4/5✨
Heartstopper, Fence, Check, Please! and now Cheer Up - I guess I really enjoy graphic novels with queer people doing sports?

Cheer Up was an adorable graphic novel about an angry, lesbian, fat girl and a shy, trans girl falling in love with each other. Annie and BeeBee are so cute together and I loved that Annie learns how to be more gentle and BeeBee learns how to stand up for herself - they balance each other out perfectly. They used to be friends, grew apart and then develop feelings for each other after Annie joins the cheer squad and I really enjoyed their dynamic.

This graphic novel is not always super fluffy though: themes such as transphobia, fat shaming, controlling parents and harassment are addressed in a sensitive and thought-provoking way. I think that especially the way it talked about how transphobia can come in form of outright transphobic comments but also microaggressions will make readers rethink their actions towards trans folks (without being too preachy)..

The art style was cute, colorful and really fit the vibes of the story. I loved how cheerleading routines and some info about the sport were included.

I would’ve liked for Cheer Up to be a bit longer and to explore some topics in more depth but I really enjoyed it.

Review to come August 6th on blog/goodreads.

I received this book from the publisher/Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

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I am soooo soooo delighted that I got the chance to read this book early (it is now March) because oh boy this was just SO CUTE and so wonderfully written. I am going to try and write a review, but bear with me as I just have so much feelings!

I will just do a what I like/what I wasn't always a fan of, because I have been trying for 20 minutes to get something typed. Haha.

<strong>What I liked:</strong>
😍Annie! At first I wasn't too sure about her, she seemed to so angry and not happy, but I started to love her quite soon. She was just so awesome and tough! I loved seeing her open up to Bebe and them becoming friends (and well, more) again. I loved how she was there for Bebe. I loved how she supported Bebe. And I loved how she started to enjoy cheerleading! Also that dress during prom? YAS! I want one as well!
😍Bebe! She is such an amazing and strong character, and I was so happy that she could be who she wanted to be, a girl. I was sad though that it often felt like she had to do all the things for people just to be accepted and I just wanted to step in the story to tell her that she didn't need to do that. That people should just respect her regardless of everything. I hope that she is able to transition when she is adult, because for now she is only on puberty blockers and wearing female clothes/make-up. I can only imagine how hard it is for her to have to wait. To pray that the puberty blockers work.
😍I just love cheerleading so it made me very happy to see the team. At first I was a bit on the fence about the team but quite soon I could see that the girls there all really cared about Bebe. Though it took some prodding from Annie at times. I also loved that the cheerleading team wasn't your conventional cheerleaders. You know, the ones I always see in books/movies, pretty, thin, popular, often blonde. In this one we got a wide range of girls. From tiny and round to big and strong. It made me very happy to see that cheerleaders could also be that. And see them kick some butt!
😍The art! It was so pretty and I love how it fitted the book perfectly.
😍Seeing Bebe and Annie get closer and get together, I don't see this a spoiler as it is pretty obvious from quite early in the book (also the blurb). I am glad that they also had a talk when things got a bit more serious between the two of them. Bebe is still unsure about if she likes boys/girls, but she does know that she likes Bebe.
😍The relationship, the build-up to them getting together was well done and it wasn't too fast, it was just right!
😍The ending had me squeeing and crying and smiling. It was a rollercoaster of emotions!
😍I have to say that throughout the book I was already a squealing and squeeing mess of a person.
😍I loved that coming out/talk during the prom. I won't spoil anything else, but I was so happy for that person!
😍That thing that happened at the ending during prom. Go girls!
😍The ending just had me in tears that was just so precious and wonderful and awesome.

<strong>On the fence/not always like:</strong>
😶I was actually shocked by how the parents were, at least in the beginning! I mean, I was at least happy that they supported her and were OK with her being a girl. But... I wasn't OK with how controlling they were, how she could only transition if she followed her parents strict guidelines, got good grades, that sort of thing. Sorry, but what the actual hell parents? I get that it is all new to you, but this is not how it works, this is how you lose your kid when she finally gets to be an adult. There were also other parts that had me scratching my head. BUT, I am very happy that eventually the parents, or well at least the dad at first seemed to understand that his daughter wanted to be a bit more free and that she would be fine. She would be safe with her friends.
😶That one guy who kept harassing Bebe. Really DUDE, just go away. She clearly stated NO many times, it shouldn't take all her friends for you to finally freaking understand it. I found the dude very creepy and I just wanted him out of the story.

So all in all, this is ONE AMAZING BOOK! Be sure to check it out when it releases in a few days.

This was a super adorable LGBTQ+ graphic novel that I truly hope more people read, especially young adults! I loved all the representation in this book, with a trans main character and a lesbian main character, but my favourite part were the discussions about what it should look like to be an ally, and how often in attempts to help someone you can actually worsen their situation. At multiple points in this book a group of people would try to defend the trans characters, but would actually cause more harm than good. Sut seeing that called out and a clear explanation of why it was both not helpful, and also harmful, I think will be an incredibly important and useful teaching moment for many people who want to help and stand up or others, but perhaps aren't doing so in a kind or productive way!

