Your Preview Verdict: Bad Cree by Jessica Johns

In this gripping debut, a young Cree woman’s dreams lead her on a perilous journey of self-discovery that ultimately forces her to confront the toll of a legacy of violence on her family, her community, and the land they call home.

When Mackenzie wakes up with a severed crow’s head in her hands, she panics. Only moments earlier she had been fending off masses of birds in a snow-covered forest. In bed, when she blinks, the head disappears.

Night after night, Mackenzie’s dreams return her to a memory from before her sister Sabrina’s untimely death: a weekend at the family’s lakefront campsite, long obscured by a fog of guilt. But when the waking world starts closing in, too — crows stalk her every move around the city; she gets threatening text messages from someone claiming to be Sabrina — Mackenzie knows this is more than she can handle alone.

Travelling north to her rural hometown in Alberta, she finds her family still steeped in the same grief that she ran away to Vancouver to escape. They welcome her back, but their shaky reunion only seems to intensify her dreams — and make them more dangerous.

What really happened that night at the lake, and what did it have to do with Sabrina’s death? Only a bad Cree would put their family at risk, but what if whatever has been calling Mackenzie home was already inside her?

Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:

I can not recommend this book enough, it is one that has stayed with me for a long time. The author has a brilliant writing style, very beautiful and realistic. The characters are strong women, all with traits the reader will likely relate to, if not in themselves but in friends and family. The characters of the Mum and her sisters, the Aunties, are strong and endearing. I could not put the book down once I started. And since finishing I find myself thinking often of where all the family is now, and what are they doing. Thanks for the opportunity to read Better Reading. I will definitely be reading more books from this author. Toni, QLD, 5 Stars 

This book tells the story of Mackenzie whose dreams start to merge with her real life. The style of writing has a dreamlike quality to it which takes the reader to a place, like Mackenzie’s world, that makes them feel that the lines are becoming more blurred between the two. Prior to this, Mackenzie lost her sister Sabrina in an accident, and when there seems to be a connection between that and her dreams, she goes home. This means dealing with her past and a family who have not recovered from Sabrina’s death. Her interaction with the rest of the family shows how a gap has formed. Even though there is a horror and supernatural theme, the connections between family and what grief can do would be relatable to readers. I loved the information on the character’s heritage and how it related to the plot. This was an interesting book to read and I recommend it to anyone who wants to step outside their normal reading genre. I really enjoyed it. Theresa, NSW, 5 Stars 

I loved this book! An amazing story that drags you in and holds onto you as this tale unfolds, keeping you up and turning the pages. At once both familiar and strange with a worthy family, Lisa, WA, 5 Stars 

Wow! What a great and easy read! I loved the characters in this book and I loved the story – I was hooked from the start! The story flowed and there were never any dull “boring” moments, it kept a great pace right up to the end! I particularly liked it because I love crows! So this was a cool component of the book! I would highly recommend this book if you want something different to read, that hooks you but is just an easy read. Thank you for the chance to review this book I was pleasantly surprised by this read! Jodi, QLD, 5 Stars 

Bad Cree was a book I was not sure I wanted to continue when I first started reading it, as it’s not the usual genre I prefer. Bravo Jessica Johns I’m very glad I persisted! The story of a young Cree woman Mackenzie, whose dreams and visions past and present are steeped in traditional Cree customs and cultures. Her dreams take us through a journey of self-discovery and preservation, family tragedies and learning to come to terms with her grief and guilt. The story awakens her dormant memories, dangerous and uplifting so she can, at last, come to peace with her family, sister Sabrina’s death and the Cree community that she tried to escape. Jessica Johns’s story kept the pages turning right till the very end. A cult classic in the making. Jenny, QLD, 5 Stars 

I loved this, this is my niche where I sit comfortably in the slightly supernatural with a side of social commentary and ALL THE FEELS. Dark, emotional and mysterious is my thing and this ticks all those boxes. And as icing on the cake, brilliant writing and characterisation. I loved this Cree tale, the spiritual and familial connections, the writing of unresolved grief, loneliness in keeping secrets and the stories from Aunties and of kokum. A great debut, and I cannot wait to read more. Hanadi, NSW, 5 Stars 

