this was soooo adorable. everything is handled perfectly in this book, and you have everything you’d like to see in a really well done diverse graphic novel. a sapphic romance, a transgender character, .. the design is also incredibly cute, I just stared at the pages sometimes. this should go in everyone’s hands! we should totally share some graphic novels like this, they tell a really good story by including everyone so smoothly.

This was SO HEARTWARMING. I can't even cope.
I just love how progressive this story was and somewhat educational too.
The inclusivity in this was phenomenal. Granted at first people were being inclusive for the wrong reasons but throughout the story they actually listened to peoples opinions and made better choices.
Massive well done to the author! Loved it.

Thank you to Oni Press for providing an ARC of Cheer Up!

If I could stand on the rooftop and shout about how much I loved Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms, I absolutely would. Even in the face of my crippling fear of heights. That is how much I adored this story!

Annie, the school rebel who drinks her coffee black and isn’t much of a people person, has perfect grades but needs some extracurriculars to fluff up her college applications. Beatrice, all-star student and new cheer captain, is a trans girl who must keep her grades spotless and image pristine to show she can handle the pressure of life so her parents will continue supporting her transition.

At the suggestion of her cool mom (who used to be a cheerleader herself?!), Annie decides to attend cheer tryouts. The team immediately writes Annie off thanks to her reputation of being just a bit negative (and maybe because she bit a kid once). Bebe, previously best friends with Annie before becoming popular, tells them to give her a chance. The team gave her one when she was starting to transition, and she wants to show that cheer can be a welcoming place for all. She also does a mean backspring, thanks to previous years of gymnastics. Bebe offers to help Annie train to become a flyer for the team, being the top of the human pyramid. Annie agrees and in exchange offers to tutor Bebe in history, a class she’s secretly struggling in. The girls start building up their friendship again, with Annie becoming more open and Bebe learning to stand up for herself. Their feelings begin to blossom towards something more, but has Annie opened up enough to tell Bebe her feelings? Is Bebe ready for a relationship, on top of the struggles with her family?


Annie’s gruff, devil-may-care attitude made me laugh out loud multiple times. Set with Bebe’s sweet and anxious personality, the two were such a wonderful pairing and I loved how their personalities positively influenced one another to become the best version of themselves. It was such a refreshingly wholesome, feel-good relationship between the two and showed that queer romance isn’t always doom-and-gloom as it is often portrayed.

I would’ve liked to see more of the other team members, but understand that there was only so much space for the storyline. Crystal Frasier gave them all unique personalities that shine through, even with the limited interactions. I also loved how different the character designs were, and the wonderful representation of all different body types and skin colors! It was so awesome to see bigger bodies just existing without being pointed out or the center of the story.

I’m not sure if there are plans for more volumes of Cheer Up but I could definitely read more. I devoured the book in an hour and felt so sad when I didn’t have more of Annie and Bebe’s story to read! This was such a heartwarming story with positive messages on friendship, self-confidence and relationships. It also includes fantastic LGBTQ+ representation, diverse characters of different races and body types, and super cute interactions. I highly recommend this to book to fans of Lumberjanes, anyone questioning their identity, LGBTQ+ youth, parents of LGBTQ+ youth, and those looking for a sweet story. I’ll be buying a copy as soon as Cheer Up! goes on sale and will be highly suggesting my library purchase copies for our collection. Smiles and warm feelings guaranteed with this book!

This was a really cute romance book between a reluctant cheerleader and their former friend who came out as transgendered recently. The artwork was sweet and easy to follow, and there were more than a few moments that made me laugh out loud. The final showdown at the Homecoming dance was a little cliched, but then again, it's a stable of the teen romantic-comedy genre for a reason. I can't stress this enough, this was REALLY cute in all the right ways.

Sweet, to the point, a little hard to stomach sometimes, and romantic. Cheer up sometimes hit a little too hard - it definitely lost a star for me for not branching out more into addressing the transphobia Bebe experienced coming from her teammates, or even her parents in the end, but the way she was treated seemed very realistic. A fun read, that’s a little heavy for a graphic novel in the best kind of way.

This was so cute and funny and it has such a beautiful set of characters! Bebe was so fierce even with all her insecurities. Annie so badass yet such a squishy and adorable little thing.
I loved how they all stood up for themselves and for their friends, learning how to open up and speak up.
Such a lovely graphic novel with beautiful art!

4 stars *may change
Trigger warnings: transphobia, fatphobia, harassment

This was a nice, heartwarming story that managed to be cute while dealing with hard conversations on transphobia. The main characters are a Latina trans girl dealing with microaggressions from the people around her and her ex-friend who needs to join a club to get into a good college. The story follows them as friends and as something more, and it was really so touching to read. Not to mention that the art style is pretty and goes along with the story well.

It definitely has...more difficult subjects. The transphobia coming from almost every character was really sickening to read about and made me uncomfortable, although I suppose that was the point, no?

My only issue is that there are some parts where I wish the story had given itself more time to say what it wanted to say. In one instance an entire plot point was resolved within a 2-page conversation, leaving me confused as to why it was important in the first place. But I also understand that the graphic novel genre has its limits.

Overall just an enjoyable book to read instead of paying attention in class.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader's copy.

This was such a sweet and fluffy graphic novel! If you're a sucker for wlw characters done right, I highly recommend you pick this up.

Not only is the art style pleasant, the story is heartwarming and delves into a lot of issues trans people experience as well as being fun and light-hearted as well. I am a very big fan of (seemingly) polar opposites slowly starting to get along and grow as people because of the other and you can very clearly see that steadily start to happen as the story progresses.

