Beautiful tale of a girl and a ghost who's chance encounter helps them both find a place to fit in and move on.

Sheets is adorable. I love the clean art and light pastel colors. The cover art is what grabbed my attention in the first place. This artist does such a great job.
I was a LITTLE confused by the main characters age. I'm still not sure how old she is, but by the end I kind of stopped carrying that I didn't know how old she was.
That support group for ghosts was SO.CUTE. I just love everything about this. Its light. Its happy, its adorable. Best of all, it was longer than I expected, so I got to enjoy the cute ghosts longer than I had thought I would.

Marjorie Glatt isn’t a typical 13-year-old. She carries a lot of responsibility on her shoulders, running her family’s laundry business while suffering through middle school. Marjorie feels alone after the death of her mother. Sadly, her father is unable to provide any support, as he is lost in a depression that locks him in his room most of the day.
Marj meets Wendell, a ghost who also feels invisible. He is sweet and turns out to be the inspiration she needs to save her family.
For me, the story started off strong- pulling me in, and even making me laugh out loud. “Grown-ups are skilled at making terrible things seem great..... Mr. Saubertuck uses phrases like ‘cleanse the mind’,’ which I’m guessing translates to lobotomy.” p.58 Slowly the writing tapered off for me... I felt the plot lacked something... and the rising action fell flat when it came to the tidy and contrived ending. However, the mesmerizing art made up for the basic storyline- so I plan on purchasing this one for our school library.

Marjorie is a shy girl, who runs her deceased mother's laundry business. Wendell is a ghost who feels out of place in the afterlife, and runs away to visit the human world. When Marjorie's business is threatened by an enterprising businessman, only other-worldly help will save the laundromat and heal Marjorie's grieving heart.

The friendship between Marjorie and Wendell is so hilarious and weird! I love that they are both damaged and lost, but they find their way together.
The story shows a vivid picture of the grieving process, with all the ugliness and messiness that entails, but also gives hope to the characters and shows them healing and coming together.

I really enjoyed the scenes from the Land of Ghosts, where Wendell attends a support group for Dead Youth Empathetics. It was hilarious and interesting! The ghosts have their little homes, and their activities, and they hang out at the bath house to wash their sheets. I love the imaginative world-building!

I loved Marjorie's swim teacher at school! He's funny and dorky, and a kind teacher. It showed that Marjorie has people who like her and care about her, and will protect her against the bullies. His character really added depth to the story, and gave weight to Marjorie's life outside her family.

I adore Marjorie's little brother! He's such a cute little guy, and his silly childishness gave some levity to the story.

Marjorie herself is a beautiful main character. She is so strong in her own quiet way. She is holding her family together, running her own business, and keeping up with school, taking care of her little brother, and she does it all with kindness and grace. I immediately felt a connection to her, and cared about her story.

One of the things I loved about this book was the emphasis on music! Marjorie has memories of playing the piano with her mother, and it has become a deep connection to her happy past. Music can have a lasting impact on us, and is a way of bringing healing and restoration to a hurting soul. Marjorie plays the piano and Wendell is attracted to the sound, bringing them together.

A hauntingly beautiful and sweet story with a perfect blend of seriousness and silliness! I love it from start to finish!


Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Actual rating: 3,5 stars!

Such a lovely, lovely story, with themes like grief, isolation, and hard work that seems to be for naught but isn't. While the story is mostly slice-of-life, the supernatural element gives it an extra bit of pizzazz, but also makes it more... childish, I think? It's probably the way that the Ghost World operates, which does feel like the way a child would imagine it as.

But still, the story was lovely, and the art that accompanied it was more than beautiful. Everything, from the art style to the lineart to the colour choices, is spectacular. It's clear that a lot of work went into it, and I was very impressed with it.

I'm very happy I chose this graphic novel to read today.

The artwork and style of sequential artwork is the real magnificent portion of this book. At times I felt the actual storyline was contrived and read like a bad 90s movie with a predictable plot and little character development. Overall, just okay for me but the artist is a magnificent.

Marjorie Glatt, 13, has lost her mother and is dealing with a dysfunctional father. At the same time, she is trying to maintain the family laundry business. That's quite a lot on her plate, especially when a no-good neighbor is attempting to close the place down.
At the same Marjorie is experiencing her difficulties, Wendell, a young boy ghost, is trying to come to terms with being a ghost. Their lives become intertwined and, a first, it seems that their relationship is a bust. However, as they get to know each other, they realize they have more in common and their friendship is just what both of them need to survive in their respective worlds.
Besides exploring the mystery of death and presenting it in a soothing and calming way, the friendship that develops between the two characters is lovely. There's so much depth to this book and intermingled with the humor, it's sure to be a popular one!

I loved the artwork in this graphic novel! I found the main character highly relatable and I love the whole idea of the what went on in the land of Ghosts! A very heartwarming story!

