thank you NetGalley for sending me an ARC

I think this was the perfect ending for the trilogy letting us love Wendell even more. I loved the focus on friendships and how to navigate them. The art style is amazing as always.

In a highly anticipated finale to the Sheets trilogy, Thummler yet again brings heart and warmth to the chill of a coming-of-age ghost story. The art is distinctive as always, and the characters grow - even if they aren't all alive to do so. Lights felt in many ways a culmination of threads from the previous two installments, and I can't wait to read a physical copy once it comes in. Humor, hurt, and love truly are pillars of not only these books, but life as well.

“Lights” is the last installment in the series. This was just the best ending to the series! I love how we found out more about a specific characters, and I really appreciate how that helped to give a natural closure to the story while reinforcing the message of the series, that no matter what we have to face in our lifetime we can overcome it and heal.

Thank you to @netgalley and @onipress for providing me with the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lights is a lovely ending to a beautiful series by Brenna Thummler. I really enjoyed reading this graphic novel series. The storyline, the characters, the illustrations ... well worth the read.

yes I loved this so much. that I need a physical copy of this right now and will also be buying this for my kids as well.

I will update the review with the link to on our blog as soon as possible. I'd like to thank the publisher Oni Press and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an emotional and heart warming conclusion to the series! Sasha and Sid were great additions to the novel, I loved their comedic relief and how they fit into the storyline. The art is absolutely beautiful. In addition to navigating friendship, Marjorie, Eliza, and Wendell solve the mystery of how Wendell became a ghost.

It was so nice to see the main character move on and get her story completed. A great conclusion to the series!

First, thanking Net galley for giving me an electronic ARC of this graphic novel. Trigger warning for this contains death.
Been binge reading this series for the month of August and the vibe of the month hits me. Also was excited because I have reach the end of this series. As always we followed the adventure of Marjorie, Wendell and with the addition of Eliza.
Lights focuses on the story of our beloved ghost, Wendell. We know him as the ghost who helps a lot inside the laundry shop and gives amazing friendship advices to both Marjorie and Eliza but there is more to him. The end was a lot tragic than I original thought but also warming. Compared to how I relate on the second book for it talks about bullying, Lights tells more on forgiving oneself. Wendell’s past brings us different characters that deserves the world as well. Reading the last pages almost got me sobbing but in a way it did ended in a goodbye.

Honestly wanted more of them…

While I did enjoy getting more insight into Wendall's life, overall this book felt like an unnecessary third installment rather than a satisfying conclusion to the Sheets trilogy. Lots of the backstory just felt like page filler and I was skimming a lot just to find out what was going to happen in the present. Overall, this was my least favorite in the series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for access to this arc!

Solid 4/5 stars

I enjoyed this final installment to the Sheets series. I really felt for Wendell and how he was so desperately trying to find out what happened to him, and I'm glad he gets his closure. I didn't really like how Marjorie became friends again with Sid and Sasha after everything they've done to Eliza in the last installment. Marjorie says that they just feel like the friends she's always wanted, simply bc they do girly things together whereas Eliza is more into ghosts than anything else. I was just left with such an icky feeling with how not only did Marjorie want to be friends with these people but basically made Eliza be friends with them too. Sure, they may not have been the ringleader of the bullying but they still partook in it and didn't actually apologize to Eliza until the end. That's just really crappy to me. But the rest was good.

This has been a fantastic series and Lights did not disappoint. I love how the series grapples with trauma in such a gentle way that allows everyone to learn and grow. The main characters are fabulous, the tensions between Marjorie, Eliza and Wendell felt authentic and never dramatic. Really well written and the images are beautiful. Totally worth a read!

When I started this series, I was so excited about the theory behind it. I wasn't the biggest fan of the art style, but the story seemed interesting enough to make me pick it up, and I loved the first one. I had to force myself to read the second one, and only because I knew I had this one to read. This final installment (and the whole series in general) covered some big, deep issues in a way that instilled caution while impressing the importance of understanding, especially for younger audiences, and for that I loved it. Theme-wise, it was wonderful. However the only reason I felt any drive to keep reading this one was because I wanted to know about the slight mystery at the end. It was gratifying, but getting there was less than memorable. Unfortunately, I also never grew to enjoy the art style - it was difficult to discern the facial expressions of the character because every expression looked the same. My general enjoyment of the story sat squarely at 3 stars, but I think overall I'd give it 3.5 stars (rounding up to 4) because of the age appropriate topics it covers. I think it would be amazing for young humans to have a story they could emotionally connect with when going through something heavy like the death of a loved one.