My attention and curiosity were immediately captured by the stark, confronting image of a dead black crow imaged on vibrant red tissue paper encased the book whose cover depiction of circling crows over a red background deepened the impression of death and fear. Something bad has happened here. Indeed I was to learn of the untimely death of an older twin sister named Sabina. I was drawn into a dream world where the real and the unreal are blurred and memories around that death haunt Mackenzie, the dead girl’s younger sister, and where strange, unexplainable messages are received on her phone and dream objects mysteriously materialise. Crows too are a constant presence and follow her around, evoking ominous premonitions. They are all Cree people and this is a striking debut novel. Told through Mackenzie’s eyes, the book turns into the search for meaning and the truth. I loved the characters of kokum, the loving wise grandmother and the tension between the remaining sisters, Tracey and Mackenzie. The book conveys the toll of holding grief and the evocative dreams carry the action forward, holding us in suspense right till the end. I would rate this 9 out of 10. Fran, VIC, 5 Stars 

This book was extremely thrilling from the intriguing characters and their secrets and the astounding themes of violence and horror that left me on the edge of my seat. It was both heartbreaking and exciting at the same time and you felt for the main character and their battles and inner turmoil so much on her goals of bettering herself. I haven’t read a book from this author before but I will definitely be reading more! Daniela, NSW, 5 Stars 

Haunted by vivid dreams that then appear to seep into her waking life, Mackenzie makes the decision to return home to her family to work out why she is having these unnerving recurring dreams and how they might be linked to her sister’s death. This is ultimately a story of grief, love and the importance of community and family ties. The novel has a supernatural quality with an eerie atmosphere in parts as Mackenzie and her family begin to uncover the mystery. The link with dreams helps them to unravel what they need in their real life to help heal from the losses they have faced. Overall, I enjoyed this novel which dealt with a number of deep themes through poetic and descriptive prose with a tinge of supernatural horror. Laura, NSW, 4 Stars 

An interesting horror novel that explores dreams, grief and Cree family dynamics. Mackenzie leaves her family after experiencing two deaths of close family members. She considers herself Bad Cree. The writing in this novel was so vivid you felt like you were also in Mackenzie’s dreams. Whilst it was a slow burn there was enough to keep me guessing — was Mackenzie having dreams, visions or were they memories? I enjoyed the Canadian scenery and learning more about Cree culture. I preferred the more supernatural elements to the horror towards the end and felt it wrapped up a bit too quickly. The characters were all very interesting and diverse. A solid debut novel. Kirsten, ACT, 4 Stars 

Are we essentially good? Or essentially bad? If you are bad, then does your badness let the evil spirits in? Good, can you fight the good fight? Can a bad Cree win over evil? Mackenzie has left her close-knit family in Northern Alberta, and moved to Vancouver, after the death of her Kokum {grandmother}. The collective pain of the family was too much so she left. Bad Cree was a different novel for me to read. Steeped in lore and horror and facing an evil that may be within rather than without. I enjoyed the Cree background, the setting in Alberta and the female slant. The women are divided in grief but together in the fight, the men in the background. It was quietly powerful. Daniella, QLD, 4 Stars 

Bad Cree, Jessica Johns’ debut novel, is an intense, evocative read. The opening scene of the book is incredibly memorable: Mackenzie, a Cree woman, wakes from an intense dream in which she was fighting off crows, to discover herself holding a crow’s head in her hands…which suddenly disappears when she blinks. The nightmares continue and Mackenzie is left with the feeling that intertwined with the nightmares are actual memories. The story follows Mackenzie’s struggle to determine what is real and what is not, as well as reconciling with her past, present, and future. This book had me hooked and intrigued from the very beginning. Imagery is interwoven perfectly throughout the book, and the writing is gorgeous, sparse, and precise. The slow-burn mystery, combined with the horror elements, made this an eerie and fascinating read. I highly recommend this gorgeous book. Amanda, QLD, 4 Stars 

This is a supernatural horror story that is quite character driven. It is a bit of a slow burn. It focuses on Cree family dynamics. I very much enjoyed reading about the dreaming and the Indigenous culture of the Cree people. It was mysterious but very interesting all at once. The main protagonist Mackenzie was an interesting character who I warmed to straight away. The story ebbs and flows but held my interest throughout. Thank you for gifting me an advanced copy! Mark, QLD, 3 Stars

While the storyline itself probably wasn’t my cup of tea, I can safely say that I enjoyed reading this novel regardless. The characters were well-developed and I appreciated the inclusion of a non-binary character, a first for me (and I do consider myself to be quite well-read!). I also felt the novel to be quite emotive, with the author digging into the complicated nature of family and relationships. Overall, highly readable. If I were to recommend this book to anyone, it would probably be a young audience. Eva, WA, 3 Stars