Bad Cree is a character-driven story of grief, familial relationships, and Cree traditions, with a strong supernatural component.

The writing style is engaging. I was immediately fascinated by the young woman’s ability to seemingly travel into her dreams. The dark, psychological aspect had me on edge.

But pacing soon lagged, and the middle of the book meandered too slowly. Poor communication—or often the complete absence of communication—within this otherwise close-knit family directly resulted in many of the mishaps and misunderstandings, drawing things out unnecessarily.

I would’ve liked to get to know the family better, and to spend more time learning about their traditions and beliefs.

The final quarter of the book came alive, sucking me back into the story and giving me chills.

Mackenzie, a young Cree woman who left her family behind after a tragedy, begins to be haunted by her dreams. As her dreams begin to insert themselves in her life, she seeks answers, trying to protect herself and her family.

1) This was riveting. As I neared the end, I wished for more pages because I wasn’t ready for the story to end.

2) Johns analyzes cultural and local issues through the dreams in a really clever way that acknowledges the truth of the Cree beliefs.

3) I loved the easy inclusion of LGBTQ characters.

4) This was originally a short story, and—for the most part—I thought Johns did a great job of expanding it into a novel. There were a few small things that I would have liked more of, including the climax. The build-up was extremely engaging, and I did like the resolution, but I wanted to wait for it a bit longer.

5) Overall, I really enjoyed this read. You should add it to your list and keep an eye out for its pub day in January.

Wow-wee I was totally freaked out in this one...definitely not for the faint of heart. I found the story and the characters unforgettable no matter how terrifying.

This book was so atmospheric and the tension of all the scenes was unwavering! 5/5. I loved this and genuinely was caught off guard by a lot of it. The main character was interesting to follow and the house itself also felt like a character in the story! Haunting and I could not stop reading! Great book by a new author!!!

I love how this book embodies Native American mythology and beliefs, bringing a heartfelt story to life before our eyes.

Jessica Johns has a wonderful way of telling a story with feeling and emotion, but also brings the horror element with ease. I really felt for the characters although at times I found their dialogue to be unrelatable and pedestrian, for a lack of a better word. Toward the end of the book, Johns really got into the groove of the story and made me root for the characters and their wellbeing.

Could the Aunties have relayed a little more info on what was going on? Yes. Could the dialogue have been tighter? Yes, but in the end, I loved this story and wanted to read more. This was a wonderful story.

A solid creepy novel that also functions as a comfort and a return to a family. It's a hard needle to thread, but Johns has done it well.

This is a very character-based story, which I love. I loved getting to know MacKenzie's family and their history and watch them reforge their bonds. The story itself was a slow burn, which did sag in a few places, but for the most part was enjoyable. And when the horror aspect ramped off, the payoff was excellent.

This digital ARC had some wonky formatting and there were no chapter breaks, but hopefully, the final published version will have that fixed.

I gave a two out of five stars it is supposed to be a short story. It didn’t seem like one at all. It was more like a introduction to a story or a description of one.

BAD CREE |

Still mourning the death of her sister, Mackenzie has been having bizarre unsettling dreams of her sister, being attacked by crows and calling out to her for help. Thinking there's only way to get to the bottom of this, she books a flight back home after 2 years to finally see her estranged Cree family.

I started this book and could not put it down. Between the dreams, the mystery of what happened surrounding her sister's death, and uncovering what's currently going on, I was reeled in and intrigued.

There are a few things that I felt purposefully prolonged the story that I wish was hurried up. There are a few times where there was good reason for someone to just step forward and say they had a similar experience or had something to share. But that is also in part because the family is still dealing with the passing of a loved one and feeling varying degrees and reasons for guilt and shame, so it helps the story to keep everyone secluded and in the dark.

I very much loved the feeling and atmosphere of this book. I loved how much existed in the dreams and the mix of fear, compulsions, love and guilt that the characters embodied. (4.25)

I was not able to provide feedback on this title as the files were only of the cover material (both for Net Galley's app and for the Kindle). I would be happy to review the book if the full text is provided! I am so excited for this title, and was disappointed to not be able to access it.

I am providing a 4 star review because I am required to provide stars, and I do not want to provide a negative review for this book. I would love the opportunity to revise this rating.