Soul Enchilada (edition 2009)

could not get past the attitude and street language ( )

Not too bad of a read. I was pretty fun at times, but I felt like something was missing.
I did enjoy Bugs' sassy attitude though.
3/5 Good to read if your bored and want something a little silly. ( )

A story that sometimes got a little bit goofy, but in a very self-aware way that I enjoyed. And I am completely in love with these characters – Bug and Pesto are too much fun. ( )

Heh, first I have to say Vinnie showing up with two hot pizzas to be delivered made me order pizza. Bugs, our heroine, wasn't driving my pizza, so even though I live three blocks away from the pizza place, by the time it arrived I'd finished reading the subliminal "order pizza" part of the book and was on to a stomach-turning Lord of the Fliesish bit.

That said, Soul Enchilada is an impressive debut. I work with middle school kids, often with learning disabilities that has slowed their reading progress, often Latino. This is the book I've been waiting for. It's faced paced, has a romance that isn't syrupy, (It's quite a middle-school style romance actually where the couple is just as likely to be shoving each other and swapping insults as they are to be kissing.) that uses the basic "Devil Goes Down to Georgia" plot, ie a competition with the devil where a soul is at stake.

Despite the plot everyone who has grown up in a Christian country has heard too many times, Gill manages to put enough twists and turns in it to make it amusing and new. While we're at it, we get to enjoy a good Dia de los muertos in the barrio. & he even manages to tie the whole thing in with the Aztecs & Mayans with their brutal ball game of the gods. I've seen basketball as the ball game of the gods before, but once again, not quite this way. ( )

Reviewed by Tasha for TeensReadToo.com

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 copy (when it's released in April 2009). You'll have a good laugh and the story will make you reflect on what you have. ( )