An excellent slice-of-life comic. The attention to detail in the panels about doing Black hair were so calming and stunning. I cackled at the antics, I closed the book because I couldn't believe the drama I had just read, I grinned at the bond between these women. An atmospheric story that will take you through the full gamut of emotions.

I got an ARC of this book.

This is just the most wholesome and wonderful graphic novel I have read in a long time. It is a slice of life of four friends. They each get their own chapter where they are the focus. I would have read a hundred books about them without even a second thought.

There were some major topics covered like stalking/domestic violence and depression. Despite those things, this is still wholesome and gentle. The characters have support, they have each other, they have a happy ending sort of situation. It didn’t feel like any of them were in danger, because they were supported so heavily. It is so rare that stalking is seen as a bad thing in popular media. It is seen as romantic most of the time, because he cares just so much he can’t stop. Gross. This book doesn’t fall into that trap. Instead it was a group effort and there was no “maybe he is a good guy” feelings. It was very clear cut, he had to leave no matter what he said. I just can’t get enough of that.

The depression! The friends might not understand fully, but they still love and support. When she wants to leave early from the event, her friends are like “cool, lets go” and started a sleep over instead of letting her go alone or making fun of her for not being as into being out as they are. It was just the perfect handling of it.

The art is GORGEOUS. The color choices fit everything so perfectly.

You need to read this.

This is the first book I got to read for Netgalley and what a fun book to start out on! I've been following the Wash Day Diaries saga ever since the initial Kickstarter and what a treat it is to see how much it's grown!

This book is a set of five vignettes into the lives of four friends in the Bronx and all the stories are tied to black hair care in one way or another. The first story is a remastered version of the initial mini-comic, now in full color instead of gray-scale. Comparing the two comics, it looks like the panels have been at least partially redrawn (the way the flags hang on page 15 is the main tell) and it looks stunning. The soft blues and purples coloring the scenes are so pretty and peaceful; it's reminiscent of soap bubbles really. Perfect for the framing device. Plot-wise, it's just a slice of life look at Kim washing her hair. I really like it, I think it's simple but not basic, and I think it's a really great setup for the rest of the stories. The other four stories are just as sweet to read, and I hope you'll give this book a chance and experience them for yourself! Love it love it love it, what a great book!

The art style and simplistic writing style grew on me as I read. It was a very cute comic if you enjoy character focused stories over plot. There isn’t a ton packed into each page so it makes for a really quick read, great for an evening.

This was so great! I really loved following these four girls and seeing the things they were dealing with and facing, and how their hair wash day was something they needed to make time for, no matter what else was going on. I loved the friendship and everything about this one!

I loved the concept for this graphic novel, but I don’t think it was executed properly. I feel like everything was all over the place and there was no plot. If this book was longer and actually had some direction it could’ve been great!

This book was better than I expected! Different stories about friends like the modern day show “girlfriends”, this is definitely something you would want to get a glass of wine and enjoy. This book was cute, funny, and relatable. For myself being a natural hair black queen it brought me joy to really see myself in a book. What a way to start off black history month!

I give it 4 ⭐️ only because I wish it was longer and more detailed about the girls lives.

This book was beautiful! I LOVED LOVED the art and seeing each girl's hair rituals. It was so nice to see depression handled well, and I loved how healthy the friendships were.

I adored this new adult graphic novel! The pacing of the story was great with the blending of multiple stories from each girl's perspective as they move through their day living in the Bronx. I loved the strong themes of sisterhood/friendship and support! There is also great representation in this novel, especially with mental health and having relatives with dementia. Not to mention, the art is so beautiful and vibrant with the colors used. This story felt very real and relatable - I would easily recommend this graphic novel.

This is a wonderful read. Between the artwork and the realness of the characters.
We watch as each women is her own, but also the support and the importance of friendship as they intertwin together in all aspects of each others lives. The good, the bad, the unsure, and the needed.
I am not a POC and while I think anyone could relate to and enjoy this story, I feel it's incredibly important to young women of color to experience and relate, more than I might.
The similarities I shared and those I don't, are exactly what others need to read and feel.

**Thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

This was absolutely beautiful! The vignettes centering on each of the girls' lives were so enchanting and beautiful and unique. It's a short graphic novel but the characters just feel so genuine. As someone who isn't black, I can't speak for representation myself but a story created by POC and centering on four beautiful powerful black women was just a delight to read and experience. The art style has an amazing color palette and I really love how it integrates digital components like the girls' group chat was so inventive and just really enhanced the reading. I highly recommend and really really wish there could be a continuation of these girls' stories!!

