The novel was a shortlisted nominee for the 2010 Scotiabank Giller Prize,[1] the 2010 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and the 2010 Governor General's Awards.[2] It held the distinction of being the only novel to make the shortlists of all three awards in 2010.[2] In 2011 it was shortlisted for the 2011 Orange Prize for Fiction,[3] and won the Thomas Head Raddall Award.[4]
In 2014 it was chosen for the Canada Reads competition, where it was championed by actress Sarah Gadon.
Despite critical acclaim, the book has not been welcomed by intersex organizations. Organisation Intersex International Australia described the book as fundamentally flawed and deterministic, based on misconceptions about intersex.[5]
