I absolutely loved Cheer Up. It’s a super cute graphic novel, and a very quick read – it took me about 25 minutes to get through. Each of the characters was well-written, distinct, and fairly relatable. Other than the text-speak (I’ve never seen anyone capitalize ‘U’ in the text-speak sense) it is a pretty accurate representation of the lives and attitudes of high school students nowadays. Annie was absolutely my favorite character, but all the rest of them were fun and likeable characters, while still feeling diverse and fleshed out. I laughed a bunch while reading it, but it was also a really sweet story that I really enjoyed. I loved the art style – the characters looked great, and the coloring was easy on the eye. As always with graphic novels, I wish it was longer. I know that it’s massive amounts of work to create a graphic novel, but 120 pages is pretty short, and it means that plot beats have to be a little rushed to fit within the time. On a similar note, it was fun to read about people who were mostly accepting and quickly learned from their mistakes, but it meant the stakes felt fairly low. I never had any doubt that everything would be ok in the end and they’d all be happy. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – often I just want to enjoy something sweet and happy – but the lack of lows mean that the highs don’t quite have the same emotional depth that they could otherwise. Overall, I thought this was beautiful & adorable, and I’d definitely recommend it.
(Also – This is a small thing, but I loved Annie’s nose. More big noses on female characters!!)

Perfect for fans of Alice Oseman's Heartstopper, Cheer Up is an adorable comic about a romance between two girls- antisocial lesbian Annie, and her former friend BeeBee, who is trans AND LITERALLY MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER- who are in their highschool cheerleading team.

It's mostly very light, and I absolutely loved this sweet comic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!

I enjoyed Cheer Up! so much. There was a perfect balance between cute and funny, and real and serious. The artistic style was also fabulous. This comic was a joy to read and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a YA queer romance.

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms was an adorable quick read that I happy devoured in a single sitting. I’m not the biggest lover of graphic novels – in fact, I’m rather picky – but this one hit the spot.

The story was lots of fun. The artwork was amazing. Together, I was grinning as things unfolded in a story that was filled with feels. It was warm and fuzzy, yet it hit hard spots as well. It packed plenty into a small space, without feeling like it was overloading the reader.

Without a doubt, fans of graphic novels are sure to adore this one.

Incredibly cute once it got going, and I enjoy that it’s both a sapphic contemporary romance and has good mtf trans rep, which honestly is needed more in teen media (or media in general). I also enjoy the genderqueer or non-binary rep, esp how casual everything is with not having labels necessarily and the process of “I don’t quite know what this is but this is how I feel”

Very easy recommendation for graphic novels for lgbt or ally teens etc

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms tackled some important themes and issues which I felt were handled sensitively and with a lot of nuance. I really appreciated how the instances of transphobic microagressions were dealt with, as well as showing multiple plus-size characters on a sports team who didn’t suddenly lose weight through working out; they were shown as both fat and healthy.

Although it dealt with some of the prejudices these characters face, this graphic novel was overall a lighthearted, fluffy read and I really enjoyed it! It had a powerful message of standing up for yourself which I really appreciated and I would highly recommend it to fans of sports team dynamics, the childhood friends to enemies to lovers trope and adorable romances. I really hope there’s a sequel because I just can’t get enough of these characters!

This was the graphic novel i needed!! I've read heartstopper and fence but this is the first sappic graphiv novel with a trans main character i have read and it certainly didnt disspoint at all!!

I don't know what it is about sports in graphicnovels but i can't help but love them. This book dealt with several tough topics and did it incredibly well.

I was in tears by the end. Can't wait for the next installment!

Solid 5 star

4/5✨
Heartstopper, Fence, Check, Please! and now Cheer Up - I guess I really enjoy graphic novels with queer people doing sports?

Cheer Up was an adorable graphic novel about an angry, lesbian, fat girl and a shy, trans girl falling in love with each other. Annie and BeeBee are so cute together and I loved that Annie learns how to be more gentle and BeeBee learns how to stand up for herself - they balance each other out perfectly. They used to be friends, grew apart and then develop feelings for each other after Annie joins the cheer squad and I really enjoyed their dynamic.

This graphic novel is not always super fluffy though: themes such as transphobia, fat shaming, controlling parents and harassment are addressed in a sensitive and thought-provoking way. I think that especially the way it talked about how transphobia can come in form of outright transphobic comments but also microaggressions will make readers rethink their actions towards trans folks (without being too preachy)..

The art style was cute, colorful and really fit the vibes of the story. I loved how cheerleading routines and some info about the sport were included.

I would’ve liked for Cheer Up to be a bit longer and to explore some topics in more depth but I really enjoyed it.

Review to come August 6th on blog/goodreads.

I received this book from the publisher/Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

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I am soooo soooo delighted that I got the chance to read this book early (it is now March) because oh boy this was just SO CUTE and so wonderfully written. I am going to try and write a review, but bear with me as I just have so much feelings!

I will just do a what I like/what I wasn't always a fan of, because I have been trying for 20 minutes to get something typed. Haha.

