Oh boy, I was looking forward to a taste treat. Everyone who likes the same kind of candy bars I do raved about this book, which is about two edgy young cartoonists, Mel and Sharon Kisses, who team up and become famous and face huge obstacles along the way. When you run across a name like Sharon Kisses, how can you not be immediately enthralled and expecting the best?

What I thought while eating the first third of the candy bar:

Chomp. Right away I ran into cartoon descriptions. Unless I'm vision impaired and can’t see the cartoon, I don't want to hear a detailed description of art; it’s work to try to visualize the cartoon, and it detracts from and holds up the plot. Then there were tidbits of pop culture references I didn't know—nothing like making you feel old and uncool and uninformed.

But I will add that there were frequent pockets of zesty flavor, moments of great insights which would temporarily make me a happier chomper.

There was a shocking event, all the more interesting because it was so unexpected. But the reaction to the event went on way too long I thought; it was monotonous and repetitive.

Darn, back to meh as I worked my way through to the middle.

What I thought when I got to the middle of the candy bar:

Now we're cookin'. The candy bar was melting in my mouth and I will lie and say I was actually drooling just because I want to let you know I suddenly really loved this candy bar. I forgave or forgot the earlier mediocrity and smiled as I ingested pure heaven. This candy bar was worthy of 5 stars! It was just scrumptious and had so redeemed itself!

They were in Sharon's hometown with complicated and nuanced family and friend dynamics, wowsy dialogue, a terrific boyfriend, jealousies, passionate art and feelings, and a secret that when exposed, made a huge mess and a big loss. Chomp chomp chomp, yum.

What I thought while eating candy bar, part 3:

Then something big happens in the story. I was startled but still enjoying it all.

After the event, the story lost its momentum. There was suffering, and that was okay but it went on a little too long. Although it was realistic, I found myself uninterested in the slow recovery.

And it was during these late chomps that I realized Sharon was too passive for me. I often have trouble with too much passivity. (I had the same problem with The Woman Upstairs, another great story about two women and art. And I had the same complaint with My Name Is Lucy Barton, come to think of it.)

And finally, my schmaltzy side (you’re probably surprised I have one, because I tend to deny its existence most of the time) did not like how the relationships panned out in the end.

The flavor in these last bites was like it was at the beginning--fine, but nothing to rave about. The sugar content plummeted and my taste buds no longer danced with glee.

Overall candy-bar analysis:

Okay, I’m getting sick of my candy bar analogy. There were lots of good things I liked about this book. The language was very good, the dialogue great.
And call me weird, but I liked all the cussing. In my fantasy of cool artists, there is always a lot of f-words as modifiers.

The story highlights the passion and drive of artists, which made me get all serious and mull over the relationship of life to art. It made me ask questions like these: Is art or a relationship more important? Can you do justice to both art and a relationship at the same time--can they coexist and be good? And still in pondering mode but not related to art: in friendship versus an intimate love relationship, does the love relationship always win? And should it?

The dynamic between Sharon Kisses and Mel was edgy and authentic. At times heartwarming, at times heart-wrenching. They both come from poor, messed-up families. The two super cool characters have a super cool relationship, unique and intense. It’s a really good buddy story where they have each other’s back. Having each other’s back is exquisite and rare in friendships.

Both Mel and Sharon are over-the-top hip, and they sort of put me into ga-ga land where I’m all artist worship-y. I liked how different the two were. Mel is the wild and crazy one; she’s charismatic and comes up with some witty, bizarro jazzy phrases that made me laugh. She is complex and full of contradictions: she is both caring and heartless, strong and weak. And she’s passionate and also druggy. Sharon is the quieter one—and she’s the narrator with tremendous insights, which were original and plentiful and often made me stop and think.

I just went back to skim through my highlights and there are some humdingers. This is one smart, sophisticated book! Here are some spurts of delicious flavor, which will give you a taste of what I’m talking about (yeah, of course I’ll share my candy bar, even if you don’t ask me to):

“She is a mosaic, all shards and details without context. Her profile: strong, small nose, but, yes, a weak chin. Enjoyed making cats dance.”

