DELICATES

A bullied eighth grader wishes she were a ghost—and then meets real ghosts.

In this sequel to Sheets (2018), Marjorie begins eighth grade as part of the popular crowd but is unclear whether she and her crush, Colton, are more than friends. Her family is doing their best to cope with the death of her mom, and Marjorie is helping out more at the family laundromat. The laundromat has a community of ghosts that Marjorie can see, but she keeps them a secret because she doesn’t want to be labeled as weird. When their teacher asks Marjorie and her friends to look after his oldest daughter, Eliza, who is repeating eighth grade, Eliza—a photographer buff with an interest in the paranormal—instead becomes the target of their bullying. Marjorie is a well-developed character, and readers will empathize with her dilemma over whether to speak up for Eliza and risk her own ostracization. The author tackles in an accessible, nuanced way delicate topics like bullying, death, suicide, and feeling lost. Although this volume can be read as a stand-alone, reading the first book will improve comprehension of the story and understanding of the characters—especially where the ghosts are concerned. Marjorie and her friends are White; Colton is brown, Eliza and her family are Black.

An original exploration of what it means to be seen and accepted.