This book is totally adorable! I really liked the protagonists, Annie and Bebe, even though they are different, they work very well together. I went to read the story without knowing much (practically because the cover was cute), and it was a pleasant surprise. The story centers on these two teenagers, who sail through high school facing problems with other teenagers and trying to understand each other better. Bebe is a trans girl, and the author managed to develop the character well without sounding stereotyped or as if her only important personality trait was that. We see how she has to deal with the situation, and how the people around her behave. I found it very realistic because it shows that even when people have good intentions, they don't always know how to act. Her relationship with her family seems to be interesting, but we see it only superficially. The other protagonist, Annie, is a rebellious girl, who decides to join the cheerleaders to improve her application for college. I thought the story doesn't focus so much on her, but her relationship with Bebe is very cute. You can see that she is a confident girl and that she thinks she knows what she wants, but even so she is surprised when she befriends unexpected people.

The graphic novel art is beautiful, I loved the artist's colors and the way he draws.

I didn't give five stars, though, because I thought the story was short, so some plots were concluded faster than I expected (Bebe's relationship with her family, and the couple itself). I was eager to read more about these characters, and I would be very happy if it turned into a series where each volume focused on a character on the cheerleading team.

It is a great recommendation for anyone who wants to get out of a reading slump, or is looking for something fast, light and cute.

I saw a lot of people reading this graphic novel especially on Booktube and Bookstagram and enjoying it so I was super interested in picking it up. I mean a fun, queen graphic novel how could I say no. And I have to say I wasn't dissapointed with the story. It was the perfect graphic novel to get out of a reading slump, it was a super quick read but at the same time had a lot of deep topics such as standing up for yourself, being your own authentic self and, of course, cheerleading! I loved the art style, it was super soft and the characters were the best part of the story. Highly recommend.

Thanks to Net Galley for providing a free ARC to be reviewed.

This was a sweet short story. I hadn't read any graphic novel before this one and now I see how refreshing they can be. This story deals with heavy themes like transphobia but manages to be a lighthearted piece.
I think this will fill anyone who picks it up with comfort and sweetness.
Though it's really cute and I enjoyed the reading experience I don't think it will be very memorable for me just because of the nature of short stories. That said it brought me major comfort and it reminded me of how much I love to see f/f relationships on media and the illustrations made it all the more heartwarming.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an eArc of this comic in exchange for my honest review.

This comic was absolutely wonderful! Annie and Bebe were some amazing characters and complimented each other completely. They're both trying to get through school in their own ways and when they band together they're unstoppable.

There was a great message throughout and I really loved that it represented a transgender teen in school. It felt so real and honest, and I loved seeing the change in characters from beginning to end.

This book was a lovely story of a misfit teen who becomes friends with a transgender girl. The story is honest about being trans in school. The main character, Bebe, struggles to balance all of her responsibilities because of her inability to say no. As a trans teen, she is already in the spotlight more than she likes, and she lets people run over her. She gets closer to Annie after she tries out for cheerleading. Annie teaches her what it means to be firm and set boundaries with others. Bebe teaches Annie what it's like to be gentle and forgiving.

This story was lovely. I highly recommend it!

Cute story with an adorable art style. Teenagers in high school, learning to navigate their lives would be the tag line. I was so happy to see some positive loving family rep towards the trans girl as well. Too often the family doesn't support her, but there was a happy ending here.

Annie is super smart and a total smart alec. When she is in danger of not getting into college, she is forced to join the cheer squad to round out her resume. Annie has totally pushed away everyone, instead of Bebe, who is the only one encouraging Annie to be accepted on the squad. Bebe recently transitioned from male to female and needs to get her grades up or her parents will make her transition back. Annie and Bebe help each other out and their friendship potentially develops into something more.


This romance was super cute. I want to see more from this squad.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book!! It's so cute and sweet! Bebe and Annie are teens both trying to find their way through the ups and downs of high school and reconnect through cheerleading. Bebe struggles with standing up for herself and Annie deals with being too abrasive. Through their friendship and budding romance, they help each other become comfortable in their own skin.

I really loved this one. It has the right amount of soft and sweet, while also having a great message of becoming comfortable in your own skin. The art is great and the writing is also amazing. I highly recommend!

A short fun and sweet LGBTQ graphic novel.. The art style is cute and feels fresh. There are some instances of queer teens dealing with issues like transitioning, microaggressions (from friends and strangers), and growing up. Great for fans of Check, Please!

This graphic novel, follows two teenage girls, Annie and Beatrice, who used to be friends, they manage to find their way back to each other when Annie joins the cheerleading team that Beatrice happens to be new captain of. Both girls have different personalities and are finding out who they are, especially Beatrice who is still adjusting to being an out trans girl, and what they mean to each other. Also the art style is gorgeous. I really enjoyed it, overall this was short and so so sweet and lovely.

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for an Arc of this comic in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE This Comics !
It was so cute and sweet and everything !
I just fell in love with this girls and i'm so happy to see a trans girl as a captain of a cheerleaders team.. We always see some bitches as cheerleaders and the worst of them is always captain. But here, it's not that and it's sooooo cool !
I love the fact all girls are all differents : no one looks like the same as an other one, like classics cheereaders teams in movies or comics or series. So it's a very good point !
As a fat girl who did gymnastic when I was younger, I was happy to easy the main character who is fat but can make some gym workout and be a flyer !
However, sexisme and transphobia was terrible to read. Particularly the moments when this guy wanted to force Beebee to be with him. When you are a woman you are always scared about this nkind of situation and it was always triggering to read.

