Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser

 

This is a cute slice-of-life comic about four Black women who are friends. It revolves around their "wash day," or the day they take off to do hair stuff, but each chapter is also a vignette of the other things going on in their lives. One of the women is in a love triangle between two guys and can't choose. One of the women is coming to terms with her grandmother's dementia. One of the women is dealing with an abusive ex. And one of the women has depression. They are quite the diverse group, too. One is Afro-Latinx, one is Jamaican, one is pan. Their stories are set in New York (the Bronx), and I loved the way the city was given its own sort of character, too.

I have two qualms only with the book. One, I wish it were longer! The group chat was hilarious and I loved the portrayal of their friendship. I also loved the gorgeous panels showing the intricate braiding techniques and the detail paid to their clothes. I wanted to know more about Cookie's relationship with her abuela, and how Nisha decided to resolve her relationship catastrophe. The second qualm, though, is how the element of one of the characters' depression was dealt with, though. (I think it was Davene?) I loved how supportive her friend was trying to be when she came over, but telling her to "just be positive" and that she didn't need medication and that it could do bad things to her was kind of toxic. And then she gave her a citrine crystal! NOOOOOOOO. I wish that panel was longer and there had been more closure about that, because the depression portrayal was seriously on point, but nothing really came of it. 

Overall, this was really fun. I hope the authors make it into a series because I'd love to read more about these characters and get more glimpses into their lives. Here's hoping!

4 out of 5 stars