“I’d forgotten the bleeding, limping endurance race that is arguing with my mother.”

“It’s that weird, transferable sort of shame when you feel the weight of embarrassment for someone else.”

“She’s one of those people who robs the room of all its oxygen.”

A great quote that shows self-awareness and is a good look at the process of creating art:

“Mel likes the intimacy of what we do, of placing herself at the center of what we make. I love the work for the opposite reason: for the ability it gives me to abandon myself, to escape the husk of my body and fly off into the ether. I know a day of work has been really good when I have to look up from the board and recall who I am and what I’m doing.”

One of my favorite thoughts, so I loved seeing it here:
“Once you see something like that, you can’t unsee it.” (Don’t we wish that wasn’t true.)

Final thoughts:

I could put the book down (i.e., I could go to sleep at night), but I was always happy to pick it back up again. Of course, after looking through all the terrific insights I highlighted (and there were a lot), I definitely have 3-star remorse. But I must stick with my initial reaction, how I felt when I finished the book. In good conscience I have to say it’s a 3.8.

But geez, now I can't stop thinking of candy bars even though when I started this review I wasn't jonesin' for sugar. Let me go buy a Mounds bar, where the beginning, middle and end all make me drool. Or actually, the name Sharon Kisses sort of makes me want some Hershey's Kisses, which luckily have no beginning or end to slightly disappoint me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Great read! The author tells a great story. I look forward to reading more from this same author.

A REVIEW COPY OF THE ANIMATORS WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR A FAIR AND HONEST REVIEW. NERDOPHILES WAS NOT COMPENSATED FOR THIS REVIEW. OUR OPINIONS ARE OURS AND OURS ALONE.

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Title: The Animators
Author: Kayla Rae Whitaker
Release Date: January 17, 2017
Publisher: Random House
Review Spoilers: Mild
GoodReads | Amazon
4 Stars

Occasionally a book comes along that's so emotionally raw and taxing that it leaves you thinking about it over and over again for a long time afterward. The Animators is one of those books. It's a powerful story about the of strains friendship, overcoming tragedy, and accepting oneself. Captivating and heartbreaking, I had a hard time putting this one down. I worked my way through the first half of the book steadily over the course of three or four days and then rushed through the last half because I simply couldn't put it down.

The Animators was funny, engaging, and heartbreaking in all the best ways.

Now, I will freely admit that I don't tend to pick up contemporary novels very often. But the blurb for The Animators drew me in from the first moment I read it. Focusing on the relationship between a pair of up-and-coming, risk-taking animators, the book follows Mel Vaught and Sharon Kisses from their art school days through to the present day.

Though these two best friends come from similar, underprivileged backgrounds they couldn't be any more different. Mel is a loose cannon in every sense of the world. Wild and brash, she steals the scene any time the two of them are together and her antics are various conventions quickly become legendary. She's extremely talented and yet extremely volatile - often distracted by any number of vices from alcohol to drugs to women. Sharon, meanwhile, is the more level headed of the two. But while Sharon and Mel are a team through-and-through she struggles with crippling self-doubt, unable to see her own worth.

While The Animators shows us the beginning of their relationship as poor outcasts at a fancy, liberal arts school in upstate New York the bulk of the story takes place many years later after they have made a name for themselves. Their debut, full length animated film Nashville Combat (which focuses on Mel's troubled childhood) earns them all kinds of prestige including an award that provides them a creative stipend meant to go toward their next big project.

Unfortunately, this is where things start to fall apart. It turns out fame and success were the final straw that to break the camel's back as far as Mel and Sharon's relationship was concerned. All the issues that had been building up over the years - including Sharon's own insecurities - finally come to a head in spectacular fashion.

