Ok, honest to God! I knew this would be good but it surpassed my expectations… It's not perfect, but definitely, great and worth reading!

There are two main characters in focus here: Annie, an antisocial lesbian who joins the cheerleading team in an effort to add team activities to her resume, and Bebe, a trans girl who is struggling to keep her parents happy with her grades and to maintain her new identity without being the centre of attention. Both the characters are depicted in a realistic way that will make you identify with their struggles irrespective of your gender or sexual preferences.

The way the story deals with insecurities, friendship, team spirit, and love is really commendable. There are so many lessons imbued within the straightforward storyline. The LGBTQIA+ representation is commendable. I just wish the story hadn’t been so rushed. With just 123 pages and a lot to tell, the romance part of the plot seems too quick and abrupt. But this is also because I enjoyed the book so much that I wanted it to last longer. About 20-30 pages more would have been good enough to pace out the story.

Though the book is a standalone, it certainly has the potential to have a sequel. I would certainly like to see more of these characters.

I can’t let the review go by without mentioning the illustrations. They are fantabulous! It was a pleasure to read a graphic novel with not a single character drawn stereotypically. Especially when you think of cheerleaders, you know kind of image comes to your head. Well, you won’t find a single cheerleaders in this book fitting that mental picture. I adored this factor in the book.

Go for this for a light yet thought-provoking read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Oni Press, for the Advanced Review Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

It's a 4.5 from me.

ENGLISH/ESPAÑOL

ENGLISH
I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel. The story is extremely sweet and moving, the drawing style completely enchanted me and the characters... God, they are adorable! Each of them have very strong personalities, very different but still charming. Annie and Beatrice are truly a love, on more than one occasion they made me smile and throughout their story all I wanted to do was hug and protect them.

I really liked the trans representation, as well as the topics that were covered in the story, topics such as transphobia, fat-fobia, social pressure, as well as sexual harassment.

As for the main couple, I must say that the scenes were extremely tender and natural. Nothing seemed forced and everything flows perfectly. There is one scene in particular that filled me with tenderness and love, because it shows how much Annie and Beatrice love each other and in the process shows how shy and beautiful adolescent love is.

I would have liked them to include some scenes of Beatrice and Annie's past friendship, because throughout the graphic novel they talk about how things were before but they don't go into much depth on that side. Still, I loved the graphic novel, it's extremely sweet and adorable.

Thank ypu NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

ESPAÑOL
Disfruté muchísimo de esta novela gráfica. La historia es sumamente dulce y conmovedora, el estilo de dibujo me dejó completamente encantada y los personajes... Dios, son adorables! Cada uno de ellos tiene personalidades muy fuertes, muy diferentes pero aún así encantadores. Annie y Beatrice son en verdad un amor, en más de una ocasión me hicieron sonreír y durante toda su historia lo único que quise hacer fue abrazarlas y protegerlas.

Me gustó mucho la representación trans que hubo, al igual que los temas que se tocaron, temas como la transfobia, gordofobia, la presión social, así como el acoso sexual.

En cuanto a la pareja principal debo decir que se me hicieron sumamente tiernas y naturales las escenas que tuvieron. Nada pareció forzado y todo fluye perfectamente. Hay una escena en particular que me llenó de ternura y amor, pues en ella se nota lo mucho que se quieren Annie y Beatrice y en el proceso se muestra lo timido y hermoso que es el amor adolescente.

Me hubiera gustado que incluyeran algunas escenas de la amistad de Beatrice y Annie, pues a lo largo de la novela gráfica hablan de cómo eran las cosas antes pero no profundizan mucho por ese lado. Aún así, me encantó la novela gráfica, es sumamente dulce y adorable.

Gracias a NetGalley y a la editorial por el arc.

This was a quick, adorable graphic novel in which will keep your attention throughout the whole book.

I really did enjoy this. It had an amazing plot, and the struggles BeeBee had to go through made it where Annie would NEED a reason to speak to her, or support her. Although the plot was good, and wasn't fast-paced as many young adult graphic novels are, the beginning was alittle too - rebelish - if that makes sense. But it does give the characters different reasonings to communicate; Annie needs to make the team to get to college, and BeeBee needs a geniune friend, although it is SO clear they became alittle more than that. But either way, this book was really good and grabbed my attention: As soon as I picked it up. So although it is small, it has a very good plot, that I really do think everyone will enjoy.

This was so cute! The message was important and the art style was beautiful.
I think an important lesson here is that words and actions can be harmful even if you don't mean them to be.

And Annie putting sugar in her ice cream was big mood!

Sometimes, especially in the beginning, I was confused about what they were talking about. What is the difference between a team and a squad and why is the first one better? I also sometimes felt like there was too much text in the pictures.

I absolutely loved this graphic novel! Both characters were absolutely adorable! I loved Annie so much, she was hilarious and 100% real with everybody she met. I loved seeing both character's story progress and see them grow into themselves. The story was perfectly pace, and must I say: much too short! I loved getting to know the characters. Wonderful book! Thank you so much for the opportunity!

