Wash Day Diaries weaves the story of four friends together in this sweet slice of life graphic novel. Dealing with relevant issues such as depression, having a loved one with dementia, and sticking up for your friends, this one hit me right in the feels. I especially loved the gorgeous art and the natural style of conversation between the characters. What a wonderful addition to any library! Though this graphic novel may be geared towards adults, I would even recommend it to a YA audience as well.

This is the first time I’ve felt truly “seen” while reading a book. This book does so many things uniquely and well. First of all it’s a book that focuses on adult female friendship. I haven’t heard a story like that in ages. Secondly, it tells these stories by focusing on the hair of Black women. This is a HUGE deal because Black women’s hair is a major social and political statement just for existing. (There are countless stories of Black women’s natural hair being considered “unprofessional” or Black woman being forced to change their hair to participate in the workplace.) This is also the first time I’ve ever seen the Black female bodies being presented as existing just for themselves rather than for anyone else’s gratification. It has some extremely “real” feeling moments: the pain of getting your hair braided, the tension of walking past catcallers, all sorts of little things readers would notice and recognize.The color palette is very cozy and really highlights the intimacy of these female relationships. The relationships are heartwarming and the stories, despite their short length, pack quite a punch.

I really enjoyed Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith. This was a graphic novel that really shined a light on the day in, day out, trials and tribulations of a group of friends and covered a lot of different topics that women encounter. I loved the multiple perspectives within the same overall storyline. The graphics were great and the story flowed so well, highlighting the strong friendship between the girls. Highly recommend it!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the ARC!

I picked this up since I seen four black girls on the cover with hair! Such a pretty cover!

Quick read, cute graphics I really wish that there was more backstory and story in general!

Covered a lot of important topics both visually and literally.

I did see myself throughout this book and I will be purchasing!

Beautifully rendered and written, Wash Day Diaries follows the lives of four Black friends who live in the Bronx as they navigate life's ups and downs. Characters feel real and realized, and their joys and sorrows are given the space they deserve.

Credits
Art: Robyn Smith
Writing: Jamila Rowser
Colors: Robyn Smith, Bex Glendining, Kazimir Lee
Wash Day Script Editor: J.A. Micheline
Editor: Sahara Clement, Juliette Capra
Designer and lettering layout: Neil Egan
Lettering Assistance: Angie Kang

Can we have more New Adult graphic novels please because this was just divine! I really enjoyed this graphic novel, it was the perfect glimpse into the lives of four young women, it covered a range of topics in a small amount of pages, from relationships to depression to friendships and more. I loved the focus and celebration of Black hair as well. To me this story focused on a very typical, strong friendship between four unique women, but new adult stories are so rarely told that this was a delight to read.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this graphic novel!
As soon as I saw this was read now on NG, I instantly downloaded and read the whole thing in one sitting. I really loved the writing, art style, colour scheme and set up. We follow 4 main characters connected by friendship and see a peak in their daily lives.
Highly recommend this one!

I loved this graphic novel from front to back. The sisterhood and just black girl magic in this book was just amazing like chef’s kiss amazing. I love the color and vibe that this book gave off and I hope this authors continues to make more graphic novels or even a regular novel because I will definitely read it. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this e-ARC

A fun quick read. I love anecdotal ensembles, and this one is well drawn and the anecdotes are varied enough for everyone to relate to at least one. It is a super quick read, but it has enough interesting details to fully flesh out its story and characters.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Wash Day Diaries is wonderful. Female friendship, phenomenal art style, a fun story with multiple perspectives that pulls you in, and excellent writing. What more can you want?

Cute graphic novel of 4 friends each dealing with something but come together to support each other with love and friendship. Really pretty illustrations and graphics. The girls felt super real and each had their own distinct personality which I really liked! Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy.

Don’t remove the kinks from your hair! Remove them from your brain!”- Marcus Garvey

Thank you Writer Jamila Rowser, artist Robyn Smith and Chronicle Books for an advanced copy of Wash Day Diaries. The graphic novel looks at the lives of four friends connected through their deeply personal experiences of Black Haircare and self-care.

The story chronicles a day in the life of 4 friends, based in the Bronx neighborhood- Kimana - a musician suffering from being stalked by her ex- her roommate Cookie- representing the black LGBTQIA’s community and trying to mend her relationship with grandmother suffering from dementia - Tanisha, with some of the funniest bits which are rather situational- stuck between a model and artist and has a rough time choosing between a love life and her independent lifestyle- and finally Davene- suffering from depression and having the other 3 as a support system to overcome it.

All these story life experiences are dealt with underlying humor which helps entertainingly convey the message. Davene’s story remained with me with her issues loosely demonstrating the equal opportunity lawsuit black females face at their work, case in point the 2010 Chastity Jones discrimination case due to her natural hair.

On the negative side, some images are for adults which can be avoided to widen the audience reach. Major positive- Color schema used to differentiate between past and present and the texting thumbnails. Huge shoutout to colourists Bex Glendining and Kazimir Lee. It might be a bit difficult to get into it initially but once in, it’s a fun, sweet and fast read-Highly recommended! The book comes out on 14 June 2022.