Despite being just over 100 pages, it does a very good job at pacing. It doesn't feel rushed and the world doesn't feel empty at all.

Overall, I give it a 4.8/5. This was very well-written, the characters feel relatable and the art style adds to its charm as well.

THIS WAS SO CUTE. I love how lighthearted the comic is, but also still manages to cover important messages in the plot. Annie and Bebe were both such strong characters, and it was a joy to read their dynamics in the story, and their development through out the comics. The illustrations were also so amazing, this book was just a whole blast to read and I'm so glad that I got to read this early!

Omg, I was not expecting this to be so sweet, and loving and just overall a great graphic novel! Well I mean I knew it would be great, but I didn't expect for it to hit me right in the heart! Such a wonderful story about friendship, stereotypes, and all around fun. I would say this is more about Bebe then Annie, but there is a good balance in the story that turns into THEIR story. Such a fun read and really recommend it to everyone.

This was just so wholesome and cute! I loved the two main characters and how they brought out the best in each other, and the squad took criticism and stood up for each other when it mattered.

This was an okay read. I didn't like how many of the characters wedre the same design but i love this concept and the overall art! Well done

As soon as I heard about this graphic novel I knew I had to read it, and wow did it not disappoint! Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this in advance. It was everything and more than I hoped for. This story had so many amazing themes throughout this sweet but short story. We see our two main characters Annie and Bebe face high school struggles and watch their growth as they learn to overcome. Annie learns how important friendship and kindness can be. Bebe learns how to say no and stand up for herself when people are trying to knock her down.

The sapphic love story melted my heart and so many sweet moments had be shouting at my screen. When Bebe shows her vulnerabilities about feeling confident in her femininity, Annie is there to boost her up and comfort. We see them slowly rebuild their childhood friendship, and the moments a friendship becomes something more.

Though this is a feel good story, there were definitely still some moments that hit hard. First, we have a boy character who makes Bebe and other females uncomfortable many times. It was hard to read, but an important part of Bebe’s character growth. Bebe also mentions a few things about her parents that make it feel as if her transitioning was a privilege that could be taken away. Though we see some bonding with the dad later on, I hope to see this unbalanced dynamic more resolved in a future comic.

I loved the illustration style and felt it added so much to the emotion of the story. I can’t wait to have the physical copy on my shelf. Overall this is one of my favourite graphic novels of 2021 and I hope we see many more stories of Annie, Bebe and the cheerleading team!

"Seeing you go first let me know I could do it too."
And that folks, is why representation matters.

This graphic novel follows a biracial trans girl welcoming an angry fat girl into her cheerleading team. The girls rekindle a closeness they used to have while helping each other deal with microagressions and teen life.

I really appreciate this brilliant rep and how the characters (our MCs and the rest of the team) stuck together and helped each other out.
Our main characters were very loveable.
I am, however, a little over the fence about how other girls on the team themselves were throwing transphobic language without ever being put in their place, officially, and without them apologising...

Altogether it was a fast and nice read, almost would have preferred it longer!

This graphic novel was super cute! With LGBTQ+ rep (especially lesbian, trans, bi/pan and non binary rep).
The illustrations were adorable, all the characters were great and an all around very good, quick read! I only wish it would have been longer and would have explored some themes a bit deeply than what it did.
Overall it was a feel good, fluffy and cute romance that I truly enjoyed.
4/5 stars

I really truly adored this book. The art is absolutely GORGEOUS and reading it felt like a big hug. Wow.

Cheer Up: Love and Pom-Poms follows Annie, a strong, plus-size lesbian, and Bebe, a sweet, trans girl. They were so so amazing and I want so much more! Watching them reconnect and their relationship become something more was beautiful.

While this book is incredibly sweet, it also tackles difficult topics like transphobia. Not only does it show Bebe's struggles with her parents, but also the little things that took such an emotional toll on her. At the same time, the book is light-hearted and fluffy. In a little over 100 pages, <i> Cheer Up </i> allows us to get to know and love the characters, who were so relatable and sweet. I loved getting to see them grow and become closer!

This book is everything and I hope everyone reads it, especially those who love LGBTQIA+ representation! I haven't found many books that give me this overwhelmingly happy feeling; I promise it's worth the read. Hopefully there will be a sequel!

This book manages to be light hearted and warm while discussing very serious topics. The characters are incredibly loveable. This is easily one of my favourite reads of 2021

This was super cute! The art is stunning and the story is heartwarming:)
My only complaint is that the pacing is very strange. The progression of the friendships and relationships is a bit confusing because barely any mention is made for how much time is passing.
That being said Annie and Beatrice have such a cute dynamic— they are complete opposites in so many ways and I think that helped their character development.

This was so freaking good! I wasn't ready for the mushy good feelings but jeez this one delivered. I really loved both Annie and Bebe and really hope there will be a sequel! Queer Rep: trans MC,. lesbian MC, nonbinary side character, sapphic romance

4.5/5🌟: this was so adorable, i loved every second of it! the art is bright and beautiful and while the story and the relationships might be a bit rushed, you'll enjoy this one too, if you're into fast-paced reads.

for once, characters are shown, who are not all skinny and not all white and who look like real teenagers and not 25-year-olds with a lot of money to buy expensive outfits.

one of the main characters is a trans girl of colour!! this is, sadly, so very rare, so it made me so happy to read about her experiences. we need more trans rep in general, but even more so, we need more trans girls in books!

on top of that, she's falling in love with another girl!! how awesome is that! we love to see that!!