This was incredible. I think I like it more than Sheets and I REALLY LOVED Sheets. Important message delivered in a creative and original way.

First of all the art work is amazing. The use of colour and shape to illustrate the story was outstanding. I was not aware that this was a sequel to Sheets but I found the story easy to follow and catch onto. This graphic novel highlights the struggles of growing up in a beautiful way.
I have also posted this review on Goodreads.

Much like the first book SHEETS this follow up explores how people respond to others, their own emotions. How little and big things impact people different little. That nobody is ever just one thing. For people who write of graphic novels (or comics) for being easy Brenna Thummler is a great storyteller who showcases just how complex something that seems straightforward can be.

Unlike the first book DELICATES did take me longer to get into. It wasn’t until the second half that I was truly engrossed. I think this is partly because I almost felt let down by Marjorie, but in retrospect I think her character is all the better for how realistic she is in this book.

You can read DELICATES without having read the first, but I would recommend both.

“Developing film is a delicate process.
[…] You can’t make any mistakes. The teensiest mistake will ruin the whole process. All your photos: gone forever.
Humans are delicate, too.”

👻 I really enjoyed getting to know Wendell and Marjorie in SHEETS. The friendship, the comradery, the grief, the Ghosturizer. It was all so .. soft and bright.
In this sequel, Bremmer delves deeper into different kind of relationships and conflicts, between humans and ghosts alike, as well as some delicate issues. In DELICATES, we are introduced to Eliza, a social outcast in Marjorie’s class who finds solace and purpose in hunting ghosts with her camera.

👻 I found myself relating to Eliza and her lone musings in the darkroom. Have you ever felt you were so utterly alone? How did you cope? Did you ever have imaginary friends or ghosts you’d talk to? I used to run away into books. Miles and piles of books. For a time in middle school, I spent all my breaks and lunch hours in the library. I just felt books understood me way better than anyone out on the quad.

👻 Brenna Thummler’s storytelling is beautifully soft and heartwarming. Spending time in her beautifully illustrated world feels like a soft warm hug I don’t want to end.

👻 DELICATES is out 16 March 2021. (Thanks to @netgalley & @OniPress for the e-ARC!) In the meantime, I highly recommend you read SHEETS for a light, feel good graphic novel that’ll leave you feeling warm inside.

[Non-exhaustive TW: suicidal ideation, bullying]

This is an excellent book. Thummler takes issues that not only teens worry about, but people of all ages can relate to, and wraps it in a unique story.

I LOVED Sheets it made me feel so many things happy, sad everything so I was so excited when I saw this was coming. First the art is amazing I really love the color pallet chosen. I was a little disappointed when I realized what this story was going to tell, not to say I didn't enjoy it. What I was hoping for was a fun maybe adventure with Marjorie and Wendell as they work though the hard topics that Sheets story told. No adventure in this one but another hard hitting story about how tough it is to grow up both for Marjorie as a teenager and Wendell as a ghost. We meet a new character Eliza who feels invisible and has a hard time making friends. This story deals with depression, the hopes to fit in but wanting to do the right thing, suicidal thoughts and working through new family dynamics and making new friends. This one hits hard so proceed with caution.

Summer is coming to a close for Marjorie and Wendell almost a full year after they first meet. Marjorie is about to go into eighth grade, and she is feeling a little uneasy. After being a social outcast all of seventh grade year, her former bully Tessi and her friends have made it their mission to make Marjorie popular. The eighth grade class also has a repeater student - Eliza, the daughter of the PE/Student Government teacher, Mr. Duncan, who "isn't quite ready for high school," according to her dad. Eliza is obsessed with "ghost photography," and strives to capture the supernatural with her old-style camera. Eliza increasingly feels like a ghost amongst her peers - she's outcast, made fun of, and hardly ever invited to any social gatherings. Her obsession with ghosts makes her the laughing stock of the school. Marjorie's social obligations and school work leaves her with less time to hang out with her other-worldy pals, so Wendell starts sneaking out. He runs into Eliza, who doesn’t recognize Wendell as a ghost.

