The Round House received critical acclaim,[13] winning the National Book Award for Fiction in 2012, competing against the likes of Junot Diaz's This is How You Lose Her and Kevin Powers's The Yellow Birds.[4] The novel was also included in The Oyster Review's list of "100 Best Books of the Decade So Far" in 2015.[14] According to some of the most reputable literary critics, The Round House emerges as an emotional, deeply moving novel and one of Erdrich's best works.[15][10] Ron Charles of The Washington Post focuses his review primarily on the protagonist, describing how "Joe is an incredibly endearing narrator, full of urgency and radiant candor."[16] Charles concludes by noting that, "beyond the rape and the investigation and any possible retribution, Joe’s sobering evaluation of his relationship with his parents is the most profound drama of the novel."[16] Molly Antopol of The San Francisco Chronicle praises the author's writing saying, "Erdrich's plotting is masterfully paced: the novel, particularly the second half, brims with so many action-packed scenes that the pages fly by. And yet the author also knows just when to slow down, reminding us that despite everything upending Joe's life, he's still just a teenager."[17]
Despite being largely well-received, there are several negative criticisms of the novel as well. New York Times critic Michiko Kakutani claims Erdrich’s portrayal of a realistic criminal act in a reservation is too cartoony, especially when compared to her previous novel, The Plague of Doves, which Kakutani claims was more successful in portraying the shades of psychological grayness.[18] She further delves into the fact that the main antagonist is one-dimensional and seems to be a stand-in for a more fleshed-out and developed villain.[18] Another sharp criticism comes from a Boston Globe review stating that the novel is resolved quickly and abruptly shifts the plot toward its conclusion.[19]
