The Tryout and The Squad by Christina Soontornvat and Joanna Cacao

 

During the second half of Thanksgiving Break, I read The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat and Joanna Cacao and its sequel, The Squad. These graphic memoirs are about Christina's middle school years when she tried out for her grade level's cheerleading squad with her best friend, Megan. In The Tryout, Christina has been friends with Megan ever since she moved from Dallas, Texas to the small town of Grangeview in third grade. Although they are two of the only kids of color at Venable Middle School, they desire to fit in and be accepted by their peers, which is especially tough when they face everyday racism. When the time for cheerleading tryouts comes in November, they eagerly sign up. The process is terrifying, though, and during the final round, they have to perform in front of the entire seventh grade, who will vote on the eight girls that should make the squad for the next year. With so much pressure, Christina doesn't know if her friendship with Megan will survive the competition. In The Squad, Christina has hit her stride by the second semester of eighth grade. Her best friend is still Megan, but she has also befriended Leanne, one of the other girls who tried out for cheerleading the previous year. Although it won't be easy and there's the possibility that they won't make the ninth grade squad, they decide to once again go through the process of cheerleading tryouts. Adding to Christina's stress, she learns that her parents' marriage is falling apart. As she tries to hold it together, she wonders if she can make her cheerleading dreams come true.

I absolutely adored this series of graphic memoirs. Although I never actually became a cheerleader when I was in school, I always had respect for the talent and skill that it takes to be one, especially because I was a gymnast, like Christina's best friend, Megan, and participated in a few cheer camps/clinics before I decided to completely focus on gymnastics. I thought both Christina and Megan were relatable as they tried to find a place to belong in middle school. I also loved learning about Christina's school experiences because I enjoyed her books, A Wish in the Dark and All Thirteen. It was cool discovering what her interests were and how she was inspired to become an author. Towards the end of The Tryout, she participates in an impromptu speech competition and I could tell she had a gift for storytelling, even at such a young age. I also thought it was adorable how she had her first crush in The Squad. While some parts of this series were funny, there were emotional moments, as well. I really felt for Christina when her classmates would say racist things to her, especially Tobin, and her parents divorced. It definitely made me feel bad when teachers couldn't say her last name either because when you break it up into parts, it really isn't that hard to say. I definitely wanted to give her a hug more than once. While both books are amazing, I actually thought The Squad was just a little bit stronger. If you like friendship stories and cheerleading, you should check this series out!