When I saw this book I immediately knew i had to read it, and it was just as adorable as i’d hoped.

Annie is a plus-sized grumpy lesbian who does well in school, but she needs to be more social in order to get into college, so she joins the cheer team. BeeBee is a biracial trans girl, who wants to please everyone, and who has to deal with overprotective parents and micro aggressions. The two used to be best friends but as they reconnect feelings bloom for each other.

Our two main characters have amazing dynamics together and they’re also fantastic individually. I’m impressed that the characters manage to be so fleshed out in such a short amount of time, without feeling flat. I completely fell in love with both of them and my heart can’t handle how cute they are together.

I’ve noticed that graphic novels tend to feel rushed as they have to fit a lot of things happening into a short amount of time, but I was pleasantly surprised to notice that this graphic novel does not feel rushed. I think it managed to fit many things into a short and quickly read graphic novel without feeling rushed.

While this is a lighthearted read, it also deals with heavier topics, such as micro aggressions and people speaking over trans people, assuming what their feelings are and what they want. It sheds light on some every day things trans people have to face that don’t get talked about much.

The cast of characters is diverse and it’s definitely refreshing to see. Annie is the lesbian representation we need.

This is the queer story we deserve. It perfectly balances the heavy topics with the lighthearted story, so the book manages to be a fluffy sapphic read that also shines light on trans issues.

I highly recommend this to anyone who’s looking for a cute sapphic book. It’s fast and easy to read, and will leave your heart aching for these characters.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

What I liked about this graphic novel:
- The art style was really nice!
- The characters were really different, but this was really nice. I liked both of the maincharacters a lot as they went through some development! (and had a cute romance)
- The transphobia that was adressed and Bebe feeling like she was a spokesperson because she was part of a minority were interesting aspects of this story.
- The casual diversity that was not really talked about a lot, but this was still good.

This was a short, but lovely read that I enjoyed and wished was longer!

Full review to be posted soonish.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really cute book. I loved how diverse the characters were and how they were represented. The art style was beautiful as well.

I only wish that it had been longer.

A truly adorable and wholesome YA Graphic novel. It highlights the importance of boundaries, growth, and support. The art style is sharp and easily readable, the text-to-picture ratio is perfect, and the characters are diverse and loveable in so many ways. Thank you so much Netgalley for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This graphic novel was really sweet! I enjoyed the art style and how the characters thrived in a healthy friendship they found through cheer. The trans rep was really great to see as well and the main characters supporting and learning to trust and understand each other was nice.

Cheer Up! is my favorite kind of graphic novel - queer, full of lovely representation of different body types, and a sweet story that empowers the reader. Bebe is a trans cheerleader who hates being the center of attention and has trouble sticking up for herself. Anne dislikes most people and has no interest in cheerleading...but of course ends up on the team anyway. From there their relationship turns into one where they teach and help eachother learn more and like more about themselves. I'll be happily recommending this one to everyone I know.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc of Cheer Up! Love and Pom Poms.

First I saw cheerleaders on the cover, then I read sapphic, then I read transgender and I couldn’t request and download this graphic novel fast enough.

I’ve just read through this in one sitting and have absolutely adored it from cover to cover. The story, the characters, the artwork- all fantastic.

I loved Bebe’s story, learning about the struggles she had and is still going through despite *some* people being accepting of her gender. It was great to see how her family and friends learnt from Bebe, how she finally got the courage to tell them that she was not an item to be shown off, and seeing how they each had their realisations that how they had been treating Bebe was not right even though it had felt right at the time.

I really enjoyed Annie as well. I love how she is super smart, but just a classic troublemaker, and how her extra curricular activity ends up being the thing that helps her shine and make a great group of friends.

The artwork for this graphic novel was lovely as well. I really enjoyed the colour palettes, the font of the speech really suited the story, and I enjoyed the difference and diversity in the characters!

If you are looking for an lgbtq+ graphic novel with laughs, tears, love, fun and some bad-ass cheerleaders, look no further.

I saw “for fans of Fence and Check, Please!” on the synopsis and as someone who is obsessed with those graphic novels, I just had to read this 😭

A huge thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for this providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms follows Annie, an angry, lesbian, plus size girl and her ex-friend, shy and trans girl, Beatrice and their high school cheer squad experience and their journey from rekindling their friendship to being something more.

This was the cutest, most wholesome read ever which is a theme in a lot of the queer sports romance stories I’ve read 😍 It’s not a surprise that I absolutely loved this! I loved the relationship between Annie and Bebe as well as with their cheer squad teammates! I also love their relationship with their parents 🥺 Annie’s mom in particular is so cool! We stan a plant lover!

The story all in all packed a lot of character development and plot despite the fast pace and small number of pages but it didn’t feel lacking in anyway. I felt that I got to know the main characters and their story so well in this one volume! The build up to their romance was so cute and when they finally got together, my heart was swooning! Especially during the last scenes, I just wanted to hug them 🥺 The friendships they had with their teammates made me tear up as well especially in those parts when they stood up for each other and supported each other! The girl power was real! The information shared about cheerleading as a sport was such a nice touch!

