The sequel to Sheets is a much less anxious read, but still profoundly melancholy. Marjorie is now trying to balance the demands of the sheet ghosts who live in the family launderette with her former bullies turned sort-of-schoolfriends, as well as ostracisedghost-obsessed, neurodiverse-coded Eliza. Oh, and neither her dad nor her brother is dealing at all well with her mother's death, so while they're slightly less useless than in the previous book, she's also having to do the emotional lifting for them. It would have been easy to make it another sappy piece of bullshit about rejecting the cool kids to hang out with family and real friends, but while Tessi and co remain cruel in that casual way kids (and indeed humans) are, neither Eliza nor undead Wendell has much respect for boundaries, and the story is very good at showing how all the usual well-meaning advice about 'being yourself' and 'they're probably just jealous' is, in the absence of a lot of further nuance and a fair bit of luck, useless bullshit. So in summary, people are mostly either rude or clueless, and death doesn't improve them - or at least, that's how it goes until the final act, when the sap tide suddenly rises and things take a turn into hugging and learning which really didn't convince me. At least in part this is probably a function of the times; I suppose a YA book is pretty much obliged to trot out the 'it gets better' line, but looking from lockdown, towards climate catastrophe and the rest, one can hardly help sympathising with the kid who just wants to opt out and become a sheet ghost. Still, as with Sheets, the art carries it through, really catching that ideal of small-town America looking gorgeously soft and autumnal circa Hallowe'en.

(Netgalley ARC)

This graphic novel was so good!

This was an excellent follow-up to Sheets, which this is a sequel to. It's been a while since I read Sheets, so I can't compare it that closely but I definitely liked it as much as if not more than the first graphic novel!

I loved the new character Eliza that was introduced in this installment. She was a fully fleshed out character, and I loved the developing friendship between her and Marjorie. Wendell was adorable as usual, and I enjoyed seeing his friendship with Marjorie as well as the realistic difficulties their friendship went through.

I really liked that balance of sweetness and joy with the more serious topics touched on in this. I loved it as an adult reader, and I also thing younger readers will get a lot out of it.

The art style reflects the story well, and I enjoyed every minute I was reading it.

Mind-blowingly good. A deep portrait of what it really is to be an outsider, to be alone—the deepest I’ve seen in a long time. Bullying, peer pressure, casual relentless cruelty, growth, pain—Thummler does all so very well, so delicately. That the bullied girl is Black and genuinely nerdy—geeked out about something no one else seems to care about, no one knows how to react to other than to disavow it—is important. Not only does she not fit in with the whole, she doesn’t fit in with a reductionist idea of “what Black girls are like”. Delicates is one of the best kids’ realistic graphic novels I’ve read to date—second only to Cece Bell’s graphic memoir, El Deafo.

Tender, painful, hopeful, and eventually heartwarming, this sequel to Sheets explores the social difficulties of high school and the idea of being invisible. I felt sad throughout the majority of the book due to the constant bullying and helpless circumstances the characters found themselves in, but the beautiful, pastel-colored illustrations kept me optimistic for a brighter ending. I wish there were a few more moments of happiness throughout, to balance out the moroseness, but overall it was a gorgeous, satisfying read! Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy!

A brilliant graphic novel around the themes of growing up, bullying and school. But with ghosts.

I love the style of the illustrations and the characterisation. Hoping there are more in this series. I would definitely recommend this to my students.

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for an ARC!

This was really fantastic. The art is once again beautiful and there is a more interesting and emotional story in this one. I adored Eliza and really related to her being "the wrong kind of weird." Her story is an important one that I think some middle schoolers will see in themselves. I can already think of a couple of my students who would really benefit from reading this one.

I received an e-arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read sheets earlier this month and I enjoyed this sequel even more than that. This was beautiful. The artwork is stunning and the story in this volume is so important. This captures bullying, peer pressure and suicidal thoughts as a result of bullying, which thankfully has a happy ending with the individual getting the support she needs and new, better friendships being formed.



The Story (With Spoilers)

Now that Marjorie’s dad is back to ‘normal’, Marjorie no longer needs to work in the laundromat all the time and has freedom. And friends. She’s been hanging out all summer with Colton and his group of friends including Tessi. She’s confused as to what is going on between her, Colton, and Colton and Tessi. Although Marjorie is now part of the ‘popular’ group she still feels out of place and uncomfortable. And Wendell and the ghosts feel replaced and left out too.

Alongside Marjorie’s newfound friendship group we follow Eliza, Mr Duncan’s daughter. She is re-doing eighth grade and a bit of an outcast. She loves photography (in particular trying to capture ghosts) and everyone thinks she’s a freak because of it. We see Eliza and Marjorie interact a few times throughout the story but Marjorie is never overly friendly (or mean) but when Tessi is around, Marjorie also never stops any of the bullying that Tessi does towards Eliza but doesn’t join in either.

