There honestly needs to be more LGBTQ affirming books aimed at teens like this. It's one giant "awwwww" from the first to last page.

#CheerUp #NetGalley
This is such a cute and adorable graphic novel, if you enjoyed Check, Please! you will definitely enjoy this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cheer Up: Love And Pom Poms was an adorable, quick read that is perfect for anyone looking for some good, LGBT media.

If you know me, you know I love a good sports romance book, and this graphic novel was no exception. The two main characters are on the cheerleading team, and have to navigate their ways through the complexities of high school, gender, and sexuality. Despite a few heavy topics and scenes, the story was cute and fun, and the characters were loveable. I’m always looking for some new sapphic characters to love, and Cheer Up did not disappoint.

This graphic novel has a plus-size lesbian main character as well as a transgender main character (written by a transgender author), and the romance between the two was heartwarming. The only reason I rated it 4 stars instead of 5 is that I wish the relationship between Annie and Bebe had been a little more fleshed out. Other than that, it was a wholesome, romantic book, and I would recommend it to anyone, young or old.

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4.25/5

***Special thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing me with a coy in exchange for an honest review***

I really liked this sweet graphic novel. I read it in a little over an hour and enjoyed every second.

This GN follows two girls who are on the cheerleading team. One of them is an angry, smart, and passionate girl who does not like the idea of cheerleading (due to the media's portrayal). The other girl is a sweet and kind transgirl who works on finding her voice and being true to herself.

The rep in this book was AWESOME. I loved the characters so much. In addition, I found the representation of the friends and parents great. BeeBee's parents allow her to start her transition (hormone blockers, stereotypically feale clothes, and makeup), but give her conditions such as keeping her grades up. This complex relationship between the characters is presented, but never really explored (but that is pretty common with GN). BeeBee's friends on the cheer team can tend to say hurtful things about BeeBee (without malicious intent), and BeeBee has to learn to stand up for herself (in case you cannot tell BeeBee is my favorite character).

I would definitly recommend this !

This was SO CUTE!!!!!! The trans and queer rep was so well done and genuinely made me smile. This is a quick and wholesome read that covers being trans in high school, queer relationships, and familial reactions to coming out in a way that doesn't feel overdone or exploitative. I loved that we got to see some nonbinary rep as well, and how fun all of the cheer scenes were. If you're looking for something sweet and heartwarming, pick this up asap!!

This was a very good graphic novel with so many important messages. I got promised a similar novel to the Check! Please graphic novels, and it delivered, although I did not like this as much. The illustrations were gorgeous, and I loved how good the representation was with the body shapes of the girls, because they were so varied.

The plot was interesting, but it was not as focused on cheerleading as I thought it would be, which makes sense since it is a super short book. It deals with very heavy topics such as the struggles of Bebe after coming out as transexual and having to deal with people treating her differently and even sometimes unfairly.

Also it was interesting to see how sometimes the people we love can hurt us even when they don’t mean to, such as the cheerleaders not really taking Bebe’s feelings into account and deciding what was best for her instead of simply asking, or Bebe’s parents wanting the best for her but not realizing they were hurting her and not listening to her needs.

This was SO CUTE. I'm not typically a fan of graphic novels, even when I enjoy them I often find them lacking, wishing I could read them in prose form instead. That wasn't the case with Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms; the format felt perfect for this story. I adored both of our main characters, Annie and Bebe, and the relationship between them was so strong, I loved the way they were both always quick to defend the other, but also able to share their vulnerabilities with each other. I love that Bebe's experiences as a trans girl were so central to the story and although it was uncomfortable at times I was really impressed with it highlighting some of the microaggressions she faces even from people trying to be supportive, such as her parents' controlling behavior in an attempt to 'protect' her, or the cheerleading squad being so vocal in their support for her because they know it will make them look good. It felt like there was so much packed into such a short book, but it was paced really well and never felt rushed or overcrowded. The art style is absolutely adorable too, and matched perfectly with this cute, fluffy story.

This was such a wholesome and fluffy book, I really loved our two main characters, especially Annie. The representation was amazing and I really enjoyed the conversation about how transgender people feel.

This queer graphic novel had great art and was well written but was a little short for me. I think the author did a good job of mixing fleshed-our characters with interesting action but I think there was too much going on for so short a novel. I really wish this was a little longer. However, there is a great mix of fluff and hard-hitting subject matter. It was also nice to read a sapphic graphic novel for the first time in a while. I feel like they are less common than I would like. I think if you already like queer graphic novels or even queer contemporary fiction you’ll enjoy this.

ahh! what a pleasure to read this. a really cute and wholesome story, the ones that will always stay in your heart!

Wow! This cute graphic novel does a lot in a short amount of time. There was discussions around what it means to be a trans teenager, being a good ally, what it means to stand up for yourself, lessons on consent, not judging someone based on their past, etc. Plus the fun cheer team aspect and a cute romance. I wish it was longer. I hope it turns into a series because I need to know more about all the characters.

