Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Delicates by Brenna Thummler

34 reviews

maxime_reads's review

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3.5

I liked the second half much better than the first half. Overall, the story is pretty sad and melancholy. Check tw
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shaunashares's review against another edition

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emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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samchase112's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

What a beautiful — both conceptually and artistically — exploration of the struggles of coming of age, loneliness and grief, and finding your true friends. This book brought out so many emotions in such an organic and masterful way with a combo of art and character work. I just fell in love with these characters and their gorgeous autumnal town… I want to live there always?! The perfect graphic novel to devour as the leaves fall around you!
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pvp_niki's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The second installment in the Sheets series is even better than the first one! If with Sheets I felt an imbalance with the intended age group in Delicates it is now clear that it discusses very serious topics and the overall atmosphere is rather depressing. Characters got nuanced and realistic, Marjorie starts to be a very bad friend, bad guys get a background, we have a new protagonist, and the idyllic happy end of the first book gets crushed by the reality of people messing everything up.

TW: suicidal thoughts, bullying, neglecting parents, victim blaming

The symbolism related to laundry and photography works really well here, and it's cathartic when you realize what the title means.
I really liked that it was expressed and shown in the book that letting bullying happen is also bullying and how the toxic positivity of the parents made them blind to their daughter's problems.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing the ARC.
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huntress's review

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dark reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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clavishorti's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

You are so good at seeing the world. Can you please keep letting the world see you? 

We're back in the world of Marjorie Glatt, a young girl who can see and talk to ghosts. Cool, right? Well, Brenna Thummler's graphic novel, Delicates, take us on another ride through this unique universe. Remember Sheets? Yes, it's the sequel. But it's not just about ghosts; it's about life, friendship, and all the messy stuff in between. Let's dive in and see what makes this book tick.

Delicates keeps the ball rolling on Marjorie Glatt's wild journey. She stumbles upon a bunch of ghosts just chilling in her family's laundromat. Hold on tight, because life takes a crazy spin when Marjorie suddenly becomes the cool kid at school. Popularity's sweet, right? Well, here's the twist: she's got these secret about ghosts—and Wendell, one of these ghosts, becomes her ride-or-die ghost buddy. Now, the real question is, should she spill the ghostly secret and risk being called the "freak who sees dead people"? Well, no spoilers here, but keeping Wendell's ghostly identity on the down-low makes him feel even more invisible than your average ghost with a quilt.

Now, cue Eliza Duncan. She's got her own invisibility cloak, but hers is all about being the "different" one out because she's a hardcore ghost photographer. When Marjorie and Eliza's paths cross, you can bet things are about to get interesting. Together, they add a fresh layer to this story—one filled with friendship, fitting in, and the wild ride of growing up.

Delicates is all about embracing friendships and accepting people just the way they are. Marjorie, she's got these amazing relationships, both with the living and the not-so-living, showing us the beauty of connecting with folks from all walks of life. That whole growing-up thing? It's like a big metaphor for those wild changes we go through as teenagers. Marjorie's journey of self-discovery? Yeah, we totally understand that. Dealing with loss takes us on a deep dive, revealing how we cope with losing someone we love and how memories help us keep them close. Throughout, there's empathy and understanding sprinkled everywhere, reminding us to look beyond the surface and appreciate our unique quirks. Oh, and Delicates keeps it real with a mix of everyday life and a touch of the supernatural, grounding us while giving us a taste of the extraordinary. Resilience? Marjorie's got that in abundance, teaching us that no matter what life throws at us, we can keep moving forward. Lastly, cultural and social diversity spices things up with a cast of characters from all over. It's a reminder that the world is wonderfully complex, and we should totally embrace every aspect of it.

Delicates is like the next-level awesome continuation of Thummler's storytelling. Compared to Sheets, it really grabs you and pulls you even deeper into the story, hitting you right in the feels. Thummler's got this way of making you both frustrated with Marjorie's choices and wanting to give Eliza a big hug for what she's dealing with. The mix of supernatural stuff and growing up? She's got it down pat, making a story that really gets to you.

Now, let's talk about those illustrations. They're seriously something else. They bring the characters and their world to life, adding this whole extra dimension to the story. Every panel is like a mini masterpiece that elevates the whole reading experience. And the layout of the pages? It's not just functional; it's downright beautiful, guiding you effortlessly through the story.

Now, if we're getting really choosy about it, you might hope they delved even further into some character backgrounds and why they act the way they do. But honestly, it doesn't really mess with the story's overall punch.

So, to wrap it up, Delicates is seriously something else. It's all about friendship, accepting people as they are, and personal growth—but in a way that really hits home. Brenna Thummler's art and how everything's put together in the book? Top-notch. If you're into graphic novels, this is a must-read.

And hey, Delicates reminds us it's crucial to get where others are coming from, even when things get kinda wild. It weaves together friendship, being tough when life's tough, dealing with loss, and all the crazy stuff that comes with growing up. Thummler's work? It's basically a work of art that tugs at your heartstrings. Reading Delicates is like taking a ride on the extraordinary express.
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bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Gorgeous style as always, Thummler has been my introduction to graphic novels and shown me how much I can love this new to me genre! I love the little details Thummler has, one of my faves is that our MC Marjorie was reading The Pact by Jodi Picoult (which is one of my fave authors and books).

Love the storytelling, imagery, stories of friendship and vulnerability, and the range of emotions experienced while reading. Thummler does an amazing job of conveying so much emotion with just a glance/gesture!

A great story of how delicate humans are, especially when you’re a teenager trying to find your place and make friends. A fantastic sequel and I can’t wait to read book 3!
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leila_reads_too_much's review

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dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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readingsofaslinky's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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willowtree7's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I enjoyed this book more than the first one. I feel like Brenna Thummler started coming into her story, and had more of a purpose and direction. I enjoyed the exploration into grief, depression, and friendship. It was well written, well drawn, and overall very captivating. This one is definitely worth the read! 
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