We all four friends through their wash day day and their lives, but also the sisterhood of black women. Yesss!!! I loved the coloring , the storytelling and did my heart love this graphic novel.

This is one of the cutest graphic novels I’ve read recently. The art style is so fun and the characters feel so realistic. I loved seeing how dynamic all the girls were and hearing their stories. The concept of showing hair as a means of therapy and communication was very impactful as well. I wanted to be a part of the friend group. My only criticism is that it felt a little short. I wish there was more to the story because I wasn’t ready for it to end!

This was such a wonderful graphic novel. There are five sections and each section follows a different character in the friend group. Each character was so well constructed and felt real. I also loved the relationships in this friend group. This is a slice of life book that is so beautifully drawn and written.
It was a quick read but I enjoyed every second of it.

It is my hope that this is just the beginning of a graphic novel series following the characters in introduced in Wash Day Diaries. It’s a wonderful representation of the multi-ethnic experience for those who culturally have hair that requires so much more tending to of our hair beyond a quick wash and go (if only!). However, there’s something beautiful about the caring of one’s hair that becomes a communal experience for the girls in Wash Day. Many woman will see themselves represented in the stories, which in itself is critical and often missed, especially in graphic novels. Beyond that thread there is much more to the stories of the four girls beyond hair; themes include topics of female friendship, LGBTQIAPD+, life challenges, relationships and depression..
Only one caveat that should be mentioned. There was a scene that could potentially be misconstrued by readers who’s experiences in life have not exposed them what it’s like to be a person of color out and about in life in the US. In the last of the four stories (Ride of Die), the friends are on the subway having a good time, the illustrations of the Caucasian passengers on the subway are illustrated as being irritated, disgusted, etc. by the girls’ presence. While I believe I understand the authors’ intentions, the lack of any explanation leaves room for misconceptions and honestly an opportunity was lost to “educate” through these stories that this may be a common experience for people of color. It’s not enough to deter my recommendation because there is much to love about the graphic novel. Recommended for adult GN collections, because of mature topics including sex, cigarette and marijuana smoking, etc.

REVIEW:

✨gorgeous gorgeous girls read stories about gorgeous gorgeous girls supporting each other. i was in need of something quick to read just for a quick fix. i scrolled through NetGalley and saw that this one was available!

✨I really enjoyed this comic so much. I loved each girl’s individual stories and the way that the girls supported each other. This even brought me to TEARS!!! Cookie’s individual story really had me emotional and I can’t wait for more people to get their hands on this!

✨another part that I loved about this comic were the colors too! Each girl had their own color and that represented them throughout the stories and they all went together so well. The colors also weren’t just what they wore it also had like an aura to them of that color because the room would be tinted in the color scheme or something. It was really cool!

✨I hope more people find Wash Day Diaries and pick it up. I think that it says a lot about community and just black girl power in general. I’m not a black girl, obviously from my picture, but the way that their wash rituals were depicted and how having their hair done could change their whole demeanor was so excellently pictured for this white girl to understand. But then there was just the overarching theme of community too that really made this story the most special.

✨Thank you NetGalley and Chronicle Books for letting me read this before release in exchange for an honest review!

Wash Day Diaries is a wonderful collection of stories about 4 friends. The dialogue is spectacular. The friendships are lovely. The art is magnificent! I really loved Wash Day Diaries.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an arc of this!

I had so much fun reading this. The colors, the artwork, THE HAIR, everything was simply beautiful.
I liked getting to see every character's personality and style through the slice-of-life style, but would've definitely loved to know more about them as I felt that some things just got put aside to focus on various things.
But again, the hair!! I've been on my own natural hair journey and it was so wonderful to see that in this comic as well which is why I wanted to read it, and I'm very glad I did😊

A beautifully touching story about an incredibly charismatic, relatable, and loveable group of friends with incredible art!

I loved this!! The art was beautiful, the friendship was beautiful, and the stories were short enough to keep my attention. A fast read that surprisingly hit some hard topics and handled them so well! Loved!!

LOVE THIS! This friendship brought you right in and really made you feel as if you were a part of it.

This book is gorgeous - the illustrations are great, the content is so spot-on. I typically haven't been a big graphic novel reader, but now I have to check out more of them. I cannot get enough!

I really enjoyed this graphic novel! All of the stories were woven together beautifully. I also loved how each character's story had its own specific art style. The art and writing were fun and colorful. I also loved the focus on female friendship!

I'm so glad I picked this up. This was absolutely lovely. The color palette was beautiful. I loved the art in this and also really loved the use of kind of fourth wall breaking with panels. Each chapter and each girl I loved learning about. It's such a great story that talks about friendship and mental health and queerness. I just wanted more. I would easily read a series about this group. I also have questions and want to know more about them and their stories.

