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Baby Dolly
It was such a lovely baby dolly. With its tiny , delicate hands, its cunning wrought features, its hand-stitched gown. It was a doll any little girl would long to hold tight. Instead it has been kept hidden in the china cabinet all these years... — But now it was time for the doll to be taken out. To be carefully placed in a child's bed. So that it might once again claim its victims in the darkest hours of the night.
477 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1991
14 people are currently reading
405 people want to read
About the author
Ruby Jean Jensen
39 books211 followers
Ruby Jean Jensen
Born McDonald County, Missouri, USA, March 1, 1927
Died November 16, 2010
Website http://www.rubyjeanjensen.com
Twitter RubyJeanJensen1
Facebook www.facebook.com/Rjjhorror
Ruby Jean Jensen authored 30 published and 4 not yet published novels, and over 200 short stories. Her passion for writing developed at an early age, and she worked for many years to develop her writing skills. After having many short stories published, in 1974 the novel The House that Samael Built was accepted for publication. She then quickly established herself as a professional author, with representation by a Literary Agent from New York. She subsequently sold 29 more novels to several New York publishing houses. After four Gothic Romance, three Occult and then three Horror novels, MaMa was published by Zebra books in 1983. With Zebra, Ruby Jean completed nineteen more novels in the Horror genre.
Ruby was involved with creative writing groups for many years, and she often took the time to encourage young authors and to reply to fan mail.
Ruby Jean, a supreme story-teller, quickly captures and holds your attention. Her books, written for adults, are also suitable for adolescents and young adults. She continues to have an enthusiastic following in the Horror genre.
Born McDonald County, Missouri, USA, March 1, 1927
Died November 16, 2010
Website http://www.rubyjeanjensen.com
Twitter RubyJeanJensen1
Facebook www.facebook.com/Rjjhorror
Ruby Jean Jensen authored 30 published and 4 not yet published novels, and over 200 short stories. Her passion for writing developed at an early age, and she worked for many years to develop her writing skills. After having many short stories published, in 1974 the novel The House that Samael Built was accepted for publication. She then quickly established herself as a professional author, with representation by a Literary Agent from New York. She subsequently sold 29 more novels to several New York publishing houses. After four Gothic Romance, three Occult and then three Horror novels, MaMa was published by Zebra books in 1983. With Zebra, Ruby Jean completed nineteen more novels in the Horror genre.
Ruby was involved with creative writing groups for many years, and she often took the time to encourage young authors and to reply to fan mail.
Ruby Jean, a supreme story-teller, quickly captures and holds your attention. Her books, written for adults, are also suitable for adolescents and young adults. She continues to have an enthusiastic following in the Horror genre.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 14, 2023
Well, this is now my favorite Ruby Jean Jensen book of all! This damn dolly CREEPED me out!! Though it was just shy of 500 pages, and it is not graphic, be ready to just keep an eye open when you go to bed. .....yes, this gave me nightmares!! And creepy doll books normally do not do this to me.
Enjoy! that is, if you can find a copy.
Richard.
For more Horror reviews follow my youtube channel Nightmares, Anyone? here;
https://www.youtube.com/@nightmaresan...
Enjoy! that is, if you can find a copy.
Richard.
For more Horror reviews follow my youtube channel Nightmares, Anyone? here;
https://www.youtube.com/@nightmaresan...
October 25, 2025
I think that Baby Dolly is Jensen's magnum opus. It is a multi-generational story about a family with a murderous doll. I have always been a huge fan of the killer doll/tragic kids trope. Jensen never shies away from killing off her most innocent characters. Baby Dolly is really punch to the throat from the very first chapter. A definite must read for any horror fan.
February 6, 2010
Baby Dolly is about a baby doll that sucks the life out of people, specifically several generations of the same family. The book begins in 1882 with a girl, Sybil, receiving the baby doll and being disappointed because she thinks she's too grown up for dolls. So she places the doll in her sister's bed and the next day her sister is dead. When Sybil realizes that the doll did it, she hides it in the attic. The next part of the novel takes place in 1910, when Sybil is grown and has a family of her own. Then, 1950 when Sybil is a grandma and, finally, the present (which was 1991) where a family has inherited the house - and the doll.