But what could have been the end of the dream team ends up being set aside after Sharon suffers a devastating stroke. Instead of taking the time to finally break away from their failing partnership, Mel sees Sharon's stroke as her own sort of wake up call. Over time they begin to address their own fractured relationship while working on their next film which this time focusing on Sharon. Both of them really start to confront not only their pasts but where they hope to see themselves in the future. When tragedy strikes again, Sharon is left to struggle with the secrets they kept from one another and her place in the world.

The Animators is truly an emotionally devastating experience in every sense of the phrase.

Relationships are challenged and destroyed forever. Friendships are tested and altered. And even when things seem to settle down there's yet another tragedy lurking around the corner.

You fall in love with each and every one of the characters from Sharon who tells the story to the outrageous Mel and every one in between. Interns, girlfriends, family members, and Teddy Caudill fill in the colorful cast of characters with each of them making their own mark on Mel and Sharon. Through Sharon's perspective you get to know them and you get to see them grow and come into their own while she does as well.

I won't lie to you, I shed some tears reading this book and if you get even slightly emotional while reading then you probably will, too. It's so well written and the story is so compelling that I simply couldn't help it. It didn't matter how tumultuous Sharon and Mel's relationship got. It always felt real. Sharon's struggles with feeling overshadowed by Mel's overbearing personality felt so real. It was all so relatable because I've been in those sorts of friendships before, too. I think we all have.

It's hard for me to believe that this is Kayla Rae Whitaker's first novel because it's so well written. The story and characters are incredibly well fleshed out. While the pacing in the first half was a little slow, she never loses track of the story. Whitaker takes great care in developing Sharon and Mel especially and helping them grow and change over the course of the story. It's all so realistic and engaging - which makes each and every fight and tragedy feel so real.

The Animators is a remarkable read. I loved the intimate look at these characters as not just friends but partners and I think the world of animation was a very unique way to frame their relationship. Few contemporary books have managed to engage me as thoroughly as this one has and it has earned a rare, personal distinction as one of those books I would recommend to just about anyone. Just make sure to steel yourself for the emotional rollercoaster that will follow.

Fantastic!!! The relationship between Mel and Sharon is so well constructed, and the characters are so real, like the old married couple you'd love to go bar hopping with or a female Oscar and Felix. The book takes you through their lives together from meeting in college and then 10 years later, after the first glimmers of success, addressing a multitude of obstacles along the way. (Goodreads review)

Like oil and water, Mel and Sharon would appear on the outside to be the types that don't blend together. But the more we get to know these friends, they seem like an old married couple in just how balanced their relationship is and how suited to each other they are.

Quirky Mel: Raised in Florida by a prostituting mother who died in prison. Mel and Sharon have made a very successful animated film of Mel's crazy life, resulting in a grant to do another.

Sensible Sharon: Grew up in a dysfunctional family in Kentucky, feeling a disconnect with them all, having only one best friend in the neighbor boy who probably influenced her life the most, for good or bad. Now it's Sharon turn to have her life flashed up on the big screen, but she has her reservations about the aftermath. Just as she kept Mel sane through her story, now it's Mel keeping things copacetic even through some very bad times.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. You can see the Titanic off in the distance about to smash into that iceberg and set the plot spinning off in unimaginable ways. That is not a bad thing. It is very, very good. Wrought with emotions, fantastic dialog, and deep subplots mixed with sharp humor, wisdom, and originality. I couldn't put it down.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

I had an immediate appreciation for Whitaker’s strong writing style and was intrigued by the rawness of her characters, but the storyline itself… well the initial domesticity left my mind wandering.

"In her weird, exhibitionist’s way, Mel likes the intimacy of what we do, of placing herself at the center of what we make. I love the work for the opposite reason: for the ability it gives me to abandon myself, to escape the husk of my body and fly off into the ether. I know a day of work has been really good when I have to look up from the board and recall who I am and what I’m doing."

But then, BAM… a flick is switched and Whitaker takes her story of Mel and Sharon, and my engagement with it, to a whole other level. Shocking, absorbing and the gamut of emotions, achingly real.

