Soul Enchilada

Sometimes you read a lot of books that just kind of blur together. Other times you read something like Soul Enchilada. I have to tell you, even when the plot showed traces of strain in spots, I didn't care. Bug Smoot is quite simply one of the most real, funny, gutsy, and poignant characters I've met in a long time. And the other characters are dimensional, amusing, and colorful in their own right. The plot of Soul Enchilada reaches out and grabs you by the lapels, too. Here's a nice hypothetical: What do you do when the repo man comes, and he's a devil? Oh, and he tells you that your recently deceased grandfather traded his soul for the Caddy that's your only inheritance, the one you're driving to deliver pizzas and barely make your rent? But since your grandfather managed to evade the repo man when he died, you're left holding the hell bag. And senior demon Mr. Beals is not just after the car. There are more twists and turns along the way in this remarkable Tex-Mex debut, but suffice it to say that Bug (who is half black, half Latino) gets some help from a demon-hunting Latino boy named Pesto who wields a mean can of hair spray. She is also assisted by a mysterious coyote, some nerdy Men in Black types, a lawyer with a secret agenda, Pesto's bruja mother, and her own mad driving and basketball skills. Numerous crosses and double crosses later--including a little diablo ex machina--Bug wins the day. In terms of plotting, I found the climactic scenes a little off, but this author's "off" still beats most writers' "on" any time. I haven't even talked about Gill's style, especially the way he writes narrator Bug's voice. Here are a few of my favorite bits: "'Stop tea-bagging my body,' said the first guy, who had long, stringy blond hair and a head shaped like the center branch of a saguaro cactus." "'I so owned you. In fact, I pawned you.' The second guy had a gut like a pregnant woman and a black, lower-lip beard." "The only time I ever messed around with a séance was when me and Papa C were staying in this falling-down rental house in Chihuahiuta, and these skanky girls next door said they could do voodoo. There wasn't nothing in the Bible about suffering voodoo, so I snuck out at night to a shed in the back of their house. They brought a candle, a Monopoly set, and a parakeet. The candle was for light so spirits could find their way, and the Monopoly board was our Ouija board because their mama wouldn't let them buy one at the SuperStore. They had a parakeet because you needed a chicken's foot to do voodoo, and they didn't have a chicken. The parakeet was their mama's, and she'd get mad if its foot went missing, so they brought the whole bird, chirping and pecking them whenever it could. I was glad they didn't chop off the foot because I didn't like the idea of hurting a living thing, even to do voodoo." "'I wish you was an alarm clock so I could slap your snooze bar.'" "My tongue was all sticky, too, like the floor of a dollar movie th

Life hasn't always been easy for 18-year-old Eunice "Bug" Smoot. Her mother died in a kitchen fire when Bug was very young and helpless. Bug's deadbeat father has never been present in her life. And Papa C, Bug's grandfather, left her an orphan for the third time just last year. He also left her one of the only things he owned --- a 1958 Cadillac Biarritz. Now Bug barely scrapes by delivering pizzas and paying her rent on time. It isn't until Bug gets fired from her job, again, that matters take a turn for the worse. Mr. Beals, a repossession agent working for Lucifer, shows up in the front seat of the Cadillac during a routine car wash and claims ownership of the car according to a contract signed long ago by Papa C. Apparently Bug's grandfather sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his dream car, and put Bug's soul up as collateral. With the clock ticking, Bug turns to the last person she thought would help: her crush, Pesto. It turns out Pesto is more than an ordinary car-wash manager. He also works in the Waste and Disposal division of the ISIS, the International Supernatural Immigration Service. Pesto is responsible for tracking down illegal djinn, or demons, that enter the world and send them packing. By helping Bug, he hopes to be promoted --- and capture Bug's heart. Pesto and Bug enlist the help of E. Figg, a lawyer specializing in legal matters of the soul, and arrange a friendly pizza delivery competition between the Devil and Bug. If Bug delivers the pizza first, she gets to keep her soul and the car. If not, then Bug must fulfill the obligations of the contract. Making a deal with the Devil is never as easy as it seems. Mr. Beals backhandedly uses the competition to his advantage to finally escape servitude to his master. He sets out to rule the earthly plane and hatches a plan to overthrow the Devil and become the most powerful demon ever. Beelzebub's plan for total domination includes plagues, utter destruction, and the collection of numerous souls --- especially Bug's. With her immortality on the line, Bug must once again find a way to save her soul. In his debut novel, David Macinnis Gill has created an offbeat protagonist who is both endearing and genuine. Bug is an everyday down-on-your-luck individual who refuses to give in to what is easy. Instead, she works hard for what she holds most dear, even when she thinks she doesn't deserve it. Most people would give in to the Devil and become a soul enchilada --- a simple snack --- but Bug displays a level of decency in a most unsuspecting individual. Gill shows us that good and honest people still exist in all walks of life. What would I sell my soul to the Devil for? I kept wondering about this question as I read the book. Would I give in for something as simple as a classic car, or would I wait for something bigger? Is there anything temporary that would be worth enough? These questions have been explored in literature throughout the centuries, and SOUL ENCHILADA provi

