Cheer Up is delightful. My comic tastes usually run to the super heroic, but I had been hearing a bunch about this teen/YA cheerleader comic, so I wanted to check it out. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I was able to read an eARC and I loved it! The characters are well drawn and three dimensional, and i can’t wait to read more from this author in the future!

This was a beautiful, stunning, and wholesome book full of amazing representation. I absolutely adored everything about this book and how each of the characters developed and began to understand more about how Bebe was feeling as the only trans girl in her school. Annie's development was also fantastic and her and Bebe really balanced each other out and helped each other understand their difficulties. The cheerleading team also developed by respecting Bebe's boundaries after hearing her feelings and frustrations. The art style was nothing short of gorgeous and so well-suited to the tone of the book.

“Cheer Up” is a short and sweet read about Bebe and Annie, two girls rekindling their friendship (and maybe more!) through cheerleading. It features a trans biracial character, Bebe, and really delves into her experience with coming out and living as the first trans girl to come out in her high school.

I loved the relationship between Annie and Bebe. It was tooth achingly sweet the way they treated each other with such kindness. Perfect for fans of “Check Please!” Annie is the strong willed and stubborn counterpart to Bebe’s people pleasing personality. I loved how they were the epitome of ‘opposites attract’ while also challenging the notion that they were really opposites. The art style suited the story brilliantly, with color changes accentuating mood and little details I really enjoyed stopping to look at (especially Bebe’s continuous love for koalas!).

Trigger warnings for transphobia, strict parenting, and sexual harassment (unrelated to the main relationship).

super cute super sweet graphic novel!! the rep was great. i rooted for the characters and i loved the dissection of micro aggressions and the way marginalized folks don’t always have the energy to correct. as with every single volume graphic novel, i’m always left wanting more. i adored the art style as well, the characters had a lot of personality.

Wonderfully sweet and inclusive story about two former friends and gymnasts who reconnect in high school on cheer-leading team. BeeBee is the trans cheer squad leader who struggles to say no and feels immense pressure to keep everyone happy all of the time so they remain supportive of her transition. Annie is a small, angry, antisocial lesbian who joins the squad to beef up her college application (and maybe beat her reputation for being the school biter). The pair rekindle their friendship and start a romance over the course of the story. Readers should be aware that the behavior of both BeeBee's parents and squad mates may be triggering for some. The former allow their fear for their child result in overly strict rules and one frankly cruel threat regarding poor consequences for poor grades while the other group are often revealed to not be the allies the claim to be. These sequences are heartbreaking and can be distressing, but the overall tone of the story is positive and playful.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this graphic novel!

I really enjoying this one! The art and colour scheme is stunning, the main characters are super loveable and I adore queer sports graphic novels.

But this is definitely a little on the heavy side, so here are some of the triggers I found in case anyone needs them; transphobia, controlling parents, sexual harassment, microagressions.

I’m super interested to read more comics about these characters, so I hope we get more in the future!

Ready? Ok! Cheer Up by Crystal Frasier tackles many tough topics for such a quick read! Annie joins the cheerleading squad to help her college application desirability. The cheer squad seems like a safe space for folx who don't fit into expected boxes, including their newly elected squad caption Bebe, a trans* girl.

As the story progresses, readers learn that some of this allyship is more performative in nature. Eventually, the squad discovers how they can actually stand up for their teammates and authentically celebrate the diversity that exists within their squad.

This is a must-read graphic novel that will make you laugh out loud and shed tears of empathy and joy.

Anti-social Annie has all the smarts but none of the people skills needed for her college and scholarship applications. Her only option? Join and team! And not just any team but the cheer-leading squad! BeBe, an old childhood friend of Annies, is a transitioning girl. She also happens to be the cheer squads captain. The two join forces. Bebe offers to help train and work out with Annie and Annie in return offers to help Bebe study and keep her grades up so Bebe can keep dressing like the girl she is. The two rekindle their friendship in the face of all of life's struggles and maybe a bit more than friendship...? Read to find out!

This is a very sweet queer YA graphic novel and one that I can imagine being really popular. The art style is super nice and I loved the use of colour to denote mood and set the scene. I also loved the central f/f romance, and the overall friends-to-lovers story arc. Super sweet!

Content warnings: There is explicit (and repeated) transphobia on page which some readers may find distressing, as well as an ongoing sexual harassment storyline, and there is also a fatphobic comment made by one of the characters near the beginning of the book.

Anti-social Annie is encouraged to join the cheerleading team by her mother and her school councilor as a means of showing college admissions boards that she's capable of being an active part of a community. Bebe is one year out from coming out as transgender and just trying to get by and be herself, and not suffocate under a mountain of expectations from her parents and well-meaning but unintentionally transphobic teammates. The two former friends find solidarity in participating in cheer together and learn to accept themselves and each other. Add in a splash of sweet romance, and this comic is a sweet look into life at high school for two lgbt+ girls doing their best. Recommended for anyone wanting positive trans representation, queer girls getting together, and women supporting women. An excellent read-a-like for Fence by C. S. Pacat or Camp Spirit by Axelle Lenoir.