Baby Dolly is the standard evil doll story: doll kills someone, no one suspects it, when someone does no one believes him/her, and when they finally believe they don't know what to do about it. Except this novel is like three short novels where the formula repeats itself. The book is 477 pages, which is too long for the simple plot.
The pace moves quickly during Book One, mainly because of the character of Rose, who is an unwed teenage mother in 1882. What her mother, Sybil, does to get rid of the baby is horrible. And the baby doll makes a few appearances. During the middle, the pace slows down a lot. The novel could have went from 1882 to the present day. We already know the doll is evil, the middle doesn't add anything new, and it's boring. But near the end, the story becomes really creepy when the doll starts crawling around and (somehow) opening and breaking down doors.
The characters aren't given much depth. There isn't much back story for any of them, except for Sybil who was cruel therefore I hated her and Gertrude who was nice, but dull, so I never really cared about her. But I did like Rose.
Baby Dolly is an okay entry in the killer doll subgenre, but it could have been better if the middle part was eliminated.
Read more of my reviews at http://littlemisszombie.blogspot.com
Baby Dolly is the standard evil doll story: doll kills someone, no one suspects it, when someone does no one believes him/her, and when they finally believe they don't know what to do about it. Except this novel is like three short novels where the formula repeats itself. The book is 477 pages, which is too long for the simple plot.
The pace moves quickly during Book One, mainly because of the character of Rose, who is an unwed teenage mother in 1882. What her mother, Sybil, does to get rid of the baby is horrible. And the baby doll makes a few appearances. During the middle, the pace slows down a lot. The novel could have went from 1882 to the present day. We already know the doll is evil, the middle doesn't add anything new, and it's boring. But near the end, the story becomes really creepy when the doll starts crawling around and (somehow) opening and breaking down doors.
The characters aren't given much depth. There isn't much back story for any of them, except for Sybil who was cruel therefore I hated her and Gertrude who was nice, but dull, so I never really cared about her. But I did like Rose.
Baby Dolly is an okay entry in the killer doll subgenre, but it could have been better if the middle part was eliminated.
Read more of my reviews at http://littlemisszombie.blogspot.com
February 28, 2016
Despite the ghastly 1980s exploitation cover and title, this book is quite excellent. Of the Ruby Jean Jensen books I've read so far, this and House of Mirrors are the best.
The setting of the majority of the story is a turn of the century mansion in Arkansas, where a doll from a foreign country arrives as a gift. Jensen avoids the typical Judeo-Christian innocent family bombarded with evil storyline by making her setting already a place of darkness, which gives an interesting aspect to the plot.
Jensen gives the opportunity to make inferences and conclusions about her characters by showing and not telling. She has a subtle style with character building that gives the reader an enjoyable sensation of discovery.
I wonder if Jensen's work had been given the right marketing and covers, she would have been more well known and influencial.
The setting of the majority of the story is a turn of the century mansion in Arkansas, where a doll from a foreign country arrives as a gift. Jensen avoids the typical Judeo-Christian innocent family bombarded with evil storyline by making her setting already a place of darkness, which gives an interesting aspect to the plot.
Jensen gives the opportunity to make inferences and conclusions about her characters by showing and not telling. She has a subtle style with character building that gives the reader an enjoyable sensation of discovery.
I wonder if Jensen's work had been given the right marketing and covers, she would have been more well known and influencial.
Read
January 27, 2016Ruby Jean Jensen wrote creepy horror novels where no one was safe. Not children, not the main character, people often died in unsuspecting ways. One of her favorite themes seemed to be dolls. She wrote the creepy plastic villains like the best of them. Dark, haunting, and worth a read for a cheesy 80's horror type.
August 13, 2018
Was leaning towards a 3/5, but it gets a bump for ambition alone.
Ruby Jean Jensen's Baby Dolly is quite a feat for a Zebra horror novel. A sprawling Southern Gothic tale spanning three generations (not counting a brief prologue), tracking the destruction of multiple family units at the tiny hands of our cute little baby dolly. Each part has its own flavor and is enjoyable on its own merits. Part I is the most Southern Gothic-y of them all, taking place in 1910 and steeped in a humid Arkansas melancholy - the doll itself is not a formidable antagonist yet, but acts as the focal point of a family more or less destroying itself (with a little aid from our porcelain friend) in the face of a baby-born-out-of-wedlock scandal. I found Part II to be the most effective, ramping up the doll's activity in a very creepy way, and while Part III doesn't quite end on as high of a note as I was expecting, the build-up to the doll homicide is great and the pace ramps up for a fiery climax.
