This was a cute, if quick, graphic novel, that I ended up really enjoying.

'Cheer Up' follows Annie, an angry, antisocial lesbian, and her ex-friend Bebe, a trans girl, their experiences with cheer practice, and the friendship-and-something-more that grows between them.

I really liked the way that Bebe's struggles were portrayed, because they were real and meaningful, especially with her struggle of being a 'spokesperson' for the trans community, and the microaggressions she faced as a result - what she wanted vs what everyone wanted for her.

The art was nice, and the storyline was quite cute, and there was a lot of diversity - not as something that was explicitly inserted into the story, but as something that was included because it's reality. While I did like the romance, I felt that it was rushed, and I would have loved to see the relationship blossom further between the girls, because it seemed a little like insta-love at times.

Overall, this graphic novel was really adorable, and I would definitely recommend it for everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crystal Frasier and the publisher for gifting me an eARC for review. This is an honest and thoughtful review of the book.

Cheer Up is a delightfully fun and queer graphic novel centring around a lesbian and trans girl on a cheerleading team. This book remained bright and fun as it tackled the seriousness of transphobia, speaking over a community's voices, and queerness in general. It was a great little read and I enjoyed it quite a lot!

This comic is about cheerleading, but even more about friendship, support, girlhood, standing up for yourself and Love.
And it's interesting that for a comic about cheerleading and love, it is really cute, but not as fluffy as I would have expected.

The queer representation is great, the art style is cute ( I especially appreciate that most of the cheerleaders are drawn with regular and bigger body sizes) and the story made me rethink some things about being an Ally even as a queer person to other members of the lgbt+ community.

I really enjoyed it and will definitely want to read the later volumes, if there is more to come.

A quick, sweet and easy read with wonderful characters and great portrayal - done and written in an absolutely amazing and beautiful way. I hope there will be a second part because I fell in love with the characters and I would be sad if I to part with them already.

I received a free ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was so cute! Despite being such a short story, I found myself getting thoroughly invested and rooting for the characters. It was lovely to see a sapphic romance with one of the women being trans, we don't see that representation enough! Despite being such a fun story, a lot of more serious topics were tackled and some of the struggles that transgender women face were highlighted. Additionally, the art was beautiful! Such a great story, I'd recommend to anyone!

This was a really wonderful story for so many different reasons. This graphic novel had team building, rekindling of a friendship, discussions of transphobia and overstepping boundaries. I especially liked that Bebe was able to stand up to Jonah on her own knowing that she had the support of her friends. I was really glad that we got to see Annie learn how to be a team player rather than succeeding on her own. The ending wrapped up the story nicely. I will definitely be recommending this to friends!

Thank you Netgalley and Oni Press for providing an e-ARC!

This is such a wholesome queer romance! A colourful story with a diverse cast and adorable illustrations. I loved all the different characters building this wonderful story about uniqueness and being yourself. I hope we are going to get more of Annie and Bebe!

I always wanted to be a cheerleader. But, as a gawky 6 foot tall nerdy chick, I just never had the confidence to project myself in that way.

My awkward high school self would have gotten a kick out of CHEER UP, an adorably quirky and fun story of two girls learning to embody their true identities on a high school cheerleading squad where neither would typically probably fit in - at least, according to normal perceptions.

One is a quiet, transgendered girl who can't quite figure out how to stand up for herself. The other is an outspoken lesbian who is most notably for her acerbic personality (and that fact that she literally bit a classmate).

On the cheerleading squad, these girls find acceptance -- and themselves -- and even manage to find love.

Adorable, cute, sweet, and heart warming, CHEER UP is an empowering and heart-warming graphic novel about loving yourself and standing up for your right to just be you.

And, it doesn't hurt that there's a little romance, right?

This is Gay and it SLAPS!

It's got some hella great representation. Women Supporting Women. Queer People supporting other queer people. A diverse group of ladies and gentlethems that make up the Cheer Team as a whole.

The character growth in this book is fantastic and honestly I think this is one of my favorite "glow-up"/Make-over scenes ever.

