Name: Ryan Mateyk's review of The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker
Item: The Animators
Rating: 5
Author: Ryan Mateyk

Kayla Rae Whitaker

“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 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

A Novel

The Animators

Luisina Rivoira

Ryan Mateyk

This book was incredible and Mel and Sharon's relationship was beautiful and pure and passionate and I wish I could throw myself as fully into things as these ladies did with their animation and friendship. A really unique and powerful read.

Jazelle H

Rough, gritty, and honest in a way that packs a punch and sticks around for a few days...with just a little bit of familiar, bittersweet heartache thrown in there, too.

Jeannette Ordas

An engaging read that really delves into the world of the 2 main characters. 3.5 stars.

Cindy Lieberman

Rounded up for effort. A sweeping novel of two unique (oddball, loner) women who meet in college and create animated films together, drawing from their personal lives. An interesting look at the creative process, the pleasures and pitfalls of partnerships, relationships and family, and growing up in the rural, Deep South.

Luisina Rivoira &
The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker

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Luisina Rivoira &The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker

Reviews

Join the club

Luisina Rivoira &
The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker