"...in this radiant pearl of a book, Lai shows that we human beings — fragile or strong, saved or doomed, frightened or brave, and sometimes all of those things at once — are singing the very same song: a song of grace and redemption, a song of courage, a song of hope.”

— The New York Times , Jennifer Donnelly

"Masterfully conjures grace, beauty, and humor out of the tragic wake of the Vietnam War.”

— Kirkus review

"Lai’s interpretation of the process of healing teaches readers that anxiety and trauma are very real, and there are many ways of confronting and coping with them.”

— Chopsticks Alley , Rachel Egoian

"Lai is more interested in exhibiting human kindness and understanding.”

— BookBrowse , Rory L. Aronsky (starred review)

"Timely, brutal, and full of love for life, Butterfly Yellow is a book for the times we're living in.”

—NPR featured review, Caitlyn Paxson

"Remarkable. Told with ample grace, Lại’s finely drawn narrative and resilient characters offer a memorable, deeply felt view of the Vietnam War’s impact.”

— Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Lại writes with charm and spark, and she is especially original in her conveyance of Hằng’s limited English. Hằng remains resilient and purposeful, characteristics that make her compelling and even heroic. Ultimately, this is a bittersweet yet hopeful story of letting go and finding new ways to come together.”

— The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books , Deborah Stevenson

"Lại’s imagery awakens the senses. Most powerful is the deep throb of regret and the thinnest wisps of hopefulness that Lại conveys throughout. They touch the soul.”

— Booklist (starred review)

"Dedicated ‘In memory of the thousands of refugees at the bottom of the sea,’ Lại personalizes history with compelling characters, lively interactions and, most importantly, engrossing storytelling.”

— Shelf-Awareness

“One strength of the novel is the subtle character development. Another is Lại’s use of language. Those who hear Hằng’s remarkable tale can additionally think about contemporary connections to immigrant experiences, feelings of being an outsider, and the detours one’s life may take.”

— The Horn Book , Betty Carter

"This is a truly unique story, and Hang's story leaps off the pages. It is fully engrossing. She has experienced a great deal of trauma, which is slowly revealed to the reader. As such, I think this is a valuable book about war and what follows as well as about the Vietnam War. Emotion is heavily carried through the book, and this is a truly beautiful (and heavy) read for that reason.”

— YA Book Central

"Gorgeous writing meets expert narration in this one-of-a-kind refugee story.”

 — Audiophile

"... the writing is beautiful and the depths exquisitely drawn in telling detail.”

— Redeemed Reader