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*

Delicates is a welcome return to the illustrated world of Marjorie Glatt and her ghost best friend, Wendell. I love the use of color and full page illustration. Her artwork enhances the storyline's mood and is its own beautiful storytelling.

In the sequel to Sheets, Marjorie is doing better navigating teen life, but falls prey to the popular kids and makes some questionable choices. There are some great call outs and call ins that happen in the story, and unique ways in how the characters each find help. The adults are seemingly useless through most of the book, but even they turnaround by the end. But the book definitely showcases teen friendships and their ups and downs, with the teen characters showing the biggest growth arcs.

'A thoughtful look at bullying, peer pressure, grief, family, school and fitting in or being true to yourself. The artwork is wonderfully emotive and the panels featuring the ghosts are always delightful..
This graphic novel, like it's predecessor 'Sheets', should have a place in every school library.
Thank you to Oni press and NetGalley for the ebook review copy.

Review according to my daughter:
This is a sequel to Sheets, a story that happens in a family laundromat. Marjorie has a lot going on in her life. She’s starting 8th grade and has to learn to navigate middle school and friendship. My daughter liked the ghosts and their little accessories. My daughter enjoyed it, but not as much as the first novel in the series.

What an incredible follow-up to Sheets. Thrummer does an incredible job of diving into a very sensitive subject and does so with grace. The characters both human and ghost were exceptional.

I just want Brenna Thummler to illustrate my life's story once I'm gone, honestly. This book was so beautiful and such a reaffirming read. We follow two girls who are very different but at the core they are the same - they believe in the surreal, in ghosts and that kindness is the strongest power in the universe.
I loved how this not only gave us a sequel to the first installment and brought back the ghosts but also how it tied in to bullying and loss and grief and loneliness, all the topics young adolescents often find themselves faced with even though they don't know how to deal with it yet.
Especially the reaching out part, the fact that you can save someone's life by caring for them and looking after them really made me tear up.
What a wonderful sequel that I would recommend to everyone, whether you have read the first book or not, you will find yourself in these pages for sure.
The perfect blend of uplifting, dark and treacherous times balanced with the good in humanity.

A spell-bindingly beautiful graphic novel with bittersweet themes and impeccable timing. The only criticism I would have is that it lagged a bit in the middle and could have been 50 pages shorter.

I bought Sheets for my classroom library back in 2018 and found it to be a charming graphic novel. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a sequel was being released and was happy to reenter the world of Wendall the ghost from the laundromat. Even though the young ghost played more of a backseat in this edition, I really liked reading about the character of Eliza and what she endured. The message in this installation and the themes explored are very important for young adults to read. I enjoyed the development of the characters and what the author had to say about standing up for yourself and others and not being a bystander. The illustrations were vivid and detailed especially the full page spreads that really captured the essence of the story. This could easily be read in one sitting and it now makes me want to go back and reread Sheets. I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to continue on with this story. I am curious to see if there will be more to come in this series.

A brilliantly heartfelt continuation of the sheets series with dear old Wendell and friends helping to save just more than a laundrette this time round.

Delicates is a wonderful sequel to Sheets, possibly even better than the original. The author/artist does a lovely job of conveying the emotions of the characters. Highly recommended.

This was such a sweet graphic novel!! I really loved the pastelness of everything, and especially the way the artist drew noses, for some reason?! The characters felt really strong, even though some of them were ghosts.

Wendell was so cute, I wish I could have learnt more about him, and about his life before he died. I think there should have been a little bit more information about the ghosts in the laundry, especially as it's heavily implied they're real and not just a process of Marjorie's grief. Also, I thought Eliza was autistic, which may just be me projecting, but she wasn't a stereotype, she was just hyperfixated on ghosts. And who wouldn't be!!

Overall I would definitely recommend this book as I think it has good autistic, mental health, and grief representation.

This is one of the rare cases where I think I liked the sequel more than the original. Marjorie works in her family laundromat and with the help of ghost friends, including young Wendell, she has managed to keep it afloat after her mother's death. This year, she is starting 8th grade and is trying to fit in, but finding her friends might not be the best. We are also introduced to Eliza, who is an 8th loner who is into ghost photography, who is bullied by Marjorie's friends. As the school year presses on, both Marjorie and Eliza will be put to the test as they both learn what it means to fit in.

This was such a powerful story and really got into the meat of middle school bullying. Unlike other books that cover this topic, this book is darker, more full of heart, and ultimately more realistic. I loved the addition of Eliza and I loved how her friendship with Wendell and Marjorie saved her. I was not a big fan of the first one, but I highly recommend this one, even if you haven't read the first. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I read the first book in this series and could not put it down, the sequel was no exception! The art sucks you right in and before you know it, you've read more than 300 pages! You can feel the isolation and loneliness of the main two characters, it eats at you. Can't wait for the next installment.

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!