<strong>What I liked:</strong>
😍Annie! At first I wasn't too sure about her, she seemed to so angry and not happy, but I started to love her quite soon. She was just so awesome and tough! I loved seeing her open up to Bebe and them becoming friends (and well, more) again. I loved how she was there for Bebe. I loved how she supported Bebe. And I loved how she started to enjoy cheerleading! Also that dress during prom? YAS! I want one as well!
😍Bebe! She is such an amazing and strong character, and I was so happy that she could be who she wanted to be, a girl. I was sad though that it often felt like she had to do all the things for people just to be accepted and I just wanted to step in the story to tell her that she didn't need to do that. That people should just respect her regardless of everything. I hope that she is able to transition when she is adult, because for now she is only on puberty blockers and wearing female clothes/make-up. I can only imagine how hard it is for her to have to wait. To pray that the puberty blockers work.
😍I just love cheerleading so it made me very happy to see the team. At first I was a bit on the fence about the team but quite soon I could see that the girls there all really cared about Bebe. Though it took some prodding from Annie at times. I also loved that the cheerleading team wasn't your conventional cheerleaders. You know, the ones I always see in books/movies, pretty, thin, popular, often blonde. In this one we got a wide range of girls. From tiny and round to big and strong. It made me very happy to see that cheerleaders could also be that. And see them kick some butt!
😍The art! It was so pretty and I love how it fitted the book perfectly.
😍Seeing Bebe and Annie get closer and get together, I don't see this a spoiler as it is pretty obvious from quite early in the book (also the blurb). I am glad that they also had a talk when things got a bit more serious between the two of them. Bebe is still unsure about if she likes boys/girls, but she does know that she likes Bebe.
😍The relationship, the build-up to them getting together was well done and it wasn't too fast, it was just right!
😍The ending had me squeeing and crying and smiling. It was a rollercoaster of emotions!
😍I have to say that throughout the book I was already a squealing and squeeing mess of a person.
😍I loved that coming out/talk during the prom. I won't spoil anything else, but I was so happy for that person!
😍That thing that happened at the ending during prom. Go girls!
😍The ending just had me in tears that was just so precious and wonderful and awesome.

<strong>On the fence/not always like:</strong>
😶I was actually shocked by how the parents were, at least in the beginning! I mean, I was at least happy that they supported her and were OK with her being a girl. But... I wasn't OK with how controlling they were, how she could only transition if she followed her parents strict guidelines, got good grades, that sort of thing. Sorry, but what the actual hell parents? I get that it is all new to you, but this is not how it works, this is how you lose your kid when she finally gets to be an adult. There were also other parts that had me scratching my head. BUT, I am very happy that eventually the parents, or well at least the dad at first seemed to understand that his daughter wanted to be a bit more free and that she would be fine. She would be safe with her friends.
😶That one guy who kept harassing Bebe. Really DUDE, just go away. She clearly stated NO many times, it shouldn't take all her friends for you to finally freaking understand it. I found the dude very creepy and I just wanted him out of the story.

So all in all, this is ONE AMAZING BOOK! Be sure to check it out when it releases in a few days.

This was a super adorable LGBTQ+ graphic novel that I truly hope more people read, especially young adults! I loved all the representation in this book, with a trans main character and a lesbian main character, but my favourite part were the discussions about what it should look like to be an ally, and how often in attempts to help someone you can actually worsen their situation. At multiple points in this book a group of people would try to defend the trans characters, but would actually cause more harm than good. Sut seeing that called out and a clear explanation of why it was both not helpful, and also harmful, I think will be an incredibly important and useful teaching moment for many people who want to help and stand up or others, but perhaps aren't doing so in a kind or productive way!

Overall and really fun, quick read, that also held a lot of insight and impact!

Thank you to netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms follows Annie, an antisocial lesbian who starts her senior year under pressure to join the cheerleading squad and Bee, her former friend and trans girl who must keep her parents happy with her grades and social life to keep her transition going.

This is such a fast and easy read! It being in graphic novel format also is super cute, I love the artists style.

Bebe faces lots of struggles in her life, from blatant transphobia to creepy guys hitting on her simply because she’s trans, and I think the topics were handled super well being how short this book is (123 pages). As a trans man myself, the way transphobia was handled in here was great.

The romance itself is super cute between Bebe and Annie.

The representation this has is also great: trans, lesbian, enby, and poc.

This is one of my new favourites! 5/5 stars

<i>arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

This story had its soft moments but also touched on a lot of darker aspects of high school and what it means to be different in that sort of environment.

I really liked the progression of the relationship between our two main characters. It felt really natural and I loved that Annie stood up for Bebe but that they also had honest communication when Annie took up that defensive position too much.

The rep was done great, in my opinion. Bebe is a trans girl learning how to defend herself against the world and its cruelty. The fact that she develops a strong bond with the rest of the girls warmed my heart. To see her realize that she doesn’t have to navigate everything alone and that it is okay to say No to people is so important.

