Delicates _graphic novel

 

Update: The author talks about Taking on Mental Health in YA in this Shondaland article.

My Thoughts:

This book follows Marjorie in Thummler's very poignant graphic novel Sheets.  In my original review of Sheets I say

Marjorie speaks to the teen/tween/child in all of us who wants to disappear, who holds their little family together when the adults are too sad, who longs for something they will not have again, and who finds solace and comfort in unexpected encounters.

For this second book, Marjorie may not be that awkward teen who wants to disappear, and her reliance on her best friend Wendell is starting to fray, but she is finally accepted by the popular kids. What this second book explores is the cost of "fitting" in. Marjorie is still the same person on the inside, but is she willing to wear her own sheet to hide her true self? 

When she recognizes a little of her "pre-popular/pre-accepted" self in Eliza Duncan, is she able to share Wendell with someone who also needs him? What part must she play in getting her own humanity back? What does Marjorie want acceptance to really feel like? This is again a memorable story of what true friendship and humanity feels like.

From the Publisher:

Following the events of the bestselling graphic novel, Sheets, Delicates brings Brenna Thummler’s beloved characters, artwork, and charm back to life.

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 her friend, Wendell? Is she partially to blame for the bullying Eliza endures?

Delicates tells a powerful story about what it means to fit in, and those left on the outside. It shows what it’s like to feel invisible, and the importance of feeling seen. Above all, it is a story of asking for help when all seems dark, and bringing help and light to those who need it most.