Tom Doherty Associates, 2005
ISBN: 978-0765-31471-0
Available: Paperback
Rockwood is no ordinary Western podunk town. Supernatural incidents are the norm, especially surrounding Gil’s All Night Diner, but the spunky new owner, Loretta, can take care of herself. She fights off zombies, ignores the ghosts in the nearby cemetery, and will clean that persistent blood puddle from the carpet one more time. Still, when Earl and his best friend Duke roll into town, she’s happy to ask them to stay and help out. A vampire and a werewolf, especially down-home handy ones, are great to have around.
Something big is about to go down, and the paranormal happenings are revving up. Tammy, a teenage necromancer, is busy ripping open a gaping hole in the fabric of space so the old gods can emerge, destroy the world in a bloody Armageddon, and make her an evil goddess. The portal is already built–it’s in the dining room of Gil’s. No wonder the place is so weird.
Gil’s All Fright Diner is a comical twist on the “end-of-days” story. The anti-heroes, Earl and Duke, are lonely, understated, regular guys. Duke is a hairy gentle giant with a smooth way with animals, and Earl is the weakest, least attractive vampire ever written. When Earl reluctantly falls in love with a sweet, small-town ghost, we applaud: the affair renews his interest in life and immortality. Together, with their fearless spectral terrier, Napoleon, the three misfits manage to save the world.
I laughed out loud throughout the novel. Martinez has a sharp, sarcastic wit and a great talent for dark comedy. For example, when Duke has a run-in with a zombie herd of cows, Martinez writes “One almost human werewolf and two unarmed geezers weren’t much of a match for six walking dead Jerseys.” Martinez is able to sustain his humor while truly gruesome underworld horrors infiltrate the diner in graphic, cinematic, description.
Gore and sexual content are frequent but mild, though Tammy and her minion boyfriend, Chad, have a few racy encounters. Martinez never seriously threatens us with loss of our favorite characters, assuring the reader constantly of body part regeneration, and wielding comic relief even during the darkest moments. The story is creative and brisk, making this a great choice for multi-age light reading. Unfortunately, Martinez uses profanity abundantly, creating a dilemma for recommending the novel for everyone. Without this careless misuse of vocabulary, Gil’s would serve a broader audience. Recommended for YA collections in public libraries.
Contains: profanity, mild sexual content, comic violence
Reviewed by: Sheila Shedd