Member Reviews
Delicates is the sequel to Sheets and the art continues to be lovely and stylized with gorgeous coloring.
This one digs a bit deeper into some of the problems and troubles Marjorie deals with in the wake of her mothers death and deals with them in a soft and sensitive way that everyone can relate in some way.
It deals with loneliness and regret from letting you getting carried away and hurting others and yourself.
In someways this story is a bit heavier than the first one, but I personally disliked the outcast to popular trope that much, though it's still a decent read if you like stories that deal with such themes!
Absolutely adorable! Brenna knows how to get to you with these graphic novels, also the art and the colours are so beautiful.
I really enjoyed the first book but this one was even better. A powerful story of acceptance and bullying told through dialogue and beautiful illustrations. Cannot wait to read the final book.
Picking up from ‘Sheets’, this graphic novel continues following Marjorie’s story as she navigates life and friendships at school. Now we know the backstory and that Marjorie is grieving the death of her mother, this book explores friendships, trying to fit in and balancing school vs home life. ‘Delicates’ digs a little deeper than the original graphic novel ‘Sheets’ and once again deals with tricky subjects in a sensitive way. Brenna Thummler’s beautiful artwork really brings the story to life. A unique piece of storytelling for a wide age range.
*3.5 stars
This one really packed a punch!
This one felt a lot heavier than the first, building on the theme of loneliness, through Eliza's character and experiences. I really enjoyed this one and I think it's such a great read for the middle grade demographic so they can learn about these experiences.
However, I'd say I didn't enjoy this story quite as much as Sheets, just because I personally dislike the trope of the outcast becoming popular, forgetting their values and becoming complacent in bullying others (think Mean Girls), which was present in this story. However, the art style was wonderful, and I think it was important for Marjorie to grow as a character. Also, she's a middle schooler and that happens, and I think it's important to show it and to prove that it's never a good idea and just winds up with more hurt for everyone.
A beautiful story and a really great book to add to your fall TBR.
Delicates is the sequel to Thummler's Sheets. In the second installment, the story picks up where the first left off. Marjorie is making new friends and still trying to fit in. We are introduced to a new character, Eliza and the perspective shifts back and forth from Marjorie to Eliza in an equal split, and their lives intersect continually. The book covers the same teen dramas and anxieties but it's a bit deeper covering topics of depression and suicide. The artwork is just as beautiful and greatly adds to the story. I enjoyed the book just as much (if not more!) than the first.
the fact that i have not heard about this book till now is honestly baffling! the subject matter in its entirety is so important, the art and overlays are so perfect and I love the fact that one of the main characters is (obviously) autistic coded and a black girl during a time period that I'm (obviously) hyperfixtated on (90s). Eliza is very well written and i applaud the author for her consideration on this. thank you for taking on the subjects of suicide and bullying and for making a story for those of us who feel alone and "seen" but not really truly seen. this is my top book in this installment.
Delicates by Brenna Thummler is the second instalment of the Sheets series, which is another cute graphic novel, dealing with pretty intense topics. I read this in one sitting I loved this story! The artwork was beautiful and the characters amazing.
4 Stars!
This Graphic Novel had NO RIGHT to make me sob on a Saturday morning into a cup of tea... the absolute audacity of it!
Anyways... This wasn't my favourite in comparison to sheets and to start with I genuinely didn't know if I was going to enjoy it with how the characters were in the first 3/4 of it. I did have to remind myself that Marjorie is like 12 years old and it is scary to stand up and speak out.
We did get new character with Eliza and once again I had no idea how to take her, I think she is supposed to come off as a "quirky" character but also that people just don't fully understand who she is.
I have to say the last quarter of this book was so heartfelt and I think that's why I've ended up giving it 4 stars. Seeing Marjorie stand up and just be like nah I'm done with this and calling out what she sees even if it makes her "unpopular" so many lessons in this one.
Can't wait to read the next instalment, but also I just want to point out I still love the visuals in this. Those reflections just give me life and we even have darkrooms in this and how that is done... looooove!
Such a wonderful graphic novel.
It deals with hard topics, but in a really good way! It’s an important read, the characters are great and Wendell is so cute.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for my copy!
This was a perfect sequel to Sheets. The author and artist continue to be great at making you feel all the feels while enjoying a silly ghost story at a laundromat. Highly recommended.
Delicates is a mixture of a sweet friendship story and a sad paranormal one. It is more about teen life than ghosts, to say true. That is what makes this graphic novel so good. It features two strong female protagonists, both eighth graders. One of them is a ghost photographer, called a geek or a weirdo by some. The other one is a girl who has befriended a ghost. Both of them struggle to fit in and feel like ghosts. That is a feeling most of us can relate to. The character transformation of the story is fantastic. I can see the author dedicated time writing this. It is a hot long for a YA graphic novel, but that doesn't stop it from being good. 4.5 out of 5.
