I liked Sheets, the forerunner to Delicates, and remember it fondly, so I was excited to read Delicates. However, Delicates doesn't hold up. Delicates disappoints.

The story centers around Eliza, a girl who is repeating 8th grade and is continually the brunt of every joke and bullying act; we also follow Marjorie, from Sheets, who is friends with the girl, Tessi, who is doing most of the bullying. While Eliza and Marjorie seem like they could be natural friends, Marjorie continues to shunt Eliza aside for the "popular" kids (Tessi, Colton, etc). Okay - this is an understandable storyline for middle schoolers who will likely see themselves as either Eliza (the bullied), Tessi (the bully), or most likely as Marjorie (the girl who means well but is just as complicit in the bullying as the others). And this is indeed Marjorie's story, which is what makes what comes next so unsavory.

The story culminates in Eliza considering suicide and Marjorie sweeping in at the last possible moment to "save" her by telling her she's sorry and showing off her ghost friends. I'm not going to talk about how this is a white girl playing savior to a Black girl because - well, I'm too tired. But what happens next is, Eliza goes home, tells her parents, gets a lot of support, and carries on. But something is very off here. Clearly we are meant to sympathize with Marjorie -- who herself was a part of the worst bullying act -- who in the end decides she would rather be friends with Eliza than with the bullying Tessi. But I can't sympathize with Marjorie. We're supposed to see the lesson the Marjorie learns and be proud of her for it.

The treatment of suicide here is appalling -- yes, this book is meant for children, so things are vague and nondescript, that's okay. It is hard to talk about in literature. BUT SUICIDE IS NOT A PLOT DEVICE. The whole book works up to Eliza's feeling suicidal, and it is obvious this is coming, and if this were Eliza's story, that would be okay. But it's not Eliza's story. This is the story of everyone else around Eliza, about all the people who continually fails her. We get to see how Marjorie feels, how Eliza's dad feels, and even how Tessi feels, but we are only ever TOLD how Eliza feels.

And -- When Eliza's dad tells Marjorie, "You might have saved her life, you know?" I was angry. When Marjorie says to Tessi, "She was having suicidal thoughts." I was livid. First, where do these people get off telling personal and private things (another example Eliza's dad say, "she starts therapy next week") about Eliza to anyone else, especially after her bullying nightmare is supposed to be over? Don't they see that it's just more bullying by not respecting her privacy? Second, Eliza's dad humiliated Eliza in class and didn't take her interests seriously; Marjorie continually shunted Eliza aside, terrorized her, bullied her, and in the very end came around to half say she was sorry she did those things, with a huge caveat of not meaning it ("But... I never did anything. I mean, I didn't -- I never joined in," says Marjorie). There is drama here in the sense that it takes the threat of suicide for Marjorie to realize she is being a bully, and that she is associating with bullies. But suicide is serious and important enough to be talked about to children in more sensitive ways. It shouldn't be presented as the thing that changed a bullying girl's mind. We should be seeing this story from Eliza's point of view. And we're not. And that's a missed opportunity.

Overall, very very disappointing story line. I loved the art, and it gets an extra star for that - otherwise it would be just one star.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Delicates is the sequel to the graphic novel Sheets. It is a wonderful story that is beautifully illustrated. It touches on the subjects of bullying, depression, and suicide in the lives of kids in school. The story can be enjoyed by young adults and adults.

Sheets is gorgeous but lacked a depth that has been added to Delicates, the next in the series, making it for me a much more complete recommendation.

The art style is consistent with the first in this series. Its truly beautiful colours and characterisation make it a wonderfully aesthetically pleasing thing to read.

The story is this time as stunning as the art, and our protagonists journey of self improvement is realistic and our new friend Eliza's story equally heart-wrenching & heart-warming.

The storyline focuses on a coming of age negotiation of friendship, what that should mean, and of the complexities that cause people to behave the way they do.

Although Eliza is not named as being autistic she presents to me as not being neurotypical, and it is done in a gentle way. Delicates broaches heavy subjects like bullying, stigma, and suicide. Having said that it would be appropriate for, and I would easily recommend, this book for anyone from preteens and up, as long as the parents are aware of the core subject material.

"For anyone who feels lost, hurt, or alone.
You matter."

[This eARC was generously provided to me by Oni Press & Brenna Thummler via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

Who’s up for a teen social commentary with ghosts?
If you added whimsical supernatural touches and millennial colours to the film 8th Grade by Bo Burnham, Delicates by Brenna Thummler is the graphic novel you would get. When I saw the cover I knew I would love this comic, in fact I took my time before opening the pages of that book, knowing I did not want to be distracted. Something about the style of the illustrations, the comforting and complementary pop colours chosen soothing the senses, the surreal ghosts in the camera hinting at something strange beyond our eyes, the dainty emotional touch suggested by the title, it just hit all the right chords to suggest an emotional and yet hopeful read.

The album follows Marjorie who is starting 8th grade, doesn’t want to be alone, and who talks to people hidden under sheets. But really this book tells the story of Eliza who wants to capture a ghost with her camera, and says what she sees, no pretence. Nothing is ever explained about her, but she reminded me so much that girls with adhd or autism or many other mental none conforming spectrums often get diagnosed late... and have to go around feeling inadequate and without support.

