Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing a copy for review.

Wash Day Diaries follows a group of four friends through four stories of regular, everyday life. The cover alone was enough to entice me, but as I was reading I was constantly stopping to admire the artwork and the flow of each story. The pacing was phenomenal, which can be rare with one-off graphic novels, and all four characters had interesting perspectives that made me want more! I do hope Rowser and Smith decide to either continue this story, or work on another project together, as it's very clear that they know how to use the graphic novel medium to deliver a heartwarming, beautiful story.

A short slice of life graphic novel follows four best friends through five stories covering the ups and downs of their daily lives. Focusing mainly on the wash day experience shared by Black women everywhere, this comic is a love letter to Black sisterhood, their friendships, and their deeply personal relationships.

The only thing keeping me from adding this to my library collection is that it is more of an adult read than for teenagers. It handles some of the darker topics such as depression and relationship abuse beautifully. I could definitely see additional volumes being created for these characters.

I recommend this for any black girl! Such a real graphic novel following 4 friends just living and having hair struggles. It has mental health rep, a plus-size rep, you can't go wrong with reading it. Cutest friendship!

i absolutely adored the Wash Day Diaries! It does an amazing job of capturing the universal experiences of black women! the hair care, the sisterhood, friendship, family, relationships, depression, work and more. Never in my life have i felt like a book was completely written for me and my friends. I could see myself in these pages, see the things my friends and i have experienced in these pages. As a black woman discovering a book like this made me so happy and feel so seen! I really hope more books like this (esp graphic novels) are created and i hope this book becomes a multi-issue series because i definitely need more!

This graphic novel exemplifies why I enjoy the genre. The artwork is phenomenal, the stories are well-paced, and the characters are distinct and feel real. There was clearly a lot of love put into each of the stories and characters, and it shows on the page. My only complaint is that I want more! I do hope Rowser and Smith decide to do a follow-up, because I would love to see these characters and their shenanigans again. This is definitely going on my list of graphic novels to buy when I have the money to spend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

A graphic novel about sisterhood and the beauty/strength of Black women. A powerful graphic novel that pulls you in to the lives of this ride or die group of friends. The art style is gorgeous and vibrant.

This book was an excellent read about a group of young, women of color who are friends in NYC. While each section focuses on a different character the others are woven throughout building the story. The art and colors are gorgeous. This would be appropriate for high schoolers or older.

Great graphic novel. It showed how friends could be there for each other through whatever comes along. This graphic novel deals with depressions, stalking, struggles with natural hair in a workplace and even a love triangle.

But it also shows the many ways that African Americans deal with wash day and hairstyles.

These feel like women that I know! Wash day is well you know. The fact that we have to name it says it all, the rest of the story highlights all the other aspects of lifes highs and lows that seems representative of the journey of our hair too. I loved this read!

Received arc from netgalley

All I was thinking while reading this graphic novel was “I feel so seen.” Kimana, Davene, Cookie and Nisha are literally me and my friends. This is perfect compilation of short stories that showcase every aspect of being a Black or POC woman. These stories seamlessly showcases the ups and downs of their lives but also shows how their friendship makes them stronger. The only con I would have is that I would love to see more. I was so invested with each characters’ story. I would be really excited to see more of these comics so I can learn more about each woman.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing to read the ARC of this amazing story.

Wash Day Diaries follows a group of four friends made up of Kim, Tanisha, Davene, and Cookie as they navigate their personal relationships and their relationship with their hair.

This was such a joy to read and I loved following all of the girl's journeys and how they all came together at the end. It was easy to fall in love with the girls based on their interactions with each other alone. Really reminded me of me and my friends. I think it was super smart to give each girl their own main color which visually signaled who the focus was. The art of the wash day process was stunning and it helped the reader slow down alongside the characters.

My only critique was I wished it was longer, it's a lot to put a focus on so many characters in such a short amount of time. I felt like we were given a taste and while it wrapped up nicely, I was wanting more at the end.

The worst thing about this book was that it ended! This slice of life graphic novel hit the absolute spot for indulgence: gorgeous artwork with moody colors, cute outfits and apartments, and cool-ass women you wanna be friends with. I loved how the creators showcased the steps in each girl’s hair routine with such detail: you get to follow the twist and turns of hair, the application of products, and every routine is as unique as their personalities.

I wanted more though. Not in a bad way but ugh, it was too short! More of these characters and their stories, more of this style of easy, relatable writing. Just MORE! It felt like there was a lot left unsaid and much more going on that we need to be a part of. Here’s hoping we get a whole series of these girls because I feel sad I was only a part of their lives for the one hour I read this.