I voluntarily read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I have to admit that I only shelved this in my TBR because of that cute cover! And this turned out to be a real surprise for me.

Sheets is a story of a ghost wanting to fit in and a girl struggling to make ends meet for her family by solely running their laundry shop. For a graphic novel filled with cotton candy colors and soft touches, this sure has a lot of melancholic undertones. Pink and blue hues fill the frames but the story narrates a sad one. The perfect contrast is shown in this graphic novel. I really felt the characters' need for affection, and to find it in each other so unexpectedly. The story was a gloomy one despite the vibrant colors, yet it narrated a beautiful story. Yes, it started off with sad undertones but later on, it came out well in the end. The one thing I don't like here is the problematic nature of her father. This graphic novel is recommended for those who love a subtle pop of color and a light read!

This middle grade graphic novel follows the story of a young, sad, and lonely human-girl, Marjorie, and a young, sad, and lonely sheet-ghost, Wendell. It’s a quick, ingenuitive, and pleasant read but not quite anything to write home about.

The book shifts between Land of Humans and the Land of Ghosts, drifting in between art styles in a manner that’s easy on the eyes and also easy to follow plot-wise. I prefered the muted colours of the ghost world and the simplicity of the ghost figures to the brighter pallet and odd-looking characters of the human world. However, the large landscape pieces and gorgeous details in each Land are stunning and are the real heart of this short graphic novel.

I loved the aspects of parallel narrative that Thummler wove between her two main characters: Marjorie, with her distant father, dead mother and a laundromat to look after, and Wendell, with his extravagant lies, huge imagination and a need for friendship. These appeared in the form of small details such as a simple song or a nervous habit but also served as a greater thematic device to carry the story forward or shine light on important motifs.

The plot is quite simple but enough occurs to drive the story forward. The story was short and there were a few instances of unrealistic and unexplained character motivations (particularly toward the end of the book), so it felt as if the plot was more of a background to allow the artwork and her main characters to take the center stage. However, even the relationship between Marjorie and Wendell was forced at times and there was not enough development--or at least, realistic development--to really get across the message of friendship and belonging.

This story is mundane and sombre, yet despite the often basic ideas or sad themes it touches upon it still managed to put a smile on my face. This was due in part to the pure innocence of Wendell as well as the little bits of humor tucked away into the pretty corners of comic panels.

Sheets is a cute, simple, yet imaginative novel, told through beautiful artwork and relatable characters. However, decisions that often seemed to come out of nowhere and an abrupt ending did little to help its unremarkable plot. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who’s in need of a light read and enjoy story telling fit for middle grade: exactly what this graphic novel was intended for.
If you pick this title up I suggest--if you have the means to--reading it as a physical copy. Graphic novels benefit greatly from printed ink and pages; something I missed out on while reading an e-version of Sheets.

****Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.****



I did not know anything about this graphic novel going into it and I think it was a pretty good it kind of shows how the loss of a parent affects the whole family. At the beginning it made me upset and angry to see how the dad was so upset over the loss of his wife that he completely ignored his children and the business. I think Marjorie was awesome for trying to handle the business and taking care of her little brother and the dad on top of everything she had going on at school. I really enjoyed it.

This book is beautiful. The art style makes me want to blow up panels and hang them on my wall. I love the pallet and want to gush about the art all day long. 5 stars for the art!

Unfortunate I did not feel as positive about the story. There would be pages where I thought the story was coming together, then something would happen and it would feel rushed or too convenient, I don't know exactly, but it did not flow throughout. I wanted to like it because the I liked the concept and it is a sweet story, but it was only OK. It is by no means bad, just OK.

**Thanks again to NetGalley for this digital edition lent to my tablet**

I try to pick up graphic novels I think my 9 yr old will enjoy. He's all about the Smile books, doesn't even phase him that the main characters are all girls. He just loves those heartfelt stories. Yeah, Ivan! He likes that we can share a book. And we both loved this one!

The main character is reeling from the loss of her mother. She is trying to keep the family business going, and keep her family together all while being a middle school student. She is running a laundry. And then guess what?

Yeah, ghosts...seriously great story about loss and adversity. You just have to read this one! Plus the graphics were amazing, the colors are few but they just pop!

Marjorie feels like a ghost. After her mother's unexpected death, her father ignores her and her younger brother and sits depressed in his room, no adults help her in running her family laundromat, and she is frequently bullied by the other girls in school.

Wendell is a ghost, albeit one who is in denial. He tells fantastic stories to the other ghosts about his life and how he died, but no one believes him. He wants to feel like he's alive again and decides to take a train out of the land of ghosts back to the land of the living.