While some of the American pop culture references and phrasing (dialogue) felt a little foreign to me and the choices made by her characters are not always endearing, I found the fervency and sheer abandon Whitaker evokes in this novel captivating. Like fireworks.

Kayla Rae Whitaker’s The Animators is a powerful debut that cuts deep, to the core of true friendship.

BOOK RATING: The Story 4 / 5 ; The Writing 4 / 5

Solid debut novel by the author. For some reason, it did not enthral me as much as most reviewers. What I did enjoy was the female bond/friendship. Both Mel and Sharon come from homes/pasts that are dysfunctional and in Mel's case down right scary. They bond over their art and become famous with their collaboration. All the drugs, alcohol and sex felt like a cliche- I think that's where I did not love the book. Ripped from the headlines of today- people into art need to be fuelled by sex, drugs and alcohol.
The writing was solid. The author's depiction of relationships was perfect. I liked their going back and reconnecting with family; I appreciated how the two of them were always their for each other; I liked watching their struggle to find their own place in life. But for some reason, I did not completely connect with the book. I do think it is definitely worth reading!

Melody and Sharon build a strong friendship after meeting in college. They both grew up in dysfunctional families lacking emotional support. After graduation they developed a successful partnership working as film animators. Mel is outspoken and bold while Sharon is reserved and cautious.

Ten years later in New York City their first full length feature is an award winner. The film focuses on Mel’s teen years growing up in Florida. After the movie release, they receive a prestigious grant giving them freedom for their next film. While embarking on a press event in Florida a crisis occurs which redefines their friendship and future partnership.

Narrated in Sharon’s voice, this is a book about two complex individuals and their personal journeys. The book is humorous and heartbreaking at the same time, making it a wonderful read. I loved the gritty and realistic feel from this author’s debut novel.

Partnerships come in all shapes and sizes. Personal and business. Love and friendship. Childhood and adult. Each one different. But if you’re really really lucky in this life, you’ll find a true friendship. One where someone says they’ll be there through anything - and they actually are.

These relationships are messy, however. It’s the non-sexualized “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours”. Sometimes they even become toxic. But the thing is, when you find one, IF you find one, it’ll change both of your lives. For better or worse.

Sharon Kisses and Mel Vaughn met in college. They developed a friendship and a partnership. They pooled their talents, rented a loft in New York, and became animators. Hand-drawn animation is a dying art. It takes forever, and it takes talent. Sharon is the project manager - making sure deadlines are met, organizing things, etc. Mel is the the free spirit - the one with manic energy (fueled by alcohol and drugs).

The duo make a film called “Nashville Combat”, based on Mel’s life story. This leads to a prestigious grant. During a press junket, Sharon collapses. It’s a massive stroke. When she awakens, a clean and sober Mel is sitting by her bedside, declaring she will do anything and everything she can to make Sharon better. But Sharon’s initial thoughts on awakening aren’t just about her condition. She carries around with her a private notebook, which she’s had for years. She calls it “The List” - of men that she’s been obsessed with. She’s terrified that Mel will ask about it, which she does - eventually. But she tells Sharon to tell her about it when she’s ready. And she does.

The initial entry is a boy named Teddy Cahill, her childhood next door neighbor. Teddy was Sharon’s best (and only) friend. Teddy and Sharon also had a one-of-a-kind friendship. Teddy draws Sharon into his world, showing her a set of horrifying photos of young girls and divulging his biggest secret - his father is a child molester. Shortly after this discovery, Teddy moves. The images understandably haunt Sharon forever.

I cannot believe this is a debut novel. It’s fantastic. The characters are layered, flawed, (mostly) honest, and relatable. To write about these any one of these major topics could have gone completely into “Lifetime” movie territory, but Ms. Whitaker pulls it off brilliantly. At times it can be aggravating, others heartbreaking, others full of laughter. The novel shows the blurred lines of friendship and love - in all its many forms. But it’s also about reconciling with one’s past. None of us have gotten off scot free in this life. We all have our dirty little secrets. May we all be so lucky as to have a supporting cast to help up get them out into the light and see although the stories may be different - the hurts and the scars really aren’t.

