Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms
{{short description|2021 graphic novel by Crystal Frasier}}
{{Infobox book
| name = Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms
| image = File:Cheer Up Book.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = First edition
| author = Crystal Frasier
| illustrator = {{plainlist|
- Val Wise
- Oscar O. Jupiter (lettering)}}
| country = United States
| language = English
| genre = {{plainlist|
| publisher = Oni Press
| pub_date = August 10, 2021
| pages = 128
| awards =
| isbn = 978-1-62010-955-7
| website =
}}
Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms, sometimes stylized as Cheer Up!, is a young adult graphic novel written by Crystal Frasier, with art by Val Wise and lettering by Oscar Jupiter. Published on August 10, 2021, by Oni Press, it tells the story of two queer high school girls, Beatrice – who is transgender – and Annie, as they try to become cheerleaders.
Cheer Up was received positively by critics, who praised the variety in the type of characters and how Fraiser conveyed the issues and challenges of being a teenage transgender girl. The novel was also a finalist in the 34th Lambda Literary Awards.
Reception
A review published by Kirkus Reviews noted the story is less focused on the coming out aspect of the main characters and more on the daily difficulties faced by transgender youth, which is done "simply and sweetly." The reviewer also praised the art, calling it "cute and expressive, with tons of personality," and noted the characters are varied both in body types and gender identities.{{cite web |title=Cheer Up! |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/crystal-frasier/cheer-up/| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220317/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/crystal-frasier/cheer-up/| archive-date=2022-03-17 |website=Kirkus Reviews |access-date=March 17, 2022}}{{cbignore}}
Publishers Weekly opened its reviews by saying Cheer Up works around stereotypes of high school novels and is able to give "a nuanced portrait of queer cheerleaders." They further note how Frasier's graphic novel deals with the difference between "queer rights and real acceptance." Of the art, they praised Wise's illustrations, which helped build the characters' personalities.{{cite web |title=Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-620-10955-7| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220317/https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-620-10955-7| archive-date=2022-03-17 |website=Publishers Weekly |access-date=March 17, 2022}}{{cbignore}}
Sarah Rice, reviewing for Booklist, commented on the graphic novel's similarity to Ngozi Ukazu's Check, Please!, as both have "similar notes of sweetness and heart," and focus more on the characters' relationships instead of the sports in which they partake. Rice praised Wise's illustrations as containing a wide variety of characters, all "wonderfully realistic and expressive."{{cite book |last1=Rice |first1=Sarah |title=Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms |url=https://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=9748265 |via=Booklist |access-date=March 17, 2022}}
In January 2022, the book was nominated for a GLAAD Media Awards in the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Graphic Novel/Anthology category.{{cite news |title=Here are the Comics Nominees for the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards |url=https://bookriot.com/2022-glaad-media-awards-nominees/| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220317/https://bookriot.com/2022-glaad-media-awards-nominees/| archive-date=2022-03-17 |access-date=March 17, 2022 |work=Book Riot |date=January 24, 2022}}{{cbignore}} The book would successfully win the award at the 33rd GLAAD Media Awards ceremony in April 2022.{{cite news|url=https://ew.com/awards/glaad-media-awards-2022-winners-list/|title=Hacks, Drag Race, and more honored at 2022 GLAAD Media Awards: See the full list of winners|first=Tyler|last=Aqulina|publisher=Entertainment Weekly|date=April 3, 2022|accessdate=April 3, 2022}} Cheer Up was also announced as one of the finalists of the 34th Lambda Literary Awards in March 2022, in the Comics category.{{cite news |title=Lambda Literary Announces 2022 Finalists of Excellence in LGBTQ+ Literature |url=https://www.themarysue.com/lambdas-lammys-2022-finalist/| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220317/https://www.themarysue.com/lambdas-lammys-2022-finalist/| archive-date=2022-03-17 |access-date=March 17, 2022 |work=The Mary Sue |date=March 15, 2022 |language=en}}{{cbignore}}
References
{{GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book}}
Category:2021 children's books
Category:American graphic novels
Category:Books about trans women
Category:Children's books with transgender themes
Category:LGBTQ-related graphic novels
Category:2021 LGBTQ-related literary works
Category:Novels about transgender topics
Category:Oni Press graphic novels