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Bad Cree
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
34 posts | 34 read | 23 to read
In this gripping debut tinged with supernatural horror, a young Cree womans 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, Mackenzies dreams return her to a memory from before her sister Sabrinas untimely death: a weekend at the familys lakefront campsite, long obscured by a fog of guilt. But when the waking world starts closing in, tooa murder of crows stalks her every move around the city, she wakes up from a dream of drowning throwing up water, and gets threatening text messages from someone claiming to be SabrinaMackenzie knows this is more than she can handle alone. Traveling 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 dreamsand make them more dangerous. What really happened that night at the lake, and what did it have to do with Sabrinas death? Only a bad Cree would put their family at risk, but what if whatever has been calling Mackenzie home was already inside?
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review
Nebklvr
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

With strong characters, a creepy atmosphere, and writing which begs to be read aloud, this is a strong contender for Canada Reads 2024.

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xicanti
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Well, I missed my target with BAD CREE and had to bring it with me when I said goodbye to Casey super early this morning. I should be able to finish it today, though! I‘m still enjoying it a lot, even though I haven‘t felt invested enough to binge-read. There‘re tons of solid Auntie/nibling/cousin connections here, with no Americanization or white peopleization.

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 2mo
CBee This is SUCH a great pic ♥️ 2mo
44 likes2 comments
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CatLass007
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

#ReadAway2024 I can‘t remember the Litten who recommended this book to me. Thank you. This is a story, described as a horror story, of a Cree family. The the one cultural aspect that stood out to me is that men are rarely even mentioned. The Cree are not a patriarchal people, instead the family is cared for by the Auntys. I wasn‘t particularly horrified by this story but I was impressed with the female friendships.

DieAReader 🥳Great 2mo
53 likes1 stack add1 comment
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xicanti
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Every day I drink the tea and read the books. I‘d love to finish BAD CREE tomorrow so I can return it on my way to stay with some Border Collies on Saturday morning, but so far it‘s good without being propulsive. We‘ll see how it builds.

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TheKidUpstairs
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

What an awesome group of women. This one has been billed as horror, but I found that the horror elements were secondary to an atmospheric story of a family of women dealing with grief, love, trauma, and finding their way back to each other. There is so much love in this book and this family, the relationships are beautiful and heart felt.

Cont'd, and #CanadaReads thoughts in the comments

TheKidUpstairs There are definitely elements of horror, but I found it more eerie and unsettling rather than scare your pants off (which is a good thing, in my books!). The climax is great reading, but I was able to read it in the dark without chickening out 🤣. I'm excited to see what Johns writes next! 2mo
TheKidUpstairs #CanadaReads - there's a strong argument here for the theme of "one book to carry us forward", but anything genre fiction-ish always has an uphill battle and we'll see how well it's defended. There are some strong contenders this year! 2mo
77 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Blueberry
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

3.75 ⭐
2/3 of the way through I realized this really was a horror book.
@NataliePatalie

#CanadaReads2024

55 likes1 comment
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JacqMac
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

Finished my first book on the #CanadaReads stack. I really liked it. It was a little dark. But it‘s ultimately a story about grief. Interspersed with Cree stories and culture. Overcoming pain with the power of love and sisterhood. It‘s beautifully told. And might be hard to top.

42 likes1 stack add
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JacqMac
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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It‘s a yucky kinda stormy here today. Lots of wind and freezing rain. This is the Canada Reads book I‘m looking forward to the most, so what better day to start. With some Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon tea.
#JoyousJanuary @Andrew65

ChaoticMissAdventures I read this last year and quite enjoyed it! Canada Reads always picks the most interesting books. 2mo
Blueberry Starting this today. 2mo
Andrew65 Hope you enjoyed it. 😁 2mo
35 likes1 stack add3 comments
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BookishTrish
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

My partner recommended this to me and I‘ve recommended it to my teen, who described it as “like Freddy Kruger” - which it kind of was and wasn‘t. Either way I enjoyed it.

Blueberry Yummy-looking bagel. 😋 3mo
Suet624 I want whatever you're eating. 3mo
Reggie I agree with her on the Nightmare on Elm Street vibes. 3mo
59 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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ChrisBohjalian
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Bedtime reading. Good-night.

SamAnne My hold just came in for this one. Looking forward to it. 5mo
32 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Chelsea.Poole
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

I listened to Bad Cree on Indigenous People Day, which was accidental, but very appropriate. Full of grief, but also scary—there‘s nightmares and creatures, focused heavily on the those who‘ve come before. Also, a homecoming novel…and that section was full of levity and laughter, which was a nice break before it turned dark again. I loved the Cree culture depicted. It reminded me of a YA novel I read a few years ago “House of Hollow” tagged⬇️

78 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Creadnorthey
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

This is another great YAL book- geared more for an older set- in the vein of Robinson and Demaline. There is some serious creep factor and a tear or two to be shed; a terrific read.