Jensen flexes some impressive atmospheric muscles for an author who hasn't garnered much attention over the years - it's a bit sad to see her talents shoved into paperback obscurity. There's some dull wheel-spinning at times, especially in Part III, but for the most part, she knows how to keep a steady pace without divebombing into boredom territory. And shockingly enough, Baby Dolly may be the first book this summer to actually creep me out multiple times.
Perfect dark 'n' stormy night reading. Nothing too exceptional; just a big old gloomy Southern manor, a creepy-ass doll sucking out people's lifeforces, and...that's about it, but it's enough.
Ruby Jean Jensen's Baby Dolly is quite a feat for a Zebra horror novel. A sprawling Southern Gothic tale spanning three generations (not counting a brief prologue), tracking the destruction of multiple family units at the tiny hands of our cute little baby dolly. Each part has its own flavor and is enjoyable on its own merits. Part I is the most Southern Gothic-y of them all, taking place in 1910 and steeped in a humid Arkansas melancholy - the doll itself is not a formidable antagonist yet, but acts as the focal point of a family more or less destroying itself (with a little aid from our porcelain friend) in the face of a baby-born-out-of-wedlock scandal. I found Part II to be the most effective, ramping up the doll's activity in a very creepy way, and while Part III doesn't quite end on as high of a note as I was expecting, the build-up to the doll homicide is great and the pace ramps up for a fiery climax.
Jensen flexes some impressive atmospheric muscles for an author who hasn't garnered much attention over the years - it's a bit sad to see her talents shoved into paperback obscurity. There's some dull wheel-spinning at times, especially in Part III, but for the most part, she knows how to keep a steady pace without divebombing into boredom territory. And shockingly enough, Baby Dolly may be the first book this summer to actually creep me out multiple times.
Perfect dark 'n' stormy night reading. Nothing too exceptional; just a big old gloomy Southern manor, a creepy-ass doll sucking out people's lifeforces, and...that's about it, but it's enough.
October 26, 2019
I'll be honest. My expectations were not high for this book. I've read a few of Jensen's books and some were stunning, while others fell short. This book, however, thoroughly creeped me out. I think Jensen is most in her element when writing about creepy dolls; or maybe it's just the nature of a creepy doll that makes this book work alongside her writing. Many of Jensen's books are more of the same, and yes, this book was thematically similar to many of her other books. But that in no way took away from the atmosphere. A horror novel is meant to make you feel uncomfortable and creeped out, and this book achieved that. That we follow the story of this doll through multiple generations, from the year 1882 onwards to present day (at the time of this books publication) really adds to that atmosphere. It felt ambitious for Jensen, and I loved that. A little slow at times, but overall, I loved watching this novel grow until the very end.
December 17, 2019
This book was not all I hoped it would be. I don't think I'm spoiling anything for you to say it's about a doll that kills people. The doll originally came from somewhere in South America and was given to a 12 year old girl in 1882 who resented it immediately because she was too old to play with baby dolls. She was the first to discover that the doll could be used to do away with people. I loved the first third of the book because it was not only creepy but read like a historical fiction. As time passed and the doll continued to kill through several generations it became so repetitive that I've lost track of how many times people began to suspect the doll of causing deaths and then miraculously forget their suspicions in 477 pages that could have easily fit into 300.
September 10, 2020
Not gonna lie the first time I felt interested in this book, I was watching this one dude on youtube reviewing this book. While he talked about it I felt like I was jumping through generations and how evil this doll can be. The freaking guy wasn't kidding the doll was a killing machine. Killing adults and children it wasn't prejudice it covered all corners lol. Honestly, though this was a better take on killer toys then the pedo toy cemetery. It's a slow read at first then it picks up quick by book two. Check it out I give it 5/5 stars!
December 19, 2019
Sybil knew exactly what she was doing when she brought the doll down from the attic, and her act was a monstrous evil. She always thought that she could control the doll, but she never planned on the events that transpired. Baby Dolly is 4th in Ruby Jean's series of evil doll books, and is yet another compelling story.
