whippoorwill reviewed on 2/25/2009

There is much more to cheerleading than the perky smiles, short skirts, and pom-poms. Cheer! by Kate Torgovnick delves deep into the inner-workings of three cheer squads from three very different colleges and follows them from try-outs to championships, while exposing the dangers, the controversies, and the drama that surounds and at times plagues squads around the world.

Cheer! is a fun and interesting book about a subculture I know very little about. I found myself actually caring about the cheerleaders presented in the book, which surprised me slightly. I didn't expect to feel for these men and women in the way that I did. I certainly didn't expect to root for them.

Torgovnick portrays the cheerleaders honestly--highlighting faults and strengths---making them very real to the reader, especially readers who may only know cheerleaders through the many stereotypes.

Recommended, even for those that don't care for this type of non-fiction, as it's very readable and fast paced with enough detail and dramatic moments to hold interest.

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