Delicates is the perfect sequel to Sheets, both novels by Brenna Thummler. Delicates brings our favorite characters from Sheets back for another story, this one with more depth and a strong message. In this story, Marjorie learns what is truly important in life and what is worth fighting for as she navigates her friendships and family. We are also introduced to Eliza, a character who believes in ghosts, loves photography, and is quite lonely. Thummler handles hard topics with care in a way that readers will empathize with. I would recommend this title to readers!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is the sequel to Sheets. I l adore Sheets and I think I might've loved this one even more. The story is perfectly portrayed through the art. It is just such a beautiful novel with a wonderful message.

This volume continues the story of 8th grader Marjorie, friend to laundromat ghost Wendell, as she struggles to fit in with her sort-of friend group and figure out how to talk to boys. She encounters Eliza, an outcast who spends her time trying to photograph ghosts.
Loved this even more than Sheets, though the first book was also awesome. More, please!

It’s hard to put into words exactly how much I loved this book the illustration style is not only original but is a perfect match for the stories. This book deals with some hard hitting subjects such as bullying and mental health in such a respectful yet impactful way. I really loved Eliza as a character and the glimpses we get into here thoughts throughout the book. Following Marjorie dealing with the grief of losing her mother throughout both books has really touched my heart and although this was not the main plot of this book I liked how it was still an ongoing theme, seeing how she and her family are slowly healing and learning to live without her mum. I really feel this is a great depiction of grief and mental health though a young teenager's eyes.
I don’t want to spoil anything in the book as I loved going in blind but highly recommend this beautiful graphic novel as an amazing sequel to Sheets as well as being a strong book on its own.

So I had no idea this was a sequel. But I absolutely adored this book. All the bullying and not taking a stand. And one little ghost made that change. I love the storyline, the concept of the story and the adorable illustration! I definitely need to purchase the first one and get them both on my book shelf.

Definitely has all the hallmarks of what readers loved about Sheets and will for sure appeal to new readers as well. Its also nice that someone doesn't have to have read Sheets to enjoy this new title. Very helpful in libraries.

Delicates was a wonderful and heartwarming sequel to Sheets. Sheets has a special place in my heart and delicates was even better. I adored this story. It was powerful, a little bit sad, and definitely heartwarming. The color pallet was gorgeous too. I'll recommend to everyone who wants to read a wholesome story.

What a touching and powerful sequel! Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for feedback.

This story is a sequel to “Sheets” and follows Marjorie, Wendell, and Eliza. Marjorie is starting to fit in with a popular crowd, hangs out with friendly ghosts in her family laundromat, and you learn about another character (Eliza) who feels like a ghost most of the time, but loves to photograph the world around her. This story brings some sensitive subject matter to readers, but it’s a great story that sheds light on helping those who don’t know how to ask for help when they are in need of it. Marjorie gets lost in popularity and knowing who’s a true friend or not; in the end, she figures that all out and helps save another friend along the way. This is a story to pick up and will make you turn page after page until you get to the end and sob/smile because it was a great story!

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review :)

Oh my goodness!! I think I loved Delicates more than I loved Sheets, if that's even possible!!

Thummler has such a beautiful way of telling a story through her absolutely gorgeous artwork - they fully encapsulates the characters and their emotions and manages to make the reader feel absorbed in the story. I really just want to give all the characters a big hug. Especially Wendell <3

<i>arc provided to me from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

I recently read the first volume in this series, Sheets and I did enjoy it but I really enjoyed this one. I think my issue with Sheets was that I was constantly annoyed by the villainous character and that warped my overall enjoyment of it.

But with Delicates, we follow two people and their stories versus just following Marjorie. In this we get to see Marjorie learning to deal with her friends who are bullies and how being silent can be just as bad as participating in their horrible actions.

We also follow Eliza and her dealing with suicidal thoughts, being bullied and overall just not knowing how to deal with everything happening to her. She’s lost in a period of her life where I think a lot of us get lost and need help. I think her story will touch a lot of people and stick with them after they’ve finished this book.

