Delicates is the sequel to the acclaimed graphic novel Sheets. It is a brilliant sequel where we see Marjorie navigate new friends, old acquaintances, and what fitting in entails.

The story brought tears to my eyes many times. Happy and sad tears (at the same time, whaaaat)! The bullying and mental health depictions were really well done and truly relatable. we delved into some very serious matter, and I'm really happy at how well it was handled.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Brenna Thummler is back at it with a sequel to the much loved Sheets graphic novel. I absolutely love this book & following Marjorie and Wendells story. The theme of friendship is explored more widely in this one with Marjorie trying to fit it and realizing the price she has to pay for doing so. Is it worth it, is it worth losing Wendell? We’re also Introduced to a new character Eliza who feels alone and unseen, which in turn makes her feel like a ghost. This story is amazing and shows how kindness and friendship can bring light to those who need it.

Rating 5

Adorable. Powerful. Heartwarming. Lovable characters. This book did not let me down. I love the series and the illustrations fit the emotions being portrayed perfectly. I am so grateful I was able to read this early. I do not need to say much because this book speaks for itself. I highly recommend it.

**Received an advanced copy through NetGalley in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

I came to this book having not read the first one, and it took me a bit of time to ease into the story and understand what was going on, but boy was it worth it. The story follows a young girl Marjorie who has ended up in a rather toxic friendship group. She is quiet and reserved and her ‘friends’ regularly gaslight her when she questions the way they treat others. Her life is complicated by the fact she is keeping her family together after the death of her mother and she is also hiding a secret; she has ghosts who help her with the family laundry business!

Into this world gravitates the wonderful Eliza, another social outsider, who loves photography and is fascinated by the paranormal. The reader watches as these two girls navigate the difficult social world, getting things wrong, learning how be themselves and trying to find ways to be seen and heard when much of the time they feel invisible.

The author/ illustrator is a master of body language, capturing the characters feelings in the way they hold their hands, turn their bodies or shuffle their feet. Scenes are given real space and time to breathe, and the limited colour pallet is beautiful. The story is emotional and raw, and despite the paranormal elements feels really grounded. I enjoyed it so much I went out and bought the first book the next day!

The art - the beauty of this colour pallete of the illustrations itself make this graphic novel a joy to read. I loved Blankets and I'd recommend this whole heartedly because of how fluffly and wholesome Wendall and the gang are. This is a very soothing read - a quick balm with enough sweetness and back-up squad moments.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.

I really liked delicates! I love the introduction of Eliza to this story. Elizas story was developed really well aswell and Im so glad that everything worked out for her.
I wish there had been a bit more of Wendall in this but his parts were very crucial and made up for ir.
Overall this was a very good second book to sheets!

(I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this arc, this is my honest review)

this was super cute book.the illustrations were colourful and attractive.thank you publishere for the arc

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

In this follow-up to <i>Sheets</i>, Marjorie has been accepted into the popular kids' friend group. She feels like she needs to hide the existence of her ghost friends at her laundromat, for fear of being labeled a freak. This makes Wendell feel even more invisible and alone. Meanwhile, Eliza also feels invisible. No one understands her hobby of trying to photograph ghosts, making her a target of the bullies in her class. Marjorie will have to decide if keeping her school friends is worth losing Wendell and not saying anything when Eliza is bullied.

<i>Sheets</i> had left me wishing the ending was longer, so when I discovered this sequel, I had to check it out! It has the same lovely drawings and important lessons to impart. This would be a perfect middle grade read to remind kids to be kind. Brenna Thummler is great at conveying emotions in her graphic novels. This could be read as a standalone, but I recommend starting with <i>Sheets</i>!

We return to the world of Marjorie Glatt and this time, she has every thing she wants including being popular. Eliza has to repeat a grade, but that's fine, she's got her ghost pictures. I absoultey enjoyed watching Marjorie navigate middle school life and the in-between that is not quite a teenager, but not quite a kid. Wendell grows in this story as well. Eliza's story covers mental health in a considerate way and how Marjorie grows from that is perfectly and carefully done.

