The Only Thing Worse Than a Dream is a Nightmare
My Dreams Come True by Rocio Carranza is a collection of eighteen horror short stories that remind you the real “horror” is human nature. The collection is full of strange and daunting writing that will leave you questioning the characters and Carranza’s true intentions. Separated into three parts, each section contains six unique short stories full of gore, supernatural hauntings, and the rawest depiction of human behavior.
“The town’s children reported sightings of a dark angel who would linger at their bedroom windows, scratching the glass with long sharp nails, beckoning them out with a gentle, melodious tone.”
My Dreams Come True isn’t a book that can be reduced to a single theme, plot, or tantalizing idea. It’s a harrowing collection of notes and writings done in the throes of an early morning after a nightmare. It’s the visions seen after years of insomnia and sleep paralysis. And, it’s more than just the inner workings of an author’s mind, but the lived (well-dreamed) experiences of Rocia Carranza.
The reality hidden between the pages of a nightmare covers the novel in a sense of enigmatic dread. Each story varies in length; some are as short as four pages, with others being well over twenty, but the quiet unease never leaves you. As winter hits and the days grow darker and colder, let My Dreams Come True take you on a ride through Carranza’s psyche, and just maybe your dreams will also come true.
Final Thoughts
My favorite short story in this novel is The Filmmaker. I won’t go into the nitty-gritty details, but Carranza’s use of imagery, character descriptions, and development of our main character, Ricky Fendler, creates a world full of haunting vibrance. The true horror in this story isn’t just what’s written on the pages, but the lingering questions it leaves you with regarding your own mortality. But, isn’t that what most horror is about anyway? A beautifully grotesque critique of human behavior, fears, and desires.
“Every inch of me froze at the sight of it, my voice gone into hiding, my eyes never wandering from its missing teeth and far off stare.”
My Dreams Come True starts with a content warning page; make sure you read it, as some depictions within the stories can be troubling for some readers. In my opinion, nothing listed is truly explicit, but the content warning definitely serves its purpose.
If you are a horror reader who is looking for stories full of blood, gore, and truly horrifying acts and despicable characters, this isn’t the book for you. While Carranza does a good job at filling the space with a quiet sense of unease, most of the short stories read more as thrillers than horrors. Many of the stories invoke suspense and anxiety or a taste of mystery, but lack in providing anything particularly shocking, gruesome, and fearful. While this may count as a flaw to some, I found it quite refreshing. As I mentioned earlier, each story will remind you of the daily horrors we’re liable to encounter personally or watch and read about secondhand. I don’t think there’s anything more terrifying than seeing yourself in the place of a character.
My Dreams Come True by Rocio Carranza is a steady collection of short stories that are mysterious and thought-provoking. The unease you’ll feel while reading will surely creep back up on you long after you’ve completed the book. If you’re a fan of The Babadook, then this collection is perfect for you! After reading, make sure you come back and let me know if your dreams have come true.
You can purchase My Dreams Come True here.
