Every year Callie and Talia, two year round beach town residents, team up with their friend Cleo for a summer of fun and a new, fun goal to achieve. This year is different, though. First, Cleo has brought along her friend Polly, a timid girl who integrates with the group quickly once the goal, learning to turn invisible, is agreed upon. Callie thinks it's ridiculous, but Cleo has dozens of online videos of girls like themselves talking about this newfound power, and so their quest begins. When they succeed, not only are beliefs about what's possible changed, but so is the entire timbre of the summer. But what happens if the girls lose control? And how is this summer, the one before senior year in high school, different from all those previous, as the girls prepare for their next stages in life?

These Bodies Between Us weaves nostalgia for times, people and places I've loved, with explorations of more serious issues like sexuality, abuse, family dynamics, and body image, all taking place at the cusp of the transition from childhood to adulthood. The book will stay with more for a long time, sending ripples through my own life view.

Sort of a peculiar book. Certainly one you'd have to call literary. It's more about characters and interactions than about events. And the premise is a strange one. Its a slow build. For it's strange premise its largely very grounded and the invisibility itself highly symbolic. With the loose structure and meandering plot it's not high in tension but does allow a lot of different interpretations.

"These Bodies Between Us' is a a crazy quilt of emotions, feelings, and mysticism. Seeking to find solidarity in disappearing, the friends find a way to truly disappear from sight. Using clues from social media they embark on a summer experience that provides them with the freedom they need.

Sarah Van Name brings back the angst and fears of the teen years and sets them squarely in the pages of this book. What each character chooses to do with her power at the end of the book is a mirror for young women in society. Do you stay and fight for yourself or choose another option?

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.

This is for the besties who are waiting for new Katrina Leno.

A heartbreaking, hard-hitting contemporary with a speculative twist. The book was honestly so much better than I expected it to be. The way invisibility is used to talk about the pressures teenage girls feel. Stunning.

This is one that you should read during the summer, its a great book to read outdoors somewhere and just escape into. I really liked the relationship between the four girls and how they lend their strength to each other. I liked the way that the author mixed in difficult issues into the book such as eating disorders and abusive relationships.

What a fascinating concept and beautiful execution of it. THESE BODIES BETWEEN US by Sarah Van Name follows a small group of friends who develop (discover) the ability to become invisible. This idea is compelling regardless of age and teens seem likely to find it irresistible. What a perfect way to escape so many of the pressures of being a teen and particularly body dysmorphia, body image struggles and other issues. I definitely plan to use it as an example of using magical realism in my creative writing classes (as a contrast to authors like writers like Anna-Maria McLemore whose novels are so beautifully tied to the roots of Latine magical realism). I'll also recommend this book, with a CW on eating disorders, to my students asking for a good novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book. What a great coming of age story by VanName. There is great character development and the reader becomes so invested in the lives of these teens. The lengths the characters go to in order to free themselves from their existing (oftentimes difficult) lives makes a great read. I guess there might need to be some trigger warnings as a lot of hefty topics are brought up for a young adult book. 4 stars

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.

Sarah Van Name's 'These Bodies Between Us' is a spellbinding journey into the heart of friendship and the allure of the unknown. From the first chapter, I was captivated by the bond between Callie, Talia, Cleo, and Polly, feeling like I was right there with them as they navigated the sun-soaked beaches of their North Carolina town. The concept of learning to become invisible added an irresistible layer of magic to the story, sparking my imagination and leaving me wondering what I would do with such power.

While the concept of invisibility adds an intriguing twist, it is the emotional depth of the characters that truly shines in this novel. Van Name's writing is like a warm breeze, wrapping you up in the nostalgia of adolescence while also sprinkling in a dash of magic that keeps you on the edge of your beach towel. As the girls grappled with the complexities of adolescence and the weight of their own secrets, I found myself laughing, crying, and cheering them on every step of the way. Perfect for fans of contemporary YA fiction, "These Bodies Between Us" is a captivating read that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

Content Warning: Toxic Relationships, Body Image/ED

Have you ever wanted to become invisible? The girls in These Bodies Between Us by Sarah Van Name each have a different reason for wanting to learn to be invisible. Some doubt it can happen, others are eager to disappear. Talia, Callie and Cleo are best friends who have an adventure every summer. Talia and Callie live in the beach town all year but Cleo only comes for the summer. This year, Cleo brings a new friend to the beach for the summer and all four girls work at the skating rink every day.
This had some beautiful queer representation that I wasn’t expecting. I went into this a little hesitant, expecting to suspend my belief a lot for the invisibility aspect but I was so immersed in the world and in the friendship that I didn’t even think twice about the fact they were learning how to disappear.
My only complaint is the last chapter. No spoilers, but it definitely brought my rating down to a 4.5 ⭐️.
These Bodies Between Us publishes TOMORROW March 12! Thank you toNetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Delacorte Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

It was supposed to be the best summer yet for Talia, Cleo, Callie, and new friend Polly - after all, summer was their special time. The girls were ready to cast aside the normal pastimes of their summers by the sea and try a ritual that would allow themselves to become invisible…and if they found it on the internet it must be real. But the shocking fact is, it worked. But how does discovering the shocking ability to turn invisible change their summer? While at first things seem just about the same, things quickly escalate. These Bodies Between Us is a deliciously thrilling read yet with a cautionary tone of the dangers of new found freedom and power. Just a quick note that I wish I would have realized: there is a playlist at the end of the book which would be awesome to pull up at the beginning to enjoy this amazing book!!!!

This book was read for a book tour with tbr and beyond and will be posted on instagram 3/15.

This was such a good book! I loved the characters, and their story. The dialogue was realistic and enjoyable. I was very surprised by the ending!

The idea of this book appealed to me because of the age of the characters, and the setting of the story. I was hoping to be drawn into a nostalgic world of a teenage summer drama. Yes, parts of this story were exactly that, which I would say were the best parts of this story but the turning invisible thing was just a little hard to get past. I was hoping for a twist at the end that somehow worked it into something more believable. I know I wasn’t the target audience for this book so other readers need to take that into consideration when deciding whether to read this book. I was also hoping to be able to recommend it to my middle grade readers, but I feel it would be more suited to high school readers. I wouldn’t give this book a bad rating, it just wasn’t for me.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read it!

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.

This was really beautifully written. I enjoyed it a lot.

A beautiful book in many ways! So many issues are tackled in this novel—toxic relationships, eating disorders, friendships, family discord, and more. At first I didn’t think the invisibility piece would really make sense, but when you look at5e issues the girls face, it comes together so well! Great read for high school and older.

This was a really unique book. It was about a group of summer friends who learn how to disappear. Over the summer all the characters grow and deal with issues such as abusive relationships and a complication with their new power. Overall I’d give it three stars. However another person might rate it higher and I recommend checking it out.

I got this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting topic. Four girls on summer vacation at the beach. Three of them have spent summers together forever, another is added this year. Each year they work at the roller skating rink and complete a summer project. This year’s summer project is to turn invisible.

Overall the book touched on many different topics that could make it a good book to open discussions: disordered eating, abuse, sexuality, and body image.

I would recommend this book to younger teens. The writing style was quick and easy. The overall feel of the book was fun. I struggled a bit with how the topics of sexuality, abuse, and disordered eating were shallowly touched on. Loved the playlist at the end and exploring the songs throughout the book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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).

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.