Reviews
“Gill scores big in this action-packed, power-punch of a debut. His dialogue slam-dunks with sass and clever wit that eases the reader into the strange, interlocking chain of events that befall Bug–Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“[Bug] is a tough, sassy heroine, and her first-person narrative, accented with Spanish and black vernacular, is one of the novel’s strongest points. [Gill] offers up a veritable menagerie of genre elements (comedy, romance, sports, and the supernatural), and his delightfully wacky debut novel should find a broad teen audience.–Jonathan Hunt, Horn Book
“Soul [Enchilada] distinguishes itself…by giving voice to ethnic and economic minority characters. Indeed, Bug’s first-person narration is feisty and knowing in the ways of class and prejudice.” –School Library Journal
“In this fun spin on the age-old danger of deals with the devil, readers will cheer and worry as sassy Eunice “Bug” Smoot fights both the literal and metaphorical demons that plague her. Wonderful and unexpectedly touching, this is a book meant for re-reading. Good stuff!”– Melissa Marr, author of Wickedly Lovely and Ink Exchange
“Soul Enchilada is smart and funny and a bunch of fun to read. For years David Gill has been a powerful voice for Young Adult literature; now he is a powerful voice of Young Adult literature…You’re gonna love Bug.” — Chris Crutcher, Author of Deadline, Ironman, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, and others
“And speaking of books with bite–ones that hang on and don’t let go–I want you all to know you are in for a treat when David SOUL ENCHILADA comes out next year. It has, hands down, one of the most unique premises, setting, and voices I have heard in a long time!” –Mary Pearson, Author of The Adoration of Jenna Fox
“El Paso and Hispanic culture meets West Texas hardscrabble landscape with more than a tad of humor. SOUL ENCHILADA is a tasty book.”–Teri Lesesne, Author of Naked Reading and Making the Match
“Bug is easy to love, a tough-talking teen whose life has been riddled with loss. Gill knows what will make teens laugh.”–Publishers Weekly
“Bug is a refreshingly gutsy female protagonist with an attitude that will win over readers.”–Booklist
“David Macinnis Gill is a brilliant conversationalist accurately synthesizing the natural flowing cultural dialect, speech patterns and slang of the streets. Believable, humorous and age appropriate make the dialogue just right. Hilarious moments as the story unfolds will grab you with chuckles, belly laughing and outright hysteria from beginning to end. –Wisteria Leigh
“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.” –Teensreadtoo.com
“SCORE! David Macinnis Gill’s Soul Enchilada. When I got the ARC in St. Paul last month, I fully intended to read the first chapter, put it aside and get some sleep. Instead, I got halfway through the book. I devoured the other half just as quickly. You’re all in for a reading feast! “–Jody Feldman, Author of The Gollywhopper Games
“Soul Enchilada is warm, funny, and full of grace. Richly detailed, Bug and Pesto are engaging and believable; readers will be enthusiastically rooting for them to smite the devil. Highly recommended.” –Greg Leitich Smith, Author of Tofu and T. Rex