*4.5 Stars*

Antisocial Annie needs an extracurricular activity and despite herself decides to join the cheer squad and gets close to BeeBee who used to be her best friend.

This was a very cute sapphic romance. I liked the two main characters, especially BeeBee. I kind of wish it went a little more in depth on the characters and their relationships but it was still a very enjoyable read.
Very fast, very cute. Nice representation. I liked it a lot.

Cheer Up! is a wonderful graphic novel full over diversity and gives you a warm fuzzy feeling. Highly recommend it!
Cheer Up! is a super sweet comic with lovely clean art, diverse characters and empathetic storytelling. The character development and plot was very realistic and relatively low stakes but deeply personal and moving. If you've read my other graphic novel reviews, yes this made me cry as well because it was so heartwarming. (I'm a softy leave me alone) There was a lot of important discussions in this comic such as about transphobia (both overt and unintentional, and how people can be well meaning in their efforts to support trans people but can actually be tokenizing them), about respecting boundaries, insecurities and second chances. At times it felt a bit forced but it had a lot of heart and added to the story overall. The comic is pretty short and well focused so a lot of the less essential things like cheer practice, bonding and studying was done via montage. While I understand how this is necessary to keep the story interesting and keep the plot moving it felt at time like a lot of the character and relationship development happened 'off-stage' and it was more told than shown. So while the development was great and the friendships were realistically messy, complex and loving, it sometimes didn't feel satisfying.

Adorable and sweet graphic novel. This is a PG rated book with containing strong LGBTQ representation. Annie is a short, angry, plus sized lesbian in high school. She has the grades but needs an extra activity for good college choices. She joins the cheer squad. On the squad we meet Annie who is trans. She tries so hard to please everyone and doesn't want to be the center of attention. There are so many lessons tapped into in such a short book. Acceptance, friendship, peer and parental pressures, attraction, speaking up for yourself etc. Some issues got dropped that I would have like explored more to get my extra star. Appropriate for middle school and up. Thank you NetGalley and One Press for an ARC ebook in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and the author for my ARC!


GORGEOUS illustrations! Brilliant message!

I know that this is a graphic novel, but there still was not enough of a story to give it a 5 star. However, I still really enjoyed it and the characters are captured very well.

My favorite part was how you can really SEE what's going on a lot of the novel without needing words.

So happy I got to read this early and can't wait to annoy everyone to give it a go!

This graphic novel is everything I could have wanted and so much more!!

The characters are brilliant and so loveable.

As a trans person, I related a lot to BeeBee and I absolutely adored the representation in this book. She’s really well done and is honestly my favourite character,

Annie is a smart, plus sized lesbian who joins the cheer squad to be more social. She is a brilliant character who isn’t afraid to call out micro aggressions aimed at BeeBee.

Together the grow closer as BeeBee helps Annie with cheerleading and Annie helps BeeBee with history. But they end up helping each other with so much more

I loved this book! The art is great and the story is really sweet and heart-warming. It has themes of queer romance, friendship and acceptance. All of the characters (even minor ones) are multidimensional and show so much development and growth over the course of the graphic novel. People make mistakes, but they learn from them and change and grow. I loved seeing BeeBee learn to stand up for herself more and Annie learn to trust other people and develop friendships. I would love to read a sequel!

This is a really lovely read and just the pick-me-up my heart needed right now. Sold as being a match for fans of Check Please, this one follows two recent additions to the school's cheerleading team: a lesbian with a bit of a rage problem but a heart of gold behind it, and a sweet girl who's recently come out a trans trying to navigate her place in school. The two of them forge a seemingly unlikely connection, a bond that allows them to face adversity together and grow.

I would have loved to read this as a teenager and even now I read it all in one sitting. It's heartwarming but doesn't gloss over what school is like for these girls. Even when people are trying, that doesn't mean they get it right and it's lovely see these two approach that world with one another for support. Exactly what I'd recommend right now if you need something to make you smile.

Whenever I am in a reading slump, I look to graphic novels to help me get out, and this one absolutely did the trick! I was sold from the minute I saw Check Please as a comp title -- that's an all-time fave -- and it absolutely has the same same warmth, but is it's own strong story. The illustrations are gorgeous and the panels are easy to follow (I'm fairly new to comics and graphic novels so sometimes I get confused), but the story? I'm in love. I think we all have a picture in our heads of what kind of people high school cheerleaders are, but Cheer Up! turns that on its head. And we also have friends to enemies to friends to lovers which, wow I am here for. And Annie and Bebe are such strong, wonderful characters on their own. This graphic novel is a celebration of the queer teen experience and it's absolutely beautiful.

This graphic novel was exactly what I needed right now. It was so good and I loved the characters and designs so much. I’m happy this book is out there for the world to enjoy. I will definitely will be recommending it to people!

This was SUCH a cute graphic novel! I fell in love with Beebee and Annie instantly and I was rooting for them from the start. I think the sensitive issues in this book were handled with care and love, though I do think that I would have liked to see more arcs of this book with a longer timescale just because it did feel like Beebee forgave everyone for anything they did to hurt her instantly and I would have liked to see a little more work being done to earn that forgiveness. Particularly with her parents, there was a moment that really stood out to me as being terrible and it was kind of glossed over after that point. But I did think this had some fantastic queer rep and is a great YA graphic novel for teens to read, as it has a brilliant storyline and a fantastic moral to it overall.

