Ghost Radio

In this chilling and original tale, a paranormal-themed call-in radio show, hosted by a couple of melancholic lovers, inadvertently wakes the dead and creates a battle for the souls of the living. The concept is so creepy that listening to this audiobook serves the story that much more, as listeners will feel they're hearing an actual broadcast. Narrator Pedro Pascal delivers an eerie reading that creates a dark and brooding atmosphere, yet at times he comes dangerously close to sounding over-the-top. Nevertheless, the thrills and chills are legitimate, and Pascal manages to increase the tension as the story unfolds, leading to a taut climax. L.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

August 11, 2008
Joaquin, the host of Ghost Radio
, a call-in show based in Joaquin’s native Mexico, builds a devoted audience with his combination of talk therapy and sharing of urban legends and spooky stories in Gout’s first novel, a twisty if less than original supernatural thriller. When Joaquin’s growing prominence lands him a Newsweek
interview, he decides to relate on the air a near-death experience decades earlier, which claimed the life of a close friend. Joaquin’s personal problems mount as he begins to be drawn into his callers’ stories and the line between reality and fantasy becomes increasingly blurred. The prose can be awkward at times (“he wondered how he got himself into this situation: a mysterious phone call, and less than an hour later, he’s wrestling with a reverend of Toltec Christianity”), and Gout adds little that’s either new or remarkable to the ghostly radio waves premise used more effectively elsewhere, notably William Sloane’s The Edge of Running Water
(1939).

September 1, 2008
This debut novel by a graphic novelist, producer, director, and composer is an eerie narrative of a Mexican radio host, Joaquin, whose spooky late-night paranormal call-in show transcends into the realm of the "other side." After gaining a cult following, his "Ghost Radio" show picks up enough fans for nationwide syndication. But before celebrating success, Joaquin must first face the horrific events of his own past. Complementing the story and periodic log of callers' accounts with the supernatural are striking, original black-and-white chapter illustrations reflecting Gout's experience with graphic novels. A thrilling literary and visual experience, this contemporary ghost story set in Mexico is a fast-moving and enjoyable read. The story and writing style recall early Stephen King and Joe Hill's "Heart-Shaped Box" and would be a good fit in any contemporary popular fiction collection.Carolann Curry, Mercer Univ. Medical Lib., Macon, GA

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2009
Adult/High School-Gout tells a strange tale of Gabriel and Joaquin, two boys orphaned when their parents' vehicles collide on a Houston road and who become residents at a rehab hospital. Sounds and music fascinate both young men, particularly the Dead Kennedys and fractured pieces of everyday noise. They take to recording and collecting sounds, creating instruments and strange taped commentaries late into the night. One evening they stumble upon an unusual radio program, "Ghost Radio", where people call in and retell bizarre and macabre events and stories. The format fascinates them and they set out to duplicate the show. But events take a weird turnGabriel dies, and Joaquin wakes to find a mysterious tattoo on his forearm, falls in love, travels back in time, witnesses a murder, experiences flashbacks, and is visited by Gabriel's ghost. All of these curious happenings connect to Joaquin's current radio program's success and its future. Fans of "The Twilight Zone" will be intrigued with this tale of radio broadcast and its effect and on characters both living and dead."Joanne Ligamari, Twin Rivers United School District, Sacramento, CA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.