These Bodies Between Us

by Sarah Van Name

A wistful coming-of-age story with a haunting twist about four friends who spend their summer learning to become invisible—but disappearing comes at a cost.

Four girls. Four girls skating home, both sides of the road, fearless. Four girls at the mouth of an infinite ocean, sugared and salted with sand and seawater, the tide licking their sunburned feet.

This summer, they’re going to disappear.

For seventeen-year-old Callie and her best friends Talia and Cleo, every summer in their small North Carolina beach town is as steady as the tides. But this year, Cleo has invited enigmatic new girl Polly to join them, creating waves in their familiar friendship. And Cleo has an idea, gleaned from private YouTube videos and hidden message they’re going to learn how to make themselves invisible.

Callie thinks it’s a ridiculous, impossible plan. But the other girls are intoxicated by the thought of disappearing, even temporarily—from bad boyfriends, from overbearing families, from the confusing, uncomfortable reality of having a body altogether. And, miraculously, it works.

Yet as the girls revel in their reckless new freedom, they realize it’s getting harder to come back to themselves… and do they even want to?

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magical Realism, LGBT, Contemporary, Queer, Lesbian

336 pages, Hardcover

First published March 12, 2024

About the author

Sarah Van Name grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina and now lives and works in Durham with her family and dog. She is the author of three young adult novels: These Bodies Between Us (2024), Any Place But Here (2021), and The Goodbye Summer (2019). You can find her on Instagram @sarahvanname.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this book and I'm pretty proud of it, so I'm giving it one star for each year I worked on it.

[Dahlia]

My official blurb is "A gorgeous, wistful meditation on the pleasure and pain of adolescent girlhood, friendship, and the magic of summer."—Dahlia Adler, author of Cool for the Summer

Unofficially? This book somehow feels like if Nova Ren Suma wrote The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. IYKYK.

[Spiri Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

tw for eating disorder, abusive relationship, death
I really liked this book, and it even has a playlist at the end! I didn’t really know what to expect from this, and at first the idea of people just suddenly turning themselves invisible seemed kinda stupid, and while the science behind it is never explained you just have to role with it and it begins to really make sense with the story. This book follows our main character Callie(bi rep!), Talia, Cleo and Polly. Talia and Polly stood out the most to me. I wish we had gotten to know more about Polly. The one reason I’m giving this four stars is because of how Callie reacts to Mackenzie. I want to keep this spoiler free but I didn’t really agree with that and I was worried about Mackenzie as much as Talia. Other than that this book has a lot of important messages for teens. It also showed healthy relationships, has good lgbt+ rep, and good female friendships! The epilogue felt really peaceful.

[clara:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

es war schon fesselnd und hat eingeladen, weiterzulesen, aber die thematik hätte noch besser behandelt werden können?
-die freundschaften waren schön und innig
-ganz coole darstellung von beziehungen
-kind of bi & lesbian representation
-coming of age, letzte sommerferien vibes
ich mochte callie und ihre perspektive, aber vor allem pollys perspektive wäre auch interessant gewesen und hätte einen ganz anderen blickwinkel einbringen können, der etwas tiefer gegangen wäre.
sie hat nichtmal die chance bekommen, es auszuformulieren und die verschiedenen facetten zu beleuchten, die damit einhergehen, dass sie keinen körper haben will
es war aber ganz schön, dass mit callie die positiven empfindungen, die man mit körper so haben kann hervorgehoben wurden, aber damit ist es ja nicht getan idk
probably liegt’s daran, dass es young adult ist. man hätte aus der ausgangssituation aber viel mehr machen können
she ha on my tschi till i puh

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that stays with you. It’s inside my soul. I don’t even have words to describe how it made me feel. It’s magic and summer and nostalgia and youth and growing up and it has nothing to do with invisibility. I fucking loved it.

[I'm only whatever you make me · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

Tw: emotional abuse, eating disorders

The idea was intresting, but this was a flop.

The girls hardly had any personalities. I didn't build an emotional bond with any of them for that reason. Thus, I hardly cared when Polly decided to stay invisible. That is another issue I had with this book; we knew Polly was unhappy with her life, but the author just didn't go indepth enough to truly make the reader understand why she hated it. Additonally, she didn't expand on why two of the girls had eating disorders and why one stayed in an emotionally abusive relationship, practically zero backstory on their lives.

The whole idea behind the book had potential, but the author's execution of it was lackluster.

[Tracy Shouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great summer read! Set in a beach town in North Carolina four friends decide to create something magical for themselves that will make this summer the best yet. The author does such a wonderful job in embodying what it's like to be a teenage girl. Issues such as racism, dating abuse, anorexia, and finding love for the first time will resonate with the reader. I would have liked to have had a little more backstory for Polly. She was the character that spoke to me the deepest. I'm sure the author intended for her character to be unclear due to what happened to her at the end. A must read for adolescent girls.

[kiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ 5 STARS ✨

this book was such a fun teen story with queer representation. set in the summer of a north carolina beach town, three teenage girls unite on the beach every year for their summers of freedom. chloe who lives in DC and returns to her grandparents house on the beach every year. talia and callie who are locals besties, who spend the whole year waiting for summers with chloe. no responsibilities besides their friendship, a yearly summer goal they all come up with, and the local skating rink in which they work and hang out.

this summer is different - chloe brings a new friend, polly, this time to join them. three girls turn to four. their usually casual goal is now a big, almost impossible one. four girls to turn invisible. its the summer that changes everything for them.

the characters were so sweet and it was such an easy read for me. it also touches on important aspects of life for teenage girls, such as family issues, embracing sexualities, eating disorders, body image, accepting change, and new and old relationships.

[ read through netgalley arc ]

[Asra · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful journey

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid YA book about friendship and relationships. Wish it was a bit quicker to the action in the beginning and more dramatic in the end.

[alba · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ cute little book the music references were crazy

[yas · Rating 4 out of 5]

just a wonderfully nostalgic book about girlhood, friendship, and the magic of summer

[Terri K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing special about this book but maybe I just wasn’t its target audience.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Callie and Talia live in their North Carolina beach town year round, but summer means Cleo will be visiting her grandparents, making their trio complete. The girls have been best friends for years, and in addition to working at the local skating rink, they always tackle a summer project.

Things are a little different this year, however. Cleo brings a friend, Polly, with her, Callie can’t quite figure the new girl out. And Cleo’s already got a project in mind: she’s been watching Internet videos of girls who have learned to make themselves invisible, and she’s determined that the four of them will master the skill.

The plan sounds ridiculous to Callie, and she’s convinced it won’t work but willing to go along with it for her friends’ sakes: Cleo is really committed, and Polly and Talia have their own reasons to be intrigued. When it works, Callie is shocked, and the girls spend their summer turning themselves invisible, enjoying the freedom of not being held captive by their bodies, of being able to roam the world freely without the constant gaze of others (particularly men).

But the more the girls turn themselves invisible, the more consequences they start to experience, and the harder it is to stop. Will Callie be able to convince them to stop before it’s too late?

This book caught us by surprise: we couldn’t stop thinking about it, and it had a depth and seriousness that we weren’t expecting. The girls’ close friendship made us long for carefree beach summers with people you love, but the novel also tackled issues of abuse, body image, sexuality, and making the big choices that come with the transition to adulthood. We think many students will relate to these issues and feel drawn to the four girls, but do be aware of the profanity and mature content.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Delacorte Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

Also posted to Goodreads and on https://threeheads.works/ (scheduled for 2/12).

[Bethany Horstmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful, beautiful, and nostalgic story of love, friendship, loss, and growing up! I loved this book and it was a struggle to not finish in one night! The author perfectly hits on the feeling of growing up as a teenage girl in America-- and I felt like I was back in summer time as a young girl. So many moments of heartbreak, joy, and the general tumult of being young friends. I adored the creative story, with just the right touch of supernatural magic. A true delight.

[Sonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I think this book does a really wonderful job of capturing that between worlds magical feeling of summer with your closest friends, and I appreciate the way it touches on eating disorders in a way that seems real but not exploitative. What threw me off is the actual magic - or is it science?? - of their ability to disappear. It's so underexplained, and while I can suspend disbelief when needed, this felt like an underdeveloped part of the narrative - a lost opportunity.

[Sophie Gimble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love books that are always teetering on the edge of crazy and odd. The author did an amazing job describing what it feels like (what I felt like) to be a 17 year old with my friends in the summer.

Also felt very proud to know at least half of the songs in Callie's playlist. "Agnes" and "Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl" are songs that, if you know them, are a punch to the gut by the end of the book.

Yay for books that make me want to read and read and read! 🌊

[Allison Gunnarson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. At the beginning, I thought the idea of the ability to turn invisible was kind of silly, but the author genuinely played it off really well. I enjoyed the writing style of the author, and how close the four girls became.

This book reminded me of how much I used to love summers - when I had them all to myself with nothing to worry about.

TW: abusive relationship, depression, suicidal ideations, eating disorder, family trauma

[Julz!! · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!! i thought this book was pretty interesting i went in blind and listened to the audiobook, and ended up enjoying it, not the most exciting book but still a good one!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This really captured what it feels like to be in high school and want to disappear, to escape the world and just live how you want to.

