A review by thequeeraunt
Bad Cree, by Jessica Johns

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Bad Cree is everything I was hoping for in a slow-burn light horror novel. I call this "light horror" because while there's an undercurrent of dread throughout the novel, the effect is more along the lines of a supernatural mystery to be solved rather than imagery intended to terrify. The true horror lies in the origins of the book's major conflicts, in the loss of loved ones both expected and not, and in the truly monstrous treatment of Indigenous people by colonizers. Bad Cree is as much a novel of generational trauma as of supernatural hauntings. It's about familial expectations, about the difficulty of accepting love when you don't see yourself as worthy of that love. It's about feeling like an outsider no matter where you go, and the infinite loneliness of depression.

I enthusiastically recommend Bad Cree to anyone who enjoys a bit of supernatural flavor with their narratives of family and racial trauma. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading works by Indigenous authors. Honestly, I recommend it to just about anyone. This is probably going to be one of my favorite books of 2023.
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