From the moment I read “Even Elon…” the first story in Doten’s collection I knew I was in for a wild ride. My personal favorites were “Banana Bunch Challenge” and “I’m Wide Awake It’s Jumpman.” These two really allowed me to roam around in the protagonist’s psyche, but I also found some of the much shorter stories like “A Fence Is Not Walls” and “Burns” equally effective in their lightning like ability to jolt the reader. I’m still disturbed by “Lord Wumpa.”

With a healthy serving of cynicism, humor, and home truths, Doten accomplishes something remarkable with Whites. You may be tempted to enter this collection under the impression you will simply be guffawing with each turn of the page, but be prepared to have a good, hard look in the mirror. The author is relentless in his satire, peering into the crooks and crannies of his character’s minds. A wonderfully uncomfortable reading experience that made me cringe, sigh, and laugh aloud.