“A wildly original novel that pulses with heart and truth . . . That this powerful exploration of friendship, desire, ambition, and secrets manages to be ebullient, gripping, heartbreaking, and deeply deeply funny is a testament to Kayla Rae Whitaker’s formidable gifts. I was so sorry to reach the final page. Sharon and Mel will stay with me for a very long time.”—Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, author … Sweeney, author of The Nest
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
Entertainment Weekly • NPR • Kirkus Reviews • BookPage
She was the first person to see me as I had always wanted to be seen. It was enough to indebt me to her forever.
In the male-dominated field of animation, Mel Vaught and Sharon Kisses are a dynamic duo, the friction of their differences driving them: Sharon, quietly ambitious but self-doubting; Mel, brash and unapologetic, always the life of the party. Best friends and artistic partners since the first week of college, where they bonded over their working-class roots and obvious talent, they spent their twenties ensconced in a gritty Brooklyn studio. Working, drinking, laughing. Drawing: Mel, to understand her tumultuous past, and Sharon, to lose herself altogether.
Now, after a decade of striving, the two are finally celebrating the release of their first full-length feature, which transforms Mel’s difficult childhood into a provocative and visually daring work of art. The toast of the indie film scene, they stand at the cusp of making it big. But with their success come doubt and destruction, cracks in their relationship threatening the delicate balance of their partnership. Sharon begins to feel expendable, suspecting that the ever-more raucous Mel is the real artist. During a trip to Sharon’s home state of Kentucky, the only other partner she has ever truly known—her troubled, charismatic childhood best friend, Teddy—reenters her life, and long-buried resentments rise to the surface, hastening a reckoning no one sees coming.
A funny, heartbreaking novel of friendship, art, and trauma, The Animators is about the secrets we keep and the burdens we shed on the road to adulthood.
“Suffused with humor, tragedy and deep insights about art and friendship.”—People
“[A] stunning debut.”—Variety
“A compulsively readable portrait of women as incandescent artists and intimate collaborators.”—Elle
more
Unique characters and interesting story line. Intense relationships and examination of a part of the art world that I know little about. A love story about friendship that will long stay with me. Very well written.
I love debut novels; I loved this novel. Two girls, Sharon and Mel, polar opposites, meet in college and work together as animated filmmakers finally achieving their success. In their thirties, following Sharon’s stroke and long recovery with Mel at her side, they begin a more intimate film based on a private journal of Sharon’s that Mel has found. They both hear the same music, but they each dance to it differently.
Their new journey becomes a further discovery of family, friends, and secrets of the past that do not stay buried. This is a beautiful exploration of friendship, different kinds and levels of love, and the intimacy of some special friendships that only some of us ever have.
The author has written a novel for the millennials that exposes the verve and the soul of the boomers. Her character development of the major characters is superb; one feels they are someone we know. While minor characters are less developed, they take their rightful place in orbit around Sharon and Mel.
I thank Read it Forward and Random House for the advanced copy of this enjoyable novel.
I was really into this story until one of the only LGBTQ+ characters was fridged for the plain straight girl’s character growth.
A great book about what it’s like to be a working creative person… in today’s culture. Loved the narrator. Loved the bok. Really well written.
I enjoyed the book… the description of the all-consuming nature of being an animator was interesting and rang true to my experience of any artistic pursuit. The relationship between the two main characters was equally realistic and heart-breaking… and how the main character (who is the story teller) learns who she is, is both heart-warming and infinitely sad. It is well worth the read.
Gritty character development. Opens up a world that may be unfamiliar to many readers.
I haven’t finished this and may not keep reading. I originally thought it would be a good pick for my book club. I was turned off by all the drug stuff.
Very troubled characters that are somewhat self destructive. Not a fast or easy read for me. Story is well told.
I am only halfway through, but I am absolutely loving this book
Sharon and Mel are two women living in Brooklyn making animated films for adults. I know nothing about their world yet I found these women easy to relate to and like. They are both deeply flawed but they totally support each other and share a love of their craft. I highly recommend this book.
Love, love, loved it. Fabulous characters and story.
I just could not get into this book and did not care for the main characters at all.
Beautifully written tale of a long time friendship between two creative women!
Compelling story and characters, meaty issues, unpredictable turns. I was sorry when it ended.
I am an artist and found some of the descriptions of the artistic process to be relevant and also thought some of the descriptive passages about family relationships and illness to be fascinating (and often very funny). Overall, however, parts were repetitive. I found it hard not to be impatient with the protagonist much of the time.
Characters were pitiful or depressing, either way, there wasn’t anything redeeming about any of them.