Whitaker, K: The Animators

At a private East Coast college, two young women meet in art class. Sharon Kisse, quietly ambitious but self-doubting, arrives from rural Kentucky. Mel Vaught, brash, unapologetic, wildly gifted, brings her ow brand of hellfire from the backwaters of Florida. Both outsiders, Sharon and Mel become best friends. This is a beutifully written coming of age story by an exciting young US writer about two girls whose journey from white trash teenagers to acclaimed NYC artists is defined by their complex friendship.