This was an adorable YA graphic novel with gorgeous art. I loved the body positivity and the way it tackled tough topics such as transphobia and harassment.

The characters were flawed and authentic, and the artwork really brought them to life.

I’d recommend this to every reader no matter the age to learn more about what it is to be trans and how difficult it can be to navigate even the smallest and mundane daily activities as a trans person. If nothing else I hope it teaches and reinforces compassion for the people in your life who need the extra support.

On top of all that is a sweet and sapphic love story and the importance of friendship- real friendship with honest communication.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

I absolutely devoured this book! It was such a cute story about love, friendship and trust. It was such a sweet and empowering graphic novel. From Annie coming out of her shell, learning to trust and make friends. To Bebe finding her own voice and being able to stand up for herself. I loved the underlying theme of trust, how Annie needed to learn to trust others. Even watching Bebe’s family dynamic change, where they need to learn to trust Bebe would be okay in the world and her transition. I would definitely read more adventures from this duo and cheer squad.

e-Arc provided by One Press via Net Galley for Review. All thoughts are my own.

Plot
Annie is in her final year of school. She is super smart, but lacking extra social things to round out her college applications - until her Mom suggests she try out for the cheerleading team.

Bebe, cheer captain and Annie's former friend, is a shy transgirl. She transitioned about a year before the start of the book. When Annie tries out for the team, the team is reluctant to let her join - but Bebe stands up for her.

Annie agrees to help Bebe study history, while Bebe helps Annie learn about Cheerleading.

Thoughts
This was so cute and so gay and I loved it!

The representation for both transgender and female/female relationship was really good. Bebe is struggling at home, with her parents being overprotective of her - worrying that something will happen to her because she is trans. She is also receiving unwanted advances from one of the boys in their school, but doesn't want to shut him down and get a reputation for being an "angry trans girl".

Overall, I loved the art style, and there was a few really funny moments throughout. It was really light-hearted, especially given the subject matter.

Representation
- Trans, mixed-race, queer protagonist.
- Plus Sized, Lesbian protagonist.
- Other Races represented in side characters.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC. All opinions are my own.*

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier is a graphic novel that reminds me of “Check, Please!” combined with the absolute cuteness of “Heartstopper”. When I read this description, I was sold as soon as I saw queer romance and I got exactly what I was looking for out of this book. I found myself giggling and “awww”ing on almost every page. This has sapphic YA rom-com vibes and explores LGBTQIA+ issues in a non-preachy, compelling way.

Cheer Up is full of representation from our main character Beatrice (Bebe) who is a biracial, trans cheerleader to Annie who is our antisocial, plus-size lesbian. The representation trickles into many of the characters and I squealed every time I saw another queer character introduced. It doesn’t stop at just queer representation but also extends to different race, skintones, and body sizes.

Bebe is facing more than just highschool drama, she is trying to navigate how the people around her are responding to her trans identity. The description “wholesome, princess type” was absolutely meant for her. Bebe is head cheerleader and we get to watch her confidence grow as she learns how to stand up for herself. Bebe helps us see what “performative” support can look like and how speaking over her own wants isn’t helping either. The best intentions can still be hurtful when the “line of safety” isn’t known. Bebe works to be inclusive to everyone on the cheer team and teaches Annie that you can stand up for yourself without violence. I am not trans and cannot speak to the accuracy of the representation that Bebe provided, but I do know that she is a force to be reckoned with and deserves all of the support. She is gorgeous and constantly reminded us that beauty is not based on one mold.

Annie is very outspoken and is quick to angry reactions. She is full of that “laugh out loud” sarcasm and her caffeine addiction spoke to my soul. Annie needs to learn how to work well with others and see beyond her own bubble. She teaches Bebe how to use her voice when extra “hmph” is needed. Annie is also coming to terms with finding her own place in social settings and navigating what beauty feels/looks like to her. I am also a huge fan of the fact that Annie stayed fat even after the exercise routines. Seeing a fat main character in love who isn’t questioning her size was so emotional for me. Even as an adult, I needed that.

Bebe and Annie together? HEARTWARMING, WHOLESOME, EVERYTHING I’VE EVER WANTED. Although their original separation is never explained, I still loved how they came together and explored their relationship. I don’t feel like explaining the fall out was needed for their story line to make sense. As a lesbian, I am enamored with this sapphic depiction. The ending page for this was adorable.

The friendships that were seen were full of ups and downs as they all broke down walls to get to know each other. I was so happy to see the team communicate about what Bebe actually needed from them.

