What a great adult graphic novel about friendship and self-care. Loved the interconnecting stories revolving around wash days. And that cover is GORGEOUS. Will definitely be adding to my list of graphic novel recs for adult friends.

I loved this graphic novel! I didn’t mean to read it all in one sitting, but it happened! The art and colors were beautiful and I really enjoyed the story. I liked this slice of life from four friends.

- Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

The ways to best describe this book:

Quick-read
Fun
Great imagery
Awesome characters
Heart

All ingredients for a story that will have you coming back for more installments.

Note: I am reviewing the advance uncorrected proof, thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

I really loved this graphic novel! It’s split into 5 stories that could technically be enjoyed standalone, but work even better when read together. Through each chapter, the author and artist create a detailed portrait of the central friend group that is both endearing and complex. In particular, I loved the relationship between Cookie and Davene, and how that storyline explored depression. In addition to the naturalistic writing, I also adored the art in every story. The layout of the panels — especially in the Group Chat chapter — is really creative and fun, and the three colorists provided a unique, atmospheric color palette to each story.

I absolutely loved this graphic novel. It did a great job of showing the love and friendship between these women through interconnected short stories each from a different perspective. I highly recommend this one.

5 powerful, beautiful, strong, female friendship stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy for review ^^

I really loved this. I came in blind, not reading too much about the novel. I wanted to be completely surprised, besides reading a bit from the title's description.

This was so beautiful and powerful, sometimes dark, and just so much more than I expected. This is about celebrating Black beauty and culture and cherishing amazing female friendships. This graphic novel is composed of a handful of short stories and they all tie beautifully in together. I smiled, laughed, and cried throughout. And can we talk about how GORGEOUS these illustrations are?? A true work of art in every aspect.

My only disappointment would be that this is a standalone! T_T I would absolutely read more of this, were it a series. Amazing and stunning!

Wash Day Diaries is beautiful. Each page is an artistic masterpiece. The various styles featured, curls, braids, cornrows, become the basis upon which the story is built, both figuratively as these women’s tales are connected by their hair and literally as the details of the different styles become the background the images are juxtaposed against.

This graphic novel follows a set of four friends, each with a unique story, as they nurture their hair and their souls on wash day. My personal favorite of these stories was Group Chat because of how well it captured the personality and spark of the storytelling. Each character’s unique color palette, whether it’s Davene’s blues or Cookie’s sunburst, reflects her personality and her unique challenges and experiences. Altogether, the stories and art are intentionally and gently emotional. When I first started reading this, I didn’t anticipate the level of raw emotion that would be captured so quickly and with so few words. There is an intimacy in the connections that these women share as they style their own and each other’s hair that symbolizes the rich cultural tradition of Black women caring for themselves and each other.

Once I started this book I couldn’t walk away. I devoured the whole book in one sitting and when I finished reading it once, I went back to revisit my favorite scenes again, and then again. A final note, I will never personally understand the experience of a wash day and the beauty of cultivating Black hair, and that’s okay. Wash Day Diaries created a window for me to see a bit more clearly into a community full of love and kindness and I am so appreciative to have had the chance to look.

Wash Day Diaries is an ode to Black Girl Magic and Black Girl Hair. Hair is such an important piece of Black identity, no matter the style. Natural, permed, wig, braids, low fade, big afro. No matter what it is, our hair (or lack their of) tells our story. Each of the stories in this graphic novel focuses in on this Black friend group and hair plays a role in some way. Abusive relationships, friendship, grief, depression, familial relationships, sexuality, and love are all topics touched on within Wash Day Diaries. I loved each story and the fact that the book was kicked off with Wash Day, well, I can't imagine anything more perfect.

Oh my goodness, the art, the concept, the stories. This was Black Girl Magic personified. I loved the emphasis on hair because as a Black woman, hair is such an important aspect of who I am. Each person involved had their own story to tell, but they all intertwined. This is definitely a group of friends that I would love to be a part of .It was also interesting to see what role hair played in each story. I hope we get more of this in the future.

Wash Day Diaries sums up what I and I would say most black women with natural hair go through. I love the highlights on the struggle it is to take care of our natural hair yet, the time and care we also put into it.

I loved the characters they to represented what real sisterhood is. They stuck together, loved and supported each other. I loved that this story showed that we as black women need to start lifting each other up and not keep tearing us down over crazy insignificant things that don't matter.

I feel this story showed respect and power something that has always been taking away from black women. Absolutely loved this!

5 ⭐
***Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for allowing to read and review this**

I love the different depictions of wash day as it varies from person to person. I also loved the ride or die sisterhood that is shown between the girls. It was so much more than a book about wash day, it was about being there for your girls when they need you. Will definitely be purchasing this when it comes out.

Such an easy 5 stars! I haven't read a lot of graphic novels but I absolutely adored this one! From the art to the story, everything was perfect!

I loved this one! The art is so beautiful and vibrant. I really liked how the book interwove the story of the friendship of these young women along with their hair care routines. There was so much packed into this little book. One of my favorite scenes was in "Group Chat" when Nisha was relaying the events of her day. There was a really cool effect with the art that was so clever! I look forward to reading more from this author and graphic artist!

This was a very fun, quick read. I was surprised by the amount of depth that was in here, considering the graphic novel consists of 5 slice-of-life short comics. The art work was absolutely beautiful, and I loved that the comics didn't shy away from harder topics, even though they were so short, while also just being a lot of fun and showing a wonderful friendship.

WOW WOW WOW.

Embarrassed to say this was the first graphic novel/comic I’ve ever read. BUT absolutely devoured this novel and was captivated by the absolutely beautiful and vibrant artwork that filled the pages.

This story follows four best friends as they begin their days with washing / doing their hair and then goes deeper into their personal lives. I was honestly amazed by how impactful each short story was—my favorite was centered around mental health. I loved the last portion of the novel when all the women come together and their stories intertwine. The last illustrations made my heart melt and reminded me how strong female friendship is 💖☺️

Highly recommend—5 ⭐️

This is a five star read! As a Black woman this felt very validating in numerous ways from hair, to interpersonal relationships, and mental health. Gorgeous art with great attention to detail.

This was perfect. Such a cute read that had real life problems. And a black woman I felt so at home reading this and found myself smiling often!!

Wash Day Diaries - just wow! This story was phenomenal and powerful. Wash Day Diaries tells the stories of four best friends, the stories are woven together, so you really get a feel for how meaningful and powerful their friendship is. Ranging from romance struggles to mental health this charming and important story is easy to pick up and is important - so many people need to read this!

WASH DAY DIARIES is a fun, funny, realistic yet uplifting comic that celebrates female friendship and black womanhood through relatable, all-too-real stories and distinct, vibrant art.

I really like the NYC setting and all the stuff this dynamic urban city allows the characters to experience. The characters jump off the page, and while they're not perfect, they all try their best, supporting one another through life's adventures and struggles.

It's also very refreshing to see black hair and its upkeep--and all the subtle larger societal issues related to them because of microaggressions and racism--depicted here, and for a non-black person like me, it's also informational and illuminating.

And of course, this book wouldn't be what it is without the vibrant art. Although it can look stiff at times, overall it's creative, colorful, and I highly enjoy the color scheme; it also dynamically adds to the narrative and storytelling as well.

This is a comic with a lot of heart, and its representation of black women--and their joys and trials--makes it an important one too.

Full review closer to publication date!

I'd like to thank the publisher, Chronicle Books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.