I loved this! The illustrations and dialogue were on point! 5/5 stars!

This is a realistic look at the day-to-day life of a Black woman. I've never related so much to characters as much as I did to the four amazing women in this empowering graphic novel. From the time-consuming wash days, to hanging out on the train, to the groupchats. This is a story of friendship, love and support. I want more!

I love the different depictions of the Black hair journey because we all experience it differently. I also loved the friendship between the four characters and what they’re going through individually but still able to be there for each other collectively. It accomplished a lot in a short amount of time!

I really enjoyed how this was a realistic, slice of life kind of story about Black female friendship. It was refreshing. The characters felt real to me and I very quickly got invested in their stories. It made me wish I had a friend group I could spend time with, share things with, and enjoy telling stories in a group chat with, especially during a pandemic where everyone feels extra isolated.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me a copy of this ARC in order for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this! First of all, the art style was so gorgeous and was perfect for the story. The art was what hooked me at first, and I’m so glad that it did, because I loved the rest of the graphic novel! The way that the story was structured to create a nice and clear flow for the story and the different formats used (like one chapter being told through a group chat) we’re just some of the things that kept me reading all the way through. I was also so enthralled by the well developed characters and their stories, and found myself laughing so many times! The only downside was that I wish there was more, cause I so wanted to know more about these characters’ lives!

Super quick and easy read. I love the vibes that radiated from the book. I would have to say Davenne and Cookie were my favorites. This book was full of color and a lot of other aspects that happen in a womens life. I’m so very glad that I was able to read this.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Loved the graphic novel!!!!!! It was so relatable and I loved the story of 4 friends who would support each other to the ends of the universe.

I truly enjoyed this graphic novel! Following intertwining vignettes of four Black friends in NYC, this was a sweet depiction of friendship, but also touched on some more serious topics, like mental health, stalkers, and more. I felt like these were balanced super well tonally with the otherwise lighter vibe. Also, the drawings are GORGEOUS, as are the color palettes selected for each vignette – somehow both vibrant AND pastel at the same time, and it totally worked.

Also, with most graphic novels, I usually feel like they're either a) far too short for what they try to accomplish, or b) filled with so many random subplots that don't add anything to the story – that was SO NOT the case here. Rather, the story stayed true to its roots (pun intended) of centering around the wash day and the daily, everyday experiences of its characters, yet also told a satisfying story arc. Overall, I loved this and for certain recommend it!

I received a free ARC through NetGalley for my honest review.

This was such a lovely read! The four main characters were unique, complex, and super relatable. I was kind of reminded of Sex and the City, four gorgeous and funny women living their best lives, without any of the toxicity. And instead of the City being a character, we move from story to story through a narrative centered on haircare.

Now, I'm a white woman, so I don't have the same care routine as someone with natural hair. But I have some relative idea of the maintenance and style method of black hair, along with the social stigmas women have to deal with surrounding their styling decisions. This story educational in sharing very vivid narratives around haircare for black women - the highs and the lows.

Each character face their own private struggles - Kim's creepy ex, Cookie's estranged relative, Davene's depression brought on by a stressful career, Nisha's (okay, kind of funny) dating issues. And while each woman was by no means perfect - for instance, Cookie discourages Davene from seeking professional medical help - it only served to solidifies them as characters. Their friend group and group chat had me giggling through every chapter, because who among us hasn't sent emergency texts following a disastrous hook-up situation?

But going back to vivid - the use of color in this book was simply breathtaking. Not only did it do a lot to establish the setting for each character, the way the mood shifts from page to page was really tangible, yet subtle.

I really enjoyed reading Wash Day Diaries and found it heartwarming, enlightening, a relatable. A great read for 20 and 30-somethings who are also wading through life, held up by the support of friends.

ARC REVIEW

If you’re looking for a fun, easy, light read that still talks about important topics — this is for you! The art is so amazing in this novel & the color palette is soothing while remaining exciting. All of the main characters are lovable and complex. I want to be friends with all of them!! Although my life is very different from these women’s, I found myself relating a lot of topics in the story to my own life — friends’ and my own struggles with mental health, grandparents with dementia, kicking abusers out of local shows. I truly think there’s something that could draw any reader into this storyline.

This is a story I could find myself reading again and again & one I would definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.