I absolutely loved this graphic novel. I loved the friendship these four women have and I really loved how their stories not only brought their characters to life but also gives a glimpse into their hair. It was amazing to see the focus on their hair but that they wove their stories through their hair. It is such a fun cute novel that I absolutely loved. I love how each friend has something going on in their lives and its told through pictures and words. 5 stars. This will be a book I recommend to everyone.

Miigweetch to Netgalley and Edelweiss for the DRC.

This is a wholesome collection of tales told from the perspective of a group of four Black female friends living in the Bronx. Stories of shared, yet deeply personal experiences of Black hair care, will surely resonate with Black readers. The characters seem real and reflect genuine representations of friendship.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I love any and all graphic novels that do not revolve around superheroes, and I am always eager to read graphic novels featuring Black characters, especially Black women. The artistry in this book is on point! I especially liked the variety of REAL body types represented, complete with stretch marks and other 'imperfections.'

I recommend this book for anyone interested in #OwnVoices graphic novels or stories centering on the Black femme experiences. Readers who enjoy slice of life stories might also enjoy this book.

This was amazing. I LOVED every character, how each of them had their own story and personality and views. How they weren’t perfect people or even perfect friends but still the perfect friends to support in the ways they knew how. I also loved the subtle details weaving throughout the story about what women and women of color go through. The art style was beautiful, and I’ve never seen dresses like this in real life. Kimana’s dress at the end?! Stunning. How does someone even come up with that?!

Here's the thing. I knew as soon as I snagged an early copy of this that I was probably going to like it, but I didn't expect to love it as much as I did.

Wash Day Diaries is about four women, best friends, and the flow of their daily lives in the Bronx. It's centered around the wash day, something shared by Black women everywhere of setting aside all plans and responsibilities for a full day of tending to their hair. These stories use the girls' hair routines as a window into their lives and how they care for each other.

Multiple POV narratives so seldom work for me, but I also think graphic novels in particular work well with multiple POVs. This one is exceptional. I like a good slice-of-life story, but Wash Day Diaries was so moving. It's just so warm and human and emotional and Black. It touches on all the ways our friends lift us up, and also on how sometimes our friends hurt us, even without meaning to. It deals with how complicated relationships can get as we get older—family, friends, exes, partners—and how those relationships shape us as we learn and grow from them, And of course, so much of Wash Day Diaries focuses on Black identity and how intrinsically hair is tied to it.

The art is gorgeous and loose in a way that's really appealing and flows well. I loved the shifting color palettes for each girl. Frankly, I only wish it was longer. There are some themes, heavy themes really, that weren't explored as deeply as I'd have liked. Rowser and Smith tackle a lot in these pages—sexuality, abuse, depression, friendship, family, so much more—and the book is fairly short so it's hard to fully examine all of those complex issues. I'm really hoping it's because we'll see more from Rowser and Smith, and more of Davene, Nisha, Kim, and Cookie.

Thank you so, so muchly to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for an early copy of this in exchange for an honest review! I loved every minute.

I really, really enjoyed reading this. Of course, the art played a huge part in my enjoyment - it was wonderful. The artistic style was one that I haven't seen in a lot of graphic novels, which I really appreciated. I loved the colors and the way the characters were drawn so softly, yet realistically. I could see some of my friends and students in the characters. The story itself was also very enjoyable as it was a nice, realistic slice of life. I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates a good story about bonds and friendship, but I believe it also shows some wonderful Black and Latinx culture most importantly.

4.5 This is a slice-of-life story that follows four black best friends that live in the Bronx. It starts with wash day & styling their hair, and from there, we get a little glimpse into their lives.

While this representative wasn't for me, I think it is so important to have representation like this. We rarely see things about this topic, wash day/care day for black women's hair, in the media.

I really enjoyed the illustrations; they were so pretty and nothing too crazy detailed, but they completely fit the story because the book was calm. It felt like I was drinking a cup of warm coffee. The close-up illustrations of their hair were amazing. Again, they weren't super detailed, but they were still detailed.