Thank you to the publisher Chronicle Books for providing an eARC of this graphic novel for review!

*reviewed from uncorrected eARC*

teen/adult graphic fiction - a short but lovely ode to Black hair beauty and body positivity, and female friends (het and pan) whom you can count on to help you through relationship issues and other life situations.

This book in my opinion is just plain out revolutionary. i throughly enjoyed this title and would recommended it to any other woman of color. The wash day stories depict thing that even myself have done and love it. I absolutely love this title and can't wait to read more from the lovely women who wrote this book.

I absolutely ADORED this graphic novel! It perfectly embodies the life and experience of a young black woman with natural hair. Many Black women understand the lengths we go to for healthy and beautiful hair (which we ALL have) and I loved the different textures and hairstyles that were showcased for each character. From cute coils to sleek wigs, I really felt like every version of myself was represented here. Not only that, but each character has a life of their own that is quickly depicted. From the difficulties of dating, having to navigate being hit on and then insulted when we don't return the interest, to healing family wounds and dealing with depression, each character just felt so real and so easily relatable. I want MORE graphic novels like this. Simple in delivery but impactful all the same, Wash Day Diaries was fun and sweet and the friendship among these 4 women just really is the icing on the cake. My ONLY disappointment is that I wish it were longer and that we had the chance to see more of their life. But maybe just maybe, the author will consider making this a comic book series. I would be happy with that!

Enjoyable snapshots from the lives of each member of a friend group and their hair. I liked the art style as well.

Wow. That's how I would describe Wash Day Diaries in one word.

Even with more words, I can't convey how good this book is. It's an exemplary slice of life work that hits all the points I look for in a good book. The stories and characters are so poignant, so genuine, that I can't help but wonder if these women are real and that these stories are a documentation of their lives.

As a feminine-presenting individual, some themes are instantly recognizable: the stark reality of a woman wielding her keys as a tool of self-defense at night, random men cat-calling a woman with an entitled mindset that leads them to insulting her when she doesn't respond, always carrying mace, knowing what parts of an outfit can dual as a weapon. All of these little details really spoke to me about how each of these characters are women, not just "black women" as though that made them different from other women, how utterly wrong it is for them to be viewed as something different. At the same time, their black identities are important as well, and I absolutely love how the book shows us details about what it means to be a black woman. As a BIPOC but not one of the black and Latino communities, I'm no foreigner to institutionalized racism, but I always felt that my black and Latino peers have it harder than I do, and I've always wanted to know what forms my privilege takes. I've never been one to care what my hair looks like, and while this has certainly had negative side effects, it's nothing like what a black woman might experience going out with her hair natural. Th way that it's mentioned as just a fact of life is a necessarily painful reminder that it shouldn't be like that, that all women should be able to go out with their hair natural without repercussions. I love the inclusion of mental illness and LGBT+ themes, and although it was painful, the inclusion of how our friends and families may not understand is so important too.

This book does not shy away from portraying the sometimes very harsh and very grim reality, but nonetheless manages to be a positive and encouraging work. The celebration of self-care and self-love, as well as friends who will do anything for each other, instills a sense of inspiration and aspiration rather than envy. There are so many little background details that tell of the character's lives, like the Mexican ice cream vendor cart in one of the neighborhood scenes. I want more books like Wash Day Diaries, and I think that our society needs more books like it.

Loved it! At its core it is a story about beautiful, strong black women and their friendship. With the framework of wash day, we see each girl dealing with their own daily issues - everything from work, to relationships, to mental health struggles. When they come together though, they make each other stronger and it is really lovely to see.

Wash Day Diaries is a beautiful graphic novel that centers on a week in the lives of four friends. We experience the stories of each woman’s day in a different chapter, usually starting with how she’d style her hair, down to relationships, career, and mental health. In the last chapter, all the friends come together and I enjoyed the ending. The art is colorful and the panels create the story is a very fluid way.

A lot of graphic novels tend to be a for a younger audience but there is some mature content so I’d recommend this one for 18+.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review! Wash Day Diaries is a cute graphic novel about four Black women and their friendship and connection through their hair. Each character has a short story about whatever they’re dealing with at the moment and this book beautifully depicts a lot of issues. Relationship struggles, family issues, depression, abusive relationships, etc. I loved how, even when some of the girls didn’t fully understand or relate to what the other was going through, they still tried to help, and that just showed how beautiful these characters are. Not to mention the art style! The coloring and illustration was gorgeous and I devoured each page of this book. The only negative thing is I just wish there was more! I’d love to read more about each of the girls and get to truly know them.