Had high hopes for this and enjoyed a lot about it but ultimately not a favorite. Would absolutely read more by this author.

4 Stars

This book surprised me. It sat on my “to-be-read shelf” for a long time.

Things I loved about this book
-the passion for creativity
-feminism
-underdogs overcoming obstacles
-women making their way in a male-heavy field

This book was a beautiful love story that was raw and honest. Animators is all about the sacrifices and how you make those sacrifices for the people you love. Also… being from Northern Kentucky I of course love that some of the story takes place in Louisville. :)

Thank you, NetGalley for the privilege of receiving an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn't for me. Though, I tried a few times to make my way past the first chapters, I was unable to finish it.

This was a powerful and emotional book that revolves around the power of true friendship. It completely took me by surprise a few times - I wasn't expecting the emotion and intensity it held over me. The writing is excellent, but the storyline gets dark and depressing.

Great idea for a book and really well executed. A thoroughly good read. Highly recommended. .

A very good debut novel.
The novel follows two female animation professionals, Mel Vaught and Sharon Kisses. It is a novel about the challenges they face in a male-dominated industry. They are also quite different, so Whitaker goes a great job giving readers a glimpse at their different motivations, strengths, weaknesses, and more.
It's not a perfect novel, but I really enjoyed it. The characters are, for the main, very well-drawn and engaging. The story also kept me reading.
I'm definitely interesting in reading the whatever else the author has written since this novel.

This a solid, moving story about friendship and creative partnership. Mel and Sharon are the only women cartoonists in college and then in the industry, which connects them for life. Their creative partnership is dramatic and meaningful, and even when they're in conflict, I understood why. These weren't the goofy misunderstandings found in a lot of chicklit, I really understood the layers of their conflicts and what drew them together, again and again.

I wasn't expecting this to as dark as it is, but the creative process often comes with a dark side. Very interesting and insightful look into the traditionally male dominated world of animation. There is a certain amount of technical language, but it's so well written it add authenticity as well as a behind the scenes element. Neither main character was particularly likable, but still an interesting and memorable novel!

Thank you to Net Galley for the advance edition!

A fascinating exploration of the connections between art, live, love, and secrets. I was absorbed into this world, and loved learning about the creative side of this industry.

A very gritty, dark book with an original story, great setting, and complex characters. Plus, a great look into the creative process.

I’ve had this on my bookshelf for a long time, and I was finally motivated to listen to the audio version over the past week. What a fabulous story! The two main characters, Mel Vaught and Sharon Kisses are complicated, believable, and fascinating. They are cartoonists, who tell their own most painful stories in their movies, and expose themselves, their families and friends to a brutal public light.

Like Sharon, I wanted this story to have another ending, but this one was “true” and left me loving the characters deeply.

A talented author especially for a first novel. Art school students you will think about long after you finish this novel they are so vivid. It is gritty and raw and a joy to read.

An excellent first novel from an author with lots of promise. Obviously crafted with passion and a great attention to detail. The characters are fully developed and continue to surprise throughout the book as more details about their lives become known. The writing is raw in the sense that it's all about creating an emotional connection to what is happening throughout the novel. Every word feels real and messy and human.

The plot centers Mel and Sharon meet in college and become partners in an animation business, finally winning some prestigious accolades after 10 years of work. Sharon suffers a stroke about a third into the book, and the rest of it deals with how both she and Mel cope with its effects -- in their relationship with each other and with others, and in their work. An unexpected twist leads to a satisfying yet open ending.

This book was completely not what I was expecting and I loved it all the more for being such an absorbing, thoughtful read about creativity, female friendship, and grief. I couldn't put it down and found it to be about so much more than what the flap copy described.

The Animators took my breath away! Unique, original and compulsive reading, this novel follows the arc of success of two dear friends who end up being so much more to each other. You really get involved with the characters and their rise and fall. I recommend this book for it's unique storyline and the way it draws you in.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of The Animators.

Holy cow, this is one of those stories that I probably never would have picked, or stuck with, had it not been a Netgalley review, but I'm so glad I did.

Sharon Kisses met Mel Vaught when they were just rookie artists in college with big dreams and hopes of becoming well known animators. Their friendship takes off after collaborating in a project that is wildly successful and makes Sharon and Mel celebrities in their corner of the world. But the rough, man driven world of animation catches up to their friendship and puts a lot of strain on them. But everything comes to a screeching halt one day when Sharon collapses. In need of long term medical care, she is forced to return to her hometown, where she confronts old relationships, old ghosts, and uncovers new secrets.

I really felt this story. Like in my guts. It will stay with me. I loved it.

Absolutely loved this book and gave it five stars on BookBrowse.com.

https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/3515/the-animators#reviews

The Animators sounded like a fascinating story with a unique point of view. I would still argue that it does have all of that. It's just much, much darker than I had anticipated. As a result I found it hard to read. It's not quite the book for me, but I can see how it would appeal to a different reader.

Debut novel? This book is a astoundingly good - gripping, compelling, could not put it down good. I admit to a few qualms at the beginning of the story, but it didn't take long to completely and totally pull me in. A very talented small town Kentucky girl wins a scholarship to a big East Coast college, and majors in visual arts. She meets a girl with a rather tragic past, who also has an immense talent. Together they become the best of friends, and partners - a pair of formidable animators. But that outline doesn't really prepare you for the ride this novel takes you on. The girls' past fuels their creativity and more. They lead a bohemian lifestyle, full of alcohol and drugs and other bad behaviors while working hours and hours on their craft, nurturing that creativity and their art. Dark and gritty, horrifying and moving, it's like watching a train wreck at times. But the story just keeps you in it's very intense grasp, waiting to see what happens next. Holding everything together is their remarkable friendship. And the writing is superb. The prose gives word to things you didn't even know you wanted or needed to hear, or could even imagine. I cannot wait to see where Ms. Whitaker goes from here. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read this outstanding book. 4.5 stars!

I love a good book that highlights female friendships, especially work relationships. I was intrigued by this book because you don't see a lot of stories about the career of animation. I enjoyed the weaving of the backstories of both characters into the plot and their dynamic.