A little cheesy, but super cute and fun. I loved Elle and Bebe, and while their relationship didn't have a ton of buildup, it was sweet. The cheerleading squad is funny, and I was smiling for most of the book. I do wish it was a little slower paced though.

I received this book from NetGalley as an eARC in exchance for an honest review. I have given Cheer Up: ove and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier and Val Wise five out of five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ugh, this sweet, wholesome, fluffy, sapphic romance graphic novel was *chefs kiss*.

I believe this is the first book that I’ve read which has a transgender and a lesbian as the main characters, which I definitely want to read more of! We follow two former friends Bebe and Annie who are starting their senior year. Bebe is a trans girl who recently came out and is trying to deal with the differences in her home life and at school, she is a people pleaser and will do almost anything to keep everyone else happy. On the other hand, we have Annie who is a very smart, antisocial lesbian who tends to make a bad name for herself amongst her peers. I came to adore both characters really quickly.

The illustrations of this graphic novel were absolutely gorgeous, I loved the details, art style and colours used throughout. The relationships that we witness blossom in this novel were beautiful and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I loved the fact that the cheer squad aren’t made up of stereotypical fit, skinny girls but people of all different shapes and sizes. The only downside I could possibly mention about this graphic novel is that it ended way too quickly for my liking.

Although I’d say that this novel is fluffy, it definitely deals with some tough topics which unfortunately are still happening in today’s society, like transphobia, microaggressions and harassment. I thought this book dealt with these difficult topics well and gave an informative insight to the audience about what not to say to transgender people and also how to teach people how to be more inclusive and kind without creating any social pressures.

I would definitely recommend this to anybody who is currently in the middle of a reading slump as this is a fast-paced, super fluffy and romantic graphic novel. I can’t wait to pick up more graphic novels like this one in the future! I can only hope that they’ll make a sequel to this book as I definitely need more Bebe and Annie chapters in my life.

This comic was the perfect dose of cute and sweet. Cheer Up is about two girls starting their senior year. Annie is a lesbian who wants to try to be a little more social than how she used to be and Bebe (or Beatrice) is a trans girl who recently came out and has to deal with a lot of stuff. Her parents are overprotective of their daughter and unlike Annie, she's scared to speak up when something makes her angry. However, the both of them start to get closer now that Annie is starting on the cheerleading team.

Overall, this was such a lovely and adorable read that I'm really glad to have read. I needed something that would make me feel a bit better and it succeeded so well done, Cheer up! I really hope I can read another comic with these two characters because I'm sad that it's over already.

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via netgalley)

As soon as I saw that this graphic novel was about cheerleaders, I instantly wanted to read it. I didn't even know that it had a queer romance and a trans main character, but if I did I would've want to read it even more. This graphic novel was amazing and I loved every second of reading it. I really hope that we might get another book with these characters because I adored it so much.

The art style was so beautiful and I loved looking at all the little details in each of the pictures. I loved Annie and Bebe and seeing their friendship and then their romantic feelings towards each other blossom and I found them so cute.

Definitely check this out if you want a cute queer romance following too cheerleaders who are just trying to fit in in high school and in life. There are definitely some harder topics that are touched on such as transphobia, harassment, fatphobia and controlling parents who tell Bebe that she can't transition if she isn't doing perfectly at school. But this has so much cuteness and the relationship is so soft and I loved it.

Thank you to Oni Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was SO FLIPPING CUTE!!
Like I need a sequel right now.
I love that in this short graphic novel, issues of being trans and out in high school were brought up. I loved the issue of the girl who didn't really fit in becoming the girl who did.
And I ADORED the fact that this book destroyed the idea that all cheerleaders are just the popular/mean girls.

Now just for what I didn't like,
I wish that there was more from Annes mom. We see a lot of BeBe's parents, but what about Annes?
One comment made by one of the girls earlier on when talking about Anne being the team flyer was talking about her being too fat, when there was a girl who was clearly bigger than Anne on the team.

All in all, a solid 4 star read and I really want to see more of these characters.

This graphic novel has all I could want for in a story, strong female friendships, a super sweet romance and LGBTQ+ representation.

// spoilers ahead //

Annie is a lesbian who knows exactly who she is. She’s a straight A student and the smartest person in her high school, but when it’s pointed out her lack of extra-curricular activities could affect her chances of getting into college, she joins the cheerleading team.

Bebe is a trans cheerleader, who struggles to set boundaries with everyone around her. Her parents are overprotective as they worry about keeping her safe, and her friends, in an attempt to show their acceptance, often make decisions on her behalf before asking Bebe what she wants.

