ENGLISH
« It's much harder to create light than it is to extinguish it. »

First of all, the graphics are really nice to look at. The characters are funny and realistic. The story is easy to follow and to understand.

We follow Marjorie, with her friends Eliza and Wendell. Wendell is a ghost who lives in her house laundromat (with a bunch of other ghosts). Wendell, who died after a drowing accident. He wants to know why he died, why he was forgotten by people, he wants to reminisce his life when he was an alive kid. Marjorie wants to help him. And so Eliza.

Their investigation starts on November 17th, on Marjorie's birthday. Wendell joins them at school, in afternoon, and together they go to where he was supposed to live when he was alive : on Amber Road. The lady the met say that according to some rumors, Wendell's death wasn't an accident...

Throughout the book, we can see some memories of Wendell about his past life. Will you be able to find out the truth before our little ghostbusters ?


Thanks to Netgalley and to OniPress for this press release !


FRENCH
"Il est bien plus difficile de créer la lumière que de l'éteindre."

Tout d'abord, les graphismes sont vraiment agréables à regarder. Les personnages sont drôles et réalistes. L'histoire est facile à suivre et à comprendre.

Nous suivons Marjorie, avec ses amis Eliza et Wendell. Wendell est un fantôme qui vit dans la laverie de sa maison (avec un tas d'autres fantômes). Wendell, décédé des suites d'un accident de noyade. Il veut savoir pourquoi il est mort, pourquoi il a été oublié par les gens, il veut se remémorer sa vie quand il était un enfant vivant. Marjorie veut l'aider. Et donc Élisa.

Leur enquête commence le 17 novembre, le jour de l'anniversaire de Marjorie. Wendell les rejoint à l'école, l'après-midi, et ensemble ils se rendent là où il était censé habiter de son vivant : sur Amber Road.
La dame rencontrée dit que selon certaines rumeurs, la mort de Wendell n'était pas un accident...

Tout au long du livre, on peut voir quelques souvenirs de Wendell sur sa vie passée. Saurez-vous découvrir la vérité avant nos petits chasseurs de fantômes ?

Merci à Netgalley et Onipress pour ce SP !

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving my request of this lovely arc.

Thummler's work was one of the first stories that got me back into reading graphic novels. I had read Sheets back in 2019 and fell in love with the art style along with the cozy but emotional story it had to offer. When I found out that Lights was being released and sent my request in, I reread the first two stories to make sure I wouldn't miss any details that it may call back on, I'm glad I did that because it was just like reading it for the first time.

Eliza's growth between Delicates and Lights is something that I admire, her advocacy for herself in how other characters own up to their mistakes was well handled. Marjorie's growth as well in learning how to be present for others and for herself was beautiful. And Wendell, I was wondering if things would get resolved in his storyline and that was bittersweet, I knew it would be a sad reveal but it was dealt with as much care as possible.

I look forward to whatever story Thummler creates next and I know I will care for it as much as I cared for this trilogy.

Lights

By: Brenna Thummler

Publish Date: 05 September 2023

Publisher: Oni Press

Children’s fiction/comics, graphic novels, manga’s/ middle grade

#Lights#NetGalley

100 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader

I would like to thank both NetGalley and Oni Press for allowing me to read and review this graphic novel.

Good Reads Synopsis:

The third book in the “Sheets” trilogy.

Following Brenna Thummler’s bestselling and critically acclaimed graphic novels Sheets and Delicates, Marjorie, Eliza, and Wendell the ghost are back to uncover the secrets of Wendell’s human life in the third and final heartwarming installment of the Sheets trilogy.

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 Wendell: 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.

Book Review:

Like Good reads says this is the third and final book in the Sheets series. I have really enjoyed this series. This is the second book in the series that I have been allowed to review. This book is about mostly about Wendell. He can’t remember how he died, and he wants to know how he died so he asks Marjorie to help him. There isn’t much in the papers, so they have to go back to places and the people who know him before his passing. There still isn’t a whole of information so now it is a challenge. Along the way Marjorie is starting to come out of her shell and is making friends and finally having some fun. The pictures are great, and you can really feel the spirit they were trying to go for by trying to make things haunted. I’m not too much into ghost stories but this one really did it for me. I gave the book 4 stars and highly recommend the series.

Another absolutely cute graphic novel in this series! I love them so much and can’t wait for more!! Such a heartwarming series and I love the illustrations!

My favorite of the trilogy! Wendell is my favorite character in the series, so I was immediately excited that this volume focuses on his story. Additionally, now Marjorie and Eliza have an established friendship but are also still navigating how to be friends. This volume felt like an emotional Scooby Doo almost, where they are all trying to figure out the mystery of how Wendell died. The artwork of course is phenomenal just like the previous two. I felt like this was the perfect ending of the trilogy and makes me love the first two even more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

My thoughts: WHY DID IT HAVE TO END????
THIS SERIES IS JUST PERFECT. The 3rd installment has definitely left me with a bittersweet feeling.