I honestly have no words. This was everything I needed and more. The diversity was absolutely immaculate, the realism to real life (in terms of prejudice and saviour-complexes) was so raw and well done, the characters were freaking adorable and to top it off, the art was gorgeous. The plot was nothing special, but that just made it even more pure and heartwarming as we got to focus on the characters. I definitely recommend

What do you get when you put an antisocial plus-size lesbian and a people-pleasing sapphic trans girl on a cheer team? The cutest graphic novel ever!

With an aesthetically pleasing colour palette and fast-paced plot, Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms is an equally fun and important story. Exploring transphobic micro-aggressions, parental and peer pressures, and friendship, this portrays a highly relevant and well-developed tale.

Annie and Bebe’s relationship is really heartwarming and they bring the best out in each other - whether that’s learning to stand up for themselves or trying new things.

Overall, this is a sweet, funny and wholesome graphic novel with lovely artwork!

This graphic novel is far more moving than a book about high-school cheerleaders has any right to be. I haven't enjoyed something about cheerleading so much since Bring it On - and thankfully, Cheer Up! is even gayer than that. The story follows the growth - and growing relationship - of two not-quite-misfits, Bebe and Annie, as they finish high school and fall in love. Despite my being more like Annie in high school (a brainy Goth lesbian smart-arse), I found myself identifying with Bebe, the trans girl who starts having feelings for Annie. Bebe is an inveterate people-pleaser who is unable to say no because she's worried about being seen as troublesome or 'bad' and feels as though her coming out has already put her parents out too much, though she isn't even on hormones - only blockers - and relies on makeup to project the 'pretty girl' look that also brings unwanted attention her way. Bebe's struggle reflects that of so many LGBT people regardless of our specific sexuality or gender identity and I was so glad when she found her voice. Drawn with sweet rounded lines reminiscent of Bingo Love or Terry Moore's Strangers in Paradise, Cheer Up! is a visual treat as well as the most wholesome and adorable story.

This book was absolutely adorable! Definitely for fans of Heartstopper and Fence! The story follows Annie (a smart, angry lesbian) and BeeBee (a people-pleaser trans girl) and how they both reconnect during their last year of high school while working together in the cheer team. This was a quick, fast-paced read that was both heartwarming and adorable while also dealing with sensitive queer issues. Something that really stood out to me was how diverse the cast was! I love how we see people of all shapes and sizes, it's clear that inclusivity was a top priority for this graphic novel and it's wonderful to see it throughout this book! There are trigger warnings for transphobia and microaggressions but I believe the topics were handled sensitively. I will say, the pacing is a bit off in some places. I feel like a few more panels would have helped transition the story progression more smoothly but overall it didn't take away from my enjoyment of this book. I give this a 4.5/5 stars and would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a quick and adorable queer sports story :)

Okay, this was flat-out one of the sweetest books I've ever read! Its uncluttered, adorable art and heartfelt message mean it's definitely one you can give to tweens while the romance and LGBTQ issues will be relatable enough to hold real teen (and older!) appeal. Absolutely a must-have for libraries and any queer collections.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

“SEEING YOU GO FIRST LET ME KNOW I COULD DO IT, TOO!” This was my favorite quote! This is such a sweet and wonderful graphic novel. I love how both Anne and Bebe help each other through the different struggles. The delightful, whimsical illustrations fit perfectly with the heartfelt storyline. If you want to feel good, this is the graphic novel to read!

Cheer Up! Tackles being a queer teenager in its short, wholesome, yet thoughtful graphic novel about Annie and Bebe.

Bebe is just your average teen girl; captain of the cheer squad, struggling under the weight of her parents expectations. Only Bebe is trans and is dealing with finding her voice amidst transphobia from those closest to her.

Annie is an overachiever but a loner, struggling to find herself and her friendships while still feeling like a strong, independent lady.

With the help of each other and their growing friendship circle, Cheer Up! shows Annie and Bebe finding their voice and their place in the mess of high school.

I would like to thank NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this novel.

An absolute and utter joy. I loved everything about this book: the art, the characters, the sweet love story, the queer joy. I loved the way Frasier allowed transphobia to exist in the story, but didn't make the story about that. I sat down to read this and did not get up until I'd finished. What a treat.

Thanks to Oni Press for the advance e-copy (via NetGalley) of "Cheer Up!" by Crystal Frasier, Val Wise, + Oscar Jupiter. Expected publication date: August 10, 2021.

This graphic novel about a high school cheerleading team is absolutely adorable and has the types of friendships and relationships I hope my children find when they get to high school. Friends lifting up friends, sticking up for each other, giving each other second chances, helping each other be their best, and supporting each other with school, peers, and family. This graphic novel has a friends-to-lovers (in a PG way) romance, LGBTQIAP+ characters and romance, and characters that I hope we see more of.

This was such a cute graphic novel!

Annie is top of her class, but her anti-social personality might risk college acceptances. Enter: the cheer squad. With coaxing from her mom and the school principal, Annie goes out for the school cheer squad where she reconnects with her friend Beatrice. Beatrice, or BeeBee, is the first trans girl at their school and feels like everyone is always staring at her, waiting for her to make a mistake. So she figures she has to be perfect. When she starts to reconnect with Annie, Beatrice starts to learn that it's okay to stand up for herself, and that her friends will always stand with her when she does.

I adored this graphic novel. The story was a heartwarming tale of friendship, being true to yourself, and falling in love. The art style was lovely, and I loved how bright and colourful the panels were. Highly recommend!