Book Review: Cheer Up!
Thank you to Oni Press and Net Galley for providing an ARC of Cheer Up!
If I could stand on the rooftop and shout about how much I loved Cheer Up! by Crystal Frasier and Val Wise, 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. Frasier writes gives 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!
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