I loved this book so much! More than I was expecting to even. I thought it was going to be a light read, but it was so much more. It was heartfelt and relatable, and so so wholesome. I loved the characters so much and their character developments. The author was able to fit so much in so few pages. I loved the representation this book had and it was so diverse. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a short, but amazing read.

This graphic novel was brilliant! Not only was the artwork beautifully done (and very inclusive of races, body sizes etc), but the story itself was very real and uplifting. It was quick read but a very enjoyable one, I found myself flying through it in one sitting. An LGBTQ+ story about teens navigating friendships and clubs in high school, all while feeling like they don’t quite belong.

My only qualm was feeling like the love interest was a tad rushed, but it was super cute nonetheless!

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in return for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this book! Reading this story was very insightful, but it was also so cute. The characters were awesome and they learned how to support their teammate, Bebe, in the way she wanted after transitioning. I think we all can learn best how to talk to and treat others through communication, and that's what the book showed. The artwork was amazing and I would love for there to be a sequel!

An absolutely gorgeous book, inside and out!

I picked this up on a whim when the cover grabbed my attention on NetGalley and I am SO glad that I did. I expected to enjoy the book based on the synopsis but nowhere near as much as I did. It’s rare for me to give a graphic novel (or any book, really) a very high rating, especially when it’s a contained graphic novel and not a series but Crystal Frasier did an incredible job writing these characters and Val Wise did an equally incredible job illustrating their story.

Despite the shorter length and fast pace, I immediately connected to our characters, especially BeBe, and fell for them as they were falling for each other. I loved watching BeBe and Annie develop, both as characters and as a couple, and the other characters were extremely well developed too, despite not being central characters.

Though the book doesn’t shy away from the realities that the characters face, particularly the transphobic microaggressions experienced by BeBe, overall the story is a light-hearted (and funny), fluffy, warm hug of a book that’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Happy LGBTQIA+ stories, especially happy trans and sapphic stories, are always desperately needed and I’m so glad another one is out in the world.

Not to mention, the art is absolutely STUNNING. The illustrations and colors are so beautifully done there were multiple times I would stay on a page after reading the text just to really study the art.

I’m going to (and have been!) recommending this to absolutely everyone but I feel like fans of Check, Please!, Heartstopper, and Heavy Vinyl fans in particular would love this one!

I was looking for a quick, lighthearted, queer read and boy did this fit that description. I saw so much of myself in Annie, and had such a crush on Bebe. I loved the development of their characters, the revitalization of their friendship, and the innocence of their eventual relationship. I also loved the relationships within the squad. So often high school girls are portrayed as petty and cutthroat, but this really developed the sorority of the cheerleading squad. I hope this becomes a series. It gave me all the feels.

I acquired this book for an honest review from Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity to read this.
This was a fantastic read, A lot of comics focus on male relationships recently and it was amazing to see the alternative female side. It has good trans representation and It will appeal to fans of Heartstopper and Fence. The art style is cute but beautiful

Cheer UP: Love and Pompoms is exactly the kind of my book my queer heart hopes for every time I pick up a book with LGBTQ+ characters. This was quite possibly the sweetest thing I've ever read; it literally had me squealing with the utmost joy every couple of pages.

Cheer Up follows two childhood friends, Bebe and Annie, who drifted apart. Now teenagers, Bebe has come out as transgender and joined cheerleading as the first trans girl ever on the team, while Annie has become a social loner with a fiery temper and a tendency to make people dislike her. Annie is forced by her mother to join the cheer squad, and the two rekindle their friendship after Bebe stands up for her. What follows is a heart warming story of two girls who are polar opposites, helping each other to unlearn the worst parts of themselves while uplifting each other through the trials of being a queer teenager.

I truly adored this graphic novel. Everything from the characters, the writing, the art style, to the story were all done with so much love and care poured into it. I love the stark contrast between Bebe and Annie, and how they were able to play off of each other's strengths and learn so much in such a short amount of time. I deeply appreciate seeing the experiences that Bebe goes through as an out trans girl, and how the author showed that even those who are well-meaning can do and say hurtful things. The fears that Bebe has of making a scene, or being too loud in a place where she is already the centre of attention just for existing, is so relatable to me as a visibly queer person. I loved the conversations that were had surrounding boundaries, and seeing the reactions of others. The characters and their relationships were complex and so very real, and I loved every second of it. I think this is going to be a book that will be celebrated by the LGBTQ+ community, and I can't wait to see everyone fall in love with it as much as I have!

