Member Reviews
4.5/5 Stars
Each book in this series is better than the last!
“Lights” is the outstanding finale to the “Sheets” graphic novel series, a heartwarming set of stories about a lonely ghost and grieving teenager who become friends when they need each other most.
Like the other two books in this series, “Lights” alternates between two main narratives. One part of the story focuses on how Marjorie must navigate her new friendship with Eliza, while remaining true to herself and the other relationships in her life. The other part delves into Wendell the Ghost’s human life, as he, Marjorie, and Eliza search for the answer as to why he died.
As always, the art style is gorgeous. “Lights” is set during early winter, and I absolutely adored seeing Brenna Thummler’s usual stunning illustrations set against a snowy backdrop! Multiple design choices, but most notably the colour palette, add so much to the story, setting the scene and truly allowing readers to immerse themselves in the story. The whole series is illustrated very well, but “Lights” includes, by far, my favourite images out of the three books.
“Lights” also includes more of my favourite character – Wendell, the super adorable ghost! It was such a pleasure to learn about his human life, if a little heartbreaking at times. This book is slower than the first two, especially when delving into these Wendell scenes, but I really appreciate this change in pace. The time the story takes to unfold feels very natural and allows readers a chance to say a proper goodbye to the characters.
Without going too much into detail, at risk of spoiling the plot, I also really appreciated Marjorie’s main storyline, which revolves around juggling multiple friendships. This is the kind of story I really wish I had consumed as a teenager, when having different friend groups felt like such a betrayal.
Overall, I have to say that “Lights” is my favorite installment of the “Sheets” series!
First of all I want to thank netgalley for providing me with the third volume of this graphic novel.
I have to be honest, I did not notice that it is the third part, I thought it was an independent volume, but no, it was not difficult for me to understand the story, like other times that I have mistakenly requested sequels.
In this third part, he tells us about how Wendell dies, and how Marjorie and Eliza's relationship evolves, how Marjorie socializes again but she must not leave Eliza aside, but it will be complicated, since she begins to relate to the bullies in this They should also not put aside helping Wendell since he wants to know what really happened to him.
I can't say more since everything I say will be a spoiler, just to say that read this story but don't be like me, read it in order, respect the order, it is also readable on its own, but it helps to have context for the relationships past.
I give it a 4 out of 5 stars
I rarely give 5/5 stars to books, but... OMG! "Lights" was the perfect conclusion to this graphic novel trilogy... although I'm sad to see it end.
In this final installment, Marjorie and Eliza help Wendell discover the truth about his past, and how he died.
I absolutely loved seeing Wendell's backstory through short flashbacks interjected throughout the book. It felt like we were experiencing it at the same time as him (because he was slowly regaining his memory).
The ending was truly tragic and heartwrenching. It's pretty miraculous, really, how all 3 of these books have made me cry.
I almost feel like there's a found family dynamic between Wendell and Marjorie, that's been building up until now. It's like, they would do anything for each other.
That's all I can manage to say right now (right after finishing the book), but I really loved this series. I want to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Final rating: 5/5
As I delved into Lights, the captivating conclusion to the beloved Ghosts trilogy by Brenna Thummler, I was drawn back into the enchanting world of Marjorie, Wendell the ghost, and Eliza. The story follows their heartwarming journey to uncover the secrets of Wendell's past life, adding a touch of mystery and adventure to the mix.
Thummler's masterful storytelling handles heavy themes with a delicate touch, exploring the complexities of compromise, friendship, and grief. The characters are imperfect, relatable, and deeply endearing, making their journey even more engaging. As they face both paranormal and real-life challenges, the trio's bond is put to the test, and Thummler weaves a tale that captures the essence of middle-grade emotions.
Wendell's story, in particular, is a beautiful exploration of self-discovery and acceptance. As the mysteries unfold, the satisfying conclusion ties everything together, leaving me fulfilled.
This was an emotional and evocative conclusion to the Sheets series. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Wendell's closure and his story, his character is so loveable and this added to his likeability as a character. I struggled with Eliza's character, I feel that although she is portrayed well and is a good example of representation for not only POC but for mental health as well however I don't warm to her character. I appreciated seeing the growth of Marjorie throughout the series and here we can see her grow even more as a person and she is a good example for teens as she demonstrates a lot of internal conflict when trying to not only find yourself but also find out who your friends are.
Something I find so powerful about the Sheets series and about Lights in particular is the representation of grief and the impact it has on people. Lights was able to show how not only different people respond to grief but also who is effected by grief, it was also interesting to see how Wendell reacts to his own death and grieving for his life.
Lights is just gorgeous!
The ending to the story began in Sheets and Delicates, we follow our characters through their final year in middle school, solving the mystery of why Wendell died and discovering more about friendships in the process. This graphic novel is bittersweet and slightly hopeful and really gets to the heart of what it is like being a young teen.
I really enjoyed it, once again the illustrations are beautiful and whimsical and the story is solid. No criticism here, I will be buying it when it is released.
I don’t really like the art style of this series but the story really carries it for me. I nearly cried so many times. However, Eliza was annoying the h out of me for way too long. Your friends are allowed to have friends of their own!! I still girly recommend the series though.
Little heads up this one takes place during the end of fall and winter.
4.5 ⭐
first of all thank you SO much to OniPress and Netgalley for a copy of the arc in exchange for an honest review 🥹
This one hit me in the feels so hard. Wendell is just such a sweet character and I absolutely adored finding out how he died and seeing more into his short life. We continued to grow with the characters as they discover more about themselves and what friendship really means. I was tearing up at the end, such an amazing and wholesome trilogy that I would recommend to everyone of all ages!