This delivers a lot of great messages and I think this will be a very important read for younger readers. I think its great that we’re getting more of these sorts of stories, I hope someone sees themselves in here and realizes that they are valid and are worthy of respect and kindness and love and friendship too. Queer kids deserve to have their stories told too.

I definitely recommend this one!

3/5⭐️

TW: transphobia

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the cutest story I've read this year. Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms is a warm-hearted graphic novel about friendship, allyship and queer teenage love!

Annie and Bebe are such amazing characters. I love how Annie is so bold and Bebe is the sweetest girl ever. It was great seeing them reconecting and fiding out new things about themselves and each other.

The romance is beautiful, full with warm and soft moments that made my heart melt. I screamed at the top of my lungs in every single Annie and Bebe's couple moment.

There were some tough moments when Bebe had to deal with transphobia but I believe those were well balanced with the cute and sweet moments in the story. I also liked how the story goes beyond the "oh this is blatanty transphobic" and actually show microaggressions that are not really common in YA stories.

I would LOVE to read more about Annie, Bebe and the whole squad!

My heart is so full right now. Cheer Up! is one of the most adorable, heartwarming things I've ever read in my life. It's a very feel-good f/f sports teen romance that also manages to deal with heavier topics like transphobia and harassment with care and nuance.

The art style is so vibrant and fun and did a great job at bringing the characters to life. And I adored the main characters so much - Annie, our resident antisocial lesbian, is a smart and prickly girl who struggles to connect with the people around her while Bebe is a cheerful, easy-going trans girl who recently came out and is just trying to get by at high school while having to deal with transphobic microaggressions. I loved seeing how they came together and helped each other grow into the best versions of themselves.

I also appreciated the portrayal of well-meaning people around Bebe being unintentionally transphobic and seeing them get called out for their actions. Alongside this, there are so many beautiful moments of support from the cheerleading team as well as Annie's and Bebe's parents. Bebe's storyline highlights the social pressures teenage trans girls have to face but it's also about how she learns to stand up for herself, take risks, and ultimately put her own feelings first - and I loved it.

I do wish this graphic novel was a little longer - I think some scenes would have left a stronger impact if they had time to develop more. That's a very minor complaint though - I absolutely loved this story and highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

CHEER UP! was a super cute read. The art style is cute. The cast of characters are diverse, each with their own personalities. And of course, the romance was adorable.

I'm not crying, you're crying! What a wonderful story this is!
A true queer teen, fairytale romance.
Annie is always acting like the tough,angry teen but it's to hide her I securities and her truth.
Beebee is her former best friend and going through transition. Even with the normal teen angst, added to the issues that come with being not only queer but different, a list friendship is found and has the chance to become more. I wish there was something like this when I was a lost teen, but I'm so happy it's here now.
The Author masterfully wove a story I could care about and the illustrator managed to bring it all to life. Highly recommended!
Thanks to Netgalley for providing this in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms was such a lovely read! It was heartwarming, fun and diverse. The story follows a trans main character and a take-no-nonsense badass. It highlights brilliant themes of friendship and protectiveness which I absolutely loved seeing explored.

The story was diverse with various LGBT characters, characters of colour, and there was even a scene where you see a character wearing a hijab and I loved seeing that representation in a graphic novel.

There were aspects shown in the friendship between Beatrice and her teammates that I wish had been explored a little bit more (and some characters I really wanted to see get told off) but here's hoping we get a sequel so we can dive into that! I loved the way Beatrice's friends were protective of her and wanted to show support, even if it was a little misguided at times. It felt realistic to see people who mean well making honest mistakes and trying to do better.

The copy I received was an unedited proof so there were slight formatting errors but al-in-all it was a great reading experience and I look forward to picking up more graphic novels from Crystal Frasier and Val Wise.

This comic was very cute and easy to read while also dealing with some serious issues in a lighthearted yet efficient way.

The main relationship was quite fast paced but was done well. I enjoyed reading this greatly.

This was just simply adorable! I loved the Trans and LGBT representation that this graphic novel provided.

Beatrice “Bebe” and Annie really brought the best out of one another and helped the other work through their fears. They truly uplifted one another and helped each other succeed.

This is a lovely LGBTQIA+ graphic novel surrounding Annie and BeeBee and the cheer team they are a part of. We open with Annie and her mother discussing her college application and the fact that she has no extracurricular activities on her application and that it would be very beneficial. Annie is pretty much forced into applying for the cheer team by her mother and that is where we meet BeeBee - a trans girl who joined the team last year and became a news headline because of being the first trans girl on the team. BeeBee and Annie used to be friends in the past but became distant, but cheer brings them back together and new feelings begin to grow. The girls and the rest of the team learn to work together and support each other through all the challenges they face, as well as crowning one of their own as homecoming queen. The book also shows one of the team revealing their own gender identity which could also be very important for readers to see that you can identify as non-binary and reminding that you can still be part of the cheer team if you don't match the 'traditional' appearance expected with a cheerleader.