There are a few things you don't expect to see in a young adult book. Somewhere near the top of the list would probably be Hell. Fiery depths? Eternal torment? Isn't that a little bit rough for this age group? But that's what makes Dale E. Basye's Heck so surprising, and so great. Basye takes his crazy premise and pushes it to silly and ridiculous extremes. The result is a fast-paced, witty, and incredibly fun book.

It would be hard to list all the things that this book gets right. First things first: It's hilarious. Roald Dahl gets a lot of credit for writing wickedly funny books that appeal to children's darker sense of humor. But, really, he has nothing on Basye. In the first chapter alone, Heck's two young protagonists, Milton and Marlo, are done in by a freak marshmallow accident. Now that's a gutsy move! But it's all done with perfect timing and tone, and the book is darkly comic, instead of just being dark.

Most of the humor comes from gloriously gross things. Each demon that Milton and Marlo meet in Heck is more disgusting than the last, and each punishment is crazier and more severe. The feel of the book is over the top, with each chapter topping the next with its inventive ideas and sickening situations. It will have kids laughing aloud, because it's clearly for them and them alone. No adults allowed!

Throughout Heck, you can sense how much fun the author had writing each page. While reading, I kept imagining what his brainstorming sessions were like, and wishing I had been there. ("Well, if kids go to Heck, then the principal has to be the devil! And instead of pitchforks, everyone should have sporks!") Every page is chock-full of clever ideas, puns, and wordplay. It's impossible not to get caught up in the excitement.

However, for all its wacky monsters and bizarre locations, the book still rings true. Every ironic punishment feels like something kids actually experience (trips to the principal's office, wearing horrible clothing, etc.). Even better, Milton and Marlo are smart and dynamic kids surrounded by idiotic adults. And really, what preteen doesn't feel like that?

A surprisingly sweet aspect of the book is the brother and sister relationship between Marlo and Milton. This is the most accurate portrayal of that dynamic I've read in a long time. They get on each other's nerves. They live to bother each other, and often want nothing to do with each other. But underneath it all, you can see the tender feelings that they would never admit having. The negativity makes their sibling relationship feel more real, but the affection between the pair makes you root for them to pull together in the end.

In short, Heck is super fun. It's adventurous, exciting, and laugh-out-loud funny, and should be catnip for preteens. For avid readers, there are plenty of more Heck books after this initial one in the series. And for reluctant readers, this is the first book that I would throw in their direction.