Soul Enchilada

Girl meets boy at a car wash.

"Dog," she says.

"Dude," he says.

And probably this would have been a sweet teen romance. . . .

If Beals hadn't been sitting next to her in the car.

If Beals hadn't been a supernatural repo man looking to repossess her car.

And to possess her.

David Macinnis Gill delivers the whole enchilada. With a side of soul.

"Deep in El Paso, Tex., Eunice 'Bug' Smoot is behind on the rent and in danger of losing her job delivering pizzas, but at least she's got a smooth ride — a 1958 Cadillac Biarritz bequeathed by Papa C., her grandfather. Then the repo man shows up. Turns out Papa C. financed the car with his soul but disappeared upon death. Bug's got till midnight Halloween to produce grandpa's soul or turn over her keys — and her free will. To Bug's aid comes hunky Pesto, a car wash manager who moonlights for ISIS, the International Supernatural Immigration Service. Gill's debut features hilarious dialogue — Bug and Pesto don't talk; they sling witticisms at each other. And Bug is easy to love, a tough-talking teen whose life has been riddled with loss. But some readers may tire of the grosser details of demon warfare — lots of vomiting, maggots, even vomiting of maggots — and the story goes on past several natural stopping points. Still, this updated spin on deal-making with the devil shows that Gill, president of ALAN (Assembly on Literature for Adolescents), knows what will make teens laugh. Ages 14 — up. When is a coloring book not just for preschoolers? Several spring titles will have adults and teens battling the kids for the crayons." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

David Macinnis Gill is a former high school teacher. In a starred review, Kirkus called his first novel, Soul Enchilada, an "action-packed power-punch of a debut."