Pub date: September 5th, 2023 !!
The third and final book in the Sheets trilogy! This was definitely my least favorite out of all three books, but I still fancied it and think it was a beautiful way to tie up the series.
Reasoned I liked it:
- FINALLY getting Wendall's story was everything we've been wanting this whole time. Loved that for him and us!
- I love when any book brings in holiday elements and we get both Thanksgiving and Christmas in this one. So cozy, inviting, and warm. Can you tell I'm over summer????
- A good conclusion!!!! So many series finales (especially GNs I've noticed) leave too many unanswered questions or end on cliffhangers. This wrapped up so beautifully and every single character really had their own moment. Appreciated that SO much!
Reasons I disliked it:
- The pacing!!!!! This is a LONG graphic novel for what it is. I truly believe a lot of it could have been cut or condensed, especially considering this is middle grade and kids just don't have that kind of attention span these days lolol. It honestly DRAGGED until around the 60% mark.
- The graphics have never really been my favorite in this series, but I love the concept and storyline so much that I've always let it go. Art is obviously subjective though so you may totally love it and that's completely fine!!! Don't let this persuade you away from it. It just isn't my personal taste.
-Marjorie, our MC, is still SO annoying. And I get it! She's realistic, especially for a kid in middle school, and she's trying to figure herself out. But she's just kinda selfish and rude which I do not like at ALL. Eliza and Wendall for the win!
Overall, I enjoyed this and I'm happy to have read this series! It's cute, heartwrenching and warming all at the same time, and definitely cozy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for a DRC. All thoughts and opinions are, as always, my very own.
I’m so sad this was the last volume! But what a way to end it.
Very happy we got Wendell’s story and the closure it deserved.
Heartwarming with a touch of bittersweet, glad I got to experience this wonderful trilogy!
Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press
5/5 ⭐️
Thank you netgalley for this arc. 4.25 stars. I didn’t realize this was the last one😭. Wendell is adorable 🥲🥲🥲. I really liked the plot in this one, and now I’m so sad😭. It was a happy ending, yet I hurt.
This ending was PEFFECT!! (I might’ve teared up a little). I was slightly concerned about the ending to this series as I didn’t know this was the final volume until about halfway through, but it was very satisfying. It wasn’t just focused on ending the story but does so very well.
Thank you for the publisher and Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I love this series, and as the other two volume, this was also humorous, heartbreaking and fun at the same time. I think this was a nice closure to the trilogy, it teaches you forgiveness and I loved these pastel colours too, the art style is very unique.
The conclusion to Sheets was unexpected (I did not know it was going to be a trilogy) but very fulfilling in terms of answering questions and giving a warm and cozy ending to the characters. We get to learn how Wendell became a ghost and what happened to his loved ones. The story involves a light mystery that never goes too dark, all puns intended. We get to see Marjorie and Eliza's friendship continue to develop, as they experience growing pains with Eliza struggling to come to terms that Marjorie has other friends and other interests. While it makes me sad there will be no more Sheets stories to come, it was a heartwarming conclusion that gave everyone the best ending possible. This series comes highly recommended, the unique colorful palette of the art helps balance some very deep life lessons and gut wrenching moments about life and loss.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.
I haven’t read the other books and I started with this one, but I now know why this series is so loved. I will definitely pick up the other ones as well, such a quick read and such a lovely story ! Lights is everything you need on a bad day. Get your hot chocolate, slip under your blanket, and read this, please. You won’t regret it !
The third and concluding graphic novel in Brenna Thummler’s ghostly series that began with Sheets and continued with Delicates, more than holds up the excellence established by the two prior volumes. On the cusp of high school, Marjorie is dealing with friendships both old and new, and how to toggle between the two (or does she need to?). The spine of the story is ghost Wendell’s need to go on a quest to find out just how he died – was it an accident or something else? Marjorie’s musing about how much power the dark has over the light, and how hard it is to create light, might seem headed down a gloomy path, but it’s a waypoint on her realization that the light does exist, in the memories of times with her mother (now gone), as well as connections with her family and friends. There are twists and turns on the journey, as well as some chilling moments, but all turns out well in the end, albeit just a touch bittersweet. Highly recommended.
A really sweet ending to the series. We finally get a conclusion to Wendell's story and Marjorie learns more about balancing friendships as she is about to move up to high school. Same art style as the earlier instalments, this is a really big graphic novel with a lot of art pages.
A very cute graphic novel with fun and colorful illustrations.
This us the third installment in the series and to give the brief synopsis it talks about a ghost Wendell who lives in Marjorie's laundromat who becomes her best friend.
Now in this book they explore Wendell's background and Eliza and Marjorie try to solve the murder mystery of Wendell. This graphic novel how friendships are effected when new friends are added to the equation.
Finally this graphic novel explores friendship with a hint of mystery.
I received this arc from the publisher at NetGalley
Lights is another amazing installment in the Sheets series. I loved getting to learn more about Wendell's past and where he comes from. This is a must read for fans of the first two titles. A first purchase for all YA graphic novel collections!
The ending to the Sheets trilogy. This was such a beautiful series and I am so glad I got to read them. I adore Wendall and Marj is going to become such a wonderful human! This whole series touches on some amazing story lines throughout and I cannot wait to add them to my classroom library.