Book Review :: Sheets Series by Brenna Thummler
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The Sheets graphic novel series by Brenna Thummler is adorable. It revolves around the life of Marjorie Glatt, a teenager basically managing her family’s laundry business. Her world collides with that of Wendell, a young ghost seeking purpose in the human world. Just as cute as it sounds, I can assure you.
Each book builds on the last, and while you could read Sheets without continuing with the rest of the graphic novel series, Delicates and Lights are very cute too, and if you’ve read Sheets then you might as well pick up the next ones, too.
Here’s a bit of a breakdown of each of the books, without spoilers.
Sheets by Brenna Thummler
ISBN: 194130267X
Series: Sheets #1
on 28 August 2018
Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels
Pages: 239
Goodreads
Marjorie Glatt feels like a ghost. A practical thirteen year old in charge of the family laundry business, her daily routine features unforgiving customers, unbearable P.E. classes, and the fastidious Mr. Saubertuck who is committed to destroying everything she’s worked for.
Wendell is a ghost. A boy who lost his life much too young, his daily routine features ineffective death therapy, a sheet-dependent identity, and a dangerous need to seek purpose in the forbidden human world.
When their worlds collide, Marjorie is confronted by unexplainable disasters as Wendell transforms Glatt’s Laundry into his midnight playground, appearing as a mere sheet during the day. While Wendell attempts to create a new afterlife for himself, he unknowingly sabotages the life that Marjorie is struggling to maintain.
What is Sheets by Brenna Thummler about?
We kick of the series by Brenna Thummler with Sheets which came out in 2018. Marjorie meets Wendall the ghost for the first time (who literally looks like a sheet). Wendall lives in the laundromat that Marjorie and her dad run.
We learn that Majorie’s mother passed away a little before our story begins, and her dad is still trying to come to grip with it. That leaves Majorie to pretty much run the laundromat.
She doesn’t have many friends, doesn’t love school, and spends a lot of time running the shop. But that does mean that she spends a lot of time with Wendall and hearing a little bit of (what he remembers about) his story.
Delicates by Brenna Thummler
ISBN: 1620107880
Series: Sheets #2
on 23 March 2021
Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels
Pages: 317
Goodreads
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.
Eliza Duncan feels invisible too. She’s an avid photographer, and her zealous interest in finding and photographing ghosts gets her labeled as “different” by all the other kids in school. Constantly feeling on the outside, Eliza begins to feel like a ghost herself. Marjorie must soon come to terms with the price she pays to be accepted by the popular kids. Is it worth losing Wendell? Is she partially to blame for the bullying Eliza endures?
What is Delicates by Brenna Thummler about?
When we get to Delicates, Marjorie and Wendall are good friends. We’re introduced to a new character, Eliza, who, while she isn’t a ghost, feels like one. Eliza is an avid photographer, though, and has set out to try and p[photograph ghosts. Needless to say, she’s ostracized by her peers for being ‘different’, but when she catches Marjorie ‘talking to herself’, Majorie has to work hard to make sure that she keeps Wendell a secret from Eliza but also her peers. Which proves to be challenging.
In Delicates, there are themes of bullying and high-school teasing. where Sheets was more about the friendship between a girl and the ghost haunting her laundromat, Delicates leans into the growing friendships between two human teenagers, and what that means for Marjorie and Wendell.
Lights by Brenna Thummler
ISBN: 1637152310
Series: Sheets #3
on 5 September 2023
Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels
Goodreads
Marjorie Glatt’s life was forever changed the day she discovered a group of ghosts hiding in her family’s laundromat. One of those ghosts was a lonely phantom turned Marjorie’s best friend. When he and Marjorie are joined by ghost-enthusiast Eliza Duncan, the three friends band together in friendship, bravery, and all things paranormal.
Wendell died far too young and now must wander the Land of Humans with nothing more than a sheet for a body. He knows how he died—a tragic drowning accident—but lately he’s grown curious about his past life. He wants to know more about why he died, not just how he died. It’s not easy, though, since Wendell’s memory of his human life has grown increasingly blurry. With Marjorie and Eliza’s help, they set out on a journey to find out more. When they hear a rumor about Wendell’s death, they wonder if it might not have been an accident after all. Meanwhile, Marjorie and Eliza’s friendship is tested when Marjorie starts to befriend the very people who used to bully Eliza.
In the third and final installment of the Sheets trilogy, Wendell will finally uncover the truth of his human life. Marjorie and Eliza will learn that some people really can change. Most of all, they start to see that everything can cast shadows, but if you look hard enough, you can find the light.
What is Lights by Brenna Thummler about?
In the Sheets finale, Lights, Majorie and Eliza have become good friends, and, along with Wendell, the trio to figure out how it was that Wendell died and become a ghost. He died far too young, and now is wandering the Lands of Humans with only a sheet for a body. They know how he died – drowning – but Wendell was never sure, beyond that, what really happened.
So the three of them make it their mission to find out. When they hear a rumour that it might not have been an accident, the game really is afoot. While friendships and loyalties are tested, it’s a beautiful way to finish up what is a lovely graphic novel series.
Overall thoughts on the Sheets series by Brenna Thummler
I really enjoyed the Sheets trilogy. It’s not often that I read a graphic novel that also has multiple books in it. There have been a few over the years, like Heartstopper by Alice Oseman, but more often than not, I read a graphic novel like Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks and that’s a one-off. It’s nice to have read a longer story that spanned multiple books.