* SLIGHT SPOILERS INVOLVING PARENTS OF BEBE*

Moving on to parents, the media portrays “coming out” to parents as either:
a) parents don’t care, happy ending
or
b) parents do care, homeless
I am so happy that parents who need time to digest and adjust to this new information about their child were represented. Both of Bebe’s parents messed up on the way to handle this new situation and said things that were insensitive. They thought that control was the only way to keep Bebe safe but there is growth and they learn how to be more supportive. They love their child and will have even more things they need to learn. This hit home. I adored the scene between Bebe and her mom as she gets ready to go to homecoming with Annie. I squealed at the conversation between Annie and Bebe’s dad as she waited on her. It was very sweet to see.

Even though this graphic novel was on the shorter side and left me wanting 23 more volumes, I feel like we got adequate character growth from all parties involved. Overall, I loved this and I truly hope Bebe and Annie will be returning. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this so I can come back to this repeatedly.

Trigger Warnings: transphobia/transphobic comments, fatphobic comments (briefly), sexual harassment, microaggressions

If you loved titles like Bloom and Heartstopper, then this is the title for you.

The cover was what first drew me to this title, which is funny, considering I was not the cheerleading type. Nevertheless, since I was given the opportunity, I thought this would be a great title to download and give a read to.

Boy, am I happy I did.

Under pressure to bolster her college applications with a more well-rounded selection of extracurricular activities, Annie joins the cheerleading squad with her former friend, Bebe. The problem? She's somewhat antisocial, and would as soon fight a person as look at them.

Bebe, a trans girl and all around people-pleaser, finds herself struggling to keep her grades up while she continues to trip over herself to help others and keep them happy. Her biggest problem is that she loses herself, and her needs, amidst those of everyone around her.

In a very real way, this comic grapples with a number of issues facing the world today. Transphobia (both casual and overt) and sexual harassment are two that are perhaps the most obvious, but also societal expectations and the boxes that people put us in, no matter how well-meaning or unaware they might be of it. The graphic novel manages to treat them all with a level of truth and maturity that's inspiring.

Annie and Bebe find themselves, each other, and their true voices in these pages, and I cannot recommend it enough. It's the sweet, sapphic, coming of age story we all need to see more of.

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for this Arc copy of the graphic novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this short novel of relationships between Annie, BeeBee, and the whole cheerleading team. BeeBee has recently come out as transgender and is still battling her way through bouts of transphobia including from her parents. This seemingly light-hearted graphic novel dives into heavier topics like transphobia, negative social cues, and sexual harassment. Those heavier topics explored in the graphic novel weren't too dark that it ruined the overall enjoyment. In fact, it instead added depth to what otherwise would've been too simple of a plot.

I thought this was really cute!! I finished this book super quickly, and I loved every minute of reading it! I loved the art style, the story was really cute, and it was overall a very enjoyable read. Fans of heart stopper will love this! I think this is a good alternative to Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me :)

I didn’t expect to fly through this one so quickly, but it was such an enjoyable and important graphic novel. I loved the art style and the subject is so important. There were different kinds of diversity and the story showed me what it is like/could be like to come out as a trans. It really sucks that people have to go through all these kinds of bullshit. Even though I’m not an own voices reviewer, the representation seemed really accurate to me.

This was so sweet! I absolutely loved it. It was fantastic to see a diverse group of people supporting each other in high school. I'm glad there wasn't much cattiness, and the characters who were mean at the beginning learned and grew by the end of the story. I'll definitely be looking for more of this author's work in the future.

eARC supplied by Netgalley.

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms is a sweet love story that tackles big issues of transphobia, being brave and loving yourself. It’s the perfect pick me up to a bad day with it’s bright engaging art style and feel good, girl power storyline.

I really enjoyed seeing Annie become a part of the team and learn to trust her new friends whilst maintaining her feisty individuality. Bebe was extremely relatable as she navigated ignorance about her transition, familial pressure and that one guy who just can’t get a clue.

TW: Transphobia, harassment

This was such a fun, quick read! I loved the story, characters and the art style was really beautiful too!
Despite this being on the shorter side I felt that Annie and BeBe’s characters were well developed and it was great to see their relationship develop from friends who hadn’t spoken in a while to more. I also really liked that we got to see BeBe gain more confidence to stand up for herself as the story continued.
Overall I really enjoyed this!

This book is about the same cliche as always: we have this girl that is really smart, but can't get into college without having some extracurricular activities, and this other girl that is really great at sports but not that great at school. But, man, this is cute because we have somethings that are not that usual: it's a sapphic comic and this changes everything, because brings a new light for the same cliche as always.

I'll add here that Annie is the most funny character I've seen in a long time, she has some pretty good quotes that make this comic a nice read if you want an easy and cute read for the afternoon, surely this made my day such better. Annie's mom is also the coolest person ever.

I also want to talk about Beatrice. She is a fighter, she is the first transgender to be accepted in the cheerleader team and become the captain. She has a lot of family struggles because of her identity and this is really a beautiful part of the book.