Oh my God! I loved the monochromatic color palettes used for each character; they were so beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. In a way, it made me understand the characters even more. The color palette for each character was truly perfect.

I genuinely loved getting to know these characters and seeing their friendship. I felt like they were real, existing people. It was so easy to fall into the story and friendship.

The reason I didn’t give this a full 5 stars was because there is a character who is going through a rough time with her mental health and talks to one of her friends about it, and the friend's ideals about mental health made me raise an eyebrow. It was realistic, though, many people think like that. The depiction of mental health was accurate, and it was refreshing to see it shown realistically.

Overall, I would highly recommend this if you want a cute, fun, heartwarming graphic novel with different kinds of representations.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Goodness, I wish this was longer — there was so much authenticity to be gleaned.

As someone who just had their hair done, this graphic novel is absolutely everything I embody. During 'wash day,' four girlfriends connect through friendship, relationships, support, and hair. "Hair" is the motif that ties them together (in eclectic ways), and it was woven gracefully throughout each girl's narrative. There are several topics that are prevalent within the humorous relatable dialogue; Kim's keys in her knuckles in "Wash Day," Davene's desire to get on antidepressants in "Bright Side" or Kim's concern about police and being stalked by an ex-boyfriend who is causing her problems in "Ride or Die." The subtle background themes play a vital role in every girl's hair day: it is a stress-free process that cleanses the body, mind, and soul.

While listening to each girlfriend's voice, I laughed and felt truly understood. For this reason, "Group Chat" was a favorite, it was so comforting and delightful!

The most appealing color palette for me is the color palette found in "Ride or Die." However, each panel has a distinctive and eloquent palette that gives each girl her own unique personality and flair.

In "La Bendición," Cookie and her Abuela were able to bond through their hair, through touch, and redefine their relationship to forgive each other. 🥹 It was heartening to see how hair is part of our culture in so many ways.

Very sweet story of friendship between four black women in New York. I hope there will be more volumes, as I'd like to see them get deeper into the characters and their relationships. I love the art style!

I adored Wash Day Diaries! Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith

First of all the illustration is gorgeous and the story is equally matched. The women feel like real girls I know. I love the way hair is explored in each of the women's stories, pulling a common thread through their friendships as well as their everyday life and hardships.

If you wanna feel seen as a Black woman, wanna feel loved and pulled straight into a group of friends, get yourself a copy of Wash Day Diaries. 💛

Thank you to Netgalley and Chronicle Books for this ARC!

Okay, first off, the colors are gorgeous. The entire thing is a masterpiece but the colors and illustration style in general -mmm- *chef’s kiss*.

I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a copy of this as soon as I heard about it and it did not disappoint. It’s such a rich collection of moments that represent so many varied points in women’s lives. Knowing that the four main characters are all women I expected it to have a feminist feel but it’s really a deep dive into the lives of black women and the female experience.

From walking home with keys in between your knuckles, to stretch marks, mental health struggles and treatment, abuse, Alzheimer’s, family distance/disapproval, lgbtqia+, cat calling, controlling ex’s, bilingual/multiracial house holds, friendship, literally everything. This book has it and all in the context of how these women live their lives and get their hair done. 10/10

I absolutely loved this.

4/5 stars, an important and cute little graphic novel

<i> Thank you to Chronicle Books for the arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review! </i>

I didn't really know what to expect going into this graphic novel, as I haven't read that many in recent years but I was pleasantly surprised. This is an important story, following four African-American best friends in the Bronx, and what their lives consist of. While some trigger warnings were not depicted in depth, they were very real depictions of what women, especially women of color, go through everyday. The cat-calling, untreated depression, and stalking were all prominent in their own little chapters and something that should be recognized for many people of color, especially women, around the world.

While I cannot relate to the main theme of this story, Wash Days, I think it was soooo important as I didn't know a lot about this beforehand. Wash days refer to days taken by African-American women to fully wash, condition, and nourish their hair as well as dry it. Seeing how each of the main characters experienced this day was really interesting as well. I didn't know a lot about this before, as I think it is something hardly talked about in media that should be. I really enjoyed learning about this part of culture and seeing all the different ways this day can be experienced.

