You might call Nathan Whitlock’s sense of humour the gallows kind: he readily locates the brutal and exposes its ridiculous underside.
Winnipeg Review, for Congratulations On Everything
Parenthood, money, marriage, illness—everyday mini-tragedies morph into snort-worthy comedy when put under Nathan Whitlock's microscope. Lump drives in shivs of self-recognition on every page, along with lines you'll want to share with the stranger sitting next to you on the subway
Andrew Pyper, author of The Residence and The Demonologist
Lump is both a page-turner and a disquieting and complex take on marriage, illness, and privilege. Whitlock is wry, smart, and never boring.
Zoe Whittall, author of The Best Kind of People
Parenthood, money, marriage, illness — everyday mini-tragedies morph into snort-worthy comedy when put under Nathan Whitlock's microscope. Lump drives in shivs of self-recognition on every page, along with lines you'll want to share with the stranger sitting next to you on the subway.
Andrew Pyper, author of The Residence
In Lump, things fall completely, often hilariously, apart for a seemingly perfect Toronto family. With a keen eye and plenty of verve and humour, Nathan Whitlock peels back the facades of a cast of urbanites to reveal messy truths, ugly appetites, and highly questionable decision-making.
Elyse Friedman, author of The Opportunist
Lump is a dark exploration of marriage, parenthood, illness — and how trying to control the uncontrollable can lead to even more destruction. Whitlock’s approachable writing style makes this heavy story a breeze to read.
Rachel Matlow, author of Dead Mom Walking
An unflinching look at the limits of denial, Whitlock's latest will have you laughing and gasping in equal measure. I couldn't put it down.
Julie S. Lalonde, author of Resilience Is Futile
Lump is a wonderfully dark comedy, a look into marriage, motherhood, class, morals and privilege. It's smart, funny, and one of my favourites for the year thus far.
David, bookseller at Words Worth Books
To paraphrase Mo Willems, if you EVER find yourself in a Nathan Whitlock novel, LEAVE!! But reading one, as opposed to being a character, is a lot more fun. His latest, Lump, traces a downward spiral that went lower than I believed it could, which is why I was so gripped.
Kerry Clare, author of Waiting for a Star to Fall
A deftly crafted, entertaining, original, and memorable novel.
Midwest Book Review
With a lightness of touch that compares favourably with Tom Perrotta, Whitlock proceeds to explore heartbreaking reverberations caused by iffy motivations, rash decisions, and self-interested actions. Literarily, Lump is a captivating performance.
Toronto Star
With wit and empathy, Whitlock skirts the simplicity of a villains-versus-victims narrative and instead gets at larger, more significant issues of power, privilege, freedom, and responsibility.
Quill & Quire, starred review
Succession-level family dysfunction. Whitlock invites readers to witness Cat’s destruction, and boy are we along for a ride.
The Miramichi Reader
I knew this book was going to be funny and sharp but I had no idea how devastating it was going to be.
Amy Jones, bestselling author of We're All In This Together & Pebble and Dove