Eliza’s story was super impactful especially with a specific scene near the end of the story. I think the way this was handled was done perfectly and that this representation is important in media, especially in a format that younger readers will have access to. It’s important for everyone but especially younger people who might not know how to reach out or don’t quite know how to grasp what’s happening to them to see Eliza’s story and struggles and be able to relate. And hopefully be able to see that getting help is okay. I definitely think that this story could save lives.

The ghosts were a joy as always, especially Wendell. That end scene was absolutely adorable and was everything I had hoped for for these characters.

Overall, I had a great time with this. The art style was fun, the colors were beautiful and the story had such an impact. I definitely recommend this but do read the trigger warnings first as this does deal with heavier topics that might be triggering to some.

3.5/5 ⭐️

TW: suicide/suicidal thoughts, death, death of a parent, bullying, depression, loneliness.

This book is the sequel to Sheets, which was awesome! And this did not disappoint. This story continues the story of Marjorie, who lives above a laundromat that also just happens to be inhabited by a bunch of ghosts. Her family is still dealing with the death of her mother, and the financial strain of running the laundromat that was her mother's dream. Majorie is also learning to navigate the pressures of school, and trying to decide how she wants to be “Seen”. If she hangs out with her ghost friends, she will be labeled a freak, but if she ignores them in favor of her new “friends” what does that make her?

I love the art in these books so much. The coloring is amazing. I also really love the story, and I hope there are so many more of these to come. This book deals with some heavy themes, but not in a graphic or disturbing way. The ending was sort of uplifting, and I really loved that too.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Having read and enjoyed Sheets I was excited when I saw it was getting a sequel and I have to say I enjoyed this one even more than I enjoyed Sheets. I think in this one we saw a lot of growth in Marjorie, as well as her learning who are really friends and who are not. Definite trigger warnings for bullying, suicidal thoughts and some of the behavior that is way too common in young teens. This one really tackled those difficulties head on and Marjorie gets kindof stuck in the middle having to decide if she will take sides or stay silent. There are a bunch of important lessons in here and I thought they were handled really well!

It’s difficult to have a sequel measure up to a graphic novel as accomplished and thoughtful as Sheets, but Delicates exceeded my expectations by leaps and bounds. It’s not often that I say this (and I LOVED Sheets) bit Delicates might be even better than its predecessor.

Taking place nearly a year after Sheets ends, Delicates begins with Marjorie and Wendell at the end of a summer where Marjorie has clearly been reaching out and finding new friends. Wendell laments over having less time with his flesh and blood human friend, and it quickly become apparent that Marjorie's new crew is the same one that gave her such a hard time in the previous volume. In the group, she’s soft spoken and prone to making herself fit in to their narrow middle school perspective of what’s acceptable. Enter Eliza, the daughter of the P.E. teacher. Elizas main goal in life is to photograph a ghost, and her insistence on the likelihood of ghosts (along with some other personality quirks) makes her a punching bag for the other kids. Throughout the story we witness again and again Marjorie’s friends being cruel to Eliza, until eventually Marjorie can’t handle or accept it anymore. At the same time, Marjorie is spending less and less time with Wendell, who has *been* a ghost since the beginning of the story, but now *feels* like one too as his best friend drifts away from him.

Much like Sheets, Delicates handles mental health in a way that feels very conscientious and aware. It doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects like bullying, and suicidal thoughts, and the complicity of staying quiet when you need to speak up. It highlights the cruelty of middle school, but still holds a certain earnestness and hope that tomorrow will be better. Marjorie’s growth between the two volumes is astounding as she moves from a child hiding in the shadows into a force of nature who shields the people around her who need it most. Delicates is sweet, and elegant, and I absolutely loved it.

