Brenna ThummlerRezensionen

Make me cry.

A solid end to the series. I loved the twin storylines of Wendell's past and Marjorie and Eliza navigating past friendships/frenemies as they prepare to enter high school in the fall. I particularly love Eliza's conversations with her dad and her funny, salty conversations. I also just enjoy the way that we discover these characters, old and new, through episodic moments -- it feels very true to human experience.

Omg so cute! The wiring was so cute and realistic (albeit about ghosts) and I love the cute humor in addressing questions about ghosts. Unexpectedly love the illustrations, too. Very nicely done all around.

I don't know why I didn't expect this to take a dark  turn. Especially when I think back to being in eighth grade... this story is depressingly spot on.

I loved the exchange where Eliza tells her mom Tommy Prickle calls her a weirdo, and her mom says "would you rather be a weirdo or Tommy Prickle?"

And Eliza's poor dad. I guess I empathize a hell of a lot with the parents here, which I guess shows my age a bit.

In the first book the focus was mostly on Marjorie and in the second book we got to know Eliza and in this third book the focus is on Wendell’s story. I like how they all come to terms with their struggles. Marjorie’s dad also gradually improves.

This might be my favorite of the books. I loved how everything comes together and how the friendships were explored more deeply, and their healing was advancing, and in a realistic way.

This author captures eighth grade friendships well. The story definitely rekindled some old memories. The story also does a good job of showing grief and mental health issues and showing healing too. It’s done subtly and without excessive drama and with realism and so it’s believable and I appreciate that.

The mystery in this one was kind of interesting.

The book and series is both sad and funny.

I really have to suspend disbelief with these books, but because of the multiple meanings of ghosts it’s really not that hard.

It’s a great series/trilogy when (for me) each book improves and although the three books work as one story for me in general I liked it more and more as it developed.

Many of the illustrations in this book are stunning. The nature scenes are beautiful.

I would definitely recommend this trilogy to many 9-12 year old readers and to some teens and to some adults too. I really enjoyed it. I’m glad I gave book one and the series and second chance, and that was thanks to Caroline’s review of the first book.

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/9v_mN6GigpE

Enjoy!

This has a very different feel from the first book.

A new main character is introduced and it took me a long time to warm up to them but once I did they kind of made the book for me.

This book seems more ya vs. straight children’s because of its subject matter including a character with suicidal ideation. It also has a lot of typical content about young teen friendships, bullying, etc.

It has less humor than the first book but I appreciated that the characters have made some adaptations to the loss they suffered. It was also easier to accept the ghosts in the story because I knew they’d be there. On the second reading I gave the first book 4 stars but it was really 3-3/4 stars. Even though the novelty has worn off and it doesn’t have all the charm of the first book for me this was a solid 4 star book.

I like this quote: “Humans are delicate too. The teensiest mistake can ruin them, even if you do everything else right. Just because mistakes seem small and insignificant doesn’t mean they are.“
I like the dedication. “For anyone who feels lost, hurt, or alone. You matter.”
I’m looking forward to reading the third book in the trilogy.

This might be the most melancholy and death-obsessed trilogy you'll find the in the juvenile graphic novel section. And the books are so thick and slow, I can't imagine most children having the patience to get through them. But, hey, they work for me.

Wendell Hofferly -- Casper the friendly ghost for the 21st century -- is set on finding out the reason behind his death, and his best friend, Marjorie, is trying to help him, but she gets distracted navigating the precarious world of eighth-grade friendships.

The author goes a little overboard trying to give the "Lights" of the title multiple meanings in the book, but it's a satisfying conclusion to an interesting if downbeat series.

“It’s much harder to create light than it is to extinguish it.”
Such a fitting end!

Thanks to Caroline’s recent review of the third and final book in this series, I was inspired to reread this book and then read the other two books. I read this book over 5 years ago and gave it only 3 stars. I think that it was too hard for me to suspend disbelief about the ghost story and that I felt traumatized by the villain to enjoy the book any more than I did. I didn’t write a review at the time.

This time I experienced the humor and the pathos and the warmth and the sadness. I thoroughly enjoyed the pictures that tell so much of the story. Marjorie is relatable and so is Wendell, and so are Marjorie’s brother and father, and many of the characters (adult and children) from Marjorie’s school.

Last time I read this was on 10/26/18.

I don’t have a lot of say about this book but I’m going to be reading the second book as my next book.

