This might be the most melancholy and death-obsessed trilogy you'll find the in the juvenile graphic novel section. And the books are so thick and slow, I can't imagine most children having the patience to get through them. But, hey, they work for me.

Wendell Hofferly -- Casper the friendly ghost for the 21st century -- is set on finding out the reason behind his death, and his best friend, Marjorie, is trying to help him, but she gets distracted navigating the precarious world of eighth-grade friendships.

The author goes a little overboard trying to give the "Lights" of the title multiple meanings in the book, but it's a satisfying conclusion to an interesting if downbeat series. ( )

“It’s much harder to create light than it is to extinguish it.”
Such a fitting end! ( )

The 3rd book in the Sheets trilogy connects us back to Marjorie, Eliza, and Wendell as they try to uncover the secrets of Wendell’s human life and death. When they hear a rumor about Wendell’s death, they wonder if it might not have been an accident after all. Meanwhile though, Marjorie begins hanging out with the very girls who used to bully Eliza and it begins to put a strain on their friendship. Can they work together to find out the truth?

I was slightly worried about the ending of this series - the other two books were so good that I put a lot of pressure on this one to hopefully wrap the story up beautifully. Well, I worried for nothing, because Brenna Thummler did a wonderful and amazing job at taking the characters we loved throughout this series and giving them a beautiful ending they deserved.

I can’t with Eliza’s dad - he’s just a peach and such a supportive father. When Eliza mentions that Marjorie wants “normal friends” he breaks down what was said, mentions that friendship has to work both ways, and gives an idea of a Duncan family activity to invite her to. And then when Eliza asked for needle and thread in case she has to give her friend stitches, he simply replies with, “You’d be surprised at the medical expertise of the youth today”.

Thummler’s art is stunning as it was before - I can see myself using a few panels as phone backgrounds in the coming months. Her writing has also come a long way from the first novel, and even the second to be honest, I even forgot this was originally aimed at Middle Grade reading and not YA (not that YA readers won’t enjoy this either!)

Overall, a wonderful ending to a trilogy. I’ve been recommending the first novel since it came out for the artwork alone, but now that the series is wrapped up, I’ll be recommending it to all that like the gentle spooky Halloween reads (even though this one goes all the way through Thanksgiving). ( )

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley.)

After a falling out with her friend group, Marjorie Glatt has more or less settled in to eighth grade. Her free time - now that her dad is beginning to emerge from his depression, she actually has some - is divided between her two best friends: Eliza, a talented photographer and resident "weird girl" at school; and Wendell, the ghost of an eleven-year-old boy who lives in her family's laundromat.

As his time in the Land of Humans lengthens, Wendell is beginning to wonder about his life - and death. His memories of both are foggy - is this because Wendell the boy has been forgotten in the Land of Humans? With the help of Marj and Liza, Wendell ventures outside of Glatt's Laundry in search of clues about his past. But the more the trio uncovers, the more Wendell's death begins to look not like an accident, but murder.

Meanwhile, Marjorie finds herself longing for more "normal" friends. Not because Wendell and Liza aren't great - they are! - but because they alone can't light up the many corners of her heart. Sometimes a kid just wants to sing karaoke at the top of her lungs while getting a pedicure, you know? But how can she justify letting Sid and Sasha back into her life when they hurt Liza so terribly?

LIGHTS is a satisfying conclusion to the SHEETS trilogy. It's got the same ooey, gooey center as DELICATES, exploring the horror and angst of the tween/teenage years with care and compassion. As with DELICATES, the title of LIGHTS hints at the Very Important Lesson the story imparts (don't worry, I won't spoil it, but it is executed masterfully); the final few pages are real tearjerkers. The murder mystery was an inspired touch; it allows us to meet Wendell as he was in life, before he became the adorable ghost we got to know and love in SHEETS.

And I have an especially soft spot for Liza - her deadpan humor, generally underwhelmed demeanor, and social misanthropy really speak to me. One of my favorite panels is the one in which Liza wonders if the ghost of a turkey can hang around to watch you eat them in a sandwich. File that one under "accidentally vegan (messages)".

Thummler's artwork is lovely, with one glaring exception - I still find the human faces kinda strange and icky looking. (They remind me of that scene in ONE CRAZY SUMMER: "If you make faces like that, and somebody slaps you on the back, you'll stay that way FOREVER!") I can honestly say that I prefer Wendell as a ghost - he's much cuter that way. Not to mention, it's amazing how much emotion Thummler can manifest on the face of a sheet ghost. Wendell slayed me with a single expression when Tierney asked his ghost how anyone could forget him. Like, instant reaction gif there. ( )

Wow, all the emotions. This series took me on a roller-coaster of feelings. I loved the ending of this book. Wendell is an amazing friend and he helped Marjorie become an amazing friend as well.

I am looking forward to reading more of Brenna Thummler's work in the future. ( )