Earla Dunbar Consumer Award, 2010, Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada, Winner, Holding Still For As Long As Possible.
ReLit Award, 2010, Short-listed, Holding Still For As Long As Possible.
Lambda Literary Awards: Transgender Fiction, 2011, Winner, Holding Still For As Long As Possible.
Lambda Literary Awards: Lesbian Fiction, 2011, Short-listed, Holding Still For As Long As Possible.
Stonewall Honor Book in Literature, 2011, Commended, Holding Still For As Long As Possible.
Holding Still for as Long as Possible is part of an exciting new wave of books highlighting trans characters without making their gender the book's primary focus . . . well-developed . . .
- Curve
An unforgettable depiction of growing up in the new millennium.
- Booklist
Whittall creates distinct characters and voices...An enjoyable read that is strong on character.
- Sacramento Book Review
Readable and intelligent.
- Geist
With Holding Still, Whittall has established herself as a writer of immense vitality and courage; she stands as the voice of a lost, but thanks to her not forgotten generation: the boys and girls who will inherit the Earth.
- National Post
Whittall's writing is vibrant, funny, and smart. She uses the power of the pop culture reference responsibly; rather than inundate, she picks her spots with effective mentions from a delectably oddball arsenal that ranges from Waydowntown to Designing Women...this novel firmly pigeonholes her as a kick-ass writer.
- Rover Arts
Whittall's writing has a tremendous amount of youthful energy...This is a real Toronto story, set against SARS and fears about terrorism.
- Quill & Quire
In Holding Still for as Long as Possible, the awareness of mortality intersects with the romantic restlessness of youth. It makes for a story whose vital signs are fully present and robust.
- Toronto Star
Holding Still holds an astonishingly astute mirror to a generation still struggling to define itself. A fine sophomore novel by one of Canada's most promising young writers.
- Westender
Breathless, jolting and sputtering with vitality, Holding Still For As Long As Possible explores the inevitable expiry date on lives and relationships, and our white-knuckle struggle to hang on to both.
- Canadian Literature
All three characters are well crafted: at once unique, yet easily recognizable...Whittall never shies away from displaying their flaws or their problems...
- Quill & Quire
...a story that really speaks to the generation while offering some sage advice about living & there are moments of genuine, understated authenticity, especially in Whittall's depiction of complex human dynamics.
- FFWD
...Whittall is a writer of richly nuanced characters. There's not a flubbed note in any of the voices. Whittall has still made a grand entertainment out of everyday collisions.
- Eye Weekly
...Whittall is a dexterous puppeteer, and the book is unputdownable.
- Globe and Mail
...Whittall has an astounding command of language.
- The Link
...the talented young author strips away the technological facade and reveals what really goes on in the lives and minds of some of today's young adults...it's her gift for capturing the various anxieties and fears of this generation that leaves a lasting impression.
- matrix