The book synopsis for Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms encompasses the story’s premise to a T. It’s a young adult graphic novel following two teens, Annie and Bebe, who rekindle their friendship and more through cheerleading. Annie tries out for the cheerleading squad because her school resume is far from well-rounded. She’s academically inclined, but her prickly personality makes it hard to build friendships. And then there’s Bebe, a transgender teen, navigating life in her truth as she balances dealing with her overprotective parents and wading through uncomfortable situations with her classmates and teammates.
I picked Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms after Elin at @LunaciaBooks mentioned it in her QueerLitRead TBR video. I love graphic novels, so why not see if I enjoy this one?
Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms is sincere, and regardless of their frequency in panel scenes, supporting characters in the story are purposefully written and memorable. A key takeaway for me is how the story encodes gentle reminders that the treatment and support of transgender people require communication, not assumptions. You know what they say about operating based on assumptions. When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me (lol). Assume less and talk and listen more! It’s literally the least that any can do. 🙂
Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms is an overall enjoyable read. My only wish is that it was longer (lol).
I hope the creators are working on another graphic novel. I’m curious to know about the events before or after what happened in Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms. Like…what did Annie and Bebe’s friendship look like before they put a pause on it? I’m nosy and I want to know (lol).
If you’ve read this graphic novel, let me know if you wish for more to the story or more installments.
If you haven’t read it yet, go pick it up. You won’t regret it. 😉
***Note: There are affiliate links in this post; if you click on them and make a purchase, we will earn a commission. We appreciate your support and thank you in advance.
BUY NOW
Publish Date: August 10, 2021
Publisher: Oni Press
Genre: Fiction, Coming of Age, Romance, LGBTQIA+
Page Count: 128
Description
A sweet, queer teen romance perfect for fans of Fence and Check, Please!
Annie is a smart, antisocial lesbian starting her senior year of high school who’s under pressure to join the cheerleader squad to make friends and round out her college applications. Her former friend BeeBee is a people-pleaser—a trans girl who must keep her parents happy with her grades and social life to keep their support of her transition. Through the rigors of squad training and amped up social pressures (not to mention micro aggressions and other queer youth problems), the two girls rekindle a friendship they thought they’d lost and discover there may be other, sweeter feelings springing up between them.
***Book Description is from Goodreads***