A wonderful sequel to Sheets, I really enjoyed this. It felt like a continuation of the story, but at the same time there was enough new story and new characters to keep the reader hooked and engaged. Delicates was such a heartfelt story, and I can’t wait to read the next one.
Before anything, I would like to thank Brenna Thummler, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The illustration style seems to be a little less detailed than on the first book of the series but I still like it. I love how Marjorie's wardrobe developed with her age, even though I miss the more childish clothing.
The story is able to show through Marjorie exactly what it's like to go from being someone who was suffering to someone who causes other people to suffer. It's powerful and so beautiful that now I want to buy it for my little sister.
Ahh!!! This story is so cute. My favorite graphic novel series. Pick up the set if you like a little spooky. It's sweet and wholesome. Cute art with a lovely style and pallette. 5 stars!!
A beautiful continuation to this beautiful story. I'm still in awe of the stunning artwork and Wendell is just the cutest.
So silly and adorable it made me giggle multiple times. Yet sad, relatable and vulnerable it almost made me cry.
The art was everything! The clothes, colors, backgrounds were so so alive and beautiful. portraying overwhelmingness and nervousness with body language was so spot on! Distinguishable POVs! Yes! teenagers act like teenagers! Yes! Genuine moments of grief and sadness that isn’t offensively simplified just because it’s kids’ struggles! YES YES YES! So real, in the harshest and prettiest ways.
I find this novel asks what does it mean to be a person— a whole person, who doesn’t hide parts of them, nor change it for others, or out of fear of the unknown or the weight of letting those parts out. This book shows that this’s difficult and complicated yes, but not impossible.
Trigger Warnings: bullying, suicidal thoughts.
The second instalment of Sheets series, Delicates is yet another fantastic middle-grade graphic novel which is also delight to read for adults. In the first book, we witnessed a young girl struggling with grief and trying to find her way in the world with the help of her ghost friends. Now our little girl has grown up trying to find her personality among a variety of school peers, learning to navigate in an environment that can easily become toxic. I fell in love with this adorable series and cannot wait to read the final book.
Quite often sequels don’t live up to the first in the series but in this case it did.
The world Brenna Thummler has created is wholesome and the characters just come alive through the dialogue and illustrations.
I read this to catch up ahead of the release of the third and last book in this series. Although I’m really looking forward to it I am also devastated that there won’t be anymore. This series will be a comfort series for me for sure and this volume lives up to it.
In the last book, Marj discovered a group of ghosts hiding in her family’s laundromat. After that, one of the ghosts especially – Wendell – turned into a friend.
She is afraid people would find out and call her a freak. She “belongs” now to this popular group and although she doesn’t enjoy it, she wants to fit in, badly.
Eliza is, as the other high school students call her, a freak and they bully her. She is a loner and an avid photographer, she wants nothing but to photograph ghosts. But that doesn’t make her popular at all. She herself feels like a ghost.
I. Love. The. Colors. In. This. They are just perfect okay? No one can say any different!
I just barely remember reading Sheets back in -21 and thinking that it’s a beautiful story about loneliness and loss, but it just went too quickly. It needed more. So I ended up giving it 3/3,5stars. But the artwork, that’s another story. I love it. It’s beautiful, both the drawings and like I said the choice of color palette. Everything just worked together.
Now, our MC Marj is in 8th grade and having all sort of teen problems. She was already quite an introvert, but since her mom died, it’s been worse. She is a super shy girl, in a super popular group of friends she doesn’t feel is right. Obviously she has Wendell to keep her company but it’s not the same, right?
Then, we meet Eliza, she is quirky and obsessed with ghost photography. She doesn’t have many friends so I was totally hoping from the beginning that Marjoram and her joined hips. I hated that she was bullied, she is such a great person! So what if she has different interests?
This book was sadder than the first one, I was totally on the edge of my seat with Marj. She is dealing with a lot and somehow she can’t see that she has someone right beside her even if it’s just a ghost. I felt sad for Wendell, a lot at many points. I love them together, but growing up is difficult, highschool is difficult. But Marj is ultimately a good person. And she learns from her mistakes.
This book deals heavily with bullying, depression and it’s a coming of age story. And it makes you cry.
Overall this was really pretty and the story was really touchy. This series is cute and realistic and gives a lot of feels. Would recommend.
Favorite Quote:
“But sometimes people need to know something’s fragile in order to handle it right.”