The second title in the Sheets series, more developments in Marjorie's life now she has the ghosts and is more used to them, and more about how she can make and keep friends, yet support others in her newfound more confident life. The overall storyline of this one was incredibly dark and sad, but I really loved the ending with the ghost prom. Such a cute idea and a lovely visual. As always, the illustrations are gorgeous and the little hints and easter eggs dotted throughout are very very charming. Thank you for the chance to read and review this book.

Wow, this was heavy hitting! Delicates dealt with themes like bullying, suicide, and learning to love yourself. I think the title fits perfectly. We are all delicate under the costumes we wear every day.

Delicates is full of beautiful art and fantastic storytelling. A middle grade graphic novel for people of all ages.

*I received a copy from NetGalley*

3.25 stars. While I liked the first one more, I liked how they approached important topics in this. Bullying, thoughts of suicide, grief, and more. It puts mature topics in a young character’s lense, and I think it’s a great read for middle schoolers. Marjorie’s character development was cool to see, and I’m glad she disconnected from that toxic group.

Delicates is a direct sequel to Brenna Thummler's book, Sheets. While both books are enjoyable, I believe that I actually enjoyed this book a bit more than the first. While Sheets was an enjoyable read, Delicates is better paced and has more meat on its metaphorical bones. While it has its sweet moments, this book also covers sensitive topics such as peer pressure, depression, and suicide in a way which is accessible to the general public.

Thank you to Netgalley for the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Although I'm giving this the same rating as the previous installment in the series, I enjoyed it a little bit more. I would rate it 4.25 stars if quarter and half star ratings were possible.

I think this improves upon its predecessor by making the characters more complex. All of the main characters (with the possible exception of Wendell) have both moments where they do their best to be kind to the people around them and moments in which they fall short by letting pettiness or fear rule them.

This book moves partly away from the theme of grief that was the focus of Sheets, and deals instead primarily with bullying. This is a hard topic to deal with without being preachy or heavy-handed, but <i>Sheets</i> manages this deftly.

The artwork continues to be gorgeous.

(read on netgalley)
[2.75 stars rounded up to 3 stars]

After reading ‘Sheets’ by the same author, I wanted to check out the second book. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I personally found the characters to be unlikable and you kind of start to dislike the main character for a bit. And just like the first book, I disliked how there were misunderstandings that could’ve been easily solved if they just talked. However, I do like how it focuses on one story and develops it properly. We get to know more about the characters and the events that are taking place. I also like how Eliza's mental health and well-being was talked about in the end. Overall, the book was okay, but I don’t think this author and their stories are for me.

Delicates is a beautiful follow up to Sheets that tell a heavier story about loneliness and navigating teen years while feeling like an outsider.. I was impressed with how it handled the difficult topics of bullying, depression, and suicidal thoughts. I appreciated how the story portrayed the honesty of the emotional lives of these characters while providing a message of hope and the importance of being true to who you are. I especially appreciated that while depicting bullying, the book showed the impact of complicity in not stepping in and allowed for characters to grow and change, The art is fantastic.

Trigger Warming - suicide thoughts
This was a beautifull story about trying to fit in; and lerning to stand up for wath is right, not to do Wat other peapole do just to fit in.
Loved this story

Much better then the first book. Though if you are reading in order there is a sudden time jump and no explanation as to why they now live at a different house.
I love the ghost piece to these stories. The topic of bullying is really heavy in this which I liked more then the first.

While I didn't enjoy this as much as Sheets it was still a beautiful story. I has a more sensitive subject matter at the root of the plot which could be hard to read a bit. The art style is gorgeous as always! overall a very enjoyable graphic novel.

I think I enjoyed Delicates even more than Sheets! We still follow Marjorie and Wendell, as they learn to navigate their further than life friendship, with a new character with her own set of issues coming to scene. Love the topics touched and Thummler's illustrations are as gorgeous as always.

4.5 stars

Again, such a poignant and moving graphic novel! This book is especially so important for young people experiencing mental health crises - it shows how there is no shame in asking for help, the importance of talking to the people you love and who love you about how you feel. It was really touching and I felt so strongly for the characters, especially Eliza - I just wanted to give her a hug! The artwork is once again absolutely stunning, and this installment of the series focuses less on grief and more on the pain that comes from bullying and loneliness, including an aspect of suicidal ideation. I do wish this installment had featured the ghosts a bit more prominently? Wendell and the other ghosts were present of course, but it didn't feel like they were as major a part of the story as I would have liked them to be, especially as Wendell is my favourite character!