Eunice "Bug" Smoot already has a tough time surviving in the world, and her situation grows worse one day when she wakes to the sound of her landlord banging on her door, demanding rent she doesn't have. Then she finds out that some jerk has egged her car--her late grandfather's prized 1958 Cadillac Biarritz, the only thing of value he left her. Then, right in front of her, a coyote decides to urinate on the whitewalls. Perfect! Of course, her boss, Vinnie, is none too happy that she'll be late again, so that she can wash that stuff off her car before the El Paso sun bakes it on, but Bug has little choice. Until a demon shows up to repossess the Cadillac. Bug knows that she can't give up that car for anything if she's going to continue to support herself, and she luckily finds help through her friend, Pesto, who apparently does more than wash cars for a living. Through his connections as an immigration agent to the Underworld, they discover that Bug's Papa C put up her soul and his own as collateral on the Cadillac. Now that her grandfather's soul is evading capture, the demon Beals has come to collect. With a few friends, her own wits, and her mad driving skills, Bug has to bring herself to make a deal that the devil himself can't refuse. With a strong central character and distinctive voice, this debut novel drives onto the YA scene as an instant classic.

Bug is too smart for her own good, in both senses of the word. Her smack-talking comebacks tend to get her in trouble with people like her boss and her landlord, but Bug always comes out on top because she outwits anyone who gets in her way. Except this one guy, Beals, who is totally freaking her out. Maybe it has to do with his forked tongue...or the fact that he pops out of nowhere. Or that he claims to be a repossession agent from Hell, here to take Bug's prize (and pretty much only) possession...her Papa C's car. HER car. Ain't no way that's happening...not as long as Bug's around. Beals is the most deliciously dry and sarcastic nemesis I've read, and the repelling chemistry between these two characters is enough to make the pages vibrate. The action and constant element of surprise in this book keep readers zipping through those quivering pages to see how things play out. The LOL humor here is the kind that most authors only wish they could stir, engaging readers from page one. Bug's boy, Pesto, brings just enough romance to keep things stirred up, but it isn't enough to gag unsuspecting readers, as in some books which shall remain nameless. And the rest of the characters? You REALLY need to meet them for yourself. Unbelievable! THIS is an author worth watching!

Bug Smoot has had a rough life. First her mom died when she was a little girl, then she moved in with her grandfather and auntie. Then her auntie died and soon after her Papa C died, too, leaving her his most prized possession, a 1958 Cadillac Biarritz. The thing with that car, though, is Papa C used Bug's soul as collateral - yes, that's right, her soul. Now, five years later, Bug is still having to deal with everything her Papa C left behind. She's dropped out of school, stopped playing basketball (which is what she used to live for), and working as a pizza delivery girl. Life really can't get much worse until the day her landlord comes looking for the way past overdue rent. On top of having to find the money, Bug finds her car has been egged and absolutely reeks. Inside of her car she finds Beals, a demon that has come to collect her soul. Being the rough and stubborn girl that she is, Bug refuses to let anything happen to her or the car. Her only problem is getting rid of Beals. In order to do this, she has to find some loopholes in the contract, or risk giving herself up. With the help of a pretty hot guy (who just happens to like her) and a special attorney, Bug sets out on a non-stop adventure to secure her soul and her Cadillac. This book would truly have to be one of the best books I've read this year, hands down. It is jam-packed with enough humor, sarcasm, and adventure to satisfy anyone's reading needs, and it is certainly well-written. Bug's character was absolutely wonderful. While she isn't your idyllic character (she's rude, snarky, and doesn't have the best grammar), she is completely lovable. Her courage and determination to stand up for herself is respectable, even in a fictional character. A great thing that the author did with Bug's character is made her into a real person. She talked like a real girl, not with perfect sentence structure and words, but just like a teenager would. Beals, the demon, was also a great character. He reminded me of one of those evil butlers you see in old movies! I was able to picture him absolutely perfectly as I was reading, and found myself getting really aggravated (in a good way!) with his character when he was doing some of his dastardly deeds. The plot of the story was also very unique and interesting. The whole idea that you would make a deal with the devil in order to get a car and then use a person's soul as collateral is absolutely priceless. The story was able to hold my attention all the way to the very last word, and I just couldn't put the book down. I also loved how complex the story was. All the little elements of the book fit together like a puzzle and really came together to create one heck of a book. I recommend SOUL ENCHILADA to both boys and girls alike, as it is just superb! This is a brilliant debut novel from David Macinnis Gill and I absolutely cannot wait for more from this very promising author. Whenever you get the chance, I strongly urge you to run out and get a