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was originally attracted to this book because of the cover, which I think perfectly captures the tone of this book. Queer teenagers who are obsessed with their friends who have realistic and messy lives and just want to escape sometimes. They're aware of the short time they have left before becoming adults and leaving their beach town but they all want something more.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Dallas · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can feel the pace of this book from the jump. A refreshing look at the lives of teen girls finishing high school. A place they love to be turned into a memorial of sorts. You can never forget where you came from and it will change you.

[Neshia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks, NetGalley.

I really wanted to like this. I was hoping for more. I needed more relationship information between the girls other than that they spend every summer together. I guess I wanted more depth than just becoming invisible and not doing anything fun with it. I wanted to know more about Polly and her life. Why was she so miserable other than constantly having to move... Talia seemed like she had a lot of issues with her parents and siblings but nothing was really mentioned about what was causing it. I really wanted more information about the characters backstories because this summer didn't seem overly exciting. I probably wasn't the ideal reader for this but I'm sure this book is perfect for someone.

[Amanda B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa, I was not expecting this.

- The characters were well developed and not on a surface level at all. There were very little mentions of physical appearance.
- I really appreciated how the author handled sex and relationships.
- I appreciated that the friends were not passive aggressive with each other.
- The author did a great job explaining the magic and how it worked. I could actually picture them disappearing in my head.

All in all, a poignant and realistic coming of age story that touches on friendships, temptations, acceptance and change.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this portrayal of friendship and LGBTQ representation. The comparison of the locals living at the beach year versus the tourists and the skating rink aspect all appealed to me. I have been going to Holden Beach for 10+ years and the setting felt very specific to these small NC beaches. The invisibility element brought up many feelings tied into having a body as a teenager.

[Kim Smiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not an option on goodreads, but I listened to this as an audiobook. I was between reads and it came up on the "now available" list on my library site. So I gave it a shot and was pleasantly surprised. It was an odd read, but a good one.

Callie and her best friend Talia can't wait to see Cleo. She visits for the summer every year, (she's there visiting her grandparents, but they became friends years ago and they can't wait for her to come and stay for the summer). This year Cleo is bringing a friend from school, Polly. It's always a fun summer being on the beach everyday, and they had worked the past couple of summers at the roller skating rink playing the music and renting the skates. This year Polly would join them as well. At first, Callie wasn't sure about Polly. She was beautiful, but very introverted and quiet.

Every year, the girls gave themselves a group project. This year, Cleo came up with the weirdest one, and the parents couldn't know about it. So Callie told her parents they had individual projects this year. Hers was to improve her running time, (it was a goal, just not all the girls). Cleo had seen a video online about a girl who could make herself invisible. She researched it, and she was convinced they could do it.

Callie wanted nothing to do with it. She wanted the girls to take a night job DJing at the local radio station. But she agreed with the stipulation that if it didn't work, they'd do something else. So, they meditated for almost a month, and on the night of the new moon, (I think it was the new moon) they fasted the whole day, then at midnight got into the ocean, (it had to be a salt water bath) and meditated that they wanted to be invisible. And it happened! They all became invisible. It was amazing. And since they did this "activation," they could do it whenever they wanted.

But like all good things, there was also a consequence that came with this ability. Not only that, but there were also other things going on with the girls that had nothing to do with this new super power. Talia's boyfriend Michael. He was so toxic. They fought all the time then made up. But he was always so mean to her, saying hurtful things to her and Callie was tired of their constant repetitive relationship. And Polly. She barely ate. Ever. Callie knew better to bring it up, but she rarely saw the girl eat more than a couple of bites of fruit a day. There's more to that story per Cleo, but it was an issue.

Lots going on in this story. It was a surprisingly good one. I recommend it if you like a good summer read

[Sydney White · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. The premise was intriguing, and I typically enjoy realistic fiction with a magical or surreal twist, but this book fell short for me. I actually DNF'd this book at 48%, but picked it up again months later to give it a second chance. Unfortunately, the second read was no better than the first.

The main character, Callie, was the least interesting of the four protagonists. I found her bland and unoriginal, and she served as a blank-slate narrator more than a multi-faceted, interesting character. I felt we were just getting the stories of her friends through her. I would've preferred Talia or Polly narrate the story instead- I feel that the elements of invisibility combined with an abusive relationship or an eating disorder needed to be delved into more than they were. This book covered a lot of big topics in very little depth- eating disorders, domestic violence, unrequited queer love, the culture of unwanted male attention- and I wish the author would've winnowed the book down to just one or two topics and gone into depth on them. A book about a girl's experience with domestic violence or an eating disorder and her urges to become invisible would have been more powerful than the story we got, a watered-down narrative of three girls' problems told through their relatively bland friend.