I wanted to love this book, but I just didn't like the Mel and Sharon. I felt no connection with them at all.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A phenomenal debut novel. I've seen it described as a modern day Kavalier and Clay except with women. I think that cheapens the novel, since the only similarities to the Chabon book is the field in which the women work. And they're not even working on comic books. So...lazy comparisons help no one.

Sharon and Mel are the soul of the book. There is love in the writing for both these characters and within the book between the characters. Even as they drift apart multiple times, there is still an overpowering longing for the other. Though Sharon is straight and Mel is not, they are ostensibly not just business partners but life partners. There's an adage that says tragedy tends to bring people together, and it plays a role in this book. The tragedy of Mel's mother's death seems to drive them apart, whereas Sharon's stroke brings them together.

As a reader, you are with Sharon as she watches Mel self-destruct. You, like Sharon, want to help but know there's nothing you can do for her. It brings you into the book and takes you on an emotional journey. It may have been a bit gratuitous, but it did work well.

Even the secondary characters in this book were fleshed out well. In fact, although you are with Sharon the entire story, sometimes she seems to be the least exposed character to the reader.

There is a lot of love for esoteric animated works from the 90's and early aughts, or at least a lot of name dropping. But there does seem to be some real appreciation for those works in this book. What they did bring up a lot was the morality of putting your life on display as a piece work for the public. Specifically, how the other people in your life would feel about it and how much of their feelings you should consider. Their first big success is basically a film about Mel's mom as a prostitute, all-around horrible mother, and failures as a human being. Their second big project is about Sharon's life and how she witnessed something unspeakable in her best friend/neighbor's house. Though Mel's mom's incarceration allowed them leeway for their project in a certain way, the people in Sharon's life are deadset against the project. Permission is not needed, however, should there be a line drawn?

I do think the section in Louisville seemed a bit rushed, it could have used a lot more between Mel and Sharon. There was something building up in the background that would have benefited from being put front and center. The relationship between Sharon and her other friend seemed overly focused on their intimacy whereas more could have been mined elsewhere.

However all in all, this is an insanely strong debut. With small nitpicks here and there, it's overshadowed by the characters and story. 4.5 stars.

The Animators is a story of relationships - a messy, intense roller coaster of emotion that is ultimately rooted in love. Some of the relationships work and others fizzle out, but that's life. Join Sharon and Mel on their journey through life, art, love, heartbreak, success, failure, and success again. While not all of this book really grabbed my interest, the characters are well developed, and fans of realistic human relationship dramas will enjoy it.

This is a wonderful book. I enjoyed it and my adult students will love it. Definitely going in the school library.

Sharon and Mel met while attending the same art program in college and have worked together ever since. Ten years later, their careers have taken off with Nashville Combat, an animated feature based on Mel's childhood. The success exposes cracks in their relationship. Mel's antics are taking a toll on the friendship and Sharon feels like she constantly has to babysit her. When Sharon's capacity for creation is suddenly threatened, everything changes. Sharon has always worried that Mel is the real creative force in the duo, but it turns out that Sharon has her own story to tell--but what will it cost to tell it?

The Animators really appealed to my art-school heart! The writing buzzes with energy. It bounces to several settings and we get to experience New York, Florida, and Kentucky. Sharon and Mel create animated films for an adult audience and the content is gritty and raw. The duo, especially Mel, live a stereotypical artist's life: dysfunctional families and lots of drugs, alcohol, and sex. It rarely felt overbearing, probably because the story is told from Sharon's point of view and the overlying focus on the act of creation. I did have a semi-panicky moment in the beginning because I wasn't loving it, even though it matched my interests and was so highly rated. About a quarter of the way through, the course of Sharon's life is altered and everything fell into place. At that point, I began to see where the story was heading and what was driving the characters. There was one late revelation that I didn’t like. It was a little too much on top of everything else and I thought it toppled into "Really?!" territory. However, it didn't overshadow my favorite parts!