This was a very well done conclusion to the trilogy and a fitting end to the story.
Color palette and art style are delightful. full review on my goodreads

This was such a fun and cute story! It’s easy to read but with a great deeper layer and meaning behind it. It took me a little time to get into the story, but once i was it was so good. Read most of the book in one sitting.
The drawing style is gorgeous and i kept being blown away by how beautiful it all looked.

This ARC was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This graphic novel was such a fast read for me. I have adored reading this series so far. One of the main things I love about this series is the graphics. The colors are my favorite. The story line to this graphic novel was so heartwarming and includes so many important topics. If you are looking for a fun, lighthearted read definitely pick this one up!

In a Nutshell: A nice finish to the trilogy, though it takes a while to get going. As the focus is on Wendell, I was motivated to read on.

Story Synopsis:
The plot takes place immediately after the events of the second book.
Marjorie and Eliza are still stumbling into being friends. And Wendell is still trying to come to terms with Marjorie having more friends in her life. But all three are united in one idea – they need to find out more about Wendell’s death as his memory of his human life is growing hazy. Eliza’s ghostly interests and Marjorie’s sincerity might just provide a resolution, but things turn somewhat problematic when Marjorie becomes friends with two girls who used to bully Eliza.

The storyline is almost as strong as it was in Sheets, the first book of this series. However, the pacing is more like it was in the second book – Delicates, which is why we need to have a lot of patience in the first half of the book.

‘Delicates’ made the mistake of putting Wendell’s track on the backburner, but ‘Lights’ shines the spotlight (or maybe, the ghostlight) on him yet again, thereby immediately enhancing the impact of the story. Wendell’s spirit [pun intended] is captured beautifully, especially in the backstories where his childhood adventures and imaginative mind are displayed. I wish we could have had some kind of closure regarding Wendell’s family, but all mysteries in life aren’t meant to be sorted out, and the end of his track as is, is heartwarming though bittersweet.

Marjorie is somewhat better in this book as compared to the earlier book, but only in the second half. The initial pages see her exactly as she was in ‘Delicates’, caught between two friends and lying to each of them in a silly attempt to keep them satisfied, but ending up hurting their feelings anyway. The change in her attitude occurs after she asks her dad for advice when she feels stuck. I hope kids see a little lesson in that. Most parents are happy to help or guide you and all you need to do is ask. Compromising on your feelings to keep friends happy is never a solution. Eliza also learns some great lessons courtesy her dad. I loved the line he tells her about being supportive working both ways. Both the dads have minimal roles in this book, but they end up leaving their mark.

While there are no major dark themes this time around unlike the first two editions, there are still plenty of emotional moments. Through Marjorie’s dilemma of choosing between her friends and Eliza’s conundrums over fitting in, we also get some nice thoughts and quotable quotes to mull over.

The illustrations, while not that impressive in the first two books as well, are really disappointing this time around. It was so tough for me to believe that most characters in this book were teenagers. The faces are not convincing at all. Marjorie’s hair is also quite weird. This is one graphic novel series where the plot has remained my main motivator to move ahead. Then again, art is always a subjective taste, so maybe these graphics will work exceptionally with other readers.

For me, this was a good finale to the series, and should make fans happy if they can keep their patience with the slower first half. The story generates a variety of emotions, ranging from laughter to tears, and the climax makes the journey worthwhile.

Recommended only to those who have read and enjoyed the first two volumes as this is not a standalone.

3.5 stars. (Rounding down because I genuinely hated the illustrations except for Wendell and the ghost gang.)

My thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “Lights”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Brenna Thummler has delivered an incredible resolution to the Sheets graphic novel series with this third installment. After absolutely loving Sheets and Delicates, I was eager to request an ARC of Lights. In this final book of the series, Marjorie, Eliza, and Wendell will finally fully solve the mystery of Wendell's death.

And along the way, there is so much more. Marjorie and Eliza struggle to figure out what friendship means when Marjorie makes new friends who Eliza doesn't like. Eliza searches for what it means to embrace her self proclaimed weird identity but also crave acceptance and friendship. And of course, there are beautiful, poignant lessons about what grief looks and feels like for different folks.

I tried to keep this review relatively spoiler free in case you haven't read the first two books, and let me say GO READ THEM NOW. Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This one is truly top tier.

I have loved this series from the beginning. The color palette, art style, and tone of the stories are so unique and cozy. This book was also a delight. We follow the same two characters as the previous two books: Marjorie and Wendell, as well as a character from book two: Eliza. I am so glad Eliza was included again. She is such a fun character to follow and I love the neurodiversity rep.

In this story, the girls dive into Wendell’s past. He is trying to remember why and how he died beyond the basic facts he can remember. Along the way to discovering this, Majorie and Eliza have to reevaluate what friendship is to them and if people can really change.

While I enjoyed the characters and art as always, the plot wasn’t as strong this time. I think the mystery of Wendell’s past was drug out too much and was too confusing at points. However, I would still recommend it to anyone who loves cozy spooky vibes and fans of the other two graphic novels in the series.

“It’s much harder to create light than it is to extinguish it."

This is my favorite volume in this series. Not only do we get to learn a lot of Wendell's backstory, but overall it is a lot less heavy than the previous ones. Marjorie expends her social circle and goes into some detective work to uncover how Wendell died. The depiction of that awkward age and how to navigate friendships remains spot on. I actually had some vivid 90s flashbacks (the pencil twist!).
I've also come to appreciate Thummler's art style more, and some full page panels were simply gorgeous.

I still ended up crying, because this is about a boy's death. Thummler started this story in Sheets with the very rough pain of grief, and now ends it with a sense of acceptance and peace. The last lines are really beautiful and hopeful.
A great conclusion to the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

"Lights" by Brenna Thummler was a beautiful way to end Marjorie and Wendell's story. I absolutely loved "Blankets" and "Delicates", and "Lights" was no different. From the mystery of trying to find out the truth behind Wendell's death to the intricacies of Marjorie and Eliza's friendship, everything about this book (and the whole trilogy) was done with care and written with love. I can't wait for future novels by Brenna Thummler!

Having not read both of the earlier books in this series, I enjoyed this story. The illustrations moved the story on as they should. A good one!

I feel lucky that I stumbled upon this series when I did. I read the second graphic novel through Kindle Unlimited which caught my eye thanks to its gorgeous cover. I was overjoyed when I saw the arc for Lights was available on Netgalley!

Lights is a wonderful conclusion to the series. The way it handles themes of grief, mental health, and bullying while still being heartwarming is so well done. The art is beautiful and the story is bittersweet. I was definitely tearing up by the end.

*Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

“There’s good and bad in everyone, you know? But the more friends you have in your life… the more brightness you’ll have overall”
I love this series and the artwork is just so immersive!

The colours throughout this book especially, being used to show flashbacks and different time periods is so much fun, and overall I absolutely loved this story. Thummler integrates mental health and other important themes of friendship and kindness so well through her books.

I thought this book was aimed at a slightly older audience than the previous two, as I was slightly confused with the names of the Sea Witch and then who she related to in the current timeline.

One of the best graphic novel series with an important story and beautiful artwork! 5 stars
Thank you to Oni Press for the e-arc!

This review is a little bit of a different format to how it is usually, as this book is the third in a series and I don't want to give much - or anything - away, if I can help it.

Now, with that out of the way, I feel free to say that the Sheets trilogy has become a comfort read for me.

I read the first two books in this series at very hard times, and these graphic novels became something of a reprieve for me from all of the scary things that were going on around and with me.

The writing and the dialogue was perfect. It felt like it had the power to transport you to another dimension - to be an actual part of the story, instead of just being one of the many reading.

As wonderful as everything else about the book was, nothing was as truly breathtaking as the illustration. I found this with the two books prior in the series - the illustration just felt so encapsulating.

Lights, and the pure talent that is Brenna Thummler, couldn't have curated a better ending.

Though it hurts to say goodbye to the characters and the stories that have come to mean ever such a lot to me, the ending couldn't have been better.

I can't wait to see what Brenna Thummler creates next.

Thank you, as always, to Brenna Thummler, NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this wonderful graphic novel ahead of its release.

(Also, yes. I did cry. A lot. For a variety of reasons. I'm an emotional wreck, okay?)

4/5 stars ⭐️

Thank you Brenna Thummler, Oni Press and NetGalley for my ARC of this wonderful book. I can confidently say that ‘Lights’ was the perfect ending to the series. I absolutely loved seeing all the relationship developments throughout the series, and to no surprise the final book rounded everything off perfectly. I loved discovering more about Wendell’s background, and the ending made me very emotional.

I reallt recommend the entire series, ‘Sheets,’ ‘Delicates’ and ‘Lights.’

5/5.

Brenna Thummler has somehow created the perfect story involving ghosts. Every piece of artwork in these stories captures the perfect qualities of what it is to be human. As sad and heartbreaking as each one may become, there is always some light to every book released. I do very much hope this is not the end of their stories. This series ultimately gets better and better with every release