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dermkat 's review for:
Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms
by Crystal Frasier
I wanted to sneak in one more book for the Trans Rights Readathon, and this short, YA graphic novel got the job done. It's got one anti-social lesbian FMC (Annie) who is forced to join a school team her senior year, and the other FMC is a friend she hasn't been as close with but gets to know again since she (Bebe) is the captain of the cheerleading squad Annie joins. Bebe is one year into her transition and has become a people pleaser because she's already in the spotlight so much and doesn't like it, so she doesn't want to make a fuss (plus, her parents are very concerned about her safety and are trying to shelter her, probably too much). Together, the girls help each other (along with the rest of their squad) be more themselves. Bebe learns to stand up for herself and Annie learns it's okay to show her more gentle side. As they grow closer, they develop feelings and get together. I thought this was good and would be approachable for someone who is trying to learn more about what trans folks go through (including misgendering, tokenism, fetishisation, safety concerns, etc., so be aware of any triggers). Plus the art style was really cute! I only had one small issue, and it's that we learned the girls haven't been friends for a couple years, during which time Bebe came out and publicly transitioned, but I don't think it was ever explained why they drifted aside from them acknowledging they missed each other, and that was knowledge that I'd have liked for their story to feel more complete.