THE SQUAD

Christina and her friends are back, this time trying out for the ninth grade cheerleading squad.

It’s 1994 in small-town Texas, and Christina’s second semester of eighth grade is almost perfect. Her classes are interesting, her friends are great, and she’s looking forward to a fun art project, but she still longs to be a cheerleader. Christina and her two best friends, Megan and Leanne, learn all the routines and dream of what being cheerleaders would mean. When three spots for the ninth grade squad open up, a more confident Christina and her friends go through the intense tryouts again. But Christina’s life falls apart when she overhears her parents talking about divorce. Even though she’s going through a taxing time, she puts on a smile and pushes on with cheer, hoping to make her life movie-perfect. While cheerleading is a major component of Soontornvat’s funny, relatable, stand-alone graphic memoir companion to The Tryout (2022), the story also explores divorce, friend drama, a first crush, racism, and microaggressions. As someone who’s Thai and white and feels like she doesn’t fully belong to any one community, Christina continues to struggle with identity, especially after her parents’ split. Pranks and jokes add levity to this emotional story. Cacao’s bright, sharply rendered illustrations highlight the characters’ expressions and add context about the ’90s and the various cultural elements.

Another hilarious and sincere look at a middle schooler’s search for her squad.