A review by 2treads
Bad Cree, by Jessica Johns
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
“Your body carries home just as much as the land.” – Mom
Johns' Bad Cree is an affecting novel that not only traces how grief impacts a family but how the unacknowledged loss and distance further affects a family. When Mackenzie begins dreaming and holding on physically to certain dream inhabitants, she seeks help from those who care for her the most.
But all is not well within the home or between sisters and mother and daughter. The lack of observance and communication around what and who they all have lost weighs heavy and has left a broken family in its presence. This is a story about healing within a unit, facing the heavy and unspoken that paralyze us, and coming through the other side the better for it.
The details of Cree life and worldview that are depicted here allow for the reader to become even more attached to this story and family. The undertones of fear and a looming darkness are subtle yet leave a sense of anticipation and impact as we get closer to what it means to walk these dreams.
Johns' Bad Cree is an affecting novel that not only traces how grief impacts a family but how the unacknowledged loss and distance further affects a family. When Mackenzie begins dreaming and holding on physically to certain dream inhabitants, she seeks help from those who care for her the most.
But all is not well within the home or between sisters and mother and daughter. The lack of observance and communication around what and who they all have lost weighs heavy and has left a broken family in its presence. This is a story about healing within a unit, facing the heavy and unspoken that paralyze us, and coming through the other side the better for it.
The details of Cree life and worldview that are depicted here allow for the reader to become even more attached to this story and family. The undertones of fear and a looming darkness are subtle yet leave a sense of anticipation and impact as we get closer to what it means to walk these dreams.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, and Body horror