The illustrations are very personal, made of dark grey lines and bluish pink hues and yellows - cold and yet comforting too, like good people locked in loneliness, not knowing what to do. The silences are very expressive in those pages. There are many faces expressing their uneasiness, loss, sadness in quiet moments and they really give a peculiar melancholy feel to those pages. We really see the emotions playing on the features of the characters, the thoughts not uttered. And we yearn with them.

This story grabs at your emotions from the get go, seizing that awkwardness of early teen years, social inadequacies, fitting in when you are on the spectrum and touches very hard topics of self-worth, suicide, bullying but also recognising passive participation, the power of asking for help, the need for a role/a tag… this is a look at the strength and weaknesses or people and how hard it is to build yourself and navigate the group. We are social people, whether we are introverted or extroverted - strong willed or not, confident in our beliefs or searching and lost. Strong people are not without weaknesses, and because someone doesn’t show their pains doesn’t mean their hearts aren't bleeding.

A truly beautiful read, I highly recommend it, with powerful messages to all teens out there.

Life is not easy in middle school/junior high. Delicates involves making friends, being true to yourself, standing up for yourself and others. Everyone has problems and challenges and no one deserves to be hurt. A follow up to the graphic novel, Sheets.

An awesomazing sequel to Sheets!

In fact, it’s even better than Sheets. Beautiful artwork. And it has an interesting but meaningful plot with excellent coverage of some the most important issues that teenagers face such as bullying, suicidal thoughts and also the importance of standing up for one’s friends.

Overall, I just loved it. Highly Recommended!

Thank You to NetGalley and Oni Press for this ARC!

A unique and charming story about compassion and friendship, how to stand up against your friends and help those who need help. I do recommend reading Sheets first as you’ll get a better insight into why Marjorie is acting the way they are. I also loved the shift towards Eliza in this one. They are struggling with depression and suicidal feelings and this was done beautifully.

A beautiful, adorably illustrated sequel to its predecessor Sheets.

With such sensitive topics, depression, bullying, grief, and discovering who you are, this story wonderfully encapsulates the importance of friendship, forgiveness, and healing. I love this world Brenna created. The color palette is by far my favorite of any graphic novel. The characters are honest, and the illustrations convey the true depth of emotions. As long as I've been out of middle school, I still found myself thinking back to those days and how relatable this story was. Thank you so much, NetGalley. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Brenna! I hope you continue to write in this world as I will continue to come back and read it again and again.

I was super excited to get my hands on the much-awaited sequel to Sheets. Following the events of the first book, Marjorie's family's laundromat is thriving and she is now (sort of) friends with the popular kids at school, but her family is still struggling with the loss of her mother who drowned. Marjorie is also worried her new friends might find out she's got ghosts for friends, too, so she tries to keep Wendell's existence a secret. As time goes on, Marjorie feels torn between her friendship with Wendell and the demand of trying to fit in with her human peers. The introduction of the new character, Eliza, who is obsessed with ghosts, allows for Marjorie to explore her belonging in this new world and the meaning of actual friendship. I liked how the book touched gently on tough topics such as bullying and depression, but I feel like the pace of the story could have been improved, as it went from the darkest part of the book to a rosy ending where everything is tied up neatly and I feel like it should have taken more time for healing since a lot of the book focused on the slow healing process from Marjorie's mother's death. I feel like everything was somewhat brushed over and rushed and it would have been more meaningful if we got to explore the concepts forgiveness and apology as it applied to the situation in the book. Delicates was still a very, very good read, and fans of Sheets won't be disappointed. As for the art, I still love the soft 80s pastel color palette, as always.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

I loved the continuation of the series. The art work is beautiful and the author does such. a great job of capturing the feelings of middle school. This graphic novel is a continuation on the themes of grieving and friendship whilst also adding the themes of bullying and mental health.

Wow love this book! I love the talk about bulling, taking a stand, feeling different and suicide. These are tough subject that need to be talked about. This book does a great job talking about these subjects and weaving then into a great story. This graphic novel will be a great addition to your library.

Marjorie and Wendell are back! Marjorie is excepted in with the cool kids, so things should be great. But then Marjorie is to busy to play with her ghost friends and her new friends are starting to bully the "weirdo" girl named Eliza, who is obsessed with ghosts. Will Wendell and her ghosts friends leave Marjorie? Will she be able to stand up to her friends? What message is Eliza writing and will anyone find out before it is too late?