I’m glad that I gave this book and this series another chance! This one is probably 3-1/2 stars rounded up but last time it got barely 3 stars so it’s a huge improvement.

The cover of Sheets has been calling to me for some time. The artwork and the concept of that artwork finally got me to pick it up and flip through it and when I saw the art throughout the book— I promptly checked it out, went home, and read it. I will have to say that the art is still my favorite part. It really is beautiful. I love the colors used, the mirrored effects on linoleum floors, and the full page spreads were particularly lovely. I think if this illustration were a font type, it would be one of the really bubbly, rounded looking ones you’d want to put in pastel with shiny marks.

The story was good, but there was one thing that just really threw me off and made me not like it as much as I could have. That one thing would be the villain of the story: Mr. Saubertuck. I just feel like he was one of those villains from a cheesy kids movie that would have the “evil laugh” and all. He was very quirky, which would have been fine, but he was so overtly quirky that it wasn’t. And I don’t understand why the dad would have even thought to agree with him at that one point of the story when what he was asking for was so ridiculous (which coincidentally, is the perfect word to also describe his character as a whole).

Outside of this character, the other characters were likable enough, though you never really get to know any of them outside of Marj, the main character. I would have liked to learn more about some of the other prominent characters too though.

The story was told in alternating perspectives between Marjorie and Wendell for most of the book, unless they were together of course. Both characters would also occasionally have flash backs, which were really interesting. Marjorie Glatt is a young girl still in high school who is running her family’s laundromat, which they live above. Her mother has passed away and her father seems very despondent in his grief, leaving Marj to not only look after the business but also in a lot of cases her younger brother and him.

Wendell is the ghost of a 11 year old boy who starts out in his ghost town, but takes the train back to the living world and eventually end ups in the laundromat after hours. Laundromats are like heaven for ghosts because they wear sheets with eye holes in order to give themselves some sort of physical presence and identity after leaving behind their bodies. This location also happens to put Wendell in the perfect position to spy on Mr. Saubertuck as the man gets up to no good while plotting his take-over of the laundromat. But he doesn’t want to buy the laundromat, he just wants the Glatts to give it to him. And he doesn’t want it because it’s a laundromat— he has his own ideas for it.

Overall there were a lot of aspects I enjoyed about this book like the illustrations, the setting of a laundromat, the main character Marj, the theme of overcoming those people that want to kick you while you’re down essentially. The main part I disliked was Mr. Saubertuck and his childish plots and unfortunately since that took up a fairly large portion of the book it kind of threw the whole thing off for me. I also didn’t find the romance side story very necessary and feel like those pages could have been devoted to something that would have developed the rest of the story more. I suppose it could have been used as a way to show that Marj was gaining more confidence in herself? But honestly the way the interactions played out never really showed much from Marj’s side and seemed all rather one sided on the part of the guy. I honestly would have preferred to see more of her with her brother and dad or more about Wendell.

My rating for Sheets by Brenna Thumler is a 3/5 stars. If the author makes another graphic novel, I would be happy to pick it up for the illustration quality alone and see if I may like her next story better. In the meantime, I may check out the one other graphic novel she has illustrated: Anne of Green Gables.

★★★☆☆

Sheets
Sheets, Book 1

I Picked Up This Book Because: #Scarathlon.

Media Type: eBook
Source: Hoopla via H Public Library
Dates Read: 10/15/23 - 10/19/23
Stars: DNF - No Rating

The Characters:

Majorie

The Story:

I had to tap out. All of the characters are terrible except Marjorie, and she seems to be a doormat. I know she is a child and dealing with unbearable grief so I can’t blame her, but these adults? Ridiculous. I can’t hold out for redemption. I’m running away.

The Random Thoughts:½

The 3rd book in the Sheets trilogy connects us back to Marjorie, Eliza, and Wendell as they try to uncover the secrets of Wendell’s human life and death. When they hear a rumor about Wendell’s death, they wonder if it might not have been an accident after all. Meanwhile though, Marjorie begins hanging out with the very girls who used to bully Eliza and it begins to put a strain on their friendship. Can they work together to find out the truth?

I was slightly worried about the ending of this series - the other two books were so good that I put a lot of pressure on this one to hopefully wrap the story up beautifully. Well, I worried for nothing, because Brenna Thummler did a wonderful and amazing job at taking the characters we loved throughout this series and giving them a beautiful ending they deserved.