July 1, 2013
This book was creepy! I had a hard time reading it at night if I was home alone :-) I love books like that! Would recommend to any horror buff that likes creepy doll books.
April 13, 2019
I wanted to be cautious. First is a first and didn't want to be disillusioned.
It's definitely not a cheap read. It's not even a slow burner. It's a twin, a double edge sword, a coin with two very different sides. The first half is slow, silly, not atmospherically enchanting and dry albeit some creepy and effective moments. The second half is good, good, good, fast paced, with characters much more developed and several moments that take your breath away almost turning you into a still dolly.
Nothing majorly gory - which is a shame.
What it lacks is the atmosphere and a more serious explanation. The sudden mention of South America here and there is just as silly as some early development...but alas maybe we wouldn't have a horror genre in literature without silliness.
It's a good first for me. I may keep Ruby in my mind for future readings.
It's definitely not a cheap read. It's not even a slow burner. It's a twin, a double edge sword, a coin with two very different sides. The first half is slow, silly, not atmospherically enchanting and dry albeit some creepy and effective moments. The second half is good, good, good, fast paced, with characters much more developed and several moments that take your breath away almost turning you into a still dolly.
Nothing majorly gory - which is a shame.
What it lacks is the atmosphere and a more serious explanation. The sudden mention of South America here and there is just as silly as some early development...but alas maybe we wouldn't have a horror genre in literature without silliness.
It's a good first for me. I may keep Ruby in my mind for future readings.
July 24, 2011
Often I wish Goodreads allowed one to give half stars, as I feel this deserved something more in the range of 2 1/2 stars.
As positives, I really enjoy Ruby Jean Jensen's writing style. Her way of writing is much nicer than many other, similar horror authors. I also enjoy the way that she left the evil force in this story both unexplained, and difficult to differentiate between the horrors in the hearts of the humans surrounding the force. Moreover, I feel that Jensen really strives to write in ways that appeal to women. The story centers around a family and children, and often features concerns and details that I feel most male horror authors would be oblivious to.
That said, I felt that the book was overly long. While the first two sections are certainly interesting, they could definitely stand to have been much shorter, particularly the second section. I found myself, at times, almost shaking with excitement and nervousness from the story, while at other times having to fight off complete ennui. I think that level of excitement could have been maintained much better.
As positives, I really enjoy Ruby Jean Jensen's writing style. Her way of writing is much nicer than many other, similar horror authors. I also enjoy the way that she left the evil force in this story both unexplained, and difficult to differentiate between the horrors in the hearts of the humans surrounding the force. Moreover, I feel that Jensen really strives to write in ways that appeal to women. The story centers around a family and children, and often features concerns and details that I feel most male horror authors would be oblivious to.
That said, I felt that the book was overly long. While the first two sections are certainly interesting, they could definitely stand to have been much shorter, particularly the second section. I found myself, at times, almost shaking with excitement and nervousness from the story, while at other times having to fight off complete ennui. I think that level of excitement could have been maintained much better.
April 2, 2023
Effective creepy doll story by a master of this sub-genre, Ruby Jean Jensen! Set in the fictional town of Wilfred, Arkansas, this novel is a multi-generational shocker, starting in the 1880's and ending in the 1990's. At the center of the story is a mysterious baby doll, obtained in South America, and given to 12-year old Sybil by her Papa as a Christmas present. Throughout the years, the doll is usually kept locked away in a curio cabinet on the 3rd floor of the family mansion. But, then there are occasions when it is....set free.
There are several memorable characters within each of the time periods of this story: my favorite being 15 year-old Julie Sue from 1910. There are many moments of terror in this book, some quite subtle, others an all-out assault on the senses. I really liked this one!
There are several memorable characters within each of the time periods of this story: my favorite being 15 year-old Julie Sue from 1910. There are many moments of terror in this book, some quite subtle, others an all-out assault on the senses. I really liked this one!
September 30, 2009
Good book and pretty scary too!
February 13, 2013
I thought this book was very scary, an on the edge of my seat scary.
very much worth the time to read.
I can't wait to start my next book by RubyJean Jenson.
very much worth the time to read.
I can't wait to start my next book by RubyJean Jenson.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews