Sheets by Brenna Thummler - A Book Review

Never give up and feel as though you are a ghost to the world. Everyone has value.

Sheets is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Brenna Thummler. After the death of her mother, 12-year old Marjorie Glatt struggles to keep the family laundromat from going out of business after the death of her mother. Meanwhile, in the ghost world, Wendell is not used to being a ghost and decided to return to the world. Marjorie and Wendell cross paths and help each other in way they never thought about.

I love any story that has ghosts in so when I saw Sheets during my visit to Barnes and Noble, I was engrossed just after flipping through the pages. Sheets is an engrossing moving tale about moving on. Not just from the passing of a loved one, but in Wendell’s case, trying to be comfortable as a ghost. Brenna Thummler teaches readers to find their courage and gives the important message that nobody is ever alone.

Marjorie Glatt is forced to become an adult faster than she anticipated. Her facial expressions of sadness mixed with a cry for someone to help her are aggravating to witness. Living in the nightmare from the awful memories of her mother’s death, Marjorie fights to exist in the eyes of the popular crowd, while drawing back into darkness, as her father has.

I just wanted to give Marjorie a hug many times because I know what it is like to lose a close family member. Sometimes it is tough to talk about your feelings.

I loved Brenna Thummler’s take on the ghost world. In the ghost world, people wear sheets and go on living a normal life as they did in the human world. One of my favorite scenes is the ghost therapy, talking about how they died and trying to become more comfortable with it. Ghost stories are my favorite because they are interesting stories and you never know what we could learn about something we never thought of.

Wendell has become one of my new favorite book characters. Struggling with his new ‘after’life he decided to take off on the train where he accidentally makes trouble in Marjorie’s laundromat. He is a curious kid and I liked his risk-taking attitude. Thummler’s graphic novel just goes to show that you can make a friendship with anyone.

I despised Mr. Saubtuck who viciously went after Marjorie trying to get her to sell the business to him so he can put in a spa. He never admitted defeat even going so far as to ruin an important dress from a customer. I like Thummler’s design for Mr. Saubtuck, however. When on business he wore these spiffy suits and then I found it amusing that he’d wear a sweatshirt with a cat imprint. Hilarious!

I enjoyed all the characters in the story. One of my favorites was Mr. Duncan, the school swim coach. While he may be the most serious person, he gives Marjorie a trusting shoulder if she ever needs someone to talk to. One of the best morals of this story is reaching out.

Brenna Thummler created an unforgettable piece of work with eyepopping subtle visuals. I thought it had the right pacing to get to know the characters as we delve into this world. Her story gave me a warm impact that I am not alone and to keep moving forward. Death is never easy. At times, the book covers some heavy topics. It’s a beautiful story about an unlikely friendship. I could read Sheets over and over. Go out and find a copy of this outstanding graphic novel.