Throughout the story, as the relationship between Annie and Bebe develops, we see Bebe become comfortable standing up for herself and voicing how she really feels as she realises she doesn’t have to say yes to everyone for them to accept her. We also see Annie develop trust and friendships with the cheerleading squad, while staying true to who she is.

This is a super adorable heart-warming graphic novel, and I’m so glad I got the chance to read it!

I'm 👵 & I just read the coolest (do the kids still say cool?) YA Graphic Novel "Cheer Up: Love and Pom Poms" on #NetGalley It pretty much sums up high school in 122 LBGTQIA+ pages. There's lessons for all of us. I was glad a bit of toxic masculinity was crushed👸👸 #CheerUp 👍

Tweet from @Pat_House

OH I LOVED THIS SO BAD. This is a short read, like most comics and graphic novels are, but they still managed to fit so much in without making it overpowering. There's just something I really love about a cheerleading team with a trans girl, a lesbian and a possibly nonbinary character. This was so cute and fun with enough sad moments that I cried reading it, but not so much that it was a Sad Story. I want more so bad.

Annie is a lesbian and doesn't give a rats behind about what anyone thinks about her. Beatrice, or BeBe is a trans girl who does give a rats behind what people think about her.

And that is the premise of this wonderful graphic novel about a cheer team that they both end up on. When Bebe was pretending to be a boy, as she put it, she was good friends with Annie, but something happened, and some time in the transition, they fell out, even though, Bebe says, she is still the same person that used to hang out with her.

I love these two main characters. They are so raw, and so real, I feel as though they both went to my high school and I was either them, or knew them.

The cute thing is Bebe is trying too hard to be liked, she never turns anyone down, and her friends are trying so hard to be accepting, that they want to please her too. They vote her captain of the cheer squad, and try to make her even run for prom queen.

What is it they say about good movies. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll fall in love. Yes to all those things.

As one reviewer said, when will there be a sequel.

<em> Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

I really excited for this and it just didn't live up to my expectations unfortunately. Not enough time was spent developing the plot or relationships, so things just kind of sped along without any real build-up. There were also so many micro-aggressions towards Bebe from her teammates and her parents that were just kind of...brushed off and overcome like no big deal? I know at least one of the creator's is trans, so this is own voices, and a point was made in the story about not deciding for other people what offends them, but I just couldn't enjoy the story because I didn't like any of the secondary characters? It also bugged me a bit that so much of Bebe and Annie's identities as women were wrapped up in femininity and make-up and being pretty, and that even when Annie was allowed to find her own style, it was still about her being pretty and feminine in her own way. I don't know, this one just didn't work for me. I'll be interested to see what transgender readers think of it, since their opinions matter more than mine on this one.

Cheer Up! is a graphic novel that follows Annie and BeeBee as they deal with the micro aggressions of being queer, the stress of being a senior, and their growing feelings for one another.
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This graphic novel was so adorable! The art style is so fun, and it was a quick and immersive read. I loved the diversity, not only in sexuality but also in race and body types. The characters were all super lovable with the exception of one side character, and it overall was just amazing.
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My only complaint would be that it is too short! I would love to read more of these characters.
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TWs- transphobia, sexual assault
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This graphic novel is incredibly sweet and the exact narrative we need for LGBTQIA+ narrative. Being about to read about trans and queer issues being normalized was refreshing. It hits humor, young love, and political and social issues on the head swimmingly. Bravo!

After a rough start of the month, with bad and mediocre reads, this graphic novel was exactly what I needed. The synopsis says that this is perfect for fans of Fence and Check, Please and I can confirm that. I loved it!
The two main characters were so adorable that I fell in love with them in the span of 130 pages, which is not something that happens very often, especially with graphic novels this short. I really loved all the diversity and that it wasn't just for a 'show'. The difficulties of being transgender were openly discussed, and it was amazing watch Bebe grow, with the help of Annie, her friends and even her family.
And talking about family, Annie's mum was amazing. I really enjoyed Bebe's parents as well, because they have also grown like their daughter has, but Annie's mum is just so cool.
The plot is pretty simple, but it was well constructed and I loved the pacing and the sequences. The dialogues were believable and the expressions the character had matched perfectly what they were saying. Speaking of which, the art style is perfect for the story. Both the character design and the colours literally made me smile. As I said, I really needed this and I can't wait for it to be out, so I can purchase my own copy and stare at it in real life. I mean, screens are great, but I bet this looks even better on paper.
I really hope this author-illustrator duo will come up with more stories, and I really wish there was a second instalment after this first volume, because I need more cheerleaders in my life.
I would totally recommend this to anyone, because it is such a cheer-me-up read and it will really put a smile on your faces.