I can't wait to see this comics in bookstore to sell it to my costumers and I hope it will be translate in french one day.

I was feeling slumpy in my reading and this so-freaking-sweet graphic novel was exactly the thing I needed! With polar-opposite adorable main characters that kept me going "awww" the whole time paired with Important Messages that didn't feel like unrealistic PSAs, this was such an enjoyable read.

In particular, I really appreciated the way this story tackled microaggressions from friends and family that think they're doing the <i>right thing</i>, and highlighting young people grappling with knowing what they need vs. what everyone thinks is right for them.

Only complaint—I want more! I hope to see more coming soon.

This was a super cute and touching graphic novel. I liked both girls and thought they were written well and were interesting characters. The art style was great and it helped tell the story wonderfully. This is definitely a series i would read more from as this one was so well done.

Cheer Up was everything I was expecting and more! As a coming of age story and romcom, the colours and drawing were the most perfect for this graphic novel!
I am so glad to see more novels about transition and mostly something that is so accessible to young people. Bebe is looking for her own voice after transitioning. It's not easy when you have an overprotective family and have to fit everywhere. . I loved the support she gets from the girls of the cheerleading team and from Annie as well as from her family.
Annie is a total hurricane, she knows who she is and what she wants, but besides Bebe, she understands that always being alone is not as good as she makes it look. i think that both of them have fantastic growth and won't spoil anything, I totally loved this!

I was really excited when I got approved to receive an eARC of this graphic novel because I’ve heard quite a few people hype this book up, and it does deserve the hype. I think it truly captures the feelings and fears well of young LGBTQIA+ people in high school, and how you sometimes tend to tiptoe around people to keep yourself ‘safe’. Annie is a great representation of who I think a lot of us wish they could be like and I’m no exception.

There’s a line in the book where Annie explains that she really likes her combat boots because they make her feel huge and tough… Like a werewolf. And honestly, I’ve been thinking about that line ever since finishing the book. This book is a wonderful example of woman power. There’s very little male characters in this book and they weren’t missed, I must say.

It’s a quick and enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to anyone to read if you’re looking for something lighthearted but still so meaningful.

This was such a cute and sweet graphic novel! It definitely shines a light on the trans community and promotes love and support. I highly recommend it!

I LOVED this. Great representation and such an important graphic novel. Loved the elements of friendship and romance growing from being involved in cheerleading. SO timely and so important.

CWs: transphobia and transphobic comments, some fatphobic comments, and instances of sexual harassment

Queer sports comic starring sapphic cheerleaders and a transfemme MC? Yes please and thank you!

Cheer Up! is exactly the kind of comic that's perfectly suited for a visual medium. Not only does it showcase a Shineshine x Grumpy wlw ship dynamic, but it also normalizes fat bodies, brown bodies, and trans bodies in athletic spaces, which is incredibly needed. This is a story that's less about actual cheerleading and more about finding a sense of belonging, athletic teams functioning as found family and support systems, and learning how to socialize through organized sports. Though Bebe's squad doesn't always model perfect allyship, they accept her and support her and stick close to her in order to keep her safe in public spaces, and that's part of what makes her feel more confident in her own experience and expression of gender.

Above all else, I think this comic does a great job tackling discussions about hypervisibility for transfeminine folks, especially, and how transfemme people are often looked at and treated as spectacle rather than as individuals. Bebe fears not presenting in a hyperfeminine way because she's been conditioned to believe that presenting as anything less than "the perfect woman" makes her undesirable. She has a hard time confronting people, saying no, or standing up for herself because she doesn't want to be labelled as "aggressive" or "combative," especially when it already feels like people are "doing her a favor" by just letting her exist. The story really speaks to these unspoken standards of "perfection" that we hold trans people to, expecting them to perform to the extreme ends of the binary (whatever that means) in order for them to be "real," and not allowing them to make mistakes unless they prove themselves to be "one of the bad ones."

That's why I enjoyed the dynamic between Bebe and Annie, because through rekindling their friendship (and possibly more) Bebe is showing Annie how to be gentle, empathetic, and how to explore her own femininity, while Annie is showing Bebe how to be assertive, confident, and how to stand up for herself. It was nice to see their really sweet second-chance-friends-to-lovers dynamic blossom over the course of the story, and I was definitely cheering for them.

The only small set-backs for me were related to pace and story arc. Because comics are usually a faster-paced medium operating within a much smaller page count, some of the character development or realizations felt a bit sudden at times, which didn't allow for that full sense of satisfaction. And the other thing was that some of the side characters (both Bebe's own father and also her teammates) made some very pointed and anti-trans comments, and while they grow and learn over the course of the story, they're never made to account for those comments nor who how they reached those moments of growth. Overall, not anything that took away from my enjoyment of the story, but things that I would've liked to see explored further.

That said, if you're like me and you enjoy queer sports comics that are sweet, funny, and full of friendship, this is definitely one for you to add to your list!

A feel-good story for the LGBTQ teen community who love graphic novels.

Thanks to #NetGalley for a free ARC of #CheerUp in exchange for an honest review

AAHH this was so cute and fun, and yet managed to handle serious topics pretty well. i'm so happy to see more rep of Black trans girls in a coming of age story that doesn't feed into trauma porn that usually is added with Black characters' storylines. i hope a lot of people read it. made me so happy !