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The Body Builders: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 3 Mar 26For readers of Megan Nolan and Sheila Heti, a mesmerizing Borgesian literary debut about the frayed borders between our bodies and minds.
Ada lives a solitary life. She spends her days in her London apartment building's swimming pool, occasionally visiting with her cousin Francesca and meeting her friends, each of them chatting, drinking, posing invitations Ada ignores. Ada's parents are recently divorced after her father became a he spends his days at the gym, which is crowded and bright, warm with human proximity, infrequently calling to express minor concerns around his daughter's well-being.
When she meets a man named Atticus by the pool, Ada immediately feels an intimate connection between they share a life, in a way she can't explain. Little by little, Ada's estrangement from her familiar surroundings and from reality widens, as though seeing her reflection through a mirror, pieces of it falling away. After her mother entreats Ada to join her on a remote Greek holiday, Ada is jolted out of the physical world and into a new, artificial environment, one that a mysterious and potentially otherworldly force has created and designed for her. As this brilliant first novel pivots with masterful effect into the surreal and speculative, we move through Ada's experiences of life like spokes on a wheel, profoundly surprised by the enduring mystery of our existence, and of our relationships with ourselves and others. When a person's life, in the odd space between mind and body, is inherently one of isolation, are our connections with those around us merely projections of ourselves? And if not, where do they come from?
Albertine Clarke transforms the speculative into an entirely singular experience of deep interiority. The precision, subtlety, and confidence of her writing is nothing short of astonishing. THE BODY BUILDERS is new classic of the speculative fiction genre, landing like a blow, widening a crack that allows us to perceive the world wholly differently than we ever imagined.
Ada lives a solitary life. She spends her days in her London apartment building's swimming pool, occasionally visiting with her cousin Francesca and meeting her friends, each of them chatting, drinking, posing invitations Ada ignores. Ada's parents are recently divorced after her father became a he spends his days at the gym, which is crowded and bright, warm with human proximity, infrequently calling to express minor concerns around his daughter's well-being.
When she meets a man named Atticus by the pool, Ada immediately feels an intimate connection between they share a life, in a way she can't explain. Little by little, Ada's estrangement from her familiar surroundings and from reality widens, as though seeing her reflection through a mirror, pieces of it falling away. After her mother entreats Ada to join her on a remote Greek holiday, Ada is jolted out of the physical world and into a new, artificial environment, one that a mysterious and potentially otherworldly force has created and designed for her. As this brilliant first novel pivots with masterful effect into the surreal and speculative, we move through Ada's experiences of life like spokes on a wheel, profoundly surprised by the enduring mystery of our existence, and of our relationships with ourselves and others. When a person's life, in the odd space between mind and body, is inherently one of isolation, are our connections with those around us merely projections of ourselves? And if not, where do they come from?
Albertine Clarke transforms the speculative into an entirely singular experience of deep interiority. The precision, subtlety, and confidence of her writing is nothing short of astonishing. THE BODY BUILDERS is new classic of the speculative fiction genre, landing like a blow, widening a crack that allows us to perceive the world wholly differently than we ever imagined.
- GenresFictionLiterary Fiction
228 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 3, 2026
3807 people want to read
About the author
Albertine Clarke
1 book8 followersAlbertine Clarke received an MFA in fiction from the University of Florida and studied English Literature at the University of Edinburgh where she won the Lewis Edwards Memorial prize for creative writing. Raised in London, she now lives in Brooklyn, NY.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 9, 2025
2.5
not! good!
not! good!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Shew. That was something. If you're interested in an out-of-body (literally) fever dream experience, look no further than The Body Builders by Albertine Clarke. I am so thankful to Bloomsbury US and Netgalley for advanced access before March 3, 2026.
Ada has never felt like she belonged. What's more, everyone in her life has never felt a connection deep enough worth mentioning... that is, until she meets Atticus in her apartment building's natatorium, and it's like she understands his entire existence, yet he's a complete stranger. This random meeting unveils a long history of uncanny experiences that usher Ada directly into a rabbit hole of mania and imposter syndrome, not too metaphorically.
Out-of-body experience is the theme here, yall.
Note: I was so captivated by the madness, and could get lost in Albertine Clarke's prose, for I too felt as though I was catapulted into Ada's mania, seeking refuge in insanity. bravo.
Ada has never felt like she belonged. What's more, everyone in her life has never felt a connection deep enough worth mentioning... that is, until she meets Atticus in her apartment building's natatorium, and it's like she understands his entire existence, yet he's a complete stranger. This random meeting unveils a long history of uncanny experiences that usher Ada directly into a rabbit hole of mania and imposter syndrome, not too metaphorically.
Out-of-body experience is the theme here, yall.
Note: I was so captivated by the madness, and could get lost in Albertine Clarke's prose, for I too felt as though I was catapulted into Ada's mania, seeking refuge in insanity. bravo.
October 3, 2025
This book was very addicting. Ada is a relatable character for me personally. The connection between her and Atticus was so well written out it had me hooked. The theme of isolation was fascinating in this book’s plot and it really got me thinking of how we perceive things in life. I don’t always feel like I learn life lessons from books but this one really opened my eyes. The characters were so well developed and the plot was easy for me to follow. This is another must read! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Want to read
September 30, 2025i think i'll be sent into some philosophical spiral after reading this
Review of advance copy
One of my recent favorites!! I am obsessed with this book and could not put it down. Highly highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews