Thank you so much to Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Cheer UP: Love and Pompoms is exactly the kind of my book my queer heart hopes for every time I pick up a book with a LGBTQ+ characters. This was quite possibly the sweetest thing I've ever read; it literally had me squealing with the utmost joy every couple of pages.

Cheer Up follows two childhood friends, Bebe and Annie, who drifted apart. Now teenagers, Bebe has come out as transgender and joined cheerleading as the first trans girl ever on the team, while Annie has become a social loner with a fiery temper and a tendency to make people dislike her. Annie is forced by her mother to join the cheer squad, and the two rekindle their friendship after Bebe stands up for her. What follows is a heart warming story of two girls who are polar opposites, helping each other to unlearn the worst parts of themselves while uplifting each other through the trials of being a queer teenager.

I truly adored this graphic novel. Everything from the characters, the writing, the art style, to the story were all done with so much love and care poured into it. I love the stark contrast between Bebe and Annie, and how they were able to play off of each other's strengths and learn so much in such a short amount of time. I deeply appreciate seeing the experiences that Bebe goes through as an out trans girl, and how the author showed that even those who are well-meaning can do and say hurtful things. The fears that Bebe has of making a scene, or being too loud in a place where she is already the centre of attention just for existing, is so relatable to me as a visibly queer person. I loved the conversations that were had surrounding boundaries, and seeing the reactions of others. The characters and their relationships were complex and so very real, and I loved every second of it. I think this is going to be a book that will be celebrated by the LGBTQ+ community, and I can't wait to see everyone fall in love with it as much as I have!