I can’t with Eliza’s dad - he’s just a peach and such a supportive father. When Eliza mentions that Marjorie wants “normal friends” he breaks down what was said, mentions that friendship has to work both ways, and gives an idea of a Duncan family activity to invite her to. And then when Eliza asked for needle and thread in case she has to give her friend stitches, he simply replies with, “You’d be surprised at the medical expertise of the youth today”.

Thummler’s art is stunning as it was before - I can see myself using a few panels as phone backgrounds in the coming months. Her writing has also come a long way from the first novel, and even the second to be honest, I even forgot this was originally aimed at Middle Grade reading and not YA (not that YA readers won’t enjoy this either!)

Overall, a wonderful ending to a trilogy. I’ve been recommending the first novel since it came out for the artwork alone, but now that the series is wrapped up, I’ll be recommending it to all that like the gentle spooky Halloween reads (even though this one goes all the way through Thanksgiving).

I failed to realise that this was a graphic novel, which I don't normally read, and the second book in a series, although that didn't make much difference - but I loved the story! Super cute and touching in places, Delicates follows on from Sheets with Marjorie Glatt, who lives with her widowed father and younger brother and works in the family laundromat. Marjorie, who was a 'ghost' in the first novel, is now in with the popular crowd at school, but is still friends with Wendell the ghost - complete with sheet - and the other spirits who haunt the laundromat. We also meet Eliza, a neurodivergent young girl whose father is Coach Duncan, the lifeguard/swimming teacher at school. Eliza loves photography and is obsessed with capturing evidence of ghosts on film but gets called a weirdo and is desperately lonely.

After adjusting my Kindle to read the small text - although the artwork is still in black and white, and I'm now tempted to buy a copy of the book - I really enjoyed reading this one. The characters are easy to relate to and the dialogue feels natural. Also, I didn't really need to read the first instalment to understand what was going on, but I still might! Wendell and the other ghosts are sweet and I appreciate the (slightly heavy-handed) message about being invisible in your own life.

The perfect read to step into Autumn!

Wendell, the ghost, can't seem to find a way to fit in with the other ghosts in The Land of Ghosts, so he goes into the human world looking for a friend. Marjorie's mother has died and she is trying to keep her family and their business afloat, but her younger brother and grieving father aren't any help. When Nigel Saubertuck tries to take their property away, Marjorie must find a way to to hang on, but Wendell's presence isn't helping.

Sheets expertly tackles heavy themes such as, grief and belonging using the setting of a laundromat and characters that include ghosts. We feel for Marjorie as she tries to deal with the loss of her mother and a father who can't handle his heartbreak. The characters in this story are well developed and the plot is skillfully paced. Overall Sheets effectively handles difficult subjects in an entertaining way.½

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley.)

After a falling out with her friend group, Marjorie Glatt has more or less settled in to eighth grade. Her free time - now that her dad is beginning to emerge from his depression, she actually has some - is divided between her two best friends: Eliza, a talented photographer and resident "weird girl" at school; and Wendell, the ghost of an eleven-year-old boy who lives in her family's laundromat.

As his time in the Land of Humans lengthens, Wendell is beginning to wonder about his life - and death. His memories of both are foggy - is this because Wendell the boy has been forgotten in the Land of Humans? With the help of Marj and Liza, Wendell ventures outside of Glatt's Laundry in search of clues about his past. But the more the trio uncovers, the more Wendell's death begins to look not like an accident, but murder.

Meanwhile, Marjorie finds herself longing for more "normal" friends. Not because Wendell and Liza aren't great - they are! - but because they alone can't light up the many corners of her heart. Sometimes a kid just wants to sing karaoke at the top of her lungs while getting a pedicure, you know? But how can she justify letting Sid and Sasha back into her life when they hurt Liza so terribly?

LIGHTS is a satisfying conclusion to the SHEETS trilogy. It's got the same ooey, gooey center as DELICATES, exploring the horror and angst of the tween/teenage years with care and compassion. As with DELICATES, the title of LIGHTS hints at the Very Important Lesson the story imparts (don't worry, I won't spoil it, but it is executed masterfully); the final few pages are real tearjerkers. The murder mystery was an inspired touch; it allows us to meet Wendell as he was in life, before he became the adorable ghost we got to know and love in SHEETS.

And I have an especially soft spot for Liza - her deadpan humor, generally underwhelmed demeanor, and social misanthropy really speak to me. One of my favorite panels is the one in which Liza wonders if the ghost of a turkey can hang around to watch you eat them in a sandwich. File that one under "accidentally vegan (messages)".

