ys ical ▁m ala ise ▁has ▁that ▁ide ally ▁weird ▁bl end ▁of ▁off put ting ▁sens ual ism ▁and ▁heart f elt ▁em otion ▁– ▁just ▁the ▁sort ▁of ▁thing ▁to ▁ensure ▁a ▁dedicated , ▁if ▁limited , ▁following ." ▁Black Book ▁said , ▁" This ▁sl im ▁and ▁absor bing ▁novel ▁reads ▁like ▁a ▁bed time ▁story ▁that ▁your ▁mother ▁forgot ▁to ▁tell ▁you , ▁and ▁it ▁announ ces ▁Jones ▁as ▁a ▁st unning ▁new ▁literary ▁voice ." ▁ ▁Riv ka ▁Gal chen ▁has ▁pra ised ▁Jones ' s ▁work ▁as ▁" Res pl endent , ▁and ▁somehow ▁nearly ▁ed ible ." ▁The ▁pra ise ▁was ▁sat ir ically ▁critic ized ▁by ▁Ben ▁Cra ir ▁on ▁August ▁ 6 , ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁at ▁The ▁New ▁Republic . ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁N PR ▁listed ▁Light ▁Bo