This beautiful graphic novel by Brenna Thummler has stunning graphics and a fun storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning and middle of the novel, but I had a small (but I think important) problem about the conclusion of the story. It was the there was a (I think unneeded) part where one of the popular guys in school ends up asking Marj out for a date after the whole laundromat situation is solved. I think Thummler was trying to show that Marj was doing OK, and that she was starting to move on after her mother's death. However, I had a problem with the fact that Thummler makes it seem that a girl can't really move on until she had some boy like her, or that having a boy liking her back is indicative of finally being happy after a traumatic event in her life. Why couldn't she keep Marj as the strong independent girl who (with the help of the ghost friends and her family) was able to go through this difficult time in her life? Why did she need a boy in the end? Keep in mind, she's only in junior high school (I'm assuming because there was a part where the popular girls were giggling about there being high schoolers at an upcoming Halloween party), she really doesn't need a boy to tell her that her life is finally going her way.

In the end, I think that the art merged beautifully with the story and invoked a sense of nostalgia and innocence, even in Marj's difficult circumstances. It was a great story about acceptance, friendship, and moving on. I highly recommend this book to everyone, even with the small hiccup about the boy.

Such a perfect evocation of mundanity, I gave up at a third of the way through. Ghosts or no ghosts, bugger all had happened.

I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It deals with a variety of topics, including (but not limited to) grieving over the loss of a parent.

It loses a star for loose ends. (Too many spoilers if I start listing them.)

I was utterly charmed by this graphic novel. The drawings are breathtaking (the colouring especially) and the storyline really sweet and touching. I felt for Marjorie from the very beginning, and though she should really have called the police on Nigel the first time he trespassed, as a 13-year-old with an absent father, I can understand why that didn't happen.

Wendell grated on my nerves at first, but as we got to know him better, I started understanding why he acted out the way he did. He did seem somewhat younger than his 11 years, but I'm willing to blame being dead for reverting to a younger childhood.

I loved the end and how the laundrette did become a "spa" after all.

This book is beautiful. The illustrations are great, and the color pallet sets the tone. It’s a depressed color palette in cool greens and blues. It fits the story as Marj is depressed. She’s a teenage taking care of her brother, father, and the family laundromat after her mother's passing. And an conniving neighbor is doing his best to put her out of business. Thrown into this story are ghosts. Ghosts in sheets. It’s the only way they can have a form. But they are rarely seen in the real world, until now. I found this book sad and lonely to begin with, but you make the trip with the characters to finding a happier tomorrow. It works, and deserves the advanced praise it is receiving.

Pude leer este libro gracias a Netgalley.

Comencé a leer el libro sin grandes expectativas - de hecho es la primera novela gráfica de la
Autora- pero desde que comencé la lectura el mensaje emotivo que nos comparte la autora
hizo que me enamorara de la historia.

Marjorie debe hacerse cargo de su familia a tan corta edad debido a la repentina muerte de su madre la primavera pasada. Ella es una chica algo triste que pasa sus días atendiendo la lavandería (el negocio que originalmente era de su mama) la escuela y demás tareas de la casa, aunado a esto debe soportar los clientes prepotentes y a el Sr. Mostacho que acosa su negocio constantemente tratando de convencerla de traspasarlo. Pero la vida de Marjorie dará un giro tremendo al percatarse de una serie de eventos extraños que suceden durante la noche en la lavandería, una noche conoce a Wendell, ella al principio no lo trata muy bien ya que piensa que es una broma para arruinar el negocio pero después de varios encuentros se da cuenta que es un fantasma de verdad. Wendell es un fantasma que se niega rotundamente aceptar que está muerto y viaja al mundo de los humanos para sentirse un poco más vivo y allí es donde conoce a Marjorie con quien trata de forjar una bonita amistad.

La premisa se lee un tanto sencilla pero en realidad es un libro que nos habla de la resignación, por un lado tenemos a Marjorie que no puede superar la pérdida de su madre y que poco a poco con ayuda de la amistad de Wendell mejora y ve una luz dentro de su mundo oscuro. Del otro lado tenemos a Wendel (mi personaje favorito) que es un niño que muere de forma repentina y el cual no quiere aceptar que está muerto, porque según él, la vida en el mundo humano es más diversa y divertida que en el mundo de los fantasmas, juntos aprenderán sobre la vida y la muerte como un proceso natural en los seres humanos.

Los personajes son muy humanos, el dibujo es increíble ya que tiene el lado caricaturesco sin dejar de lado el estilo propio del artista.

Sin duda una novela que merece ser leída y recomendada para reflexionar sobre el valor de la vida.

It has been a while since I read/reviewed a comic/graphic novel. This book was available in the NetGalley Read Now section and decided it may be a good time to catch up. 

This is a very quaint book, it has Marjorie a lonely girl trying to come to terms with the loss of her mother, and the running of a laundromat. In another realm, we have ghostland(yes, it is that sort of book) with ghosts being covered in sheets and one little ghost has set out on an adventure into the land of the living without permission. He stumbles into the laundry and oversees the plot to force a takeover of the laundromat. There is an unlikely alliance formed which leads to the triumph of good over evil. The villain is a little weird and the drawings are very nice, you feel for all the characters. This book is a good read for those looking to try something small and different.