It is important to note that most of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the book's subject matters & those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on parental neglect, the death of a child, grief, mental illness, harassment, & others.

The magical realm of ghosts & spectres concludes in a shimmering wave of goodbyes & unanswered questions. Where once there was a blooming & complex friendship, now Wendell & Marjorie part ways, heading on to new adventures alone. Readers of this series might hope to find more of Wendell in this last instalment; previous books saw him play second fiddle to stories that miscalculated the interest of the reader. In so doing, the adventure of the protagonist remains independent of the reader’s favourite.

Thank you to NetGalley, Oni Press, & Brenna Thummler for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

In this third & final book, the cast of characters of which the reader will by now be overtly familiar, find themselves faced with a final project; solving Wendell’s murder. Eliza & Marjorie’s friendship is once again in turmoil as Marjorie seeks the companionship of people who participated in tormenting both of them a few months before, all in the name of desperation. Perhaps this is harsh, maybe there are only five (5) people in the town with whom Marjorie can be friends. Regardless, the story becomes redundant as both Eliza & Marjorie attempt to live out their truth; experiencing an array of different things with the people that matter.

All the while, Wendell longs to remember what he has forgotten. Readers will remember that in the first book, The Land of Ghosts is filled with the spirits of people who have been forgotten by people in the land of the living. Rather than maintain this truth, the author chooses a new pathway & alters the story she has built in order to accommodate a scene that may leave a less sensitive reader rolling their eyes.

The main plot of this story sees the three friends (Wendell, Eliza, & Marjorie) roaming the town exploring different things as friends. Marjorie longs to do more traditional girlie things—sleepovers, nail polish, rom-com movies—but she has no one to do these things with. Eliza learns that her hyper-fixation does not leave room for her friend to feel appreciated within their friendship. At its core, the development of this key piece of the friendship is a nice addition to the story as a whole. It was positive to see the girls attempt to ensure that each other was being respected & valued.

Unfortunately, the resurgence of the bullies was a tired trope in this third book. The story had already explored the turmoil of befriending those who seek to do harm to others. Yet, once again, these same characters come back around to confront the same issue as before. Marjorie is rather intent on remaining friends with these girls even though she states that she is not. What makes this scenario all the more awkward to read about is the participation of her father in all of the events.

I kept wondering when Marjorie’s father was going to be written as an adult rather than a moaning incompetent who required his children to make all the adult decisions for the household. Yet again, we find him where we left off, with no character development & a rather annoying character to read about. He never listens to his children, & does whatever he thinks is best—which was categorically seen as not the best choice. I grew tired of seeing him make decisions for Marjorie without paying attention to her whatsoever in the process. There was never a moment within the entire series where I felt an ounce of pity for her father.

In that same breath, the main antagonist of this story is Wendell’s babysitter—whom I am not altogether convinced wasn’t an adult for the majority of this book. The reader comes to learn that before his death, Wendell’s parents—who were chronically unavailable to him; always travelling & working; leaving him behind—put him in the care of one of the ballerinas at the studio while they voyaged independently.

The person whom Wendell refers to as the “Sea Witch” was meant to be his guardian for what we might assume to be months. The author pens this interaction as though hoping the reader will view it as more heartwarming than it actually was. Once again, it feels impossible not to draw on one’s own lived experiences when reading about Wendell’s experiences with his caretaker—if you hate kids, don’t be around kids; they do not deserve to be the brunt end of your angst & turmoil.

Rather than see any positive interactions between the two, Wendell is subjected to an array of crude & irresponsible actions, situations, & conversations. The Sea Witch treats Wendell like trash. The reason for this is said to be her own annoyance at having to work to pay for her enrolment in the School of Ballet. Surely, readers may be able to draw some level of sympathy for the Sea Witch. While everyone else seems to glide through life, she is required to pay her way. However, there is a discrepancy between what the reader is shown & what actually takes place.

I am glad that Wendell feels that there were a great number of positive experiences shared with his babysitter. The reader sees one such experience but it is nowhere near enough to comfort the shrill redundancy of cruel behaviour that Wendell experiences. Wendell drowns as a consequence of the babysitter’s eagerness to audition for the School of Ballet. Why she could not simply bring Wendell with her is a mystery to me.

