Newspapers outside Scotland started to notice the book, with glowing reviews in The Guardian, The Sunday Times and The Mail on Sunday, and in September 1997 Books for Keeps, a magazine that specialised in children's books, gave the novel four stars out of five.
Aviser udenfor Skotland begyndte at bemærke romanen med begejstrede anmeldelser i The Guardian, The Sunday Times og The Mail on Sunday, og i september 1997 gav Books for Keeps, et blad specialiseret i børnebøger, romanen fire ud af fem stjerner.