Overall and really fun, quick read, that also held a lot of insight and impact!

This was a cute graphic novel about Annie the anti-social nerd and Bebe her former friend.
After getting told to join a team for college applications, Annie get's pressured by her Mom to join the cheer squad. And the butterfly spreads her wings (or something ;)).
Annie discovers, that being nice and thoughtful helps her with the team and becoming friends. She also discovers, that her friendship with Bebe is a thing she wants to start again.
Bebe is trans and learns with the help of the cheer squad and Annie, how to find her own voice and how to stand up for herself. And that you doesn't want to stand in the spotlight just because she is trans.
CW: transphobia, harassment, controlling parents

In one word, this book is wholesome. I loved how cute it was and what a strong message it conveyed. The art was absolutely adorable and it made my lips visibly crinkle into a smile. I loved how many things the book tackled, with such unique characters. Annie is super sweet and super tough all at the same time. It was so heartwarming to see her come out of her shell and learn the value of friendship and romance. Beebee is equally as adorable but with the insecurities in the face of stereotypes and transphobia. I loved how each of them rubbed off on each other, showing that together people are stronger. I loved the team dynamic and friendship and how the friendship itself evolved from being one in name to being one in actuality. Overall, it was such a pinkish sweet read. I would definitely recommend this to romance lovers or just fans of graphic novels!

Thank you to netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms follows Annie, an antisocial lesbian who starts her senior year under pressure to join the cheerleading squad and Bee, her former friend and trans girl who must keep her parents happy with her grades and social life to keep her transition going.

This is such a fast and easy read! It being in graphic novel format also is super cute, I love the artists style.

Bebe faces lots of struggles in her life, from blatant transphobia to creepy guys hitting on her simply because she’s trans, and I think the topics were handled super well being how short this book is (123 pages). As a trans man myself, the way transphobia was handled in here was great.

The romance itself is super cute between Bebe and Annie.

The representation this has is also great: trans, lesbian, enby, and poc.

This is one of my new favourites! 5/5 stars

<i>arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

This story had its soft moments but also touched on a lot of darker aspects of high school and what it means to be different in that sort of environment.

I really liked the progression of the relationship between our two main characters. It felt really natural and I loved that Annie stood up for Bebe but that they also had honest communication when Annie took up that defensive position too much.

The rep was done great, in my opinion. Bebe is a trans girl learning how to defend herself against the world and its cruelty. The fact that she develops a strong bond with the rest of the girls warmed my heart. To see her realize that she doesn’t have to navigate everything alone and that it is okay to say No to people is so important.

This delivers a lot of great messages and I think this will be a very important read for younger readers. I think its great that we’re getting more of these sorts of stories, I hope someone sees themselves in here and realizes that they are valid and are worthy of respect and kindness and love and friendship too. Queer kids deserve to have their stories told too.

I definitely recommend this one!

3/5⭐️

TW: transphobia

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the cutest story I've read this year. Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms is a warm-hearted graphic novel about friendship, allyship and queer teenage love!

Annie and Bebe are such amazing characters. I love how Annie is so bold and Bebe is the sweetest girl ever. It was great seeing them reconecting and fiding out new things about themselves and each other.

The romance is beautiful, full with warm and soft moments that made my heart melt. I screamed at the top of my lungs in every single Annie and Bebe's couple moment.

There were some tough moments when Bebe had to deal with transphobia but I believe those were well balanced with the cute and sweet moments in the story. I also liked how the story goes beyond the "oh this is blatanty transphobic" and actually show microaggressions that are not really common in YA stories.

I would LOVE to read more about Annie, Bebe and the whole squad!

My heart is so full right now. Cheer Up! is one of the most adorable, heartwarming things I've ever read in my life. It's a very feel-good f/f sports teen romance that also manages to deal with heavier topics like transphobia and harassment with care and nuance.

The art style is so vibrant and fun and did a great job at bringing the characters to life. And I adored the main characters so much - Annie, our resident antisocial lesbian, is a smart and prickly girl who struggles to connect with the people around her while Bebe is a cheerful, easy-going trans girl who recently came out and is just trying to get by at high school while having to deal with transphobic microaggressions. I loved seeing how they came together and helped each other grow into the best versions of themselves.

I also appreciated the portrayal of well-meaning people around Bebe being unintentionally transphobic and seeing them get called out for their actions. Alongside this, there are so many beautiful moments of support from the cheerleading team as well as Annie's and Bebe's parents. Bebe's storyline highlights the social pressures teenage trans girls have to face but it's also about how she learns to stand up for herself, take risks, and ultimately put her own feelings first - and I loved it.

I do wish this graphic novel was a little longer - I think some scenes would have left a stronger impact if they had time to develop more. That's a very minor complaint though - I absolutely loved this story and highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

CHEER UP! was a super cute read. The art style is cute. The cast of characters are diverse, each with their own personalities. And of course, the romance was adorable.