The best part was reading about two talented women creating together. I fell in love with them both, flaws and all. They are complete opposites in almost every way: physical attributes, personality, and what drives them to create. The differences create an interesting dynamic between the two women. Mel likes being at the center of their art, while Sharon uses art to escape. Mel is outgoing and unafraid, always brimming with new ideas. Sharon is the one that reels her back in and pushes them towards a finished product. Mel lives in excess and makes fast friends wherever she goes. Sharon feels like an outsider and is constantly trapped inside her own head. As different as Mel and Sharon are from each other, they both share a passion for their work. They have a strong bond and know each other intimately. Mel is a total mess, but she goes above and beyond when Sharon needs her most. They balance each other out. Mel pushes Sharon forward and, in a way, Sharon keeps Mel grounded.

When Sharon and Mel are engaged in a project, their insatiable need to create radiates off the pages. Their art is portrayed as a living, breathing organism continuously changing, until the final piece is released into the world and continues to morph in the minds of the audience. It's exhilarating to witness Sharon and Mel bounce ideas off of each other and get absorbed in their work. Sharon and Mel both end up using art to work through their past traumas. What are the benefits and pitfalls of exposing your most vulnerable self to the world? They have to address their pasts to move forward, but is there a cost? Can you use your life in your work without altering what actually happened? How much of your story is yours? What, if any, responsibility do you have to the people you include in your work? They also have to confront the joys and anxieties of having people relate to their work.

I liked that the focus was on Sharon, even though sometimes I was dying to get into Mel's head. I feel like I've heard variations of Mel's story many times before. Even though Sharon is in her thirties, it still feels like a coming-of-age tale. It shows how there's not some set point where we stop "growing up": "I’ve spent one of the best nights of my life checking the door for someone who never came. I’m not supposed to be at the margins anymore. I am thirty-one years old. This shrinking feeling was supposed to have been absolved by now." She has a successful career, but she hasn't really come into her own yet. We watch as she hopefully overcomes her past to feel more secure in herself and confident in her talent. Sharon is upfront about her creative insecurities. During her college years, she remembers seeing everyone's work at critique and seeing only what she could do if she was more talented. Even at the pinnacle of success, she sometimes thinks of her art as "a miracle, a freak intersection of luck and circumstance." I think most creators will be able to relate to the fear that your brain is permanently out of ideas or that you've already had your best ideas! She also talks about bouncing between creative pursuits and the fear of committing to one and failing.

One thing I appreciated most about this book is that it surprised me by going places I didn't expect. It was a fascinating look into hand-drawn animation, an art form I knew little about. However, it doesn't get too bogged down in the technical and the real heart of the novel is the friendship between Sharon and Mel. I enjoyed witnessing the ebb and flow of Sharon and Mel's relationship and watching them navigate their personal lives and careers.

I really wanted to like this book - and I did like parts of it - but overall, not so much. I liked the friendship between Mel and Sharon but didn't especially like the girls themselves. Mel was sadly obnoxious and out of control and Sharon was rather pathetic and needy. Sure, they might have had their reasons for their personalities but to me, that didn't make their characters appealing. The plot wasn't that interesting to me and I just couldn't identify with any of the charactors.

I didn't hate the book. But it was just okay for me.

The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker
Publisher: Random House (January 31, 2017)
Description from the publisher:
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.

After reading the description, I thought I was getting into a sort of highbrow hipster chick-lit narrative. It was in some ways, but this novel surprised me. Yes, it was definitely written with wit, but not to a fault. Certain scenes felt hyper realistic - especially ones that revolved around Mel and her antics, as if she was a dark version of the manic pixie dreamgirl. And sometimes I felt that it got mired in it's own intellectualism: I felt it difficult to visualize the animation in my head based on the very niche language used to describe the process, and all the cult animation talk smacked of elitist Rob on music in Nick Hornby's High Fidelity. However, just as Rob becomes a dear literary figure, so do Mel and Sharon. As the pretentious layers gets stripped away, various unexpected truths emerge about both of these vulnerable characters, and I couldn't help but empathize with them despite their flaws.

