Back to top

Haunted family

Cover of Bad Cree
A review of Bad Cree by Jessica Johns

Mackenzie is living and working mostly uneventfully in Toronto, Canada, until one morning, she awakes from a nightmare and notices something clutched in her hand. It’s the decapitated head of a crow, and besides being horrified by it, Mackenzie has no idea how it got there… except that she remembers it from her dream.

How did the crow's head make it from her nightmare into her waking life?

In this story, the dream world and the real world are as intimately connected as Mackenzie once was with her mother and sisters. But in the real world, a family rift has occurred since one of her sisters died unexpectedly. Now, that same sister has begun showing up in Mackenzie’s dreams in unsettling ways, eventually forcing Mackenzie to confront her family issues—and the dark, cruel spirit who’s bent on dragging her into its realm.

This is a deeply haunting tale for the modern age, with characters who are relatable, frustrating, complex, and wonderful. Indigenous author Jessica Johns does an incredible job of braiding Cree culture together with a horror story you’re unlikely to forget.

--reviewed by Annie A.

Dec 12, 2023