Thummler's artwork is lovely, with one glaring exception - I still find the human faces kinda strange and icky looking. (They remind me of that scene in ONE CRAZY SUMMER: "If you make faces like that, and somebody slaps you on the back, you'll stay that way FOREVER!") I can honestly say that I prefer Wendell as a ghost - he's much cuter that way. Not to mention, it's amazing how much emotion Thummler can manifest on the face of a sheet ghost. Wendell slayed me with a single expression when Tierney asked his ghost how anyone could forget him. Like, instant reaction gif there.

(Content warning for bullying and suicide.)

Things have gotten weird for Marjorie since Wendell and his ghost friends helped her save her family's laundry. Over the summer, she and Colton went out on a few maybe-dates, and "Marjie May" eventually got absorbed into his friend group - led by none other than Tessi, her one-time nemesis. Now that she's part of the in crowd, Marjorie is extra-intent on keeping her secret - if anyone finds out that she can see ghosts, her high school rep will implode just as it's getting off the ground. The only problem? Even though she's surrounded by people, Marjorie still feels alone.

With his mortal bestie starting eighth grade, Wendell feels left behind. Desperate not to lose his connection to the "real" world, he starts venturing outside the laundromat. This is how he and Marjorie meet Eliza: Mr. Duncan's daughter and ghost hunter/photographer extraordinaire, who was held back last year despite her obvious intelligence. Eliza embraces her morbid, spooky side as enthusiastically as Marjorie tries to blend in. Unsurprisingly, Tessi and her clique descend on Eliza like sharks on a blood trail. Whereas Marjorie felt invisible last year, Eliza feels a little too raw and exposed - she longs for the anonymity of a sheet. When she's pushed to the breaking point, can Wendell and Marjorie come to the rescue in time?

I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed DELICATES even more than its predecessor, SHEETS. Thummler adeptly captures the ups and downs of middle school (and beyond: not all of these quandaries are exclusive to teenagers!), demonstrating empathy and compassion. I especially wanted to give Wendell a hug (ALL the hugs!), and I thought the ghost dance a brilliant idea. Much as with SHEETS, DELICATES is a celebration of weirdness, in all its forms.

My only complaint is the same with SHEETS: while I mostly found the artwork delightful - beautiful and sometimes a little melancholy - I really don't like how Thummler draws humans. Everyone has the same peculiar piggy nose. Maybe that's why I like Wendell so much - he has no face or body!

Wow, all the emotions. This series took me on a roller-coaster of feelings. I loved the ending of this book. Wendell is an amazing friend and he helped Marjorie become an amazing friend as well.

I am looking forward to reading more of Brenna Thummler's work in the future.

Well that was a lot of emotions to feel in one book. I love all of the lessons Marjorie learned in this book and that she put those lessons to use immediately to repair harm she had done, her friendships and relationships. I cannot wait to read Lights next.

Well that was a lot of emotions to feel in one book. I love all of the lessons Marjorie learned in this book and that she put those lessons to use immediately to repair harm she had done, her friendships and relationships. I cannot wait to read Lights next.

I loved every single thing about this graphic novel and I can't wait to actually buy it to add to my collection. I already downloaded volume 2, Delicates.

From the beginning I related to Marjorie, while I haven't lost a parent, I do know what it's like to feel like nothing goes right. The dynamic between Wendell and Marjorie was adorable and I enjoyed their interaction with each other. It seemed like they were brother and sister the way they fought due to the constant miscommunication. Marjorie's father needed to get his life together. His daughter is doing everything at the laundromat, trying to save it while going to school AND trying to grieve as well? Hopefully in the next installment they all get some therapy.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In this sequel to Sheets, the protagonist discovers that being part of a popular group of kids is more precarious than she imagined and fraught with moral dilemmas.

Universals: People are fragile. And no-one deserves to be hurt.

2.5, ok, ma niente di eccezionale ^^ La fine un po' frettolosa.

2.5 stars
This was just too depressing for me.
Marjorie deserves better. Everyone excedpt her and the ghosts, are trash.
I was hoping for a fun, quirky read but it was just so glum.

Sábanas es una historia delicada que habla de duelo, segundas oportunidades y amistades poco probables, pero, sobre todo, es una invitación a una lavandería bastante atípica en la que hasta las sábanas pueden cobrar vida.