A review by acarter
Bad Cree, by Jessica Johns
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
3.5
I'm certain that BAD CREE will draw a lot of comparisons to Erika Wurth's WHITE HORSE, another recent horror novel featuring a young Indigenous woman plagued by terrifying dreams and attempting to unravel the painful mystery of a lost family member all while struggling to navigate increasingly complicated relationships with her friends and family. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that BAD CREE will shine in that context.
This is a shame, as I do think Johns' debut has quite a lot to offer its readers! The overall voice and tone of the novel are gripping, and Mackenzie's relationships with her family members are so beautifully rendered. The nightmarish moments are suitably scary and compelling, even if the ultimate plot payoff isn't quite as big as I'd hoped. Ultimately, I found the pacing of the novel to fall apart in the last third -- it wrapped up just when I wanted it to explore more deeply. That being said, it was a debut novel I could not put down, and I will certainly keep an eye out for Johns' next title!
This is a shame, as I do think Johns' debut has quite a lot to offer its readers! The overall voice and tone of the novel are gripping, and Mackenzie's relationships with her family members are so beautifully rendered. The nightmarish moments are suitably scary and compelling, even if the ultimate plot payoff isn't quite as big as I'd hoped. Ultimately, I found the pacing of the novel to fall apart in the last third -- it wrapped up just when I wanted it to explore more deeply. That being said, it was a debut novel I could not put down, and I will certainly keep an eye out for Johns' next title!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, and Death