Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith is an #ownvoices graphic novel that tells the story of four best friends and their lives in the Bronx. According to the description, the book "takes its title from the wash day experience shared by Black women everywhere of setting aside all plans and responsibilities for a full day of washing, conditioning, and nourishing their hair." Through interconnected stories about their hair routines, the reader gets a window into each character's life.

Overall, Wash Day Diaries is an interesting look into the lives of black women. I've been trying to read more diverse books lately, and I definitely learned a lot from reading this graphic novel. I also love that this book is #ownvoices and is based on the creators' own experiences. There definitely needs to be more graphic novels featuring black voices. I did take off 1 star though, because I wasn't a huge fan of the art. If you're intrigued by the description, or if you're a fan of #ownvoices graphic novels, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in June!

This was such a heartwarming comic.

In this we are following 4 different friends who are dealing with different things in their own lives but are also able to come together and provide each other with support and love.

Jamila Rowser does a good job of showing the therapeutic process for Black women of just getting their hair done, the bonding that comes between the person getting their hair done and the person doing their hair; the sisterhood and intimacy behind the whole process.

There was such an accurate description of depression in one scene that literally took my breath away because it was so beyond relatable for me. I really appreciated seeing how the friends rallied together to make sure the girl who was suffering was ok.

This was such a heartwarming portrayal of Black sisterhood and friendship. I loved the friend group in this comic and how they always had each others backs through everything.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

I loved this story! It was so good! I've been looking for a slice of life story about Black friends like this one. Even though it was short it did a great job setting up little bit's of everyone's background and situation. I could definitely see it expanded into a series in the future.

This story follows 4 Black friends who live in the Bronx it starts with wash day and styling their hair and expands to different stories about their current situations. Dating, mental health, careers are just some of the topic touched upon in this short space. These felt like real life women to me.

So many funny and true to life moments. I screamed when Davene pulled that Jamaican flag out of her bra!

A series of vignettes which captures a lot of emotions. There are a lot of relatable day things, like dudes hitting on you, or getting dirty looks on the bus. The brevity of each scene, by necessity of the format, also captures how you can't always dwell on everything. Your friends not understanding your mental health issues, or a family member not accepting who you are, There are some things you just have to live with, that you can do nothing about.

It was relatable, real, and fun! I loved how the author incorporated each woman’s hair routine or styling into their day to day lives and issues. Each woman had their own life problems and I loved how supportive the friends were to each other. It was real and even raw in some forms. I enjoyed it, great to see a graphic novel with characters that look like me.

I adored this book so much! It has interwoven stories of four best friends who are there for each other until the end. Immediately you can tell how powerful their friendship is and each woman springs to life on the page while they deal with struggles, romance, self-care, and triumphs.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Wash Day Diaries is set to be published on 14 June 2022.