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms is incredibly cute, lovely, and warm -- an excellent Oni comic! The story follows two high school students -- popular, but timid Bebe (a transgender girl) and tough, scrappy Annie (a lesbian girl) who are both on the school's cheerleading team and reigniting their friendship. Both girls are drawn delightfully well, both in illustration and personality!

The comic captures the microaggressions that transgender youth face, and the ways in which even well meaning family members, friends, and peers can be hurtful. I loved how well it illustrated (hehe) the importance of active listening and not assuming what someone needs. The surrounding cast of characters on the team round on the story well, and I look forward to getting to know everyone one in future comics (crossing my fingers!!!).

If you love Check, Please!, or Oni's slate of comics these past years, you'll undoubtedly love this as well. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early review copy -- all opinions are my own.

I adored this graphic novel! Not only is the art gorgeous but the characters are wonderful and I especially loved that the cheer squad isn't made up of all skinny girls - there are people of every shape and size in the group, which I loved seeing. The art is fantastic and I love Annie and Bebe. I'll be keeping an eye out for anything else by Crystal and Val!

Pros:
- lgbtq rep, diversity
- fun characters
- great art style
- Heartstopper vibes

Cons:
- rather abrupt ending

Yeah, I recommend you read this.

OMG YAAASSS
I saw this on Netgalley last night and dropped my phone when I read "perfect for fans of Fence and Check, Please!"

I binged this in an hour I think and loved every minute of it.
This is a YA coming of age graphic novel about the lives of a punk girl Annie who is forced to join the Cheerleading team to be "more sociable" **que Missy monologue from Bring it On** and her childhood friend BeeBee, a trans girl recently promoted Cheer Captain.
The story focuses on BeeBee's transition and how her peers, friends and parents now treat her because of this.

Crystal Frasier does such an amazing job of showing the wide spectrum of how one treats the people in the queer community, especially transgender people, from advocation to hatred to saviorism. It delves into the place a lot of people don't talk about, we live in a world where being 'woke' is seen as cool and sometimes that's the entire reasoning behind helping a marginalized group.
BUT what I REALLY LOVED about this book was how it never went anywhere to dark to come back from. Too often now we see queer fiction come out that goes to such a dark place because "that's the reality of the world" which is like yeah I agree, but it doesn't need to be in every book to the point where I don't feel safe reading queer lit anymore.

So THANK YOU Crystal Frasier for making a happy queer story that still finds the space to teach so many important lessons.

I do have a request for more...because I wouldn't be me if I didn't wish you to give me ALL THE CONTENT. There are some stories here that I definitely want to see more of!! #CheerUp!2

Winsomely wholesome and sweetly confectioned, Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms is a warm-hearted and charismatically compassionate sports story prettified with a charming colour palette and spotlighting characters of all shapes and sizes, pressing positive credos about social pressures, support, consent and the courage needed to carve out your comfort zone. The close-knit clownery of the cheerleading cohort are easily endearing, but it's Bebe and her plight as a people-pleasing pushover endeavouring to content everyone - her parents, peers and P.E. coaches - especially that's effortless to empathize with. Bebe is caring and considerate in a way that's a perfect complement to Annie's smart-aleckness and secret soft side, and the confidence they provide one another is precious and authentically portrayed. The fierce loyalty and flowering attraction between the female leads is its most loveable and lighthearted feature, but the affection and acceptance of their lively friendships and fondly forbearing family by the final frames are what clinch Cheer up's feel-good factor and make it an animated and amusing frolic.

This was short and so so sweet and lovely. This short graphic novel/long comic (?) follows two teenage girls, Annie and Beatrice, two former friends who find their way back to each other when Annie joins the cheerleading team that Beatrice is on. Both girls have wonderfully distinctive personalities and are finding out who they are, especially Beatrice who is still adjusting to being an out trans girl, and what they mean to each other. Also the art style is gorgeous. I really enjoyed it!!

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for an Arc of this comic in exchange for an honest review.

In the same vein as Fence and Check! Please, Cheer Up! Is a beautiful LGBTQIA+ comic.

With beautiful illustrations and an even more stunning story about finding your voice and deciding what’s best and safest for you. Cheer Up! Is a fantastic comic bursting with representation including a Trans Latinx mc, a lesbian mc, a gender fluid side character.

This comic needs to be in every school library, it’s funny and full of heart, and you can bet I’ll be buying a copy.