Super cute and wholesome story queer cheerleading romance. I really hope there’s a sequel because this was amazing.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Just read #CheerUp by Crystal Fraisier, a brilliant high school graphic novel.
Packs in LGBTQ+ characters, friendship a sweet romance, social pressures, parents, tests and grades, & being a cheerleader!
One for the wish list not out until August.
Thanks #NetGalley

A queer cheerleading romance? A million times yes! Readers of the series Check Please! will be familiar with this level of charm and wholesomeness in a queer sports story.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I am in love with this comic, this one is going straight on my favourites shelf becasue OMG!
The general story reminded me very much of that "Work-it" movie where there is one person wanting to go into college but having no clubs and such to show "Personality" so they have to get into one.
But when that happened in the comic I was shook with the other main character Bebe, the fact that she was trans was so interesting. When looking at the art style the artist was smart enough to give her a feminine and masculine face when it came to face shape so it was so interesting how you could still see "The man" in her since she was transitioning.
I loved everything in this comic so much and I think it's such a worthy read.

This is only my second graphic novel, but I loved it. The imagery was exactly what I'd expect from a graphic novel and was really well done. I love the storyline and the way the story tackled some complex issues around gender and sexuality and thr process of discovery. As an ex-cheerleader I also loved the cheer aspect.
I would recommend this for secondary school kids as I think it teaches some important lessons.
I'm really hoping this is a series because I want to hear more from the main characters!

This is such an adorable graphic novel! It felt really reminiscent of Alice Oseman's Heartstopper series and Check Please! It's a wholesome story exploring gender, friendship and love. The story has so much heart, it's adorable! Such an uplifting story about being your authentic self and uplifting others, this is definitely one to look out for. I want more from these characters. It's so short and sweet, there has to be a sequel!

It was such a cute and sweet read! I loved the character representation and the relationship between the main characters. The book is really diverse, which I absolutely loved - you could see people trying to explore their sexuality and gender identity. Apart from that, the art was really beautiful and the character designs were amazing too! The plot was in a way like slice of life, it wasn't one with major plot happening but rather of self-discovery and forming relationships. Totally loved it!

Trigger Warnings: Micro aggressions, Transphobia,

"Cheer Up" manages to discuss difficult topics with ease and emotion! The cast of characters is very diverse and realistic, with most characters being both flawed and lovable, and the relationships (romance, friendships and family) are all very wholesome and evolve with the progression of the story. I also enjoyed how cheerleading is portrayed, liberating it from the more typical idea of the "clicky-famous-girls-only" high school sport that most media tend to show. The art suits the story really well, I really liked the style and colours. Overall, a very diverse, light hearted read that still discusses serious topics with lovely art, highly recommend!

This was an incredibly sweet little graphic novel! It was a very quick read and I highly recommend it.

This was one of the best graphic novels I've ever read. It follows Annie, an anti-social lesbian, and Bebe, a trans girl. Annie ends up joining the cheerleading team that Bebe is the leader of and the story goes on from there. It is filled with so much sweetness, joy, friendship, and love. Bebe unfortunately has to deal with transphobic microaggressions but the overall vibe of the book is so sweet and joyful.

I absolutely loved the friendship aspects in this book as well as the romance that starts to develop in here which is SO SWEET. This book is just so beautifully queer and wonderful, and I'm craving the next volume already (I hope there is going to be one because I don't want to live without it!!!).

I love graphic novels but it's sometimes hard for me to get fully invested in the characters in them. In this book, however, I was invested immediately, and I rooted for them since page one. I absolutely recommend this to anyone and everyone. This book is filled with so much goodness that you need in your life. I also really love the art style in it.

This book is so dang sweet. It's a sweet little story that is so perfect for fans of things like Fence but make it sapphic. Honestly this is the kind of book I'm going to buy and read over and over again just because it fills me with so much glee. My whole heart is with these characters. Such great representation and story telling in such a short amount of time but it works so well. I would read ten more in this series.