There is a lot of heavy stuff to ponder as they mine their personal lives for art, and I think it will stay with me for awhile. What makes a shared experience our story to tell? How much does reality mirror the life we live inside our heads? Does rehashing past trauma exorcise our demons or exacerbate them? How does that process affect our loved ones? How much do we really know the people closest to our hearts? This story took so many unexpected turns, and some horrible ones, that it took my breath away. There's an aura of melancholy throughout the book and I would caution anyone with emotional or traumatic triggers to research it before reading. It chewed me up and spit me out, but in a good way. It was an engrossing and indelible read.

Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an advance copy for my review.

Not my usual speed of book but a riveting tale of friendship, loyalty and raw relationship and coming of age ups and downs.

The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker (debut)
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: January 31, 2017
Length: 384 pages

Single Sentence Summary: Mel and Sharon meet the first week of college, sharing a love of drawing and animation, which will forever seal their friendship and entwine their lives.

Primary Characters: Mel Vaught – a talented animator with a big, brash, confident personality. Mel is often the life of the party and just as often doesn’t know when to stop. Sharon Kisses – also a talented animator, though less sure of herself. Sharon sees herself as the partner who keeps the work moving, but doubts her artistic contributions.

Synopsis: When Mel Vaught and Sharon Kisses meet in college they find they have much in common: drawing, a love of animation, and extremely dysfunctional childhoods. For both, college was an escape and their shared talent allows them to never look back, until they do. After working hard for over a decade, Mel and Sharon hit the big time. Their first feature film, drawn from Mel’s own mother’s life, is being released and they’ve just won a prestigious grant for their next film. With success comes self-doubt, fissures in their friendship, and uncertainty about the future of their partnership.

Review: The Animators, Kayla Rae Whitaker’s stunning debut, is the best book I’ve read in a long time! It reminded me a lot of A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. Both were stories of profound, life-altering friendships that blossomed in college and carried on throughout life. In neither, were the friendships perfect, but they were always unwavering. From the day Sharon and Mel met they understood each other, cared about each other, and worked hard to build a life where each could succeed. You’ve got to love that!

This is a book about women making it in the world of animation, something most of its readers will know little about. Whitaker, using Sharon as the book’s narrator, provided the perfect amount of background about animation in order for the story to gel without bogging it down. She showed animation’s creative process from the generating of ideas to the production of a film. She seamlessly wove the business of animation, the competition for work, and the toll it can all take into this story. And, most of all, Whitaker highlighted the personal, emotional journey that Mel and Sharon took as they mined their own lives for their art.

“When speaking to or about me, my mother has a very short range of tones: suspicion, resignation, exhaustion, singsong condescension, and, occasionally but memorably, disgust.”

Together, and alone, both Mel and Sharon had to face the demons of their childhoods, but they did it in a very public way. They put their lives on display as fodder for their movies with painful repercussions. This is the crux of The Animators: their incredibly dysfunctional childhoods, the reopening of old wounds for their art, and the toll that takes on Mel and Sharon as individuals and friends.

“ When she looks up at me, her eyes are big, blank; they seem separated from her face. And I see something I have never seen before in Mel: self-removal. Inside, she has fled.”

With this book Whitaker did a beautiful job of creating two very flawed women who you cannot help but like. Her writing was so good that you never need to think about it. I’d love to say more about this book. There’s so much more I could say, but I’ll leave it at, “Read it!” Grade: A

I LOVED this wonderful story about two friends through the years. There is so much packed into it, about friendship, love, sexuality, animation and passion for creating art, as well as overcoming illness, confronting mortality and coming to terms with the trauma of your past. But even though it is a long book, it never drags and I read it in just a couple of days. I absolutely loved Sharon and Mel and was heartbroken at several points - in fact I was in tears more than once! This book deserves to be HUGE and I will be recommending it to everyone.