This graphic novel is so lovely and sweet. I loved the first one so was so excited to read the sequel. The art style is so good, I love the colour palette and it suits the story so much

I liked this better than the first book! For me the plot was better, it felt more emotional and it showed more character development.
Other than the art itself - we’ll get there in a second -, the characters brought this book to life. Marjorie and Eliza were the main characters in this book, and they both had some struggles in their lives. Marjorie was conflicted about her fake and rude “friends” and she didn’t know what to do because she felt like she wanted to belong somewhere, and Eliza felt like she was invisible and didn’t fit anywhere because people thought her hobby was dumb and weird.
The secondary characters were great additions because they contributed to the emotional weight of the story: Marjorie’s fake friends were very annoying - as they should be -, Wendell was adorable as always, and the teacher’s humour was a nice contrast to the sadness of the story. And I have to say this… what the hell Colton?! Like Tyra would say: “We were all rooting for you!”.
Now, about the art itself. I seriously can’t get over the art in this series. It’s beautiful just like in the first book. The colours and illustrations are by far one of my favorite things about this series. There was an illustration in particular that I loved: when Wendell and Marjorie were sitting on some rocks looking at the lake… just beautiful.
With that said, don’t be fooled by the colorful drawings because this story talks about very serious topics such as bullying, mental health and depression. It’s a book that describes perfectly what it’s like to feel lonely and to be bullied for what you like and defend. It reminds us that we shouldn’t put pressure on ourselves to fit other people’s realities.
I think this series is worth giving it a try for two main reasons: the art and the big lesson behind it.

i absolutely loved this book - i loved sheets and i was beyond excited when i got to review it in exchange for a copy on netgalley. the art work is wonderful, and the budding relationships that formed were so heart-felt. i can’t help but feel so anxious when i read these, as everything goes wrong for the main character, and there’s a sense of urgency for the situation to unravel and fix itself. i’d love a third instalment.

Like the first story, this one had the same melancholic feeling to it, and the art was really beautiful of course. The color scheme of the whole thing is just very satisfying.

The sequel to Sheets, but now stronger, more impactful, and with even more incredibly art (if that's even possible!!)

Thummler takes us on a journey back to the late '90s, into the cringy and so relatable time that is the teenage years. When doing yoga with your mom is embarrassing and you just want to fit in. It tells a story of bullying and the depression and suicidal thoughts it can lead to, as well as what it means to be implicit. The many facets of friendships are so beautifully illustrated and by the end I was on the floor bawling, my bunny licking up my tears. Highly recommend reading the first book, just so you get to experience the depth of the second.

I have made a dedicated review that will be uploaded on the release date. Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with a copy, I loved it!

This was so beautiful and real and sad and precious all at the same time. The artwork was amazing. I loved Sheets so I was so excited when I saw this is coming out this year. This graphic novel gave me all the emotions, I laughed and cried and felt so many things. It was a lot heavier than I was expecting, but I liked that it went places that were unexpected. Bullying and struggling mental health are such real things that kids go through and it was good to see it here. It was also hard to see because I know these things really happen and kids really feel this way. The line in the book that got me the hardest was when Eliza said some along the lines of, I'm weird but I not the good kind of weird. And that really got to me and broke my heart. Also when she said that her dad told her to just be herself, and she said that this was her true self but people don't like it. Those parts really hurt me. Eliza was such a beautiful soul and seeing her thoughts and feelings were so hard to see. Everyone deserves to be loved and to feel like they can be themselves without being judged. I also could really empathize with her feelings of being invisible or like a ghost. But also her feeling like she was too 'seen' was so real too. Of course Marjorie and her family's situation is so sad as well, especially the part where her little brother, Owen doesn't want to go trick-or-treating because his mom usually made his costume broke my heart.

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


Much like its title, Delicates is an overwhelmingly delicate story. Well thought and beautifully written and illustrated, it tackles on heavy subjects like depression, bullying, grief and racism with precision and simplicity. It touched me deeply, I felt so connected to Marjorie and it was such an enjoyment to accompany Eliza's journey, too. I loved it. What a wonderful, beautiful story.

Delicates is a wonderful, touching graphic novel about friendship and being true to yourself. Marjorie is back, a year older and trying desperately to fit in with her new "friends" - the same crowd that bullied her in the first novel. She loses herself trying to please Tessi and the crowd and almost loses one of her truest friends as well, Wendell the ghost.

I was so happy to get a chance to read the second in this series. It's a great follow-up story. Marjorie is the perfect example of what happens when we focus our energy on pleasing others and fitting in rather than living as our true selves. This is a great lesson for young readers and older alike.

I loved the addition of Eliza, the daughter of a wonderful teacher. She truly tries to own who she is and love her favorite hobby - photographing ghosts - even though the other kids bully her for it.

She and Marjorie make such wonderful main characters... And Wendell, of course.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who thinks they're "too weird" or don't fit in. It's a great story with a heartwarming message.

Thank you for NetGalley and OniPress for access to a digital copy of Delicates by Brenna Thummler. Delicates (Sheets, #2) is an absolute gem of a graphic novel, and a beautiful follow-up to Sheets. Delicates explores how Marjorie Glatt continues to cope with the loss of her mother, middle school, and friendships with ghosts, the popular kids, and Eliza Duncan. Delicates tackles important topics like bullying, the importance of being seen, and standing up for what's right. As Marjorie struggles through the start of 8th grade, her path intersects with Eliza, who is repeating the 8th grade. Eliza, committed to photographing ghosts, begins a tenuous friendship with Marjorie.