Book Review: Sheets

[Joey Stark]

Title: Sheets
Author: Brenna Thummler
Genres: suitable for young audiences, graphic novel, fantasy

I found Sheets a graphic novels brilliant in its simplicity and highly effective.

Marjorie runs a down-on-its-luck laundromat and when malevolent forces threaten her family business, she find herself with more to deal with than she could have possible imagined. Marjorie has a sadness about her, with maybe a slightly overly depressive air, but its effective in demonstrating the weight on her shoulders. She has to contend with school, the failing family business, a despondent dad and a young sibling.

Then there's Wendell. The ghost. Trapped forever in the innocence and nativity of childhood, Wendell sneaks from the ghost world to the living and where he sees trouble, he tries his best to help.

Sheets was funny, which straight away is a big tick. Its audience is suitable for middle-school aged readers but it deals well with some heavy themes that all adults can relate to. Then there's the artwork. I find graphic novels and bit hit and miss with style but Thummler's art can only be described as beautiful. The detail she packs into her world is incredible and it's the harmony of this with the simple, yet touching, storyline that creates a really effective graphic novel well worth reading.