After an event involving a photograph getting spread around the school, Tessi destroys all of Eliza’s work. Marjorie finds out and tries to salvage all the photos - in doing so she discovers notes on the back of the photos that suggest Eliza feels invisible and wants to give up. Marjorie tries to make things right, making changes in student council for the upcoming dance for Eliza’s original suggestion. Marjorie tries to find Eliza to tell her but can’t find her anywhere and her father doesn’t know where she is either. Marjorie enlists the ghosts to help her and they eventually find Eliza in the old lighthouse. Marjorie and Eliza talk about how Eliza feels and Marjorie apologises for how she made Eliza feel. There is a great message here about how standing back and watching or ignoring your friends actions is still bullying and is still unforgivable. Marjorie and the ghosts encourage Eliza to speak to her parents to get help and reassure her that they are all there for her and care about her. From here, a great, healthy friendship begins and the story ends very happily and sweetly.

Brenna Thummler shares a work of beauty in this follow-up to Sheets. We are again carried to a world that is both like and unlike our own, and Thummler explores this visual space with a talent for the art of creating story in words and visuals. I recommend both of these books and will be excited to see where this author’s talent takes us next.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing digital access to a copy of this book for my unbiased review — I can’t wait to get a print copy and share this story with young readers.

I am so honored to have received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If there’s one thing most people can agree on, it’s the fact that middle school is difficult to navigate. So many people go through those years feeling weird, different, left out, and bullied. I know I did.

Delicates perfectly captures the middle school experience and how devastating it can be, whether you're part of the in crowd or not. I’m generally not a crier, but this had me welling up. This is one of those stories that really touches you. And, as always, the artwork is stunning. This is a top-notch graphic novel!

Another sweet, clever offering from Brenna Thummler in the Sheets series, though a bit disappointing after the exceptional first installment.

This was cute and in some ways felt like the correct natural progression of Marjorie’s story, but it doesn’t quite inspire the same empathy and warm fuzzies in the reader as Sheets did.

There’s a good narrative thread here about Marjorie making friends at school and Wendell feeling left behind, but most of the book focuses on the bullying and exclusion of a girl named Eliza who takes interest in Marjorie and ultimately in Wendell.

Unfortunately Eliza doesn’t jump off the page as a believable, likable character like Marjorie and Wendell do. You feel sorry for her, as one does for anyone who has been ostracized and bullied by their peers, but you just don’t like her all that much. It’s not that you dislike her either, but characters whose primary evocation is pity (rather than likability, relatability or intrigue) don’t make for a very dynamic read.

The issue of the far more likable and intriguing Wendell feeling left out of Marjorie’s life is far more interesting, and I wish it had been the primary focus of the story.

Theoretically the exact same graphic novel could have been written to focus on the above plot line with Wendell without the existence of Eliza’s character at all. Had she been left out entirely and the same storyline for Wendell given center stage, it likely would have made for a much better story.

I had the pleasure of reading Sheets and loving the illustrations and color palette. Delicates has the same warmth and glow that pervaded Sheets. It is beautiful in its pastel-ish glory. This graphic novel deals with issues ranging from fitting in, bullying, suicidal thoughts, loss of a family member and the feeling of being haunted.
Wendell may be my new favorite ghost. He has replaced Casper. He just wants to get out of the laundromat and explore the world he didn't get enough time in. He also looks out for others and risks exposure to save a life. He overcomes his fear of the water to save photographs. It's touching. He is my favorite character in this novel even though he is not the protagonist.
If you're looking for a heart warming graphic novel, look no farther. It's touching and emotional at the end. It contains a powerful message.

I received an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars

Content warning: thoughts of suicide/depression

This is the sequel to Sheets and the beautiful artwork style is the same in this graphic novel as well. As with Sheets, I really enjoyed the color scheme and overall art style in this series. The one downside I had was that there was one side character who looked similar to one of the main characters and in a few frames it took me an extra moment for me to realize that it wasn't the main character talking. On the other hand, I did see some body differences so not everyone was portrayed as skinny but the differences weren't super noticable either and maybe would have enjoyed seeing some frames with more varying body types as well varying skin tones.

The overall plot line in this sequel was much more emotional and I really felt it in this one and even got close to tearing up. Depression and suicide can be a very difficult subject matter and I do wish that there had been a content warning for it but I did feel that it was handled pretty well. One thing to know is that it is not a large percentage of the book but there are mentions of those thoughts. Loneliness is a large part of this story and is shown in all three of the main characters but in the end a friendship group is formed and they understand each other a bit better. Bullying is also portrayed and I love the fact that the book mentions that even if you aren't an active participant in the bullying but know about it and do nothing you are still a part of the bullying.

Between the beautiful art work and the emotional storyline, this sequel is a strong addition to the series. There also seems to be more that could be explored in other books with more characters coming to the forefront of the story.