It's more like a 4,5 rating. I loved this graphic novel.

In this beautiful story we have Bebe, a trans girl who hates to be the center of attention, she just wants a normal life, but can't find her voice to speak up, to say what she really thinks or wants. And Annie, a tough girl who doesn't know how to treat people in order to make friends, she scares everyone away, but inside she's a lovely person. Both of them join the cheerleading team and that's how they get to know each other better. They learn from the other how to make friends, how to say no, and how beautiful life can be when you are true to yourself and have good friends that have your back when needed.

THIS WAS SUCH A HEARTWARMING BOOK. I'm honestly really sad because I read it so quickly! I was liking it so much, and when I wasn't expecting it, it was over.

The book has a lot of diversity, and we love to read it. And oh my god, the drawing is gorgeous, the design of the characters and the colors and everything was very beautiful. Also, this has some really funny moments, I found myself laughing out loud because Annie is such a hilarious character.

I really thought this was a series! I don't think it is, but if the author and illustrator want to expand this story, I'M IN! The only thing that I didn't like was that it was so short, that I felt that maybe the romance was a little bit rushed, but don't get me wrong, I LOVED IT, and that's why I need more!

Thank you to Netgalley & Oni Press for providing me with an e-ARC of this book!
Content Warnings: transphobia & fatphobia

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms is a contemporary graphic novel featuring cheerleading, an angry plus-size lesbian main character, a biracial queer trans girl main character, and a bit of a romance between both these girls.

Based on reviews of this book I’d previously seen, I was expecting it to be pretty light-hearted than it turned out to be - specifically, it was a bit more heavily focused on one of the main characters’ experience with transphobia than I had anticipated. That being said, once I adjusted my expectations a bit, I really loved this graphic novel! The topic of transphobia was explored very well, and I loved the two main characters & their romance.

Overall, if you enjoy graphic novels I’d highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy.

Cheer up is an uplifting and sweet story of two young girls and their own personal struggles and how they find in each other the joy and acceptance found in unconditional love.

Annie is loud, rude, incredibly smart & anti social (she’s also known to bite) she is not accepted into social circles and quite frankly couldn’t give a damn, until she is told her antisocial traits could hinder an otherwise incredibly college application. So with the pressure from the adults in her life she is pressured to join the cheer team. Enter Bebe, kind, pretty and over pleasing captain of the cheer team Bebe feels she has to work extra hard to keep every one happy, both in her actions and her appearance. They are the Ying to the others yang and give each other what they need to help them come into their own person.

Cheer up is an endearing and uplifting story with an incredibly important message, i feel with the art and the story line this should find its way into all school and public libraries as it contains a message which is informative and could really help young people who are also struggling with the same issues as our two protagonists.

Highly Highly recommend reading this if you need a bit of Cheering up.

I absolutely adored this book. I mean a fat, grouchy lesbian and a trans woman who is scared of speaking out. This book was just yelling at me. Aesthetically, the art was beautiful and I think it really portrayed things well. Character-wise, I adored everyone. We really got to learn about these characters despite it being a graphic novel, which generally don't have much time. Plot-wise, it also worked for me. This book was just so so good.

Trigger Warnings: Fatphobia, Transphobia, Microaggressions, Sexual Harassment, Controlling Parents and Mentions of Biting

Cheer Up is a super sweet and heartwarming graphic novel with wonderful representation. I adored all the diversity, including race, body diversity, and gender identity. I absolutely loved the development of Bebe and Annie's friendship to their eventual romance! Even more, I loved seeing each of them come into their own and gain confidence in themselves. They had such a lovely arc together, as well as individually. I only wish this graphic novel were longer!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an early copy of Cheer Up. I loved this,it was such a quick read, the plot was really good, I loved the characters and I cannot wait to read more.

