*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.*

4.5 stars. GAH THIS GRAPHIC NOVEL IS ADORABLE. We follow Beatrice, or Bebe, and Annie, as they rekindle their friendship over a cheerleading team in high school and all the events that follow. Firstly, I would like to say how astronomically PLEASED I am that Annie’s character is fat and fine about it. Even though there are a few fatphobic comments, I really love how the author has kept her character fat. Yes, she exercises, and yes, she’s still fat. She has core muscle strength and is getting fit for the cheer team, not because anyone wants her to lose weight, and that is fabulous. I love how she’s destigmatised the idea of fat characters and exercise/sport in this graphic novel, and if more sporty stories were like this I’d read them. As a fat girl, thank you author for giving your plus size readers a character to relate to.

Then we have Bebe, a trans girl who is trying her best to fit in. I’m not transgender, but I know that trans readers will appreciate the representation and the discussions about trans people’s safety and how to be a good ally to trans people were so well done. Beatrice is GOREGOUS AND SHE SHOULD KNOW IT. So is Annie. I love both of them equally and for a short graphic novel, we do see quite a bit of character growth from both of them which is awesome.

The art style of this was really nicely done - the panels weren’t too busy, the text was easy to read and the shading *chef’s kiss*. Also, can we talk about how beautiful both girls looked in the last section of the graphic novel in their formal outfits? *Squeals in pretty dresses*

In terms of representation we have (canon): plus size lesbian MC, sapphic biracial trans girl MC, black/mixed race side characters, fat side characters, and a character who comes out as non-binary, even if they don’t use the words non-binary or gender fluid explicitly, but it’s there.

This story was bloody CUTE. I love seeing a fat character in love, it makes my own heart so content. If you’re looking for a short, sweet and fun graphic novel about a WLW teenage couple centred around cheerleading, high school and identity, that deals with heavy topics in a respectful and digestible way, then this is the graphic novel for you. Definitely check it out and thanks for taking the time to read this review. See you next time :)

Trigger Warnings: Fatphobic Lanugage, Transphobia, Microagressions, Sexual Harassement, Controlling Parents and Mentions of Biting

This was so adorable! I love how it was lighthearted, but also dealt with heavier topics. I also really loved both of the main characters!
It reminded me a lot of Heartstopper, which I loved!
I would definitely recommend picking this up for a cute, quick read!

Wow! I absolutely LOVED it!! Graphic Novels are still pretty new to me, but I'm trying to branch out more and I definitely chose the right one for it. It's so nice to see queer cheerleaders being accepted. It deals with the struggle of being transgender as well as being a lesbian as a teenager, but does it in such a special way. I didn't like the dad at first, but later I understood where his behaviour came from more and I ended up loving him! Beebee and Annie are so cute together... I would love to see a sequel to this novel where they explore their relationship a bit more!

<b> Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an eArc in return for a honest review. </b>

This did a great job of addressing really tough issues while also being cute, heartwarming, and fun. If you want just a glimpse at life for a trans teen this could be the place to start. It touches on so many little daily problems, and how difficult it can be to balance anything and everything. The art was gorgeous and the balance of big topics and light moments was done really well!

An adorable graphic novel!

The other day I asked my friend if they thought trans people transitioned to only be know as that one trans person to the people around them and in this novel BeeBee struggles with the same thing.
She’s become the token trans spokesperson and her school and doesn’t know how to stand up for herself.

In this novel we meet her and her friend Annie who she lost touch with. Annie kind of helps BeeBee find her voice after she helps her get onto the cheerleading team because her mom thinks she’s antisocial.

This book is clearly for a younger audience than me so I imagine it’ll soon find itself on some young adult graphic novel recommendations list and as it should because it’s a good one!

I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel. It presents issues surrounding transgender teens and other members of the LGBTQIA+ community navigating their way through high school. The main characters in this story are Annie, a feisty, plus-size lesbian, and Bebe, a sweet trans girl who has recently come out. The plot is well constructed and had me eager to finish (I'm hoping this is just the first in a series!). The illustrations are phenomenal and added so much vibrancy and colour to the dialogue.
I'm glad I read this.

I think I just found my new favorite book! Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms is a sapphic graphic novel that features two of the most likeable protagonists I've ever read. I loved the sports team dynamic that the book was centered around and I loved the romance between Bebe and Annie. The art was so beautiful and I found myself just admiring it so many times! The character development the characters underwent was incredible to see. This book was perfectly paced and full of heart-warming moments.

This was such a sweet read. It almost was too quick. We follow Annie, an antisocial lesbian, in her cheerleading debut. In the first pages, I did not like her, proof that her antisocial behaviour was really well done. Then, I got to know her as she opened up to her friend BeeBee and I really liked her. I liked how there was a strong character development for all protagonists, even side characters got developed. Moreover, in terms of casting, this graphic novel is quite diverse, we have plus-size athletes for example which is really nice to see. The story is overall a light and fluffy romance but it also talks about harassment and transphobic microaggressions for example, which is quite educational. The author did an amazing job. The illustrator is amazing too as the drawings were warm, colourful and full of emotions.
I recommend this graphic novel. There is sports team dynamics, girl power, diversity and sapphics, what more can we asks for.
4/5

Simply adorable! Very much in the lane of Check Please where people are learning how to be best supportive. There were some great issues covered as well! I almost wish the girls hadn't ended up together, as I was really appreciating their friendship.

I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet, heart warming and thought provoking.

I adored this wonderful graphic novel focusing on two teen girls as they navigate their lives, school and relationships.

If you're looking for a cute LGBTQIA+ graphic novel, that also tackles some difficult scenarios - then this will be perfect for you.

