This was a really good slice of life graphic novel centering on the friendship and then budding relationship between trans girl Beebee and super tough take no nonsense Annie. Readers will notice it sort of starts in the middle of the story kinda because we find out later that Annie and Beebee were friends before her transition and there's some history there. Good representation of peer pressure and the highs and lows of high school and being trans and coming out.

"Cheer up" is a great graphic novel that speaks about giving people second chances, not boxing people within labels and valuing people for who they are, not what they represent. It is definitely recommended.

Cheer Up was one of the cutest graphic novels I have ever read! There is something about queer representation that just warms my heart! The art style was incredibly unique and I loved the attention to detail. I really hope the author continues to create graphic novels because I need more. Annie and Bebe were such a sweet pairing, heartwarming sapphic relationships are what the world needs right now!

This is such an important and adorable graphic novel! Topics discussed range from fat-shaming to how it feels to be a trans girl in high school.

I would have loved to have more time with this characters. I feel like I just begun to live their stories, and I want more!

Many thanks to Oni Press for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I'm not crying! You're crying!
This is suuuuch a great story about friendship and first love and being yourself, with lovely representation of all kinds of LGBT+ youth and some real talk about how sometimes people go way too far to try to be "inclusive" and just make people really gross and uncomfortable.

"Cheer Up" is a fluffy, queer romance novel perfect for any teens. The representation is fantastic, the characters loveable, and the plot relatable.

This was probably one of the sweetest things I have read all year, and I couldn't be more happy about it. It's a super wholesome story, all about girls. They form strong friendships, they fight for each other, they have each other's back. Yes, they compete but they also encourage each other to grow.

And some of them fall in love, which is probably the greatest part. The romance isn't even really the main focus, it just kind of sneaks up on you while you become more and more attached to those girls. It's very tender and very beautiful.

everyone move out of the way because the captain of Bebe and Annie’s protection squad is coming through.

I adored this graphic novel. It had everything i was looking for, great diverse characters, humor, lots of heart, plant moms with tattoos and girls supporting girls.

this book follows Annie who is forced by other mom and teacher to join the cheerleading squad in order to boost her college applications. Annie is very much not thrilled at this prospect because she’d rather be at a bad concert or just chilling at home. Meanwhile Beatrice is the first trans girl on the cheerleading squad and newly minted captain and is juggling everyone’s expectations. these girls come together and manage to bring out the best in each other.

this book absolutely warmed my heart and made me all googy inside and also somehow made me tear up too. I throughly enjoyed this graphic novel but I thought that the ending happened very abruptly.

do I recommend this? yes. will I be buying a physical copy? yes. would I recommend reading this book with blue light glasses? no. do I already want to re-read this? yes <3

arc kindly provided by NetGalley !

OH MY GOODNESS I LOVED CHEER UP SO MUCH!

This graphic novel was everything! I loved the characters and representation - I love the focus on uplifting everyone and the message behind accepting everyone! The relationship between the MCs is so perfect and honestly cannot imagine it being handled any better.

LOVED THIS SO MUCH! its super refreshing and so wholesome! highly recommend for everyone in need of a warm hug <3

More thoughts coming. But what a fun quick delightful read, simple and effective. I really enjoy the graphic novel format for my contemporary books, they make the fact you're just reading about this world a little less mundane.

I had high hopes for Cheer Up, and I was very pleased that it met all my expectations and exceeded them. This story followed the story of Annie and Bebe, two girls who were childhood friends but experienced a following out. When Annie is pushed into going to cheer, their previous friendship is rekindled. The story follows a lot of different societal issues like trans acceptance, queer romance, old and new friendships, and community support. The story itself was paced well, the art was beautiful, and the conversations felt real. I think my students will really appreciate this graphic novel. I will definitely be adding it to my classroom library.

“Cheer Up” is a sweet, funny and quick reading that really surprised me.
The story focus on friendship and love in high school, but also with finding your own voice. It opens up many important conversations on queerness, social pressure on high school and how parents can support their children without being overprotective and hurting them even more.
This beautifully illustrated graphic novel is just one of those books that leave you with a good feeling. I really recommend it!

*Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.*

Cheer Up is a quick, fun graphic novel that managed to surprise me while also giving me pretty much exactly what I wanted out of it. I do wish it had been a bit longer, but there's so much packed in here as it is! Absolutely recommended for fans of The Avant-Guards.

CW: transphobia

This was such a fun read. The graphics are so beautiful and portray the story fantastically. I was hooked from start to finish and just couldn't put it down. This sapphic graphic novel is everything - the diversity is brilliant and it touches on so many tough topics. I would definitely recommend this!

This is just.. the most delightful thing.

The very definition of the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one and I am here for it. Annie, full of righteous fury and antisocial to a fault, is basically forced to join the cheer team which is kind of run by Annie's former friend, Bebe, a trans girl who struggles with keeping her parents happy and herself afloat in the midst of all the responsiblity she's taken on to please everyone around her.

Watching the two find themselves, and each other, tackling parents' expectations, own expectations, and staying true, was all I had hoped for going into this. And the art, gosh but it's just.. yes. The style it self great, but the way the people are drawn, even the smallest side character, without an ounce of stereotypical to be found? Yes. Here for it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun graphic novel! I loved the diversity, the fierceness of the friendships, and the growing romance.

*I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This is such a cute, fun, and much-needed graphic novel. I loved how the author handled Bebe's internal struggle to be the "perfect trans girl" in social situations and the internal turmoil that comes with that mindset. Annie's antisocial nature and Bebe's sunny disposition make for a very cute pairing. Overall, this was a sweet and refreshing read!

I received an advanced copy of Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms through Netgalley so I could share my review with you!

Content Warning: transphobia, harassment, and bullying

Annie, frankly, wants nothing to do with the cheerleading squad. But, in a tragic turn of events, good grades aren’t enough to round out her college applications. The schools Annie is striving for want students who are involved in high school, so she has no choice but to join the cheer team. Her mother insists that it will be good for her, that she might make friends if she gave the other members of the team. It isn’t until Annie is on the team that she reconnects with a long-lost friend, who happens to be the current cheer team captain. BeeBee is doing everything in her power to please everyone in her life- it’s the only way for her to stay safe. As one of the only out trans kids in the school, BeeBee knows that her actions are under constant scrutiny. Together, Annie and BeeBee will work to reestablish their friendship, and perhaps even more than that.

You can get your copy of Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms now from Oni Press!

As unathletic as I am, I absolutely cannot get enough graphic novels about athletes! Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms instantly became one of my favorite sports graphic novels, because of its complex characters and realistic plot lines. Annie and BeeBee won my heart as I watched their relationship blossom. I also really appreciated the way that the story explained cheerleading terminology on-page, without breaking out of the flow of the narrative. One of the things I loved most about this story was the bold artistic style that the characters and world were drawn in! Val Wise’s illustrations suited the tone of the story so well and were very fun to look at. The bright color pallet of the story really completed the world and plot.

My Recommendation:
If you love sports-centric graphic novels like Check, Please, The Avant-Guards, or Fence, you need to pick up a copy of Cheer Up! This story is a fun and quick read and would be perfect for folks searching for their next favorite queer graphic novel.

I love this new wave of sports comics, particularly centered in rebellious, unorthodox teenage girls. From the first page Cheer Up! had a very clear tone and theme, light-hearted without shying away from harsh truths and focusing in standing up for your friends and yourself. I loved the development in Bebe's attitude and how she finally stopped following everyone else's agenda.