Oh my! This story is just so sweetly adorable. Bebe is a trans cheerleader, and loner bookworm Annie joins the squad under protest because she needs to round out her transcript for college. It's not easy for either of them -- Bebe has to deal with transphobia and Annie encounters social challenges trying to fit in with the squad. But they renew their previous friendship and both learn things from each other.

This is a feel-good story that shows realistic interpersonal conflicts and plausible resolutions. I got very caught up in the twists and turns, and was happy and excited to see the personal growth that various characters exhibited. All of the cheerleaders end up learning some things about real solidarity.

I think both of my teenaged kids will enjoy this comic, and I'll be happy to have them read it, since it showcases values like getting along, supporting each other, and being yourself. I'll definitely be buying a copy!

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free advance PDF!

I thought this book was super cute. With a great amount of diversity shown, I was super proud to see that YA Graphic Novels are allowing themselves to stray from pure CIS-White-based novels and delving into handfuls of diverse themes.

Though the story had some stereotypical clichés, there were more than enough feel good moments to bypass the moments. The story had enough realistic issues to seem like it could've been a true story, which I appreciated.

I'll definitely be purchasing this for my library, and promoting it as much as I can.

A sweet short story about American highschool life and the subverting of common tropes.
We got complex characters, building friendships, finding love, and overall growing stronger together. The themes are clearly established and the story is careful not to overwhelm you with its messages.

This book was so beautiful. This is the first graphic novel I have ever read and it surpassed all of my expectations. I found myself crying halfway through at how beautiful the relationships and character development was, and crying yet again at the ending!

I loved how this story had trans rep and a sapphic romance which I always love. I also found myself hooked from the very first page. This book is truly unique, and is a very quick read, I think I read it in about 30-40 minutes. This is the perfect story if you need something to cheer you up, and a light read that won't take too long.

I also think that this book accurately described what high school is like and how microagressions present themselves in day to day life as a highschooler. I think it takes a truly amazing book to be able to portray this in such a respectful yet raw way.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes cheerleading, sapphic books, romance, and LGBTQ+ rep!

What an absolutely joyful book celebrating trans and queer teens! This sweet love story of self-acceptance made me optimistic about the future of LGBTQ+ publishing and youth.

This was an adorable YA graphic novel with gorgeous art. I loved the body positivity and the way it tackled tough topics such as transphobia and harassment.

The characters were flawed and authentic, and the artwork really brought them to life.

I’d recommend this to every reader no matter the age to learn more about what it is to be trans and how difficult it can be to navigate even the smallest and mundane daily activities as a trans person. If nothing else I hope it teaches and reinforces compassion for the people in your life who need the extra support.

On top of all that is a sweet and sapphic love story and the importance of friendship- real friendship with honest communication.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

I absolutely devoured this book! It was such a cute story about love, friendship and trust. It was such a sweet and empowering graphic novel. From Annie coming out of her shell, learning to trust and make friends. To Bebe finding her own voice and being able to stand up for herself. I loved the underlying theme of trust, how Annie needed to learn to trust others. Even watching Bebe’s family dynamic change, where they need to learn to trust Bebe would be okay in the world and her transition. I would definitely read more adventures from this duo and cheer squad.

e-Arc provided by One Press via Net Galley for Review. All thoughts are my own.

Plot
Annie is in her final year of school. She is super smart, but lacking extra social things to round out her college applications - until her Mom suggests she try out for the cheerleading team.

Bebe, cheer captain and Annie's former friend, is a shy transgirl. She transitioned about a year before the start of the book. When Annie tries out for the team, the team is reluctant to let her join - but Bebe stands up for her.

Annie agrees to help Bebe study history, while Bebe helps Annie learn about Cheerleading.

Thoughts
This was so cute and so gay and I loved it!