Overall, there was something innate missing within this story. I was glad to see the story focus more closely on Wendell but, once again the inclusion of so much dreary material—unexplained & given none of its due weight in severity—is glossed over within a book that is intended for younger readers who deserve to understand what is happening. It is not enough for a character to state that the Sea Witch was a dangerous person & for the reader to then see her crying when Wendell’s ghost appears. The girth of this story felt flimsy & rushed. Whereas I suppose I am hesitant to say that this deviates from any of the instalments, it felt particularly crass in this final book as a beloved character does not get their happy ending.

Ultimately, I am glad to have read this series. I loved the illustration style & the colour schemes. I found the transition between sequences superb as emphasis was given to the environment in which the story takes place. With that being said, I think more time could have been given to bring the characters outside of their one-dimensional statuesque poses to render them just as colourful & kind as the illustrations made them appear.

I am glad to see Wendell find some semblance of peace in the knowledge that he was neglected & therefore died through no direct fault of a villain in the bushes. I hope that each of the characters finds some level of ease in the flow of what life will surely hold for them in the world in which they live. As for myself, I am left feeling a bit letdown, overall, but, such is life.

I really enjoyed this trilogy! It has such a good message within the story and it's written so even a younger audience can understand. I lived the characters, the main plot line, the illustrations were perfect. It was so easybto read which ment I devoured it in one sitting.

*This copy was given to me for an honest review from NetGalley*

This was one of the best conclusions to a series that I have read in a while! I say conclusion because it ties the ends of some character's arcs perfectly. I don't know if Brenna Thummer will be releasing more graphic novels in this universe, but I really hope she does!

This book left me with a warm feeling in my heart and a wanting to read more! Wendell comes to life as we hear his story of how he died and the friendship between Marjorie, Eliza, and him!

I'm not going to go too deeply into the details of the story, but I want to say that the way that we see the three characters grow even further in this book had me believing that they were real people with real problems. Marjorie is still trying to find herself and learning what it means to be a true friend. Eliza is finally opening up to people and starting to show her true colors, and Wendall finally discovers himself through learning about his death.

Even though this graphic novel is seen as paranormal. I mean, there are real ghosts in the story. I loved that they have real problems. The way other ghosts seem to be okay with death and living in the afterlife, but Wendell questions it shows the character has real emotions and characteristics that make him seem real, giving the book more depth. Marjorie shows the growing pains of being a teenager with real problems with social standing in high school, and learning to stick beside friends shows the growth and trials that a normal teenager goes through! Eliza resonated with me so much. The fact that the author shows her going to therapy and dealing with her mental health and being different resonated with me, having been there and done that. Wendell's growth as a character was the most fun to read. We, as readers, get to see a side of him that I thought would not happen till later on. Wendell learning about his death and being okay with it had me in tears at the end!

I love this series so much and hope the author does more with this universe!

e-ARC review from NetGalley, thank you for approving my request. I really want to read this since I finished Sheets and Delicates.

Wendell wants to know about him and wants to know how he died. So Marjorie and Eliza will help him investigate. Little by little his memory is coming back altogether.

Lights is a heart warming read. It’s so sad. This book will tell you what happened to Wendell of how he died.

About being a teenager, about being a human. As sweet as ever. This time more complex and deeper! I love this series, everything is handled so delicately, so well done.

The third book in the Sheets trilogy by Brenna Thummler, Lights is a gorgeous graphic novel that finally investigates what happened to Wendell, the friendly neighborhood ghost. The art is beautiful and sucks you into the world. I wish I'd had a physical copy so I could feel the pages, especially those without dialogue.

In Lights, Marjorie and Eliza struggle to maintain their friendship as new peers enter the equation. Their uncertain dynamic authentically replicates those nervous social feelings of pre-adolescence. Do they like me? Am I doing something wrong? Am I hurting someone?

In addition to navigating friendship, Marjorie, Eliza, and Wendell solve the mystery of how Wendell became a ghost. The metaphor of lights comes through in lights keeping the ghosts at bay and the light of friendship brightening your life. The metaphor didn't have the strongest throughline, however, as it was trying to stand in for too many things. Otherwise, this is a great ending to a tender and emotional trilogy.

While this is a popular graphic novel for kids it did not keep my attention and I really could not finish it. I am sorry

Lights is the third installment in the Sheets trilogy. I made sure to reread the first two books in the series before diving into Lights. I really enjoyed seeing Marjorie and Eliza's friendship continue to bloom. I also liked learning more about Wendell's life before he died. I will definitely be adding this one to my classroom library.