This book was well written and illustrated. Several things were highly relatable. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith is a feminist, friendship-focused graphic novel centered around four friends and their personal lives. I really enjoyed the strong bond the girls had with each other! The way they rely on and empower each other was really the focal point of the graphic novel. I adored the art style and coloring of the pages and panels- the entire thing was incredibly aesthetically pleasing! Wash Day Diaries also contains some great queer representation as well as mental health representation! I do wish that the situation/storyline focused on depression was developed further. I am giving this book four stars because I do wish this book was longer- maybe some things were left out to leave room for a sequel..? If so then I'm looking forward to it!!

The illustrations in this graphic novel is absolutely STUNNING! 😍
I just read this with my sister and we couldn’t shut up about how beautiful the artwork was and how relatable every character was!

The story was funny & heartwarming!
It explored the beauty of friendship, love, mental health, and of course gorgeous Black hair care! 🖤👏🏿

This was a quick fun read and I can’t wait for it to come out so I can have it on my shelf! I loved it!

I really really loved this graphic novel! I felt so many emotions while reading this but namely JOY. I was laughing, cheering, cringing, and lamenting the triumphs and hardships of these friends throughout the book. The colors, textures, and patterns were the first things that caught my attention, and they continued to provide depth to the story as it progressed. The background imagery even created its own story with nods to various intertwined cultures and the gentrification that plagues the city. I loved how this comic broke the fourth wall in the Group Chat chapter (my favorite chapter)—a character pushes up the panel like a movie theater curtain! And, I really enjoyed how the friends were interposed into the memory as they added their commentary via texts!

I very much appreciated this love letter to Black girls, their friendships, and their hair, and I can’t recommend it enough. Be sure to look out for it this June!

Major thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this advanced copy of Wash Day Diaries in exchange for an honest review. Wash Day Diaries is scheduled to hit shelves on June 14th, 2022 and is currently available for preorder.

I. Love. This. The characters are complex, the stories are relatable, and the art itself is so fun and beautiful and clever (there is one specific panel in “Group Chat” that I just adore you’ll know it when you see it)!

This story follows four twenty-something best friends living in New York City (a genre I will never get tired of), specifically they live in the Bronx. Kim is super excited for her upcoming show, except for the nagging feeling in her brain that the ex- she’s been dodging is going to show up. Nisha is embracing her hoe phase, but once her love life and her work life cross paths it sends her running for the hills. Davene is severely depressed and trying to call out for help, but her friends can’t see the signs. Last but not least, Cookie goes to visit her estranged abuela and they reconcile, even if abuela doesn’t remember it.

Wash Day Diaries is Sex & the City for the next generation and for all the non-white women in the audience. This graphic novel is a character-heavy, slice-of-life story which I absolutely love; it has so much room for growth and continuation with potential for a series and even for television adaptation and I hope that everyone who reads can understand that. The representation of depression is very well done and true to life and the artist’s ability to show us what Davene is going through with next to no words is just beautiful. The story has a great balance of light and heavy subject matter; it evokes all kinds of emotions in the audience in all the right ways; and the actual friendship between these four women is so heartfelt and it’s just so easy to fall in love with them all.

Wash Day Chronicles is a refreshingly honest celebration of Black and Brown womanhood! I was in love with the hilarious text messages and conversations to the textures Smith illustrates. I almost felt as if I was a part of this group of friends. Rowser did a wonderful job keeping the text authentic to each character, their beliefs, and feelings. This was an absolute joy to read and I look forward to more works by these creators.

I love stories like this about tight, close-knit friend groups. All these girls has such perfectly distinct personalities, and I fell in love which all of them so quickly. Giving them each their own chapter and then having them all coming together at the end was so smart and it just made everything flow so well. The group text chapter, in particular was genius and I could read an entire graphic novel using that setup. I hope this gets a sequel because I need to see what happens to these girls!

I really loved this graphic novel which read as a love letter to Black sisterhood and self care rituals. The book links five short stories that feature four friends in the Bronx, using hair care / wash day rituals to bind the stories together. The beautiful illustrations are colorful and eye-catching and it kept me engaged from beginning to end. Highly recommend!

slight tw: depression/mental health

Honestly I didn't know what to expect when reading this story, but it did pleasantly surprise me! We get four short stories of these four best friends, and we see them going about their daily lives in New York. I felt as thought the characters truly were easily to love which made it very easy for me to read. I also thought that the art style was so beautiful!