The conflicts Eliza goes through, as well as the social pressures Marjorie feels, are similar to the struggles many middle school students go through. Eliza's struggle will hopefully encourage others to reach out for help, or to help others who might be going through some difficult times. These heavy topics are mixed with a dose of friendly paranormal activity to lighten the mood in what would otherwise be a thoroughly sad story.

Thummler’s illustrations heavily rely on a pastel palette that makes use of yellows and other bright colors to draw the eye in. Her landscapes are beautifully drawn, almost like a photo put through a heavy Instagram filter. Characters features are stylized and less detailed. There are several nods to 90s fashion throughout the character designs of both books, so hopefully those aren't completely lost on modern audiences.

Sara's Rating: 7/10
Suitability Level: Grades 5-8

This review was made possible with an advanced reader copy from the publisher through Net Galley. This graphic novel will be on sale March 16, 2021.

This was equally as delightful as the first book. Wendell is just a delight and I love him so much. This story is so tender and heartwarming but at the same time so sad and as always the artwork is beautiful!

I didn't get a chance to read the first book "Sheets". I just place an order for the first book.
This is so realistic to many teenagers. I am sure this series will be loved by so many readers.

Delicates by Brenna Thummler is a story about friendship, reaching out to people for needing and help and its such a heartwarming story centered around ghosts and humans. Don't worry, the ghosts are totally adorable and not scary at all. I absolutely love the illustrations and the colours. It goes so well together and this might just be my favourite graphic novel yet.

This story is about Eliza who loves photographing and tries to capture ghosts but she might just hit a pot of gold when there's a classmate of hers who has a laundromat and has a bunch of ghosts living with her. High school can be really terrible and can be especially hard when there's bullies but she finally have the encouragement and get the help that she needs. She feels discouraged and that's when someone sees right through her and make her feel that she's not all alone.

I enjoy this book so much and I'm so glad I decided to request it on Netgalley. I have to thank my friend for recommending me this book or else I don't think I would have read it. This is just so enjoyable and packed in with so many important matters. To anyone who is going through a tough time, don't hesitate to seek out and get help. You matter, never forget that.

I enjoyed this graphic novel, I feel like you can read it without reading Sheets as I believe delicates follows a different storyline, having said that I did find myself not understanding how and why the ghosts were in the laundromat and I didn’t understand what the ghost soap was used for/what its purpose was.

This story is very emotional and has hard-hitting topics such as bullying and suicidal thoughts as well as how hard it is to deal with the loss of a loved one. We also get to meet Eliza who is an incredible and passionate character, I loved how she always stood up for what she believed in and stuck with her passion no matter how others tried to bring her down. I enjoyed the representation in this book as well as highlighting the effect that bullying can have on someone's mental/physical health which I think is something that needs to be talked about more often.

The art style is also incredible and the use of pastel colors is truly sublime.

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

TW: bullying, suicidal thoughts

4 stars

This is the sequel to the sheets book, gosh i really enjoyed that book when i picked it last year in the library.
Sheet was a bit confusing but this was very direct. which i enjoy so much. This graphic novel deals with heavy topics such as bullying, loneliness and outcast.

The illustration was so pretty with the pastel colours.

Thank you so much for the arc Netgallery.

I loved Sheets and had been looking forward to reading the follow-up ever since it was announced. I didn't end up enjoying this one as much as the first book. Whereas Sheets was all about Marjorie finding friendship and overcoming grief and loneliness, in Delicates, she takes a few steps back again. Her friendship with Wendell the ghost is strained and she's ended up friends with the mean kids at school. I really like the new character, Eliza, but it's really hard watching Marjorie just stand by as her new friends bully Eliza.

Perhaps it's more realistic than characters who always make the right decisions, and maybe it teaches some good lessons, but I would have preferred to have read another book about friendship. Although Delicates does have a happy ending, the main chunk of the book has a much less optimistic feel than Sheets did.

Having said that though, I did still really enjoy the book and would always read a third instalment.

