Oh my God this was amazing!!! A trully beautiful story! So heartwarming and sweet and at the same time it talked about important issues. And the romance was so cute! I loved Bebe and Annie, they were great together. I loved it! I really really loved it and I highly recommend it. And the artwork was amazing too!

A thoroughly enjoyable tale.
Cheer Up follows Annie who is anti-social and is trying out for cheerleading as a promise for her mother. She is then reintroduced to Bebe who she was friends with two years previously before Bebe had transitioned and become part of the cheer team. The two navigate high school life and slowly fall in love.

This book was a quick but fun read. The characters were thoroughly enjoyable and the representation in this book was amazing. The issue of Bebe being transgender was handled in a way that wasn't too heavy but left this reader emotional at times. The growth in both characters while quick meshes well with the graphic novel format and you are happy to see their growth in the novel. There is so much representation that is sorely needed in this graphic novel and it is all handled delicately but not without touching on sensitive topics in a way that is aware of the age of who this novel will appeal to.

This is the cutest, queerest, lovely graphic novel. There was not one thing about it I didn’t love. Definitely one I’ll buy so I can read it over and over again.

What a wholesome, tender, fantastic read! The artwork is beautiful, and all of the characters felt so genuine and real (plus the diversity!!). I feel like the title 'Cheer Up' is definitely an appropriate one, as this graphic novel made me feel so warm and happy. The one criticism I would have is I wanted more! I wish we could have seen more progression in Bebe's relationship with not only Annie, but with her parents as well. Overall though, this was an enjoyable read for me!

When I think about how far LGBT+ media has come even within the last ten years I am overcome with emotion. God, I am so happy with how diverse Cheer Up is and how it handles so many topics that may be overlooked when thinking about LGBT+ representation.

The book centers around the relationship between two high school teenage girls, Bebe and Annie, as they try to figure out who they are and how they fit into the world. There are some difficult conversations and complicated feelings that get portrayed very well and it was astonishing to see just how much this graphic novel covers considering how fast it reads. I just wish it was longer because it flew so quickly and certain character relationships felt more rushed than I would have liked--granted I personally love a slow-burn. I would have liked seeing flashbacks to get more background information on their friendship before falling apart, but I respect and understand the decision to only present post-transition Bebe. Also, the art! I loved the character designs so much and was thrilled to see more diversity than I would typically.

Overall a great, heartwarming fast read!

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms follows the relationship of two girls, and their own journeys. Annie is known around school for being antisocial, but when she is encouraged to join the cheerleading team to better her college applicants, she reluctantly agrees. BeeBee is a cheerleader who juggles the team along with many other stressful aspects of her life, the most prominent being her parents accepting her transition into a trans-girl. Annie and BeeBee end up being exactly what one another need.

I loved so much about this book. The art style is beautiful. The story was interesting. Both of the main characters were well-fleshed out, and felt different from others I have read. And the romance was adorable. My only criticism is that I would have liked more. The relationship felt like it developed a little quick. And I would have loved more of the conversation between BeeBee and her parents at the end of the novel. Overall, I highly recommend this book to everyone. I know that I will be picking up my own copy of it.

I thrive on graphic novels with good representation. The diversity in this... oh man, it’s so good, I loved it. It’s becoming more popular to see a trans character in a graphic novel, but this represents trans, genderqueer, and lesbian characters.