It was a very fast read and a graphic novel that addresses important things in bright colors. It is a common misconception that cheerleaders need to be thin. However, cheerleaders come in all sizes. What is more important than size? Their ability and capacity and these are the main values presented to us.
The cheerleaders came to carry out an activity on the border between sports and art, little known, but which has a special charm. Even though cheerleaders are generally labeled as "pompous girls", those who have had the chance to see a representation of a professional team have concluded that it is something completely different, not an improvised or spontaneous activity.
There were moments that I anticipated, but also upheavals that did not cross my mind for a moment.

Oh my God this was amazing!!! A trully beautiful story! So heartwarming and sweet and at the same time it talked about important issues. And the romance was so cute! I loved Bebe and Annie, they were great together. I loved it! I really really loved it and I highly recommend it. And the artwork was amazing too!

A thoroughly enjoyable tale.
Cheer Up follows Annie who is anti-social and is trying out for cheerleading as a promise for her mother. She is then reintroduced to Bebe who she was friends with two years previously before Bebe had transitioned and become part of the cheer team. The two navigate high school life and slowly fall in love.

This book was a quick but fun read. The characters were thoroughly enjoyable and the representation in this book was amazing. The issue of Bebe being transgender was handled in a way that wasn't too heavy but left this reader emotional at times. The growth in both characters while quick meshes well with the graphic novel format and you are happy to see their growth in the novel. There is so much representation that is sorely needed in this graphic novel and it is all handled delicately but not without touching on sensitive topics in a way that is aware of the age of who this novel will appeal to.

4.5/5 stars

This was SO CUTE!!! *squeals for forever*

Cheer Up is a graphic novel that follows Annie, who needs to join an extracurricular for her college applications as much as she needs an attitude adjustment. When she tries out for the cheerleading team, she is reunited with an old friend, Bebe, who’s sweet demeanour might be just what Annie needs in her life. This book has such wonderfully diverse representation and was absolutely adorable; at its heart, it’s a story about loving who you are, and living fearlessly enough to be yourself. I can’t wait for everyone to get the chance to read it!

This is the cutest, queerest, lovely graphic novel. There was not one thing about it I didn’t love. Definitely one I’ll buy so I can read it over and over again.

What a wholesome, tender, fantastic read! The artwork is beautiful, and all of the characters felt so genuine and real (plus the diversity!!). I feel like the title 'Cheer Up' is definitely an appropriate one, as this graphic novel made me feel so warm and happy. The one criticism I would have is I wanted more! I wish we could have seen more progression in Bebe's relationship with not only Annie, but with her parents as well. Overall though, this was an enjoyable read for me!

When I think about how far LGBT+ media has come even within the last ten years I am overcome with emotion. God, I am so happy with how diverse Cheer Up is and how it handles so many topics that may be overlooked when thinking about LGBT+ representation.

The book centers around the relationship between two high school teenage girls, Bebe and Annie, as they try to figure out who they are and how they fit into the world. There are some difficult conversations and complicated feelings that get portrayed very well and it was astonishing to see just how much this graphic novel covers considering how fast it reads. I just wish it was longer because it flew so quickly and certain character relationships felt more rushed than I would have liked--granted I personally love a slow-burn. I would have liked seeing flashbacks to get more background information on their friendship before falling apart, but I respect and understand the decision to only present post-transition Bebe. Also, the art! I loved the character designs so much and was thrilled to see more diversity than I would typically.

Overall a great, heartwarming fast read!

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms follows the relationship of two girls, and their own journeys. Annie is known around school for being antisocial, but when she is encouraged to join the cheerleading team to better her college applicants, she reluctantly agrees. BeeBee is a cheerleader who juggles the team along with many other stressful aspects of her life, the most prominent being her parents accepting her transition into a trans-girl. Annie and BeeBee end up being exactly what one another need.

I loved so much about this book. The art style is beautiful. The story was interesting. Both of the main characters were well-fleshed out, and felt different from others I have read. And the romance was adorable. My only criticism is that I would have liked more. The relationship felt like it developed a little quick. And I would have loved more of the conversation between BeeBee and her parents at the end of the novel. Overall, I highly recommend this book to everyone. I know that I will be picking up my own copy of it.

I thrive on graphic novels with good representation. The diversity in this... oh man, it’s so good, I loved it. It’s becoming more popular to see a trans character in a graphic novel, but this represents trans, genderqueer, and lesbian characters.

Reminiscent of Heartstopper I loved this quick read, which focuses on the sweetness of new love. Annie is not an easy character to love - the first few pages drive home the message that she is not for everyone. As her friendship deepens with BeeBee we start to see a different side of both of their personalities. There is a diverse cast of characters including LGBTQI+ characters and plus size athletes. Its such a heart warming story that is worth reading if you want to have that happy go lucky feeling.