A review by notabookseller
Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser

emotional funny relaxing sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

 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. 
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