I do wish that for one of the short stories (don't want to name names and spoil anything) that we dove more into the mental health aspect and her thoughts. I felt as though I was given quite a bit that I could relate with, but wished that it could have been explored even more. Possibly we might see more into her headspace in the next book if this does become a series (which would be amazing)... I'm unsure.

Either way these characters were so lovable and their friend group dynamic makes my heart warm. I would definitely be interested in reading more books from this author in the future!

Really enjoyed this comic. I love the depth of each character is shown and how quickly we get to know each of them. As people are in reality, they are each so different--different clothing styles, different personalities, different issues--and yet they are so bonded together. Their friendship was my favorite part. The art is beautiful and captures each of their styles and personalities so well. I love that it took the time and pages to show each of the girl's wash day routines that reflected their styles as well. The story and writing also captured me. So real and raw. While the smoking and nudity wasn't my style, and would have preferred the comic without it, I think a lot of readers and "new adult" fans will really enjoy this graphic novel.

This graphic novel was a delight. The different short stories of all the ladies in this squad getting their hair washed or doing someone else’s hair for them all tied together for the last short story. These ladies obviously love each other a lot.

I liked the accurate depiction of depression that Davene’s story showed. Especially that she felt like her friend didn’t understand at all and then later we see that she does understand better than we thought.

I loved Cookie. She’s a fun character who had a lovely heartbreaking story with her Abuela.

One of the things I really liked was the way that they showed one of them sitting in a salon chair and reading their group chat. The way it did the flashbacks during that story with the group text messages was just great.

First read of the year and it started with a BANG!

Amazing storyline following the lives of four best friends, all from different backgrounds, cultures and situations.. all the girls grow on you and I found myself completely submerged by the end of each chapter.

Will be buying as soon as it’s released and I’ll be keeping an eye on Rowser, she’s going places.


thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book. It’s a perfect easy read especially for graphic novel lovers like myself! I found myself really relating to the some of the characters. This book touched base on things like culture, mental health, new careers, and family issues. 4.75/5 stars for me and a great first read for 2022!!
Thank you to Chronicle Books and Netgalley for sending this ARC!!

This was an absolute delight in every possible way. I loved the interwoven stories and depiction of friendship. The portrayal of mental health struggle from one character was so relatable and honestly portrayed. I deeply appreciated that. The art was a GIFT. This was one of the best graphic novels I’ve read from an artistic standpoint.

I also laughed out loud in several places. I loved this book and will reread it.

Wash Day Diaries was a brilliant read. I love the way it tells an each character story with different ways of getting their hair done. I'm hoping there is more to tell, and I'll be waiting for it to come out.

Wash Day Diaries is a short, beautifully illustrated graphic novel following four young, Black women and their lives, friendships, and gorgeous hair.
The illustration in this book is beautiful. I absolutely loved the depiction of our hair! Whether it’s the braids, the twist outs, or even just our bonnets, it was all magnificent to see depicted in such a celebratory way! I also loved that the artist showed real bodies! Not everyone had curves, not everyone was perfect, and I love that!
This book tackled a couple hard topics, such as depression, in a way that didn’t make you sad, but just made you see life as it is for different types of Black women. I also enjoyed seeing the casual sapphic representation.
My only problem with this book is that I wish it was longer. It could’ve went more in depth and answered some questions I had toward the end. If this ever becomes a series, I’ll be very happy!
This graphic novel shows the connection that Black women have with our hair and with each other in a way that celebrates us and shows us unconditional love! I’d recommend this graphic novel to every Black woman that is looking for a graphic novel that shows us in such a unapologetically Black light!

Thank you Chronicle Books and NetGalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.

TW: nudity; sexual situations; depression; dementia; violent ex-boyfriend (all trigger warnings are very mild)

A great story that reflects the everyday life of black women in America. I felt that each character was unique and gave a lot to the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for this book!

3.5!

This was a sweet, quick read that highlighted female friendship in a lovely way. You meet each of the girls as they navigate their lives, starting with their hair appointments. Though this isn't something I have any experience with, it's that sense of identity that each girl portrays that I can relate to. The art style was nicely done. I enjoyed this!

I absolutely loved reading this graphic novel. Black joy is something we don't see very often and I was really excited to get a peek into what that looks like for a group of best friends.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wash Day Diaries follows a group of four friends and has 5 short stories. There's one for each girl, and one for the group. I really enjoyed how realistic it was in portraying their lies both in and out of the friendship because each character was going though something different like struggles with mental health or dealing with a family issues. At the end, the notes on character and chapter design made me appreciate the comic even more as it really showed the attention and detail that went in and I always appreciate some behind the scenes details. Everyone should go check this book out when it comes out on June 14, 2022!