First of all I liked the colour scheme and art style (except for the noses) quite a lot.
The book also had an important message about bullying, but I didn’t really care for the exact way it was conveyed.
Overall a graphic novel with a nice art style and a mediocre plot.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.com

First line: Ok, I see the ice cream cone.

Summary: A continuation of the Sheets series. A young girl navigates 8th grade. She's torn between her group of friends and a loner girl who might need her help and friendship. Add in the mix that she has a group of ghosts living in her family's home and that she's still dealing with the loss of her mom, it makes for an emotional journey.

My Thoughts: Such a wonderful sequel. It was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, but anyone who has survived middle school can easily relate to the characters. The book also addresses some hot topics among young teenagers. We need more graphic novels like this!

FYI: Trigger warning: suicide and death of a parent.

This was SUCH a spectacular sequel. It was really beautiful. The art was magical, and the story was just so real. It's been a long time since I've been in 8th grade, but I felt it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

To begin with, I didn't think anything could possibly stand up to Sheets, not even the sequel. But wow, just wow. I've never been hit so hard by a graphic novel until now. Delicates, for a younger audience touches on an incredibly deep topic, which is so, so important. Even from a young age, people have thoughts that they don't want to share with others, that can be potentially life threatening, whether it be from bullying, like in this graphic novel or from any other host of traumas and issues people face. And I think sometimes we forget that young people, younger than we sometimes consider do indeed face intrusive thoughts, and suicidal thoughts and don't always know, or have someone that they trust and someone to talk to. This graphic novel speaks volumes about how important it is to just be kind to people, care for people, let people know that you're there for them. It doesn't take much to just reach out to someone and let them know that you care, and that's all that Eliza needed in this story and that for some people can change their life, even save their life. I am heartbroken that this is a story that needs to be told to children, yet I'm so pleased that it's available in such an accessible, interesting way and that Brenna Thummler has done the most incredible, important job on what can be sensitive subject matter and I'm so glad that it exists.

I think I liked this even more than its predecessors, Sheets. The storyline was definitely a bit heavier. Dealt with bullying and mental health among Marjorie and her 8th grade cohort. It's okay to be different and it's okay to not be okay. Sort of on the border between middle grade and YA.

Would definitely recommend.

I'm so glad I got the chance to read this graphic novel.
It's the sequel to Sheets and even though you can completely understand the story without needing the first book, I still recommend you do read so that you can grasp what is going on with the ghosts at Marjorie's family laundry business.

I felt like in this book Marjorie was taking on even more responsibilities and her father was no help, especially at the beginning of the book. I understand he's going though grief, but so is everyone and a young teenager should not have to shoulder all that burden alone.
Wendell was adorable and I'm so glad he got the opportunity to come out of his shell and also of the house.
I really enjoyed Eliza as a character and seeing her deep passion for photography was very nice.
Since I might go into spoilers if I say more, I just want to point out that I deeply appreciated how this graphic novel deals with themes like bullying and suicidal thoughts. It's an unfortunate reality of our world and it's important to talk about this stuff so that we might all be able to prevent it from happening to someone.

Overall, it is definitely a read that I recommend!

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Brenna Thummler returns to the world of Sheets with its sequel, Delicates. Readers continue to follow Marjorie as she enters the eighth grade and joins student council. Wendell the ghost struggles with feeling left behind now that Marjorie has live friends, and Eliza is introduced as a new character.

Where the first book, Sheets, dealt heavily with grief and the process of Marjorie dealing with the loss of her mother, Delicates also handles heavy topics in an accessible way. Delicates focuses heavily on Eliza who is ostracized and bullied for being different. I was unclear if Eliza is meant to be neurodivergent, but I feel that regardless of whether the coding is intentional that anyone who has ever been bullied or felt like the don't belong can identify with her experience.

Delicates addresses bullying and how those who stand by and watch have responsibility as well. It also addresses seeking help for suicidal ideation. The topics are handled tactfully, respectfully, and in a manner that will easily be understood by children of similar age to Marjorie and Eliza. In addition, Wendell and Marjorie have revelations about maintaining friendships that have been present and supportive even as new friends are made.

The art style is whimsical and accentuated by a muted color palette heavy in pastels. Characters with various body types and ethnic and racial backgrounds are included as well.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this sequel and would recommend it for anyone middle school aged and older.

A absolutely hauntingly heartwarming and touching story. I was so touched by this story and I can’t get over how wonderful it is. Technically a sequel, but can be read as a standalone, Delicates follows Tessi as she is navigating trying to fit into a new friend group and dealing with all the struggles of being a teen. Tessi wants to fit in but her new friends make it hard for her to feel comfortable, all the while there is a new girl in class who is sparking up attention, especially with her determination to capture a ghost on camera. Tessi is juggling both her ghost friends and trying to fit in with kids her own age. The story deals with the difficulties of trying to fit in, bullying, and even mental illness. Everything was so wonderfully handled and truly understandable and relatable. I highly recommend this book and this series!!

* thank you Netgalley and Oni Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*