All four main characters were also such a joy to read, there were some moments that came up between characters that created tension, but they always figured it out as real friends do. Each of their individual lives were interesting, and seeing them all blend together was fun. My favorite character was probably Cookie, as she was super outgoing and optimistic, while being a very supportive best friend to everyone as well. Their tight-knit friendship was something that I think should be represented more in books as well.

[TW: brief nudity, cat calling, depiction of insomnia, depiction of depression, judgement of using antidepressants, depiction of memory loss, stalking, abusive relationship]

“The Wash Day Diaries” is a realistic illustration of four best friends living in the Bronx dealing with self-care and other issues such as mental health and dating.

Each woman’s wash day or hair routine is showcased in each character’s story while also showing the characters’ lives and struggles. I felt very related to the content of this book as a black woman. This is the first graphic novel I read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was able to finish it in one day.

Overall, Wash Day Diaries is an amazing depiction of friendship, natural hair, and sisterhood. I highly recommend this graphic novel.

I LOVED THIS! As a black woman who's also a comic lover, Wash Day Diaries is everything! There's so much care and thought put into this entire story and the way it all connects to the deep connection Black women have with their hair. Don't think that because this is a comic, that it isn't a beautiful way of sharing deep, adult themes and storytelling. The love that these women have among each other is inspirational and amazing.

I loved the art, the plot, the various stories, the vibes, the amazing story of these different women who happen to be friends. It was really interesting to see them deal with their problems and how they searched for and accepted help, even when it wasn't useful. These women try their best and their stories are beautiful.

Four beautiful short stories intertwined to show the power of friendship between these girls. I love the storyline of their wash day and their lives going through the Bronx. This graphic novel was so wonderful, one of my most favorite things was the different color palette assigned to each girl. I loved the art style and attention to detail for each girl.

Thank you so much for the advanced copy Chronicle Books <3

I don't read graphic novels often, but I really enjoyed Wash Day Diaries. The artwork is beautiful and the stories and casual banter of four supportive best friends; Cookie, Davene, Kim, and Tanisha are fun to read. The care and styling of their hair tie each of the short stories together.

THANK YOU NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHER FOR ALLOWING ME TO READ THIS ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
5 stars!
This was a very quick read but I feel like it was very impactful. Showing what poc women go through was one of my favorite parts of this. All the women in there have they’re own personality and ways of doing things and they still all love eachother and want to be with eachother by the end. The art was amazing and I knew it would be. I recently read Nubia and loved the art and again loved the art in this. Definitely a 5 star read for me!

A short but intense slice of life of Black Women.
*chefs kiss*
It was a beautiful homage to hair that we rarely get without it only being about hair. This graphic novel showcases a range of characters and struggles. Though the depression storyline hit me the hardest all of them held that universality struggle while also being unapologetically Black because your phone dying while getting your hair braided is the real struggle.
I hope that young Black girls read this and know that there is so much the world has to offer and that we're not side characters, our stories are just as rich and beautiful as everyone else's.

First the artwork was so vivid!! I loved every single picture and panel. This was so easy to relate to because as a Black Woman who gets her hair done in salons and even the times that I have to do it at home I saw myself within all the characters. I loved how even though it is a fun story it touches on serious topics. Each one of these stories could very well be their own book if expanded. I loved it and will be adding this in my library when it comes out.

Wash Day Diaries is the stories of four women who are all friends and centers around their hair routines. But it's also about friendship, love, mental health...

I loooooooooooooooooooooooooved this. I found it so captivating and the drawings were magnificent. The use of color is also so very smart and I just was taken from beginning to end.
It had such distinct characters and I loved seeing them interact just as much as I liked seeing them on their own. It was truly just a joy, and it made me feel things despite being a 200 something graphic novel. We need more books like this one, and I can't wait for this to come out so I can get my hands on a physical copy!