What a Nightmare - by Rebekah Faubion (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

They called her a nightmare, so she became one.

Haven Powers has spent years trying to disappear. Once a loud, troublemaking girl who defied every expectation in her small town of Friendship, Texas, now she's learned to hide her fire behind a quiet receptionist's smile. It's safer that way--for her, and for everyone else.

When an unsettling encounter with her predatory boss cracks open the tightly locked box inside her, Haven dreams a terrifying dream about him, only to wake up and discover it's come true; he's dead. Desperate to gain control of this deadly power once and for all, Haven returns home.

Welcomed suspiciously with open arms, Haven is immediately met with the ghosts of her past. Under the suffocating pressure of the town and her family who believe obedience is next to godliness, Haven soon finds herself on a path to revenge. She'll show them what happens when the girl they called too much, too loud, too everything, finally lets her demons loose.

Review Quotes

"Haven Powers can run but she can't escape her past, her powerful family, and the extraordinary ability that allows her to see others' secrets and pain. Original and mysterious, this gripping tale of one woman's revenge delivers a lesson learned and a lesson that shouldn't be ignored."--Nick Medina, author of Savage Lake

"I am so here for What a Nightmare. Dark, feminist horror that had me 'one more chaptering' all night!"--Chelsea Conradt, USA Today bestselling author of The Farmhouse and The Secret Attic

"An instant Southern Gothic classic, Rebekah Faubion's What a Nightmare combines psychological terror with an utterly grotesque, unforgettable story of homecoming. A delicious, poisoned peach of a novel."--Liz Kerin, author of Night's Edge

"Taking all the iconic, horrifying elements of classics like Carrie and Nightmare on Elm Street and bringing them into the modern day, What a Nightmare vividly delivers on a complex, engrossing, traumatized woman's ever-fascinating story. The family dynamics, sun-bleached, terrifying small town, twists, and sharp writing makes this book one of my absolute favorites. Rebekah Faubion is a horror author I'd follow anywhere."--Carlyn Greenwald, author of Murder Land and Killing Time

"In this terrifying small-town tale filled with female rage and complicated family dynamics, Rebekah Faubion's ambition knows no bounds. She weaves an inescapable nightmare, compelling you to confront even your own darkest secrets. I loved every moment of this dark and cathartic novel."--Monika Kim, internationally Bestselling author of The Eyes Are the Best Part and Molka

"When the quiet one finally cracks...run. Small-town terror at its best -- complex, powerful and deliciously unsettling."--A. Rushby, author of Slashed Beauties

"Absolutely engrossing and totally original. Rebekah Faubion explores trauma, familial estrangement, and revenge with a brilliant speculative twist. Bubbling with feminine rage and power, this is one nightmare I couldn't wait to return to."--Kirsten King, author of A Good Person

"A modern small town horror that gazes deep into the rot of toxic families and abusive relationships, What a Nightmare is a sharp and bloody exploration of trauma. Faubion's prose is perfectly tight and vivid--you can see, smell, and hear everything. This is one nightmare you won't want to wake up from." -- Saratoga Schaefer, USA Today Bestselling author of Trad Wife

"Faubion's deftly paced horror is a slow drip of information that urges readers forward. The tying of deadly power to strong feelings is a genius way to hold back context until the emotional stakes are high enough to warrant using it. The abuse of power, both interpersonally and institutionally, fuels the storyline, and the reactions to it are naturally messy and personal. Side characters are complicated, and morality is deeply gray...A brutally drawn and chilling examination of misogyny, power, abuse, and what happens when the powerless suddenly aren't. Recommended for every horror collection."--Library Journal (starred review)

About the Author

Rebekah Faubion is the author of queer rom-coms with tons of heart and more than a little steam. She is also the author of the young adult horror novel Lost Girls, coming from Delacorte Press in 2026. When she isn't writing books that make her bi soul sing, she enjoys watching anything romantic or scary (or, better yet, both), hiking in the Hollywood Hills, and reading tarot by candlelight.