Kirkus Reviews

"a first novel that moves with deserved confidence into Stephen King territory."

The host of a ghost-themed talk show finds himself inside the stories of his callers and sinking into memories of his own disastrous past in a first novel that moves with deserved confidence into Stephen King territory.

Artfully drawing on the raucous cultures of North America's two most populous nations, Gout weaves time and viewpoints and his own spectral illustrations into a swift, sophisticated take on what may or may not be madness and may or may not be death. Two cars collide on a highway outside Houston. The survivors are teenaged boys, one from each of the vehicles. Gabriel and Joaquin, both from Anglo-Mexican families, bond with each other during their long recovery in the hospital, eventually pairing as Deathmuertoz, a rock duo that finds favor with Goths (among others).

A terrible event in an abandoned Mexican radio station leaves the surviving Joaquin without a musical partner and with no ambition to rebuild. He stays in Mexico, where he drifts into broadcasting and evolves into the host of "Ghost Radio," a nighttime call-in program on which people share their personal tales of the supernatural. When he takes up with Goth beauty Alondra, a serious student of comic books, she moves reluctantly into his professional life as the program's resident voice of reason. Such a voice becomes ever more necessary as Joaquin becomes so susceptible that he finds himself actually slipping into some of the stories as they are told. The show becomes so popular that it moves to the United States, and Joaquin's supernatural experiences begin to intrude off the air. It turns out that his dead partner Gabriel has news for Joaquin from the Other Side—none of it good.

Palpable, almost visible cross-cultural creepiness that never lets up: very smart thrills.

Carolann Curry - Library Journal

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.

A. Kaufman - Book Review

Taking a page from Chuck Palahniuk's "Fight Club", the genre-bending "Ghost Radio" chronicles the tale of a successful radio personality who is forced to reevaluate the reality of his life when a spirit from his past comes back to haunt him with unfinished business.

On-air personality, and Mexican ex-pat, Joaquin hosts a call-in show with his girlfriend, Alondra. Listeners' call into the show to recount their personal experiences with the supernatural, and the show is so popular that it is about to be syndicated nationally. Interviewed for an article about the show, Joaquin explains that the idea for the show was inspired by a similar show that he listened to over twenty years ago, with a friend in the hospital, after a fatal car crash took the lives of both of their parents.

The boys were soon inseparable until Gabriel died, years later, in a tragic accident.

But when a fact checker for the article is unable to locate any information confirming the existence of the original "ghost radio", Joaquin feels compelled to search into the past to prove the existence of the program.

He finally tracks down a copy of the old show and is shocked to hear his own voice and Alondra's. What follows is an incredibly creepy tale of alternate realities, doppelgangers and a trip to the underworld as Joaquin is forced to reevaluate his past and the nature of his friendship with Gabriel and his love for Alondra.