I got this on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Okay, I really liked Sheets when I read it earlier this year, so when I realized that 1. it would get a sequel and 2. that it was on netgalley I was SOOOO HYPED!!! This touched on a lot of really heavy themes of mental health, and I love how it manages to connect the ghosts to the mental health themes in such a great way! And the fact that delicates is both a laundry term AND used to describe people? Sign me the fuck up! Honestly, if you enjoyed Sheets even a little bit you'll probably love this. I definitely think I liked this EVEN MORE than Sheets.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

While Sheets was a bit jumbled and confusing, the message of Delicates was crystal clear. Thummler handles difficult topics like bullying and suicidal ideations with sophistication. This is a truly important read for any young person who is struggling or feeling like a ghost. The graphics were marvelous once again! I'm so happy I went on to read book two.

I was surprised and delighted when I saw this book on Netgalley. I didn't realise that the book 'Sheets' would have a sequel. Well here it is!

And it is just as brilliant and as moving as the first book.

The story continues with Marjorie. Marjorie is still friends with the ghosts who live in her family laundromat business, but she also has friends at school and a young man who she may or may not be dating. In this book Marjorie discovers the meaning of friendship and realises that it is simply not enough to be popular. She learns that a person also needs to be kind and caring beyond their own cares and personal concerns.

I like the way we got to see a bit more about Marjorie and that we see how she continues to cope with her grief, but we also get to see Marjorie at school and how she navigates the world of the popular kids, the unpopular kids, friendship and her community of ghosts.

The artwork is the same style and coloring as the first book and this lends the story some continuity but in this book we also get to experience the story from another young person's perspective. As well as Marjorie we get to meet Eliza and others and we get to see how life as a school community can function or be dysfunctional for some.

Of course we get to see Wendell and the community of ghosts, and even Wendell learns new things, getting to make new friends and cross some boundaries that he hasn't been able to before.

This book is a superb sequel and it was long enough and fully engaging. I found myself totally lost in the story. This is such a brilliant graphic novel and thoroughly enjoyable. This is definitely going on my list of exquisite reads of 2020. I really hope this series continues.

Copy provided by Oni Pres via netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I received this as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and One Press for giving me access.

This touches sensitive topics like bullying and attempted suicided. If this is a trigger for you, please seek help or a friend to be with you when you read this. Don't be afraid to reach out.

Oh my heart. This hit me right in the feels. I could relate so much to Eliza. Why do people have to be so cruel to others?

Meanwhile Marjorie has found some live "friends" and starts to ignore Wendell and the other ghosts, leaving Wendell searching for friendship elsewhere.

While being a cute graphic novel, Delicates can really pack a punch straight to the gut. I mean this in the best of sense.

Stepped into Delicates not having read Sheets (it's on hold from my local library!) and was immediately hooked. Maybe it was the ethereal color scheme, a lovely opening with purple and pink hues, or maybe it was how casually Majorie released a ghost (Wendell) from her backpack and discussed her is-he-or-isn't-he-a-boyfriend woes with Wendell. Follow it up with a photographer capturing Majorie in the lens of her camera and watching as Majorie talks to herself, and I knew I was in for a good story.

In pandemic 2020, there were a lot of notes that struck home: Wendell mentioning the need to protect against evil humans, the notion of never knowing what’s going on inside someone else’s head and how they’re hurting. Thummler is subtle and works carefully through layers, her pages with Eliza in the darkroom and the metaphors of life and photography are so spot on, and she works in grief, death, thoughts of suicide, forgiveness on top of being who you are and going to the 8th grade dance. The book is wonderful

This graphic novel was so stinkin’ cute! I loved it. It was a little confusing at times since I haven’t read Sheets (which I’ll now be purchasing!) but I still loved it. The artwork was insanely well done — I love the contrast between the bright, beautiful colours and the white ghosts. I also love the dynamic characters — different sizes, colours, and not overly feminine and “cutesy”. It broached some serious topics such as mourning, grief, bullying, and trying to fit in. This is super cute and fun for adults but would be very impactful for teens.

This one brought me to tears, the message was powerful. The ghosts were lovable, the art was beautiful, what more could you want? Definitely a must read!