#BookReview #netgalley #graphicnovel #newadult

TW: depression, prescription anti-depressants, dementia, aggressive ex-boyfriend.

This colorful graphic novel portrays the lives of four best friends living in the Bronx. Kim, Tanisha, Davene and Cookie have their own spirit whether it be through their voice, fashion or lifestyle. We follow these ladies through the conversations or their inner circle, the troubles (and amusing moments) life throws at them but especially their hair care routines. Thanks to the color palette and design of the novel, each moment of washing, conditioning and styling feels so intimate between the reader and the character. These scenes are straightforwardly an ode to Black girl heritage, a celebration.

The sense of warmth and sisterhood between the four was uncapped. I appreciated that this graphic novel exudes a certain closeness in the Black mental health and LGBTQ+ community that isn’t always presented in modern literature (unfortunately), or in reality. More exactly, there is a conversation between two characters about depression and prescribed anti-depressants. While this conversation was limited, it still brought forth the important representation and idea of “hard subjects” in the Black community. These women defy this incongruity by coming from different walks of life and come together through the bond of hair care, simple joys of sleep overs and more.

I loved that the scenes and characters felt so in sync with the colors and composition of this graphic novel. I couldn’t help but admire the honest body images and the realness of women at home (no bra, messy hair, you know!).

Thank you to Jamila Rowser and Robin A. Smith for this beautiful novel!
Big thank you to Netgalley for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Chronicle Books for this free e-ARC. The following is my voluntary and unbiased review.

I picked this based on the lively and colorful cover and the description. It is a graphic novel that focuses on four young, black women in NY who are each facing their own challenges and struggles. One has a family member with dementia, another is dealing with depression, a third is building a music career while dealing with a problematic ex. The 4th's dating life is... complicated. I like the diversity in backgrounds, sexuality, personality, but the strength of the story is in their connections with each other and their strong friendship.

It is structured as 4 short, interconnected stories. I liked them all, but my favorite was Group Chat, both because it was funny and because I liked some of the interesting visual techniques.

Overall, I recommend this story and hope that the authors publish more, either as continuations of Wash Day Diaries or new stories. 4.5 stars.

This was an alright graphic novel. I really wish it had more dialogue, but other than that it was alright.

CW/TW: Stalking, brushing off of therapy, depression, mentions of homophobia, dementia

I randomly downloaded this on Netgalley because it was available as a “Read Now” book, and I’m glad I did!

This book follows the stories of a group of four friends - all interconnected by hair care!

It’s a fun slice of life graphic novel that focuses on Black women, their daily struggles, but mostly their joy and support of each other.

The art is beautiful and vibrant, just like the characters.

Huge thank you to Chronicle Books and Netgalley for an ARC of this!

What a beautifully done collection of art. This is one of the better graphic novels I’ve read, and the best one I’ve read in a while. The art is well done, the color palette that is individual to each woman and story, but blended together by the end, and the well written storyline all helped to tell the story of these 4 women. However I would call it less of a beginning to end traditional story, and more of a look into the every day life of Cookie, Kimana, Davene, and Tanisha which I really enjoyed. It explores depression and mental illness struggles, misogyny, abuse and toxic relationships, racism, but also these 4 women were fun and intelligent, strong and multifaceted. This was the author’s exploration and celebration of what it is to be a black woman; the time and effort put into this story really came through. It was a great quick read, and I highly recommend this graphic novel.

Release date: June, 14th, 2022

*thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

In this book, with beautiful art, Jamila Rowser shows us vignettes from the lives of four friends, Kim, Cookie, Nisha and Davene, through the lens of their relationships with hair. Each of the four friends wrestles with different problems: aging relatives, the pressures to conform in the workplace, imposter syndrome, relationship problems, settling down. But they all found solace in each other. They could all pile unto one bed after a long day, tie their hair up in bonnets and scarves and hold space for each other. So many things made me chuckle while reading it: Davene pulling out a flag when Dancehall came on, the group chat, Nisha going to the hairstylist without washing her hair. But many other things were heartfelt too, such as friends coming together to stop a potentially violent ex from ruining Kim’s show, Davene’s struggle with her mental health.

This was a joy to read. Wash day is a right of passage and a permanent part of life for Black girls. For most of us, Wash Day is the day you stay at home and dedicate attention to yourself, with no plans of going out. But it can also be a day for community, especially if you spend it in places like a hair salon or with your friends. I am keeping my fingers crossed because I want to see what’s next in the lives of the four girls.

I wanted to love this, but both the illustrations and stories left me wanting more. Still en enjoyable read.

An excellent slice-of-life comic. The attention to detail in the panels about doing Black hair were so calming and stunning. I cackled at the antics, I closed the book because I couldn't believe the drama I had just read, I grinned at the bond between these women. An atmospheric story that will take you through the full gamut of emotions.