I didn't know "Delicates" was the second book of a series, but I can say I loved it nonetheless.
Delicates narrates the story of Marjorje's and Eliza's teenage lives as they approach and enter the world of 8th grade. The plot focuses on how both of the characters navigate the difficulties of "fitting in" in a world that, essentially, wants to dominate over them and rule over their lives. It touches important themes such as loneliness, bullying, the desire of being accepted and its consequence when one follows what others say instead of being your true self. "Delicates" portraits life as a teenager realistically, and I'm all for it.

Delicates is the next book after Sheets by Brenna Thummler. Marjorie, a teen now is a part of a gang but still feels lonely. This story of Marjorie evolves into a tale of friendship to self-care, self-growth and self-realization, priorities, fighting head on!

Great illustrated narrative of Marjorie, Wendall and Eliza and their friendship.

Thank you for your feedback! I'm glad you enjoyed the writing style and the descriptive elements in the book. Captivating readers through engaging writing and vivid imagery is always a goal for authors.

The sequel to Sheets, Delicates continues where the last volume left off, following Marjorie, who tries to become one of the cool kids in her school. She doesn't particularly enjoy their company but sees security in being a part of their group. This all changes when the group leader, Tessi, starts bullying one classmate in particular and Marjorie is faced with choosing whether to stand by her beliefs or participate in the bullying by ignoring this behavior. This volume has a large emphasis on mental health, loneliness, and ostracization, as seen through the eyes of Eliza and Wendell.

Brenna Thummler handles the story development perfectly, and Delicates doesn't suffer from middle-book syndrome, which is so often the case. The art style remains consistently good, with some beautiful shots and the ability to convey the story using only art.

This is a great book for middle-grade readers but should be approached with caution due to the nature of some of the topics, including grief, bullying, and suicide.

I complain about how much bullying is present in American narratives is no longer new, but here I noticed that in these narratives it is common for the character who receives bullying to love photography and to ignore privacy limits when taking pictures, this happens here with a new character (Eliza) and it annoyed me.

Her addiction to discovering ghosts is huge, but her family environment is much healthier than that of Marjorie, who has learned one more lesson in life: she understood how much bullying affects others, even if she doesn't practice it.

Ignoring the festival of ugly noses, I love the art style and the colors of Brenna Thummler's works, the landscapes and houses have incredible detail! I think here in Delicates there were more varieties of colors on the pages, because in Sheets it was just a mix of pink, purple and blue tones, while here there are more colors on the pages, especially in the clothes of all the characters (even the b**ch style was charming).

Delicates brings a new melancholy side to this world of comrade ghosts, with characters feeling invisible, but gaining a little voice and making dreams come true.

I have read Sheets. My kids gave it to me for Christmas one year. I did enjoy Sheets and I may even like this one better. This book pacing was perfect, and this stories build up has you read it. I loved the characters in this book, and the message in this book is so important. The drawings in this book was so great, and I love the colors in the pictures.
This graphic novel is more contemplative than others in the sub-genre. Marjorie shines as someone whose inner life is marked by maturity and a willingness to think about and identify what she stands for. Such a proclivity toward self-examination shows readers how they can be. The symbolism of Eliza’s passion for ghost photography is creative, if evident to adult readers. Many will relate to and be inspired by how she marches to the beat of her own drum, and many will relate to and be inspired by Marjorie’s struggles to align her actions with her conscience. There’s a little more here for more readers, and despite being less original than Sheets, Delicates is touching and expands the story in a constructive way.

This was a lovely addition to the Sheets story. It was interesting to see where the characters had been taken and what became of their stories. I appreciated seeing Marjorie struggle with deciding what was right and who she should be friends with, it was important to show the internal conflict that people experience when struggling to maintain and make friendships however it was even more important to show the toxic friendships that an exist. The story highlighted very important topics on mental health and bullying but brought a lighthearted approach so that it was accessible to younger audiences as well. As usual, the art work for this series was stunning.

The art style is not my favorite but the story makes up for it all. I had to now how the story continues from Sheets and I was not disappointed.
It's a beautiful look at depression, grief, friendship, and our responsibilities when it comes to helping others.