diff --git a/collectfast/management/commands/collectstatic.py b/collectfast/management/commands/collectstatic.py
index 537a469..fa58b9d 100644
--- a/collectfast/management/commands/collectstatic.py
+++ b/collectfast/management/commands/collectstatic.py
@@ -78,9 +78,8 @@ def handle(self, *args: Any, **options: Any) -> Optional[str]:
         ret = super().handle(**options)
         if not self.collectfast_enabled:
             return ret
-        return "{} static file{} copied.".format(
-            self.num_copied_files, "" if self.num_copied_files == 1 else "s"
-        )
+        plural = "" if self.num_copied_files == 1 else "s"
+        return f"{self.num_copied_files} static file{plural} copied."
 
     def maybe_copy_file(self, args: Task) -> None:
         """Determine if file should be copied or not and handle exceptions."""
@@ -90,7 +89,7 @@ def maybe_copy_file(self, args: Task) -> None:
             self.strategy.pre_should_copy_hook()
 
             if not self.strategy.should_copy_file(path, prefixed_path, source_storage):
-                self.log("Skipping '%s'" % path)
+                self.log(f"Skipping '{path}'")
                 return
 
         self.num_copied_files += 1
@@ -113,12 +112,16 @@ def delete_file(
         """Override delete_file to skip modified time and exists lookups."""
         if not self.collectfast_enabled:
             return super().delete_file(path, prefixed_path, source_storage)
-        if not self.dry_run:
-            try:
-                self.log("Deleting '%s' on remote storage" % path)
-                self.storage.delete(prefixed_path)
-            except self.strategy.delete_not_found_exception:
-                pass
-        else:
-            self.log("Pretending to delete '%s'" % path)
+
+        if self.dry_run:
+            self.log(f"Pretending to delete '{path}'")
+            return True
+
+        self.log(f"Deleting '{path}' on remote storage")
+
+        try:
+            self.storage.delete(prefixed_path)
+        except self.strategy.delete_not_found_exception:
+            pass
+
         return True
diff --git a/collectfast/settings.py b/collectfast/settings.py
index 8c6f267..95a39d0 100644
--- a/collectfast/settings.py
+++ b/collectfast/settings.py
@@ -1,21 +1,35 @@
-from typing import Sequence
+from typing import Container
+from typing import Type
+from typing import TypeVar
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from typing_extensions import Final
 
 
-debug: Final[bool] = getattr(
-    settings, "COLLECTFAST_DEBUG", getattr(settings, "DEBUG", False)
+T = TypeVar("T")
+
+
+def _get_setting(type_: Type[T], key: str, default: T) -> T:
+    value = getattr(settings, key, default)
+    if not isinstance(value, type_):
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"The {key!r} setting must be of type {type_!r}, found {type(value)}"
+        )
+    return value
+
+
+debug: Final = _get_setting(
+    bool, "COLLECTFAST_DEBUG", _get_setting(bool, "DEBUG", False)
 )
-cache_key_prefix: Final[str] = getattr(
-    settings, "COLLECTFAST_CACHE_KEY_PREFIX", "collectfast06_asset_"
+cache_key_prefix: Final = _get_setting(
+    str, "COLLECTFAST_CACHE_KEY_PREFIX", "collectfast06_asset_"
 )
-cache: Final[str] = getattr(settings, "COLLECTFAST_CACHE", "default")
-threads: Final[bool] = getattr(settings, "COLLECTFAST_THREADS", False)
-enabled: Final[bool] = getattr(settings, "COLLECTFAST_ENABLED", True)
-aws_is_gzipped: Final[bool] = getattr(settings, "AWS_IS_GZIPPED", False)
-gzip_content_types: Final[Sequence[str]] = getattr(
-    settings,
+cache: Final = _get_setting(str, "COLLECTFAST_CACHE", "default")
+threads: Final = _get_setting(bool, "COLLECTFAST_THREADS", False)
+enabled: Final = _get_setting(bool, "COLLECTFAST_ENABLED", True)
+aws_is_gzipped: Final = _get_setting(bool, "AWS_IS_GZIPPED", False)
+gzip_content_types: Final[Container] = _get_setting(
+    tuple,
     "GZIP_CONTENT_TYPES",
     (
         "text/css",
diff --git a/collectfast/tests/test_settings.py b/collectfast/tests/test_settings.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9fc858f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collectfast/tests/test_settings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import pytest
+from django.test.utils import override_settings
+
+from collectfast.settings import _get_setting
+
+
+@override_settings(FOO=2)
+def test_get_setting_returns_valid_value():
+    assert 2 == _get_setting(int, "FOO", 1)
+
+
+def test_get_setting_returns_default_value_for_missing_setting():
+    assert 1 == _get_setting(int, "FOO", 1)
+
+
+@override_settings(FOO="bar")
+def test_get_setting_raises_for_invalid_type():
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        _get_setting(int, "FOO", 1)