All the Light We Cannot See has received critical acclaim.[39][16][40] In a collection of fifteen reviews by book review aggregator Book Marks, twelve were either "positive" or "rave" reviews.[41] The novel won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction,[42][43] was shortlisted for the National Book Award, and was the runner-up for the 2015 Dayton Literary Peace Prize for fiction.[44][45] It was considered among the best books released in 2014 by Entertainment Weekly,[46] Kirkus Reviews,[47] The New York Times,[48] The Washington Post,[49] and NPR.[50] Several critics considered All the Light We Cannot See to be Doerr's best book.[51][5] In a starred review for Booklist, Brad Hopper called it "a novel to live in, learn from, and feel bereft over when the last page is turned".[28] Cha lauded the novel as a "beautiful, expansive tale".[23] JoJo Marshall of Entertainment Weekly wrote that All the Light We Cannot See is a "not-to-be-missed tale [that] is a testament to the buoyancy of our dreams".[52]
Critics praised All the Light We Cannot See's lyrical writing,[16] with multiple praising the style's aesthetic.[23][8][51][29] Critics admired the detailed descriptions within the novel,[51][20] especially the sensory details,[15][22] which John Freeman said made Doerr's language "startling fresh".[18] Pivovar and the San Francisco Chronicle's Dan Cryer found these descriptions to be immersive,[22] with Cryer saying, "Doerr's novel spotlights history in vivid primary colors. He makes us not only see but also feel the desolation and barbarism of war."[8] Some critics commended All the Light We Cannot See for having a brisk pace.[17][8][51] Amanda Vaill felt the nonlinear structure created suspense,[25] while Alan Cheuse found it annoying.[24] There were also crtics who felt the novel was overwritten.[21][27][30]
The characterization was also praised; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Steven Novak found it to be where the merits of the novel were rooted.[53] Multiple critics considered the characterization compelling, finding themselves invested in the characters.[5][54][21] Sharon Peters of USA Today wrote: "Few authors can so gently—yet resolutely—pull readers into such deep understanding of and connection with their characters".[20] Particularly, several expressed admiration toward the stories of Marie-Laure and Werner paralleling one another.[18][24][25] Regarding the encounter of these two characters, many readers expressed disappointment at how short their encounter was. This has been acknowledged by the book author who remarked that he found himself "for years trying to justify that [ending] through historical accuracy, to say it wasn't very likely that Werner would have more than a few minutes."[55] The focus on characters and their choices in a wartime setting was found to be fresh by both Kirkus Reviews and Janet Maslin.[47][15] William T. Vollman and Steph Cha had differing opinions over which of the two main characters was better characterized; Vollman cited Marie-Laure's "believable" representation of blindness and Cha cited Werner's internal struggle with Nazism.[17][23] Vollman in particular criticized the use of Nazi stereotypes.[17] Both Green and Justin Cartwright expressed concern about All the Light We Cannot See portraying the Nazis and the Allies in war as falsely morally equivalent.[27][56]