As for the art style, I’m in love by how bright, colorful and adorable it was! The details were so well thought off and realistic especially in the way they portrayed the diversity and different body types! It perfectly complemented the fluffy, light hearted story!

Despite that, it also tackled a lot of major issues like prejudices that characters went through and dealt with and other serious themes such as transphobia, fat shaming, helicopter parents, harrasment in such a realistic and thought provoking way. I loved that we saw these issues first hand through the main characters and made us more aware of what these people go through because as a cisgender woman myself, I would’ve never understood what they go through.

Overall, this is perfect for fans of stories with sports dynamics, heartfelt friendships and swoony romance with powerful messages!

Loved the diversity, the team and the characters!
The authors solved every situation in the best way possible. I feel like there's nothing else I could've asked for. It breaks with stereotypes beliefs and it has 0 misogyny. It is a book about being yourself, consent and being patient with people that are actually trying to change and deconstruct. I felt so connected with Annie. Deserved 5 stars.
Plus: illustrations are so good and pretty!

[Content warnings: transphobia, outing, sexual harassment]

This was so cute and wholesome!

Annie Ginter has excellent grades and doesn’t care about having no friends, but she needs extracurricular activities for college application. Her mom suggests cheerleading and Annie is not happy. But when Beatrice Diaz (trans) decides to take Annie in on the team, the pair start spending more time together. Beatrice helps Annie make friends on the team and Annie speaks up when people mistreats Beatrice. They grow together, and so does everyone else around them.

First of all, a romance between a grumpy lesbian and a sweet transgirl? Yes! And the fact that Annie remains fat while being a flyer and after gruesome workouts also makes me very happy. As for the art, the facial expressions of the characters are very expressive. I love Annie’s grumpy and exhausted faces and BeBe’s surprised and happy ones. On top of that, I also love that each cheerleader on the Flying Cranes team have the different body types, height, and styles. Oh, and Annie’s mom is a tattooed plant mom! How wonderful is that?

The story addresses a lot of problematic “trans allyship” that BeBe is afraid to speak up about. Even though the cheerleading team seems supportive, their teammates sees her more like a diversity checkbox than being true allies. BeBe’s parents also consider her transition as a luxury instead of a necessity and their protectiveness of BeBe is very misguided. The main plot isn’t just about Annie and BeBe’s relationship growth, but also about how their friends and family begin to understand what it is to be supportive of their loved ones and reflecting on their own harmful behaviors.

Throughout the read, I wonder why Annie and BeBe stopped being friends two years ago. Did it have anything to do with her coming out? It was never discussed and yet I feel like it is such an important part of their relationship. I also couldn’t grasp why the creepster dude was so popular. But despite these parts, CHEER UP! is overall a wonderful and wholesome story.

If you want a cute graphic novel about a transgirl in sports and some sweet romance, CHEER UP! is going to make you very happy upon finishing.

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for a copy in exchange for a honest review.

Rating: 3.5

Synopsis:

BeBe is a trans girl who feels that she must excel at everything to prove her worth. Annie is the opposite; she is laid back and honestly does not care what you think of her. Both girls use to be friends. Until they were not. However, when Annie is faced with the reality that she must join a school organization in order to round out her college applications, she finds that she must join her least favorite sports team : cheer squad. The only good thing about this? BeBe is on the squad. Annie and BeBe reconnect instantly. They find that their friendship may be more than just friends. As the girls get closer, they endure more struggles in their everyday life. Particularly BeBe, as she works towards pleasing herself more than pleasing others all while facing blatant transphobia.

Thoughts:
There were many aspects of this story that I enjoyed. I loved BeBe and Annie's characters. The struggles BeBe endures throughout the novel are honest and real. I really enjoyed seeing BeBe grow as a character throughout the story. I also adore the art style.

The one aspect that felt off to me was the pacing. The romance felt very rushed. There was also little detail on cheerleading. How did Annie become a great cheerleader? What is the team dynamic like? When did they all start to get along? These were just a few of the questions I had while reading the novel.

Overall, I enjoyed this graphic novel.

Woah, there’s lots of representation in this short but super sweet graphic novel!
One main character is a biracial trans girl and the other is a plus sized, assertive, lesbian. This is fast paced and covers being queer, supporting people when they come out and standing up for yourself. I’d enjoy reading more in this series.

I received a copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

4/5

Wholesome? Check.
Diverse? Check.
Funny? Check
Honestly I don’t know where I’m going with this. I did enjoy this book. It was wholesome and it was nice to see some representation.

The art is beautiful and the plotting is great. The paneling and dialogue is really easy to follow and well done. I really liked the parts of dialogue that built character personality rather than moving the plot forward. I love me some world building.

I hope there’s a sequel because there were a lot of loose ends and unfinished plot points that I thought were important.

I think any high school library would be lucky to have this book. Or really any school.

This was adorable! It was a wonderful story that explores certain facets of being a girl and adresses a lot of important issues, but in a way that ended up being so wholesome? The dialogue accompanied byt the art style delivered everything perfectly. So so so cute. It will leave you wanting more from these characters.