Well, all I have to say is that I loved this book, this is so cute and funny ♥

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this awesome book.

Awwww, this was a really quick and fun graphic novel about a sorta troubled girl who joins the cheerleading squad to spruce up her image. One of her former friends, Beatrice, is also on the team. Beatrice is a trans girl, and this story is just kinda about what Beatrice goes through being trans at school and on the team, and about Annie (or Ginter, her last name) and reconnecting with not just Beatrice, but with people in general.

It was cute and sweet and about real issues and I just really liked it and recommend it. Also I'm not sure if it's a standalone or there's meant to be more, but I'd love to read more about this cheerleading squad!

There honestly needs to be more LGBTQ affirming books aimed at teens like this. It's one giant "awwwww" from the first to last page.

#CheerUp #NetGalley
This is such a cute and adorable graphic novel, if you enjoyed Check, Please! you will definitely enjoy this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cheer Up: Love And Pom Poms was an adorable, quick read that is perfect for anyone looking for some good, LGBT media.

If you know me, you know I love a good sports romance book, and this graphic novel was no exception. The two main characters are on the cheerleading team, and have to navigate their ways through the complexities of high school, gender, and sexuality. Despite a few heavy topics and scenes, the story was cute and fun, and the characters were loveable. I’m always looking for some new sapphic characters to love, and Cheer Up did not disappoint.

This graphic novel has a plus-size lesbian main character as well as a transgender main character (written by a transgender author), and the romance between the two was heartwarming. The only reason I rated it 4 stars instead of 5 is that I wish the relationship between Annie and Bebe had been a little more fleshed out. Other than that, it was a wholesome, romantic book, and I would recommend it to anyone, young or old.

If you would like to see more of my book reviews, make sure to check out my channel ‘Lipstick & Literature’ on Youtube!

4.25/5

***Special thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing me with a coy in exchange for an honest review***

I really liked this sweet graphic novel. I read it in a little over an hour and enjoyed every second.

This GN follows two girls who are on the cheerleading team. One of them is an angry, smart, and passionate girl who does not like the idea of cheerleading (due to the media's portrayal). The other girl is a sweet and kind transgirl who works on finding her voice and being true to herself.

The rep in this book was AWESOME. I loved the characters so much. In addition, I found the representation of the friends and parents great. BeeBee's parents allow her to start her transition (hormone blockers, stereotypically feale clothes, and makeup), but give her conditions such as keeping her grades up. This complex relationship between the characters is presented, but never really explored (but that is pretty common with GN). BeeBee's friends on the cheer team can tend to say hurtful things about BeeBee (without malicious intent), and BeeBee has to learn to stand up for herself (in case you cannot tell BeeBee is my favorite character).

I would definitly recommend this !

This was SO CUTE!!!!!! The trans and queer rep was so well done and genuinely made me smile. This is a quick and wholesome read that covers being trans in high school, queer relationships, and familial reactions to coming out in a way that doesn't feel overdone or exploitative. I loved that we got to see some nonbinary rep as well, and how fun all of the cheer scenes were. If you're looking for something sweet and heartwarming, pick this up asap!!

This was a very good graphic novel with so many important messages. I got promised a similar novel to the Check! Please graphic novels, and it delivered, although I did not like this as much. The illustrations were gorgeous, and I loved how good the representation was with the body shapes of the girls, because they were so varied.

The plot was interesting, but it was not as focused on cheerleading as I thought it would be, which makes sense since it is a super short book. It deals with very heavy topics such as the struggles of Bebe after coming out as transexual and having to deal with people treating her differently and even sometimes unfairly.

Also it was interesting to see how sometimes the people we love can hurt us even when they don’t mean to, such as the cheerleaders not really taking Bebe’s feelings into account and deciding what was best for her instead of simply asking, or Bebe’s parents wanting the best for her but not realizing they were hurting her and not listening to her needs.

This was SO CUTE. I'm not typically a fan of graphic novels, even when I enjoy them I often find them lacking, wishing I could read them in prose form instead. That wasn't the case with Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms; the format felt perfect for this story. I adored both of our main characters, Annie and Bebe, and the relationship between them was so strong, I loved the way they were both always quick to defend the other, but also able to share their vulnerabilities with each other. I love that Bebe's experiences as a trans girl were so central to the story and although it was uncomfortable at times I was really impressed with it highlighting some of the microaggressions she faces even from people trying to be supportive, such as her parents' controlling behavior in an attempt to 'protect' her, or the cheerleading squad being so vocal in their support for her because they know it will make them look good. It felt like there was so much packed into such a short book, but it was paced really well and never felt rushed or overcrowded. The art style is absolutely adorable too, and matched perfectly with this cute, fluffy story.