Such a sweet story, the characters and the illustrations are all fab and I loved how seamless it was. The mum character was honestly amazing, total goals! I can see this being a big hit

This was delightful, everything about it was fun and adorable and so well done. Absolutely recommend.

What an incredibly wonderful and powerful graphic novel!

All the more powerful for it's way of discussing issues ranging from fat-shaming to explorations of how it can be for a trans girl just wanting to be herself in highschool, Bebe and Annie (our two main characters) are both so different in terms of personalities but are both so awesome in their own unique way. We have Annie, all bluster and temper, ready with her spitfire to call out injustice, Then we have Bebe, who I absolutely adored, trying to navigate highschool 'quietly' because she doesn't want even more attention on herself since she is the first trans girl in her high school. Through Bebe's experiences, we see how she negotiates her identity within a space that is not overtly supportive or safe for her. But what Bebe's character really shows is the fake 'wokeness' of people. One of the main character arcs for Bebe is standing up for herself and letting people know what she actually wants. She doesn't want to make a scene, she hates being the centre of attention - and the constant need for others to put her in the centre of attention to demonstrate how 'okay' they are with her is actually effecting her in the opposite way. She feels all the more disconnected from her peers. I loved Bebe so much.

Bebe and Annie's relationship was absolutely adorable. I was cheering (hah, get it?) for them from the start! I just wish that we actually got to spend more time with them as a couple. It felt kind of rushed and I just wanted more.

Overall, I highly recommend this graphic novel!!!!! Perfect for fans of Check, Please! and Heartstopper.

I knew this book was about a trans girl and a teen romance with some cheerleading, and it sold me! I read this in an hour, and loved the art style, the story itself, and how it grew. This book is beautiful and lovely and I am so glad NetGallery and the publisher gave me a shot to read this one. Thank you.
I will definitely pick up the next book by Frasier!

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms é uma graphic novel com protagonismo queer, onde somos apresentados a Bebe uma garota trans que se torna capitã da equipe de líderes de torcida, mas sofre por não conseguir dizer NÃO com medo das pessoss se irritarem com ela e ligar isso ao fato dela ser trans, e também com a pressão e superproteção dos pais. Annie é uma garota com exterior de durona, antisocial e briga com basicamente todo mundo na escola, mas decide seguir o conselho de sua mãe e entra para a equipe de lideres de torcida buscando ser mais sociável.

Bebe e Annie foram amigas há alguns anos, mas se afastaram, e essa nova aproximação, por conta da equipe, traz à tona muitas questões que elas escondem sobre si mesmas e como agem com outras pessoas, assim trabalhando nesses pontos que elas escondiam tão bem. Além disso, a união da equipe as tornam ainda mais fortes, mesmo que em alguns momentos elas se unam pela Bebe de forma equivocada, mas dá para perceber que é por amizade.

Eu amei ver a evolução dos personagens, não foram apenas Annie e Bebe que aprenderam e evoluíram, mas as pessoas ao redor delas também. É uma leitura muito rápida, mas me deixou apegada a elas que eu queria ler mais sobre a trajetória das duas.

Aviso de gatilho: transfobia, assédio sexual, gordofobia e controle parental.

I've seen people talking about this graphic novel and I've wanted to read it too. This was definitely one of the cutest graphic novels that I've ever read. I read it in one sitting and I smiled and felt pure happiness about Bebe and Annie. It was short and the story has a strong message too. Overall, I'll recommend who wants to read a wholesome story.

Cheer Up is a super sweet, fast paced graphic novel. Annie gets top grades in all of her classes, but she has no extracurriculars. BeBe is her school's first trans cheerleader, and she's desperate to prove herself and to please her parents and everyone else around her. When Annie's mom convinces her to try out for cheerleading, BeBe is the only one on the team who vouches for her. The two girls, former friends who grew apart, start bonding again - and start having feelings for each other.

Annie and BeBe are both very believable characters. I loved both of them and seeing how they grew and changed over the course of the story. I do wish the book had been a little longer and developed their feelings for each other more before they got together - it felt like it all became apparent in one scene. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a sweet yet powerful story. 4.5 stars, rounded up.