This was a cute story. A couple of girls with very different personalities help each other and learn to incorporate the best parts of the others' worldview, and fall in love. The relationship Beatrice has with her parents was a little underdeveloped or underexplained—there were a lot of comments and interactions that were cruel, and weren't at all explained or apologized for. Actually, there were a few things introduced that I thought didn't see quite enough resolution. But the relationship between the girls is perfect, and it was a good story and beautifully drawn.

I loved this graphic novel! It was short but sweet and I consumed it in one sitting! The story was really sweet and I loved all the characters, Bebe was by far my most favourite though of course! The art was beautiful and it definitely left me wanting more. The story was a little off at times, I wished there had been more about Bebe and her relationship with her parents but I guess it wasn't supposed to be the main focus so I can let that go! I would totally recommend it for someone who want's a really inclusive quick read! Hope one day we get to see more!

I loved this book! Annie is an antisocial girl who is forced to join the cheerleading squad to make her college applications look more rounded. Bebe is the newly-elected head of the cheerleading squad who struggles to be perfect so her parents will continue to support her transition. During the story, they both find a team that supports them and helps them learn to speak up for themselves. The story ends with an awesome Homecoming dance. This is a must read for anyone struggling through their own transition or those who want to learn more about transitioning. It will help anyone learn how to support someone who is transitioning.

This books was one of the sweetest and cutest things that I’ve ever read. The illustrations are the absolute cutest and I adore the art style. I’m not a big comic/graphic novel person, but this might make me pick up a couple more. It’s a really simple story, but again I loved it, and I think it has a couple really valuable lessons especially about learning to stand up for yourself, not just against violence or bullying, but for advocating against something that you don’t want to do or don’t feel comfortable with, it’s a simple lesson, but it’s one that I’ve noticed a lot of people my age, and even younger aren’t learning because we’re all kind of taught to be people pleasers. I also adored the lesson that the cheer squad had to learn about not treating Bebe like a commodity or different, just because she’s trans (also this book has wlw and trans rep which YES) and also a little bit of performative activism. It’s a short read but it left me with all the fuzzies.

internal screaming *the grumpy goth gf gets her sunshine gf!!!!!!!!*

Cheer Up was absolutely adorable and so cute! We deal with some trans microaggressions by mostly well meaning friends, gay yearning and,,, they all feel like real people? also more books with trans joy and us getting happy endings<33

recommended for anyone looking for a lovely sapphic graphic novel!!

rep: latina trans sapphic mc, fat lesbian mc, non binary sc, sc's of color

content warnings: transmisia(called out), misgendering(called out)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review

I wasn't the biggest fan of the art style, but the story itself was adorable and I loved the diversity, as well as the themes in the book. However, some things didn't sit quite well with me, like Beatrice's parents threatening to make her dress like a boy if she didn't do well at school. That's clearly abuse and I'm surprised the author made them all nice and respectful at the end without them ever backtracking or apologizing for their toxic behavior. I'm hoping to see that issue fixed in a possible sequel.

THIS WAS SO INCREDIBLE! To start, the art is sublime and the character design is so incredibly great! And the story! Wow! The story is compelling and sweet and so darn nice. Within the first few pages, I felt myself so entranced by the characters and it didn't take long at all to begin to care about them. Annie is such an incredibly relatable teenage girl, and Bebe's story is handled with such grace and care. This is hands down one of the cutest things I've ever read, and I cannot wait to recommend it to all of my friends.

This graphic novel was one of the most important and fabulously illustrated ones.

Being a trans kid in a school is a challenge in itself but the fact that others start making decisions for them thinking it's right, is irksome and the trans kids are a little scared of speaking their mind mostly because of peer pressure in most cases.
This book was a complete look into the major troubles that gender discrimination causes, the friendship, family, love, support, care and fear are all so beautifully illustrated in this gem of a a graphic novel.

This book made me think about the book 'This is How it Always Is' by Laurie Frankel and that book was the most heart touching ones. I loved the art, the landscape, the situations and most of all the relationship between the leads. This was a beautiful and a honestly wonderful book. I would recommend everyone to pick this one up.
#cheerup #crystalfrasier #netgalley

Elevator pitch: Antisocial Annie joins the cheerleading squad in an attempt to make friends where she reconnects with Bebe, an overachieving and anxious girl who came out as trans the year before.

Review: This was delightful! The art is stunning and so so cute. The characters are well developed in such a short time span. It’s hard to articulate what made this so special to read but every aspect felt so lovingly done, you could see the care on every page. There is some transphobic language which may be triggering, although it was commented on and handled sensitively.

I can’t wait to buy a copy so I can reread it when I’m feeling down. A kindhearted, joyful read!

i truly don't even know where to start and i mean this in the best possible way.
you had me at queer romance but i got so much more than i expected and i couldn't be happier! i loved it so so so much and i highly recommend it.
the story is heartwarming, adorable and wholesome and it follows two teenage girls that couldn't be more different finding themselves and each other. the representation is amazing, as annie is a lesbian and beebee is a trans sapphic and the story does a great job dealing with queer issues while still maintaining the vibes of a rom com. i live for fluffy lgbtq+ content because i feel like it's needed to contrast the bury your gays trope. i fell in love with the characters and their uniqueness and the fact that they're so real and relatable.
ati times i felt like it was a bit fast paced considering it was a graphic novel and maybe it was partly because i was enjoying it too much but the ending left me wanting more. the story fell into place nonetheless and i loved every moment i spent reading it. i'm hoping for a sequel because i'd love to see what's next in the protagonists' lives, but the ending scene was the perfect way to end this beautiful story.