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Clare-Dragonfly
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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I picked this up from the #littlefreelibrary and the cats were very intrigued (though Magrat ran away before I could take the picture).

dabbe Hello there, sweet kitty who loves kitty-lit! 🖤🐾🖤 6mo
Clare-Dragonfly @dabbe Gandalf is naturally a very literary cat 😸 6mo
dabbe @Clare-Dragonfly Of course; I'd expect nothing less! 🤩🤩🤩 6mo
25 likes3 comments
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angieinwonderland
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
Pickpick

First-person present tense had me fully immersed in the experience from beginning to end. The descriptions and the characters were so realistic that my imagination had no problem filling in the blanks. My husband said I looked intense when he glanced over, but there were multiple points where I could be caught reading so intently.

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monalyisha
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

I was surprised & not surprised to find reviews from readers who bailed on this book. By the time I read them, I kind-of loved it and couldn‘t put it down…but it also took me a while to get into it. I just thought it was me! I don‘t think Bad Cree‘s *exquisitely* written or *exquisitely* crafted - but it‘s well-written. It‘s moody, sharp, and warm (with a big, extended cast of aunties and cousins), full of grief and love. 👇🏻

monalyisha 1/1: It feels effortlessly hip (from an author who is also, apparently, the founder of kokôm kombucha). I have complaints, of course (e.g. the reason behind Mackenzie‘s dreams was never much of a mystery — and why was the Dad even mentioned?!) but they‘re not what will stick with me. Knowing that it‘s her debut, I‘m excited to see how Johns grows as a writer and eager to bear witness as her career develops. (edited) 9mo
monalyisha A fun fact that I learned after reading is that Johns wrote this, in part, as a response to her professor who told the class never to write about dreams because “they‘re boring.” She wanted to prove him wrong, given the importance of dreams in Cree culture. I‘m someone who *always* rallies against the advice that “no one wants to hear about your dreams,” so I stand with her in defiant solidarity. 😉 (edited) 9mo
jlhammar Great review! I've been meaning to get to this one for months. Looking forward to it! 9mo
70 likes3 comments
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monalyisha
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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“The moss and trees muffled our talks, like we were in a cozy room together rather than out in the open.”

Suet624 Beautiful post. 💕💕💕 9mo
TheBookgeekFrau What a beautiful photo! 😍 9mo
69 likes2 comments
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Hooked_on_books
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Bailedbailed

This one just isn‘t working for me. It‘ll grab me for a minute, then wander off in another direction. Maybe I‘ll try it again someday if I can find it on audio.

shawnmooney I‘m with you on this one. I finished it, and I‘ll never get those hours back. 10mo
AlaMich Your dog has achieved Maximum Sprawl! 🐶😂 10mo
Hooked_on_books @shawnmooney Ha! You make me feel better about bailing! 10mo
Hooked_on_books @AlaMich She has! And I thought her posture was perfect for this post. 😁 10mo
52 likes4 comments
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ReadingOver50
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

Interesting supernatural horror. I liked the way the characters were able to see things in their dreams. And the close knit family made me happy.

My personal complaint was how many characters smoked and how much they smoked. I could imagine the house being filled with smoke and how it would smell and it disgusted me.

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ChaoticMissAdventures
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

A wonderful ghost story about family.
I loved reading the aunties parts, makes me miss my own.
I enjoyed this magically written, dreams, and hauntings, not scary but with a reflective undertone.

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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Mehso-so

This never quite landed for me, both in the way it didn't actually scare me when I knew it was trying to and in that I never really got fully emotionally invested. I felt like all the parts were there, but they never came together. Might be a "it's not you, it's me" thing." I did love some of the writing on a sentence level, the depiction of family, and the queer Indigenous representation!

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ImperfectCJ
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

Although this novel could have been more skillfully constructed (there's a "first this happened, then this" feeling sometimes rather than an organic unfolding, and sometimes the passage of time feels off), I enjoy how it explores family, both the one we're born into and the one we create, collective and personal wisdom, the ways in which a community is interwoven, for better or worse, and the challenge of being drawn to that which will hurt us.

