Marjorie Glatt feels like a ghost. She has lost interest in a lot of things that she used to love, like swimming and playing the piano. She is running her family's laundromat and taking care of her little brother since her mom passed away and her dad subsequently fell into a deep depression. The laundromat... well, it's going horribly. Business is slow and the yoga-loving Mr. Saubertuck is pushing the Glatts to sell the place so he can transform it into a spa. Enter Wendell. Wendell is a ghost, but he's really sick of wearing a sheet, attending his group therapy sessions, and following all the rules of the Land of Ghosts. When Wendell decides to leave the Land of Ghosts, he discovers the Glatts' laundromat and makes it his own midnight playground. Pick up Sheets by Brenna Thummler to find out what happens when these two worlds collide.
I will say that the pacing of this graphic novel feels a little off. It starts very slow, there's several wordless pages in the beginning, and then the last quarter of the book is just crammed with information and a quick resolution. It's worth sticking with the book though. There are connections between Marjorie and Wendell that you just don't want to miss. The honesty and tenderness that Thummler uses when discussing grief, depression, and financial insecurity are refreshing to see in a graphic novel format. The true highlight of the book though is not the plot, but the illustrations. Marjorie is drenched in pastels and the expressions on her face convey just how lonely and lost she feels. You get a sense of Wendell's sweet and mischievous personality just by the sheet he wears. If you check out this graphic novel and enjoy it, there's good news! The sequel, called Delicates, was released last month. It's on the top of my TBR pile.