Brenna Thummler tells a valuable story about standing up for yourself and your loved ones, even if you have to stand up against those same loved ones. Her beautiful artwork tells a dark story of high school bullying and coping with loss. The ending is very hopeful without the obvious HEA ending that would have been very unrealistic.

Content warning: suicidal teen character, bullying

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Ghosts and I have that in common. We come alive in the dark."

Sheets was an unexpected story that hit me right in my heart and soul. I adored it so much that I made some of my friends read it too. It was one that I’ll never forget in my lifetime.

I instantly jumped at the chance to read the sequel to a graphic novel that had an impact on my life. I was expecting that same kind of look and feel as the first one. One where we grow and learn as we go on with our lives. We do get that here but it wasn’t as deeply touching or moving.

This one deals with a very heavy subject. A subject we all have experienced in our lives at one point. Be it to yourself or you’ve witnessed it happening to someone else. This shows how people grow and stand up for one another. Life shouldn’t be about fitting in but about being kind to one another and lifting people up when they are down.

Delicates was a good read with striking illustrations. It wasn’t as good as Sheets but I still enjoyed it. Wendell will always be my favorite ghostly character!

This is sooo good ! I loved it !
It handled suicide and death very well in my opinion, and everything transitionned smoothly.
Of course the drawings are beautiful and the whole vibe is quite unique and pretty.

Delicates is the follow up to the wonderful "Sheets" by the incredibly talented Brenna Thummler. In Sheets we were introduced to Marjorie, a young girl trying to maintain some sense of normality for her family following the death of her mother, with the help of Wendell, her ghost companion. In Delicates time has passed and Marjorie has made friends, and is becoming part of the popular group. Eliza on the other hand is anything but popular, her ambition to become a ghost photographer leads to ridicule and a reputation for being the "weird kid". When Marjorie's new friends start to bully Eliza, she begins to question what friendship is and what it should be, and comes to learn how important it can be to reach out when you see someone struggling.
Delicates is the perfect title for this beautiful book that tackles important and difficult topics with a delicate touch that is entirely appropriate for the younger reader and in a way that gets its message across without preaching. The beautiful artwork is perfect and once again the delicate pastel palette looks fantastic on the page.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I adored the concept of this and read sheets before requesting this one and fell in love with the world and the characters and such an original concept for a ghost story. The art style is nice enough that I can just go through it and love what I see, while not being over detailed and too much to take in and the writing is so Chefs Kiss. Sheets dealt with quite serious topics, but I never expected to be brought to tears by the sequel? They covered mental health and feeling like you have no place so well, especially for a title aimed at people at such a young age. I love this sequel so much and the way it portrays friendship and family and an overall desire to fit in just made me emotional, and that's really all I can ask for as a reader!

"Delicates", by Brenna Thummler is the sequel to the graphic novel "Sheets", that came out in 2018. The story picks up almost where it left of in "Sheets", but despite that, it could actually read as a standalone. The plot follows Marjorie, an eight grade student who has lost her mother recently and has come through her grief with the help of her ghost friend, Wendell. She is now part of the "in-crowd" at school, and with that comes a lot of peer pressure and sacrificing of who she really is and what she stands up for. This becomes more and more obvious when Eliza, a girl held back in eight grade, tries to approach Marjorie and be her friend, all while she becomes the target of Marjorie's new friends' bullying.

This was a great story, and a great sequel. Just like "Sheets", "Delicates" touches upon a lot more profound themes than it appears to, as a paranormal middle grade graphic novel. The art is the same style as in "Sheets", and I was so happy to be taken back into that beautiful pastel colored world. The illustrations are so full of life, and convey a lot of emotion even without the presence of text. Whether or not you read "Sheets", "Delicates" is an absolute must read in 2021 for fans of contemporary graphic novels. Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Wow. This book was is an absolute masterpiece. The story just rips your heart out and will probably make you cry. It really hits home about bullying and the struggle of fitting in at school. Eliza's story was so heartbreaking and the build-up to the ending was so subtle I wasn't really expecting that at all. But I guess in real life you never really know exactly what people are going through either. I highly recommend this book to every person because even if you have never been bullied or struggled to fit in at school, this is a must-read.