The representation for both transgender and female/female relationship was really good. Bebe is struggling at home, with her parents being overprotective of her - worrying that something will happen to her because she is trans. She is also receiving unwanted advances from one of the boys in their school, but doesn't want to shut him down and get a reputation for being an "angry trans girl".

Overall, I loved the art style, and there was a few really funny moments throughout. It was really light-hearted, especially given the subject matter.

Representation
- Trans, mixed-race, queer protagonist.
- Plus Sized, Lesbian protagonist.
- Other Races represented in side characters.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC. All opinions are my own.*

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier is a graphic novel that reminds me of “Check, Please!” combined with the absolute cuteness of “Heartstopper”. When I read this description, I was sold as soon as I saw queer romance and I got exactly what I was looking for out of this book. I found myself giggling and “awww”ing on almost every page. This has sapphic YA rom-com vibes and explores LGBTQIA+ issues in a non-preachy, compelling way.

Cheer Up is full of representation from our main character Beatrice (Bebe) who is a biracial, trans cheerleader to Annie who is our antisocial, plus-size lesbian. The representation trickles into many of the characters and I squealed every time I saw another queer character introduced. It doesn’t stop at just queer representation but also extends to different race, skintones, and body sizes.

Bebe is facing more than just highschool drama, she is trying to navigate how the people around her are responding to her trans identity. The description “wholesome, princess type” was absolutely meant for her. Bebe is head cheerleader and we get to watch her confidence grow as she learns how to stand up for herself. Bebe helps us see what “performative” support can look like and how speaking over her own wants isn’t helping either. The best intentions can still be hurtful when the “line of safety” isn’t known. Bebe works to be inclusive to everyone on the cheer team and teaches Annie that you can stand up for yourself without violence. I am not trans and cannot speak to the accuracy of the representation that Bebe provided, but I do know that she is a force to be reckoned with and deserves all of the support. She is gorgeous and constantly reminded us that beauty is not based on one mold.

Annie is very outspoken and is quick to angry reactions. She is full of that “laugh out loud” sarcasm and her caffeine addiction spoke to my soul. Annie needs to learn how to work well with others and see beyond her own bubble. She teaches Bebe how to use her voice when extra “hmph” is needed. Annie is also coming to terms with finding her own place in social settings and navigating what beauty feels/looks like to her. I am also a huge fan of the fact that Annie stayed fat even after the exercise routines. Seeing a fat main character in love who isn’t questioning her size was so emotional for me. Even as an adult, I needed that.

Bebe and Annie together? HEARTWARMING, WHOLESOME, EVERYTHING I’VE EVER WANTED. Although their original separation is never explained, I still loved how they came together and explored their relationship. I don’t feel like explaining the fall out was needed for their story line to make sense. As a lesbian, I am enamored with this sapphic depiction. The ending page for this was adorable.

The friendships that were seen were full of ups and downs as they all broke down walls to get to know each other. I was so happy to see the team communicate about what Bebe actually needed from them.

* SLIGHT SPOILERS INVOLVING PARENTS OF BEBE*

Moving on to parents, the media portrays “coming out” to parents as either:
a) parents don’t care, happy ending
or
b) parents do care, homeless
I am so happy that parents who need time to digest and adjust to this new information about their child were represented. Both of Bebe’s parents messed up on the way to handle this new situation and said things that were insensitive. They thought that control was the only way to keep Bebe safe but there is growth and they learn how to be more supportive. They love their child and will have even more things they need to learn. This hit home. I adored the scene between Bebe and her mom as she gets ready to go to homecoming with Annie. I squealed at the conversation between Annie and Bebe’s dad as she waited on her. It was very sweet to see.

Even though this graphic novel was on the shorter side and left me wanting 23 more volumes, I feel like we got adequate character growth from all parties involved. Overall, I loved this and I truly hope Bebe and Annie will be returning. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this so I can come back to this repeatedly.

Trigger Warnings: transphobia/transphobic comments, fatphobic comments (briefly), sexual harassment, microaggressions