I loved this so much!! Such a sweet, fluffy, sapphic graphic novel. I already can’t wait for more and hope this becomes a series 🥰

Cheer Up is absolutely wonderful! We follow spunky Annie who joins the cheer squad to appear well rounded for college applications. There is also BeeBee, a trans girl trying to manage academics and the responsibilities of cheer captain, all while feeling like she needs to please those around her to not attract attention. If you love Check, Please! or Lumberjanes you will 100% love this graphic novel. I loved the support of the team, which reminded me of the camaraderie of high school women's sports. I appreciated seeing BeeBee's growth by being more vocal about her needs from her friends, her family, and her classmates. It was also wonderful to see Annie grow in confidence and find a group of friends. And the romance was adorable! I really enjoyed the illustrations throughout the book. I'm going to need a sequel!

This was incredibly cute and honestly, I want more! I hope this will be a series because I want more of Beebee and Annie! It kind of reminded me of Heartstopper so I highly recommend this one if you loved those graphic novels!

Cheer up: Love and Pom poms was the perfect mix of cute & bold for a graphic novel. The friendships in this were endearing and it also touched on some tough topics but handled them perfectly. This story was perfect and I hope there’s more to come!

I loved this book.

It is incredible to see a story which normalizes concepts with which not everyone is familiar. The first step towards making society more inclusive for everyone is educating everyone and making that education accessible. This book does that and more.

The story in this graphic novel is about finding a community in high school and about feeling comfortable being yourself. These are common themes in recent YA novels, but this book proves why they are necessary. Seeing yourself represented and seeing others have success expressing themselves is so important when you are struggling with self-confidence and identity.

I am so glad this book exists and I can’t wait to tell everyone I know to read it.

TWs: transphobia/transphobic microaggressions

This was so adorable!!!!!

Cheer Up is the cutest little graphic novel ever! It's a story about coming to terms with your identity and growing into yourself as a person, it's a story about learning tk stand up for yourself and learning to assert your boundaries. It's also just a very cute little story about two girls who fall for each other and get to kiss each other and that makes them very happy and it is very cute when they do.

I also absolutely adored the art style in this graphic novel! It was very reminiscent of the shows I watched growing up, and it also carried the dynamic panels of the story super well! I loooooved the character designs! I loved the bright colours! I loved everything about it!!

Like despite carrying a lot of heavy themes in here, this book is mostly just a lighthearted, fluffy read. It doesn't go into the violence of it all. It mostly tell you what's what and focuses on the parts that make you smile. And I love it for that. Because as important as it is to have books that help you understand the trauma of being queer and/or trans, you are not owed that in every story. Sometimes all the queer characters do is be weird and awkward and funny and that's also so important to see!

That being said, I think this book was definitely too short! I would've loved it if the story went for a little longer and if we got to explore the characters and their dynamics a little better. I would totally read a sequel or a series with these characters, because I simply adored them all!

***eArc provided by Oni Press & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Comp titled to two of my favorite currently running sweet, queer, sports comics (Fence and Check, Please!), Cheer Up fits in perfectly. It's fun, energetic, and is just a sapphic good time.

I do wish it were a bit longer, and in that length I wanted BeeBee to actually have come important conversations with her parents about what can be seen, very easily, as abusive behaviors for the sake of "keeping her safe." The resolution to it is a bit too clean, but the comic as a whole is sweet and streamlined in it's storytelling. Coupled with lovely art, it'll sit nicely with fans of queer sports comics.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Oni Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this Graphic Novel. This is a warm snuggly sort of story that I happily devoured in a single sitting, and it gave me all the feels!

We follow our two main characters; Annie and Bebe, as they navigate their way through high-school, friendship and the cheerleading squad. I couldn't have loved these characters more; antisocial, feisty lesbian Annie, and her former sweet and kind friend Bebe who is trans, and just wants to be accepted. Their friendship truly melts your heart, and I simply couldn't put it down.

There are a ton of positive messages in here; body positivity (we come in all shapes and sizes), LGBTQIA+ representation, proactive communication, acceptance... the list goes on, and I'm truly so impressed. I loved the character development too, it felt real and honest.

I would say the ending felt just a little abrupt and could have done with a few extra pages to fix the pacing in the last couple of scenes, but on the whole, this is an exceptional read and one that I would happily recommend!

Cheer Up! is an utter delight, and I will definitely be picking up a copy on release day!

4.5 utterly adorable stars

This graphic novel that follows Annie, a book smart lesbian that needs some extracurricular activities to get into college, and her friend BeeBee, a trans girl that needs to keep her grades up and her social life moving along so her parents will support her transition. These two used to be friends but drifted apart, but when BeeBee becomes the head of the cheerleading squad, and decides that Annie would be a good addition to the team, they are forced together. Their previous friendship rekindles, and maybe turns into something more.

I loved this graphic novel! The art was awesome, and it definitely gave me “Check, Please!” vibes. I thought the story was really amazing as well. The romance gave me all the cute and fuzzy feelings, and the slow burn aspect of it was nice as well. There were also some not so nice things that the girls have to deal with, which is just like real life. People don’t always understand, microaggressions are everywhere whether the people mean harm by them or not. Just like in real life, sometimes even when people love you very much, they still have much to learn and change.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own