Reminiscent of Heartstopper I loved this quick read, which focuses on the sweetness of new love. Annie is not an easy character to love - the first few pages drive home the message that she is not for everyone. As her friendship deepens with BeeBee we start to see a different side of both of their personalities. There is a diverse cast of characters including LGBTQI+ characters and plus size athletes. Its such a heart warming story that is worth reading if you want to have that happy go lucky feeling.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read and review this graphic novel.
This was an absolutely adorable story! I think it is a great one for someone trying to learn what it can be like transitioning in the teenagers' perspective although mind you there are couple of moments of bullying and hate when it comes to that. I liked that there were a ton of relatable characters and situations that could apply to a wide audience as well. I also appreciated the education I received on some of the basics of cheerleading. The artstyle and the paneling was also beautiful and easy to understand. The only issue I think I had was that it was a little too short and I wanted more plot and character adventures. Because of these points, I have to give this a solid 4 out of 5 stars

I am so pleasantly surprised by how much love and growth are contained in this graphic novel. In about 130 pages, characters are introduced, form new relationships, and even learn and grow from prejudice and past mistakes. Bebe and Annie are both isolated from their peers in their own ways, but they both learn to connect with others and challenge others' prejudices about them and the resulting friendships and bonds were so heart-warming to read about. Most of all I appreciate how the cheerleading team was challenged to grow without ever forcing any of the girls into the stereotypical mean girl cheerleader role, and that is so incredibly refreshing in a story setting where challenging the norm of traditional femininity often goes together with villainizing a certain type of girl. Overall, I think this is a lovely entry into the ever-growing category of LGBTQ+ high school sports comics, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a diverse comic that can be read in a single sitting yet manages to wrap everything up satisfyingly.

I really enjoyed this cute and inclusive story. It was so very believable and amazing to follow this team of cheerleaders having to grapple with their various identities. I would absolutely recommend!

Cheer Up! is an adorable graphic centred around friendships, gender and identity and self-acceptance.

When angry Annie joins the cheerleading squad to make her college applications look more desirable, almost no one is happy about it - including her. The only person on the squad willing to give Annie a chance is her former friend, Bebe, a trans girl and all-round people pleaser.

I loved watching Bebe teach Annie to be more soft and vulnerable while Annie helps Bebe to stand up for herself. It was a really sweet dynamic. We do have the beginning of a romance between these two characters but it was a definite sub-plot, with their friendship taking up more space in the book. There's also a lot of conversation in here about what it means to be an ally.

I loved how diverse the cast was, even at the most basic visual level, we have a cheerleading team with girls of all sizes and body shapes. It was so positive to see.

There were times when the writing made me feel a little lost, as though this was a sequel and I had missed the first book (I actually stopped reading midway to check if this was the case). This is the only reason that I can't give it five stars as I thoroughly enjoyed every other aspect and hope for more graphic novels with these characters!

Highly recommend if you enjoyed Heartstopper, The Avant-Guards and Check, Please!

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this graphic novel.

[The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

"Cheer up" is probably the cutest sapphic lovestory I ever read! I loved the characters, the trans representation was great and the ending was soo adorable <3 Please pre-order this book if you can!

It was a sweet rom-com short graphic novel, about two girls on a cheerleading team. Annie is being there only for the credits for uni, and Bebe, a transgender girl and their love. Both of them learned during the book about love and acceptance, it was really heart-warming to read this.
The characters were diverse and lively, and I loved that they were not the typical cheerleader type of girls. The graphic has really suited the story. I liked it very much, it was so wholesome to read.

This was such a delight to read!! The art style was super fun and colorful and it helped enhance the story telling very well! I couldn't help but to root for Anne and Bebe throughout this book and I loved how their relationship blossomed and grew throughout the story. It was absolutely heartwarming and delightful how this story ended. I also like how it showed Bebe getting through high school and dealing with some unfortunate transphobia but it made the story more realistic. I loved the elements of friendship, helping others, discovering yourself, trying something new and the family dynamic among the cheerleading squad!

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Cheer Up: Love and Pom-Poms in exchange for an honest review.

This book has turned me to absolute mush. Crystal Frasier really knows how to use every panel to make you feel something and I felt like every moment I was reading something important, insightful, or just so gosh darn cute that I was unable to cope with it. The art style suits it really well but in particular, I want to high five whoever decided how drastic the height difference between Bebe and Annie was going to be because it was giving me LIFE.