My only complaint is that apparently someone let these girls all wear different colored shoes to go cheer in. No way that would ever happen.

Thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for providing me with ARC of this comic book!

TW: transfobia, harassment
Rep: lesbian plus size MC, transgender MC

This is story about two girls starting their senior year. Annie is a lesbian who was forced to join cheerleaders, and Bebe is a trans girl who recently came out and has to deal with many things.
This is such an adorable and heartwarming story! It made my heart swell with joy and cuteness! Cheerleading is giving so much atmosphere to this story.And also it gave me a little "Heartstopper" vibe. So if you like Heartstopper, you definitely need to check Cheer Up! out

The message from Cheer Up! is so good and powerful. No matter how cute and sweet it is, it deals with many important and tough topics. But they are handle with such an accuracy and care.

The artwork is absolutely gorgeous! I liked every detail that I saw.
I feel like it could be a little big longer (in terms of the love line), but overall I loved Cheer Up!

This was adorable!! I got it as a Read Now from Netgalley as I was in the mood for a comic and I’m so happy I read this. It is so so good. The representation in this book was great, there is a trans main character who is a cheerleader and the other main character was amazing, she’s an angry girl and I adored the relationship between these two. I liked the school setting and the f/f relationship was just adorable. I enjoyed the characters. I just enjoyed this, it made me smile. I also really liked the art work and it made me love the story more.

Well that was super cute and too short. I want more. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this graphic novel but I definitely enjoyed it. As someone who has always felt like an outsider to cliques, Cheer Up was relatable. I loved the diversity, especially of different body types. And I absolutely loved the characters doing stuff outside the status quo. Like Annie, I've always found enjoyment (and pettiness of proving them wrong) in doing things people would say they didn't think I would do. Or that 'I didn't look like that type of person'. *eye roll emoji* Y'all better hype the sapphic like y'all did Heartstopper and Check, Please.

4.5/ 5

Ugh! This graphic novel was too cute!

It’s a sapphic high school love story between Annie, an antisocial lesbian who was pressured into joining the cheer team, and BeBe, a trans girl on the team who is trying to keep her parents support of her transition by maintaining both her grades and her social life.

The artwork was great and the story was so sweet. I just wish it was a bit longer!

I was provided an eARC of the graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book! I liked how it showed how complicated it can be to be trans, how you have to decide when and how you pick your fights sometimes, but also that Bebe had support from her friends around her and that they learned to stand up for her when she actually needed them to. I also loved how both main characters grew as people, Bebe learning to stand up for herself too and Annie learning to be a bit more soft. The romance was so cute and the art style was really nice as well. I do think that the book felt a bit short and a few things were rushed but in the end it was a really good story.

Sapphic cheerleaders? And one of them is trans? I couldn't download this fast enough.

And I really enjoyed this! It's fast-paced and funny, and I loved the art work. It really pulled me in and I laughed and cried reading this. It has the grumpy x sunshine dynamic, and it works SO well! These girls used to be friends before, but they grew apart, and now that they're both on the cheerleading team, they're reconnecting and falling in love. I absolutely adored the romance, and I loved the discussions on being trans and how hypervisible Bebe feels as a trans girl when she just wants to be herself, not be the center of attention.

It's been a while since i delved into a comic and i really wanted the opportunity to try something new- when i spotted Cheer Up, i was in absolute awe and was desperate to read it as soon as possible.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for allowing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Plot summary:
Annie is a smart antisocial girl who has been pressured to be more social as it is her senior year in high school. The pressure is building for her to join the cheerleading team as it would be something that would look fantastic on her college application.

BeeBee is her former friend and a complete people pleaser- a trans girl who will do anything to make her parents, friends, teammates and teachers happy.

When social circles start changing and the girls rekindle their friendship, will this lead to more for them?

Review:
Plot wise-Absolutely adorable and had me squealing with joy at how amazing Annie and BeeBee are, and how they developed and progressed as the story went on. Its also refreshing to see the true kind of bullying and stereotypes both BeeBee and Annie had to deal with. It's something close to my heart and made me feel like there are so many people who would relate to everything they are reading and understand themselves and that they are great as they are and don't need to change. The romance was also fantastic and well built up and developed.

