Seanan McGuire is a master of crafting big narratives out of small, separate stories. That's how the first book of her awesome Ghost Roads series was built, that's how the Velveteen Vs series works, and this is how the story of Fighting Pumpkins is told, too, in this book. Dying with Her Cheer Pants On is a short story collection, jumping back and forth around the timeline, showing snapshots of the monster-fighting cheerleading squad's lives. It doesn't even follow the same version of the team in every story. And yet, through this random encounters with aliens and harvest spirits and other things that go bump under all and any light conditions, a far bigger narrative is formed, one that makes you want to know what happens next and how the characters are going to grow and change.

The concept of this 'verse is basically Buffy the Vampire Slayer turned up to 11. Buffy was one peppy blonde who had to give up a lot of her normal high school experience, including cheerleading, to fight evil. The Fighting Pumpkins, in contrast, take up cheerleading with the same purpose, using their training and pom-poms and school spirit to protect humanity from just about any evil you can imagine—this is an absolute kitchen sink, universe, after all. And that unwavering team spirit brings something very special to the table.

A good handful of the stories in this book were a bit too campy for my taste (which only means that they're going to be a perfect fit for someone who does love campy horror), but even with the weirdest monsters of the week, I always enjoyed that thread of realness that ran through it all. The premise may be out there and sometimes a bit ridiculous, but the characters living through this whacky adventures always feel real. The weirdness matters to them, and they matter to the reader. (To me, at least. I can't speak for all the readers. But seriously, how can you not care for Heather and Marti and Jude and all the rest of them?)

Overall, a very enjoyable read. Piecing together the history of the Fighting Pumpkins from these short stories was fun, and I'd love more of these, please.