This graphic novel was so cute! I love seeing so many parts of the story being told through texting the tea in the group chat, and I love seeing a tight-knit friend group that would do anything to help and protect each other. The art is fantastic, and the depiction of the importance of their hair is really well done, showing different styles, but also how it connects them to each other.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing me with an ARC of this title!

**Special thanks to Chronicle Books and Netgalley for providing me with a digital advanced reader's copy, in exchange for my honest review.

Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith

The premise:
In a gorgeous slice of life comic, four black women are united by two sacred things: friendship and wash day.

Rating: 5 🌟

Topics/Themes:
Wash Day Diaries follows each of the four women throughout their day, grounded in the ritual of a wash day. The story also tackles big topics like depression, harassment, and workplace racism in a way that is uniquely hopeful. They are not glossed over, sanded down and polished, or wrapped in a neat little bow that is pleasing to the audience. They are messy, and raw and real, but there is a distinct overtone of hope and the power of a good support network.

Plot:
The book is decidedly a slice of life story, which is a part of what makes it so wonderful. Every single action, interaction between characters, and event, feels real and genuine. Each of the primary characters is featured in their own segment of the book participating in the ritual of self-love that is washing their hair, and the book is closed by a segment that highlights the love they have for each other, and ties the story up in a warm and comforting bow, hazy with kindness, love, and friendship.

Characters:
From a visual angle, each character is clearly designed with care, and the collaboration between the authors on the story and the art is obvious, each character aligned with their story and full of life. Each character is unique and has their own clear voice, and each segment explores the featured character’s relationship with themselves and their relationship with the other characters. I value well developed characters, and Wash Day Diaries is carefully crafted with some of the most full-of-life characters I have ever had the privilege of interacting with.

Conclusions:
Wash Day Diaries is stunning in so many ways. From gorgeous, lively characters, to a careful, deliberate, and overwhelmingly heartwarming plot, I have decidedly fallen in love with Wash Day Diaries, and I am confident you will too. It is a celebration of black women, their hair, and their love for each other. If you want a story that makes you remember the value of ordinary days, and renews a sense of hope you may have lost, you need to read Wash Day Diaries.


HEA/HFN (Happily Ever After/Happy For Now)?
[It’s a slice of life story, and is happy for now in the way that real life tends to be. ]

Content Warnings:
[Mild warnings for: Depression/mental illness workplace discrimination (on the basis of natural hair); and a toxic ex ]

Notes: This review has been drafted, and I have given the book a star rating on Goodreads and Storygraph, but I will not be publishing the full review until late May/early June, 2022 (closer to pub date). I will review the book then on Goodreads, Storygraph, and Amazon, and promote the reviews on Twitter, possibly posting a review to twitter as well.

Wash Day Diaries felt like a peek into my own life as a woman and even more so as a Black woman when it came to seeing the panels of these ladies dealing with hair. I loved the details of the illustrations as well as the storylines. My favorite story was Bright Side but at the same time, the only letdown in Bright Side was how Davene’s mental health was addressed. Although Cook’s responses were pretty realistic in how people/friends sometimes respond to someone with depression, I still would’ve liked to see a better wrap up of Davene’s story. Other than that, I would love to see MORE from all their storylines so I hope this becomes a series.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this wonderful comic!

I am so here for "Wash Day Diaries"! To see The Bronx represented...to see Castle Hill represented...to see the struggles of living on the 5 train represented...to see the ritual of self-care on wash day represented...I can't even begin to verbalize how much this means to me! You'll hear it again and again but representation does matter.

Wash Day Diaries is a glimpse into a day in the life of each of these 4 friends. Wash day ties into each of their stories. If you don't know what wash day means pick up this graphic novel.

Wash day diaries is a short graphic novel about friendship, love, depression & the importance of self care & sisterhood in the African American community. I loved each character and how they each contributed to their friend group. Although I would have loved for it to be longer, I think it was a great representation of black culture.

Let's start with that cover. The illustrations and colors in this book are gorgeous. The color vibe of the cover follows thru to the rest of the book. It gave me Spring / Summer vibes.

I loved how these women were portrayed. They were all beautiful in their own right with realistic bodies. I am a little jealous of their friendship. I like how they all protected each other and backed each other up whether it was a family, career, or mental health issues. I am looking forward to getting to know this group of women a little more and vibing with the next book.

I don’t normally read slice of life stories but I loved this one. It was a truly lovely story of female friendship centered around taking care of their hair. It was beautiful to see these stories revolving around various forms and stages of self-care and community. I would definitely read more. I also can’t speak enough about how much I truly love the friendship of these four women and the last chapter especially made me feel warm inside. Everyone should be lucky enough to know friendship like that.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.