ImperfectCJ And I LOVE the crows. 11mo
monalyisha Great review! I fully concur. 9mo
50 likes2 comments
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psalva
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Mehso-so

I felt like the first half of this book was amazing. I loved the atmosphere and the premise. I related to the themes, and I was invested in the characters. The second half started to drag and I found the ending a bit anticlimactic, maybe because the focus became more external to the characters once they figured out what was going on.
I think this would be make interesting film. However, overall, it left me unsatisfied as a reader.

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CaitlinR
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

I loved this book which is so much more sophisticated than the horror genre in which it‘s classed. It is a story about grief, guilt and the toxic places those emotions can create; a story about powerful family ties and the horror that can result from denying those ties and the duality that lives in all of us. As this talented author writes: “I used to think enough love was supposed to wipe all the bad clean, but I don‘t think that‘s true anymore”

CaitlinR Photo of the author. 12mo
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 12mo
CaitlinR @TrishB Thank you! 12mo
24 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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MysticFaerie
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

4⭐️/5⭐️

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Jolynne
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

A different take on grief and greed.

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Addison_Reads
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

Bad Cree was a terrifying book to listen to on audio. The descriptions of the MC's nightmares were so vivid and real.

I will admit that at times the MC annoyed me with her martyrdom tendencies but not enough to distract from the story. I loved the cultural elements and learned quite a bit about Cree traditions.

This story is very suspenseful and at times the build-up felt greater than the payoff. In the end, it was still a good horror read.

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shawnmooney
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Sara_Planz
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

This is a supernatural horror novel based in Cree tradition and legend. Debut novelist Jessica Johns creates an atmospheric tale that deals with grief, family relationships, and the power of the female bond. The cultural element added a twist on horror that I could not help but be drawn into. This one has been on so many most anticipated lists and I could not agree more. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

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Reggie
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

This was Nightmare on Elm Street meets the Rez. McKenzie starts having nightmares having to do with the death of her sister Sabrina and is called back to her home where she grew up to figure it all out. This was great for the most part. Some fantastic stuff about families and eerie images. It‘s just the MC has this, martyr may not be the best word but it‘s the only one I can think of, martyr thing going on that almost devolves this story into 👇🏼

Reggie a B movie with some of the bad choices being made. I think if the author had split perspectives as soon as she went home and we got different views from some of the aunties and some of the cousins it would have been better. This was still a solid pick anyway. (edited) 14mo
Bookzombie Great review! 🙂 14mo
vivastory You sold me with your Nightmare On Elm St meets the Rez line 14mo
See All 7 Comments
batsy Interesting review! I'm looking forward to this one; have placed a library hold. 14mo
stretchkev Heard a bit of mix of reviews but sold on the Nightmare on Elm Street meets the Rez. (edited) 14mo
Reggie @Bookzombie @vivastory @batsy @stretchkev I hope ya‘ll like it. I thought for a first book it was good but there are some definite 🤦🏼moments. 14mo
Michael_Gee My horror book club hosted her for her virtual debut event! The interviewer wore her Freddy sweater. 13mo
60 likes3 stack adds7 comments
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Lindy
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

A gripping debut novel about Mackenzie, a contemporary Cree woman from northern Alberta, who is not only experiencing nightmares about her deceased sister, but transporting objects back from the dream world. The message about the importance of female members of one‘s extended family staying connected is a bit heavy-handed, & sometimes Mackenzie did things that made me impatient, but I enjoyed this overall. #LGBTQ #Indigenous #ShadowGiller2023

Lindy Audiobook performed by Tanis Parenteau 14mo
36 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Lindy
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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I think about the toxic environment in the oil patch, the high depression rate among young people based in camps for weeks and months on end, working every day. The way the industry changes men into worse men.

[An example of content overlap between the tagged novel and Kate Beaton‘s memoir about working in oil patch camps.]

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Lindy
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Nehiyawak are supposed to be less controlling with their babies. When someone is born, they become their own person. Have to be trusted to make their own choices. Parents are supposed to just help when they need it. I‘ve always had a hard time with that part. The letting go part. I‘m a bad Cree sometimes.

Lindy Illustration from 14mo
34 likes1 stack add1 comment
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jlhammar
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Was excited to find new issues of bookmarks and BookPage in my mailbox yesterday. Tagged book caught my eye (out Jan 10). Sounds really good.

RamsFan1963 I used to get Bookmarks at the local BAM, but they suddenly stopped carrying it, which is odd since it's a magazine about books in a bookstore. 1y
48 likes1 comment
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GerardtheBookworm
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

Haunted by nightmares and spirits visions, Cree Native Mackenzie returns home to investigate her sister's mysterious death. Soon, she is hunted by supernatural forces of Native American folklore in this cultural mixture of fantasy, thriller and horror.