I’m a big fan of Sheets, the prequel to Delicates. I enjoyed Delicates as well. It's an impactful and important read.

What I enjoyed:

- The plot

- How the storyline doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, including bullying, peer pressure and suicidal thoughts amongst youth

- The colors used in the comic. Sheets had a very autumnal feel. Delicates has a spring feel, in my humble opinion.


What tripped me up

- Full disclosure: I’m still training my brain to read graphic novels. This is a format I’m not used to reading and I struggle with it sometimes. My brain leans toward reading words and not ‘reading’ pictures. As you know, in a graphic novel, the images are just as important as the text. Sometimes my eyes slip over an image too quickly and I miss an important nuance, so if you’re like me, you may have to go back a few panels to grasp what just happened.

- I read an advanced reader copy, so the final product will likely look a little different from the one I read. I hope it includes resources for children, teens and adults, on coping with the complex issues discussed in Delicates.

Thank you kindly, Netgalley and Oni Press, for the opportunity to read and review this important graphic novel.

Brenna Thummler does it again! When I read Sheets, I loved it so much that I shared it with so many friends. Delicates did not disappoint. We begin by finding Marjorie enjoying her last few days of summer before 8th grade starts, swimming with her friend Wendell. While walking home, we see that Eliza is taking pictures and happens to take one of Marjorie and Wendell. This seems harmless enough, except Wendell is a ghost who lives in the laundromat owned by Marjorie's dad. Eliza is the daughter of one of Marjorie's teachers, who is more comfortable in the darkroom developing pictures than with the other students. This wonderful graphic novel deals with the incredibly important issues of bullying, suicide ideation, and trying to fit in with peers. I am hoping that Thummler will continue to write Marjorie's (and Wendell's and Eliza's) stories for many years to come.

Great graphic novel. I loved the art style and the story. I enjoyed reading about the characters but sometimes felt myself going ‘why are you doing that?!’. The overall message was really sweet. I think the illustrations really suited the story. It did feel abit slow in places but was a quick read.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

“There’s nothing more delicate than life.”

Here there was much heavier subject matter than Sheets tackled, but it handled it quite well. I liked how once again there was no sugar coating or beating around the bush, this was a surprisingly accurate representation of what it’s like to be subjected to peer pressure AND to be lonely with no friends. It was great to see both ends of that friendship spectrum.

Whilst the happily ever after ending was a little annoying, for once I feel like it’s almost warranted because the alternative would be far far too bleak for a middle grade graphic novel.

So all in all, a good touching story, probably not as good as Sheets but still pretty solid.

I'm once again in absolute awe from how gorgeous this art is!!! It’s so pretty with breathtaking colors and I love it so much!!!

I thought this book was so much heavier than the first one. While it did have it’s wholesome moments, (Wendell is simply the cutest ever!!!), the majority was focused on Eliza, one of Marjorie's classmates as she deals with being bullied in school for believing in ghosts.

I really loved the story overall and the messages it conveyed and i'm really hoping there will be a third book!!!

From the publisher's blurb; Marjorie Glatt’s life hasn’t been the same ever since she discovered a group of ghosts hiding in her family’s laundromat. Wendell, who died young and now must wander Earth as a ghost with nothing more than a sheet for a body, soon became one of Marjorie’s only friends. But when Marjorie finally gets accepted by the popular kids at school, she begins to worry that if anyone learns about her secret ghost friends, she’ll be labeled as a freak who sees dead people. With Marjorie’s insistence on keeping Wendell’s ghost identity a secret from her new friends, Wendell begins to feel even more invisible than he already is.