I'm not crying, you're crying! What a wonderful story this is!
A true queer teen, fairytale romance.
Annie is always acting like the tough,angry teen but it's to hide her I securities and her truth.
Beebee is her former best friend and going through transition. Even with the normal teen angst, added to the issues that come with being not only queer but different, a list friendship is found and has the chance to become more. I wish there was something like this when I was a lost teen, but I'm so happy it's here now.
The Author masterfully wove a story I could care about and the illustrator managed to bring it all to life. Highly recommended!
Thanks to Netgalley for providing this in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

cheer up: love and pompoms is a sweet and charming sapphic graphic novel with amazing rep and diversity.
this story was funny and lighthearted while also covering difficult and heavy topics. cheer up portrays the complicated struggles of a trans teenage girl, who becomes the captain of her cheerleading squad. this novel brought up difficulties trans people face that i’ve never even considered before, and as a cis reader, it left me with new aspects and ideas to contemplate.
the plot was quick and fast-paced without brushing over any of the serious topics. from the start, i was rooting for these characters, and was surprised at how quickly i fell in love with annie and bebe. all of the characters felt very fleshed out and i was very invested in their development throughout the entire novel.
this book also centered around female empowerment. it was fluffy and heartwarming without being too cheesy or preachy.
my one critique would be that the transitioning between different settings felt a little abrupt at times.
but overall, this book was adorable and i highly recommend it!

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms was such a lovely read! It was heartwarming, fun and diverse. The story follows a trans main character and a take-no-nonsense badass. It highlights brilliant themes of friendship and protectiveness which I absolutely loved seeing explored.

The story was diverse with various LGBT characters, characters of colour, and there was even a scene where you see a character wearing a hijab and I loved seeing that representation in a graphic novel.

There were aspects shown in the friendship between Beatrice and her teammates that I wish had been explored a little bit more (and some characters I really wanted to see get told off) but here's hoping we get a sequel so we can dive into that! I loved the way Beatrice's friends were protective of her and wanted to show support, even if it was a little misguided at times. It felt realistic to see people who mean well making honest mistakes and trying to do better.

The copy I received was an unedited proof so there were slight formatting errors but al-in-all it was a great reading experience and I look forward to picking up more graphic novels from Crystal Frasier and Val Wise.

This comic was very cute and easy to read while also dealing with some serious issues in a lighthearted yet efficient way.

The main relationship was quite fast paced but was done well. I enjoyed reading this greatly.

This was just simply adorable! I loved the Trans and LGBT representation that this graphic novel provided.

Beatrice “Bebe” and Annie really brought the best out of one another and helped the other work through their fears. They truly uplifted one another and helped each other succeed.

This is a lovely LGBTQIA+ graphic novel surrounding Annie and BeeBee and the cheer team they are a part of. We open with Annie and her mother discussing her college application and the fact that she has no extracurricular activities on her application and that it would be very beneficial. Annie is pretty much forced into applying for the cheer team by her mother and that is where we meet BeeBee - a trans girl who joined the team last year and became a news headline because of being the first trans girl on the team. BeeBee and Annie used to be friends in the past but became distant, but cheer brings them back together and new feelings begin to grow. The girls and the rest of the team learn to work together and support each other through all the challenges they face, as well as crowning one of their own as homecoming queen. The book also shows one of the team revealing their own gender identity which could also be very important for readers to see that you can identify as non-binary and reminding that you can still be part of the cheer team if you don't match the 'traditional' appearance expected with a cheerleader.

‘Cheer Up!’ is one of the best graphic novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading; it made my heart so warm and fuzzy.

The main thing I loved about this graphic novel was the friendship between the members of the cheerleading squad, and the positive development of those friendships throughout the story. After a rocky start with Annie and the squad due to Annie's behaviour, their friendships just got stronger as the story played out and if there’s one thing I love in a novel it’s a strong female friendship. The representation of a trans character, and how she was supported throughout by Annie and the cheer squad really made for a brilliant read.

I would have loved it to be a little bit longer, but that's because I just adored the characters, but the length doesn't take away just how much I enjoyed reading it

Side note: I adore Annie’s mum!

TW // transphobia, sexual harassment, controlling parents

THIS IS SO SWEET!

It’s a fast paced, cute and wholesome sapphic graphic novel.
So much great representation and a lovely story. I loved the art style and that it touched on some important issues.

What’s not to like?!

This was such a sweet and powerful YA read!
I really enjoyed this graphic novel and all the themes it includes. Annie was just waiting to come out of her shell and she truly did shine in the cheerleading team. Also, seeing Bebe find her voice and speak her mind was great, you could actually see that she needed to do that so bad. Moreover I really liked how the concepts of friends and being there for each other were explored.
I would totally read more adventures about this cheerleading squad!

This was such an enjoyable graphic novel that I instantly want to recommend to so many people - It's wonderful to see LGBTQ+ teens represented in a way that feels normal. There are issues, and complications, but no more than a straight teen would go through. There needs to be so many more stories where there can be Trans and Lesbian characters without tragedy. If you want to read a lovely story with fantastic art about fitting in, I cannot recommend this more