Sheets and Delicates are two wonderful graphic novels from Brenna Thummler, who is also the illustrator of the Anne of Green Gables graphic novel adaptation with Mariah Marsden. Sheets won the Barnes and Noble Best Book of 2018 award, and its sequel Delicates releases on March 24th 2021. I have to admit that Sheets was a complete cover buy for me because I couldn’t resist those eyes on the cute cover! The illustrations are beautiful and I really like the choice of the pink, purple, and blue colour palette, combines with the softer, pastel style tones as they are easy on the eye and really peaceful and readable.
In Sheets, Marjorie Glatt has a lot to deal with at thirteen. Her mother has passed away, her father isn’t handling it well, and it’s left to Marjorie to keep on top of the family launderette business, dealing with customers and never-ending laundry, as well as keeping an eye on her brother and handling school. Looming around every corner is the big bad yoga enthusiast Mr Saubertuck who wants to take the launderette to use the building for his own business.
One day, Wendell The Ghost has jumped the train out of the ghost realm, and shows up in Marjorie’s launderette, but he might just be the friend she needs and may just have an answer to those mounting pressures that could help the family business.
Sheets carefully and sensitively tries to handle those feelings of grief, loss, and feeling overwhelmed as a teenager. The responsibility on Marjorie’s shoulders is high for a girl of her age which is really quite sad. However, these emotional and darker, gloomy moments are balanced with Wendell’s humour and scenes from his point of view. I love how Wendell appears to be just a sheet but he can have so many expressions. I’d say that is great artistic skill, making one emotional over a sheet!
Although the ending seemed to be over quite quickly, it still wraps up nicely and I knew the next novel Delicates would be coming!
Delicates is just as good as Sheets, however this time it covers a few more topics. I feel like the focus this time is on trying to delicately handle issues like bullying, loneliness, “fitting in”, and peer pressure. I believe it is best to read Sheets first before reading this one in order to get a background on Marjorie, Wendell, and the ghosts.
Delicates introduces us to a new character named Eliza, who is starting to feel like an outsider. She’s seen as “the weird kid” at school due to her hobby and interest in photography and ghosts. She spends a lot of her time alone, and her goal is to capture a ghost on film. Marjorie on the other hand is starting to be accepted into the popular group of kids at school and is finding herself with less time for Wendell, leading Wendell to feel even more invisible.
The lessons to be learned in this novel was the importance of friendships and that it’s good to be kind, and to apologise when you’re in the wrong.
As the last book touched on grief and the effect death has on a family, I would like to have seen Marjorie’s father become a bit better with dealing with his grief and engage more as a parent, but perhaps this will follow in another book? It seems he is starting to improve which is a positive sign.
Once again, I loved the illustrations, the drawings are enjoyable in relaxing and soothing colours with characters wearing fun 90s outfits, and some lovely hairstyles!
Overall, Sheets and Delicates are both emotional, moving, and visually pleasing graphic novels and I’d recommend them to a whole array of readers, but mostly to schoolkids and teenagers in particular because of the issues raised and the sensitivity in which they are handled.
So what might happen next..
If we get a third book to follow up to Sheets and Delicates (and I really hope we do), I’d love to see Wendell get more page time. Maybe we will see Marjorie, Eliza, and Wendell hanging out together as a trio? Maybe Wendell might be discovered by Eliza’s father? I’d also like to see more ghosts, maybe some more of Wendell’s ghost friends will visit? I can’t wait!
Content warning: bereavement, bullying, death, suicidal thoughts