Also absolutely loved the representation of Annie as a Flyer in her squad- as an ex cheerleader I never personally got the opportunity so it was really touching to see someone who had a similar body shape to me when i was still a cheerleader as a flyer.

The pacing was really fast but honestly it worked well for the story and for me as a reader to keep me engaged.
The art style was absolutely delightful. Everything was well done and there were some fantastic small details i didn't notice at first glance. Very endearing and pleasant to read through.

I finished the entire thing in one sitting- I genuinely could not put it down.


Character wise- Annie is honestly so similar to me a few years ago. She is closed off, very body conscious and her development once she joins the team is heart melting.
BeeBe is a wonderfully written character and deserves happiness- shes smart, caring and always willing to go out of her way to help.
Their relationship development was spot on and worked well with the themes of the story.

All the secondary characters had some development but i am excited to see this further in a sequel.

World building- Honestly the premise was what hooked me, and the thing that has me desperate to read more.

Final Thoughts:
A beautiful look into the world of cheerleading, friendship, Queer relationships and the true struggle to be yourself. I eagerly await for the publication of volume 2.

Cheer Up! is a short but very complete story about the challenges that a girl has to deal with when in high school: body insecurities, lots of pressure from her parents, cheerleading… And, in Bebe’s case, transition. With overprotective parents and the lens of the whole school in her and her actions, she feels overwhelmed and unable of being truly herself.
And then there is Annie, who has always been herself but finds that it is not always easy to be surrounded by others. Long lost friends, they get in touch once more when Annie joins the cheerleading team.

I really liked this story, because it did an amazing job of portraying all the characters from the beginning, and the story went along with no impositions; it just felt natural and very real. The reader feels what the characters are feeling, the same dread, the same pressure. The art felt soft and warm, a great pairing with the tone of the story.
I think it will be a great addition for lovers of Fence or Heartstopper.

*I received this book thanks to Netgalley and the publisher in exchange of honest review*

Annie is an antisocial girl, lesbian and who has to fit the standard in having an extracurricular activity to share something with other people, to evaluate demonstrating that she can work as a team, especially for college questions where one of the many activities is required school.
On the other side is Beebee, a trans girl who is a cheerleader and must always try to keep a good school average, have good friends, and reassure her family who have kept her even more in control since the transition.
It is at that point that the two meet, where Annie is proposed to be a cheerleader and finds herself within the BeeBee team despite the other components being not enthusiastic.

It is through important themes that the author brings to light not only the story of a trans girl on a graphic novel, which I am very happy about, but also other important themes, such as small youth attacks, queer problems and much more. ; All that the author tries to convey in a light, simple and smooth way, transporting us inside a high school and bringing us back to the school habitat, in today's times.

I found similarities with Heartstopper or Pumpkinheads as regards social issues but above all for the sweetness and lightness with him the author shows us two authentic, credible and true characters who drag us into their hearts and manage to transmit all theirs to us. fears, insecurities, pains as well as positive values ​​as well as love, friendship, and much more.

It is a graphic novel that I really enjoyed and that I hope will also be translated in Italy, so that it reaches an even wider audience of readers. It is a story that I recommend to everyone, very sweet and that with lightness brings important themes and touches the heart.

My vote for this book is: 5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley & OniPress for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This graphic novel follows Annie & BeeBee as they navigate their stressful lives through high school. Annie is antisocial and a rebel, while BeeBee is a determined people pleaser struggling with anxiety. Annie joins the cheerleading team where BeeBee is captain and sparks fly!

Oh man, I really enjoyed this graphic novel! The artwork is stunning and soft, the best part was the body diversity in all the characters, even the background ones. Everyone felt honest and real in their dialogue and actions, you could easily understand why the characters were acting the way they did. Beautiful romance as well, I love the friendship foundation built first, and then the relationship developed on top of it.

Great story, I hope we can see more from this series!

Absolutely loved this. Non-cliched cheerleaders, a gorgeous developed romance and some important thoughts on friendship and support. Beautifully written and drawn, I'll look out for more from these!