Then there is Eliza, a shy, awkward girl who wants to see and photograph ghosts. She is such a sad character, even more so than Marjorie, who lost her mom. Eliza is sadder because she looks for ghosts because she wants to be one.
What I thought would be a cute, pre-teen graphic novel about acceptance turned into so much more.
I could see the Young me in both characters, trying to fit in and never quite making it, Trying to be visible while trying to be invisible at the same time.
So many feels in this story, feelings I wasn't expecting to find.
What a brilliant novel, I highly recommend it no matter your age. Just wonderful!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Oni Press for providing me with this ARC in an exchange for an honest review

I love this comic so much!!
This was an important story about family, friendships, bullying and mental health.
It was an emotional read and the way the author captured my attention was quite smart, the art was so good, I loved it so much.

Delicates - The sequel to Sheets by Brenna Thummler - is a beautifully illustrated journey of self acceptance and belonging.

This story focuses on Marjorie’s relationship with her new friendship group and the start of middle school whilst also trying to maintain friendships with the ghosts in her laundromat. We then get introduced to an enduring and unique young girl named Eliza, who has a special independent project of photographing ghosts. But like in Sheets, this story runs deeper. We find Brenna exploring lessons of grief, friendships, self love and the beauty of being alive as we follow Marjorie and Eliza tackle issues surrounding bullying and not speaking up for others - something that I lot of kids fall into. Whilst I thought the build up to the plot turn around was a little long, I do feel like the overall message at the end of the novel was poignant and lovely.

I definitely recommend the sequel to anyone who loved Sheets, and I recommend the series to those who love atmospheric, coming of age stories about kids learning be true to themselves.

Story trigger warnings for - bullying, depression, racism and mention of suicide

I loved this. Firstly the artwork is just gorgeous; so soothing and detailed with a beautiful colour pallet. The story itself is so heartwarming and yet poignant all at once. It's a very cosy read, perfect for autumn and curling up with an apple tea. I will definitely re-read this each October.

“Some people are lifeguards. Others need to be saved.“
Delicates continues the story of Sheets, but I honestly think it can be read as a standalone easily. In Delicates, Marjorie Glatt is still figuring out how to handle the group of ghosts she discovered in her family’s laundromat. One of the ghosts, Wendall, became one of her only friends, but now the popular kids at school are including her in their group. Trying to fit in with them leaves her excluding others when she wonders what they will think of her if they knew she believed in ghosts. For Eliza Duncan, proving the existence of ghosts through her ghost photography is her way to not feel so alone, and she’s starting to feel like a ghost herself. When the popular kids begin bullying Eliza, Marjorie is forced to choose between right and wrong, or she may end up losing her only real friends.
Brenna Thummler is one of my all time favorite artists. The art style is simply breathtaking and so atmospheric. Sometimes you just have to pause reading to admire the details. Delicates is a powerful story about real life issues that stem from labels and the consequences of bullying. I loved the messages encouraging those who need it to always ask for help and to always consider what someone may be going through. The themes of grief, family relationships, friendships, and what it means to fit in were developed so perfectly. If you are a fan of graphic novels you’ll love this, and if you are new to the graphic novel world Thummler’s work is the perfect place to start!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

TWs: bullying, racism, grief, death & suicidal thoughts

I really enjoyed the first volume of this series so going into the sequel, I just knew that I would love it as much as Sheets!! I'm also sad that this is the last book in the series!

The art style is breathtakingly beautiful as always! I can see just how much effort and love is put into the intricate details shown on each frame. The color scheme used really set the tone and mood for each of the character's stories which just add to overall enjoyment of reading these graphic novels.

Sheets focused more on grief and the loss of a loved one while with Delicates, heavy topics of loneliness, bullying and suicidal thoughts were tackled in the such a subtle and realistic way that makes it easier for middle grade and young adult readers to relate to these characters and situations. This story shows the reality of what bullying can do, how peer pressure can affect relationships and how reaching out and talking about problems can save people.

I highly recommend this for lovers of graphic novels and stories that are just easy to get into but will leave you with life lessons to keep forever.