Adam and Callie's relationship lacked a spark- he felt like another boring character, and I wish he and their relationship plotlines would have just been forgone entirely and let that time focus more on the girls' friendship or more of Talia/Cleo/Polly's big subplots. I loved the setting and the days spent at the beach, but the story was slow, and the writing wasn't engaging enough to keep me entertained during the slow parts.

And the end was abrupt and confusing- how did Polly just disappear? When did she learn to do that? The grief and confusion the girls felt after the bewildering and saddening disappearance/death of their friend was very quick, and primarily discussed in the epilogue, set two years later. It felt too easily wrapped up- hardly a realistic portrayal of emotions after a friend mysteriously disappears, especially when there are magical elements at play.

Overall, the concept was fresh and intriguing, but the execution unfortunately suffered and left this book a less-than-engrossing story.

[DanielsReadingThoughts · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌊Book Review: These Bodies Between Us🌊

Thanks for the free book PRH International

„We could have drowned. But I wasn’t afraid at all.“

Book: These Bodies Between Us
Author: Sarah Van Name
Release Date: March 12, 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: YA Contemporary/Sci-fi elements
TW: eating disorders, abusive relationships

I didn’t really know anything about this book before I got into it, but let me tell you guys I devoured this book. Ate and left no crumbs.

For seventeen-year-old Callie and her best friends Talia and Cleo, every summer in their small North Carolina beach town is as steady as the tides. But this year, Cleo has invited her new best friend Polly to join them, creating waves in their familiar friendship.
What they don’t know though is, that this summer they will all disappear.

➕I don’t want to give too much away, since I think it’s best to go into this blind. Just know, that this book really surprised me. I couldn’t put it down. I literally read it in a day.

I loved almost everything about it. The friendships are so beautiful and caring.
I really connected with all four girls and I (as a 26 year old male) could even relate to them on multiple levels.

I wasn’t too sure on the sci-fi/fantasy aspect of the story (at first), but it was done so freaking well.

I love that it touches on several important topics, such as manipulative and abusive relationships, ed‘s, sexuality, etc.

➖Nothing really. A few characters annoyed me here and there, but that’s normal.

Overall, I really loved this book and I think it’s a beautiful, sad & tragic coming of age story. I would definitely recommend it to anyone, but especially to those of us who sometimes wish we could just disappear.

Thank you to the publisher for my e-arc. All opinions are my own!

[Kayla Gilmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Callie has the best summers. Her beat friends, Cleo and Talia, love the beach town they live in, and Cleo surprises the others by bringing in a new friend, Polly. Each year they have a goal, but this year the goal is different: to learn to become invisible. Working at the skating rink, having fun with the cute boy Adam, and running in the morning are different when you're not seen. But after it works and the girls start using their new power, it's harder to control than they think. The ending also wrecked me and made me sad.

This book had a lot of qualities packed in, with subjects that a lot of readers can relate to. First off, Callie is bi, and has a lot of beautiful thoughts that would be great for a young person to hear. In contrast, Talia's relationship with her boyfriend Michael is clearly abusive, but she doesn't see it despite everyone telling her. Sadly, it is a perfect example for readers to see and understand how to recognize in the real world. Polly and Talia also struggle with their own weight, and their lack of eating is mentioned frequently. Polly also struggles socially and her home life is relatable. Cleo, as a Black woman, mentions how uneasy she feels being in the South. And watching Callie's relationship development with Adam is adorable. Callie is such a goodie two shoes. She has two loving parents who enforce a curfew, she is shocked at any sort of rebellion, and she is so nervous about her crush/boyfriend/makeout partner development. So wholesome.

The writing in this book was pure poetry. There were so many lines that I just drowned in be cause they were so good. Van Name is such a good writer, and half the reason I loved the book was for the plot, and the other half was for the writing. Loved it. Amazing read!

[Holly Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top 5 Reasons to Read

1. She's a hometown author! I was so excited to see a book from an author who actually lives in my town (Durham, NC).

2. The book explores the unique pressures of being a teenage girl through the use of magical realism, with the girls learning how to turn themselves invisible.

3. There is an unflinching look at an abusive teen relationship, one that's important for teens to read about because it doesn't involve (*yet*) being physically abusive. It's important for teen girls especially to recognize the signs of a toxic relationship and to have the strength to get out.

4. There is also a sensitive look at eating disorders, and how being invisible would appeal to a girl who hated her body and had body dysmorphia.

5. While a lot of YA (and adult) fiction often involves toxic female friendships (which, don't get me wrong, I also love reading about!), I love the fact that this book focuses on the purity and strength that actually exist in most friendships between girls and women. These girls would do absolutely anything for each other, and in the end that is truly put to the test.

I encourage you to read this, and to put it in the hands of the teen girls you know. I think it will speak to them, as it has done for me even at my way-past-teen-years age!

Rating: 5 stars!

**Disclosure: I received an early e-copy of this book for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.