This was SO cute and just what I needed right now! The characters were so well developed in a short amount of time and I felt so connected to them. I was a cheerleader growing up as well & definitely felt out of place because of my appearance sometimes, gosh would I have loved a friend like Bebe there by my side to help me through it all! I can't wait to be able to recommend this graphic novel to all of my teacher friends because I think it is an absolute MUST for any classroom. It's never too late to learn a little love and compassion for people who aren't exactly like you.

Everyone needs a soft sapphic graphic novel in their life.

Cheer Up is so cute! It follows a high school cheer team, and more particularly Annie, who just joined, and Bebe, the team captain.
It's all about friendship, being true to who you are unapologetically, and standing up for yourself. It's so adorable and soothing.
The romance is super sweet, Annie and Bebe are the cutest and they bring the best in each other. Annie helping Bebe to stand out for herself, and Bebe helping Annie being softer and stop picking fights with everyone for no reason.

I got an ARC of this book.

Look at that cover! It is so perfectly me. I needed this book the moment I saw it. SO MUCH YES.

I need queer romance. I need trans romance in particular. Have a trans MC find love is just so yes for me.

The book handles the trans plots in such a unique way. There is of course THE TRANS PLOT of the trans character transitioning and there being transphobia. The thing is, some of the transphobia is the kind where the people say they are being helpful and supportive, but they are doing it for the attention. It is that sort that has people filming themselves feeding the homeless for the likes on social media. It was such a heavy feeling for me. It was so wild. I hadn’t seen that expressed before. It gave the tired plot of transphobia some life. It also allowed for a look at how transphobia and internalized transphobia can impact someone. The MC was so afraid to say no or speak out, afraid of being labeled as angry or bad. There was even a comment in the story about using her “man voice” from another character. It was such a good look at things, though at first I cringed and almost put the book down at that point. Give it some time, it will make sense.

The way the parents’ transphobia was handled was also wild. It was complex. The parents seemed to be growing to respect everything, but were still stumbling. There was one panel in particular that hit me. The time her dad yelled to stay away from his daughter. They both paused and just stared at each other. It was probably the very first time that he had said daughter with such conviction. That moment will play over and over in her mind for years I have no doubt.

There was even talk of fetishizing of trans women. I was not expecting that, especially not in a YA romance. So all of my normal complaints about the trans plot are silent this time around. There is more to the MC than being trans, but it is a huge part of her. She just started transitioning, she is fighting to be herself. This is the perfect time for her to have those plots and also others.

I have to give the artist props for not making the trans girl stick out as trans. She is not the most masculine one in the plot. Someone else’s masculinity was called into question instead, which made the situation a little less daunting to read as a trans person, it also helped frame it in a way that a cis person may understand.

The reason why this is not five stars is the transphobia. It is so constant and it is such a main plot that I was on edge waiting for it to go too far and not be addressed. Some of it was not addressed enough for me. I am trans and this book could have been really triggering. I need trans people to have plots that are not about being trans. So a great look at transphobia, but I don’t need a look at transphobia in a romance.

Cheer Up is a sweet and heartwarming story between sapphic trans girl BeBe and rough and tumble lesbian Annie.

This book is what I would describe as short and sweet. The story was able to deal with heavy topics surrounding the treatment of young trans teens and still maintain a lighthearted and funny air. This is the kind of story I think young (and old) LGBTQ+ people need more of, seeing themselves happy and fulfilled and accepted.

I do wish that this was a series because I feel like I'd love to watch the development of these characters more, they're so lovely and I feel like there is so much more to their story as they grow into young adulthood and that would be really fun to see.

One part that I loved that I think took a backseat in the plot (for other important topics I'll admit) was the romance. What we do see of it is so sweet and adorable to read. Something about the innocence of young love really just warms my heart.

I absolutely adored the illustrations, they were bright and vibrant and really matched the nature of the story well.

I absolutely recommend this if you're looking for a light, sweet and quick read that will pick you up and make you smile.