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Mama
Once upon a time there lived a sweet little dolly. Her porcelain like face was so smooth, just like a baby. Her mouth even had a tiny hole so she could eat and breathe. But her one beaded glass eye gleamed with mischief and evil. She had waited a long time in the attic for someone to set her free...
Once upon a time there lived a sweet little girl. The only place she was happy was in the attic with her dolly. If she could have seen her little doll's legs kick, she would have been frightened. If she could have felt her little doll's arms squeeze, she would have been shocked. But if she could have read her little doll's thoughts she would have run from the attic forever--for her sweet little dolly only had killing her on her mind...
Once upon a time there lived a sweet little girl. The only place she was happy was in the attic with her dolly. If she could have seen her little doll's legs kick, she would have been frightened. If she could have felt her little doll's arms squeeze, she would have been shocked. But if she could have read her little doll's thoughts she would have run from the attic forever--for her sweet little dolly only had killing her on her mind...
303 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
23 people are currently reading
677 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 - 30 of 50 reviews
March 22, 2017
Five-year-old Dorrie’s dad has just died of leukemia and she and her mother, her sister Stephanie, and her brother Tommy move into their late great-grandmother’s old house. Dorrie takes a liking to the attic, which is full of old toys and dolls. She especially likes one celluloid baby doll in particular. She feels sad because the doll looks dented in and twisted. She wants the doll to be healthy and live, not die, like her daddy did. So she breathes on the doll and runs her hands over it and to Dorrie’s surprise the doll begins to move/stir. The more she breathes into the doll's mouth, the more alive the doll gets---moving its arm, leg… She decides the doll needs milk and nourishment so she goes to get the doll some milk but when she gives it to the doll, the doll doesn’t want it, it only wants Dorrie’s breath inside it. Soon Dorrie is breathing into the other toys in the attic. The wooden horse, a kitty cat, etc…
As time goes by various members of the family sometimes think they hear movement up in the attic, bumping, dragging, footsteps. Dorrie’s mother goes up to see if there are mice up there but all she sees are Dorrie’s toys all lined up by the toy box. She gets a funny feeling while looking at them, almost as though they are really looking back at her. Then she thinks it is just her imagination. Soon Dorrie’s brother and sister investigate when they keep hearing noises from the attic, above their bedrooms. When they go up to the creepy attic the toy horse, which is perched high on a box, jumps on Tommy and seems to bite him. They are scared and run out of the attic. How could this possibly happen? There must be a logical explanation. Maybe the previous owner put the horse up there and it fell? And after all, Dorrie is up in the attic playing with the dolls. If she isn’t scared then how could ten-year-old Tommy and thirteen-year-old Stephanie be? But the dolls are becoming more and more alive. And more and more menacing.
This was a totally captivating, scary book. I really had a hard time putting this book down. I wanted to see what was going to happen next. The evil dolls were totally creepy. The story got even creepier when the dolls came down the attic stairs and went into the house. And when they kept coming to Dorrie for her kiss/breath. I couldn’t figure out how Dorrie’s mother let Dorrie spend so much time in a dusty old attic, with the windows closed (no fresh air), all alone, every day. She seemed more absorbed in the novel she was trying to write than what was going on with her children. Tommy grew on me throughout the book…he realized the dolls were alive and he was trying to protect Dorrie. This book also had great atmosphere. The reader really felt like they were in that old house.
A very spooky, eerie read.
As time goes by various members of the family sometimes think they hear movement up in the attic, bumping, dragging, footsteps. Dorrie’s mother goes up to see if there are mice up there but all she sees are Dorrie’s toys all lined up by the toy box. She gets a funny feeling while looking at them, almost as though they are really looking back at her. Then she thinks it is just her imagination. Soon Dorrie’s brother and sister investigate when they keep hearing noises from the attic, above their bedrooms. When they go up to the creepy attic the toy horse, which is perched high on a box, jumps on Tommy and seems to bite him. They are scared and run out of the attic. How could this possibly happen? There must be a logical explanation. Maybe the previous owner put the horse up there and it fell? And after all, Dorrie is up in the attic playing with the dolls. If she isn’t scared then how could ten-year-old Tommy and thirteen-year-old Stephanie be? But the dolls are becoming more and more alive. And more and more menacing.
This was a totally captivating, scary book. I really had a hard time putting this book down. I wanted to see what was going to happen next. The evil dolls were totally creepy. The story got even creepier when the dolls came down the attic stairs and went into the house. And when they kept coming to Dorrie for her kiss/breath. I couldn’t figure out how Dorrie’s mother let Dorrie spend so much time in a dusty old attic, with the windows closed (no fresh air), all alone, every day. She seemed more absorbed in the novel she was trying to write than what was going on with her children. Tommy grew on me throughout the book…he realized the dolls were alive and he was trying to protect Dorrie. This book also had great atmosphere. The reader really felt like they were in that old house.
A very spooky, eerie read.
May 25, 2021
After playing the extremely tense Donna Beneviento chapter of Resident Evil Village, I decided it was time to finally dip into a Ruby Jean Jensen novel to maintain the mood. This was the first book by this author I've ever read. Jensen was the queen of evil doll stories, and this one, along with "Annabelle," are considered her most representative classics.
Briefly, "Mama" concerns a widow and her three children who move into the family's remote ancestral home where they can live rent-free while mother pursues a writing career to pay the bills after the father dies of a long illness. The youngest child, Dorrie, is a little delayed, unable to read or write, and unable to dress herself. She wishes she could bring her daddy back to life. Up in the attic, she finds a trunk of old toys and dolls, and she enacts her fantasies of being able to restore them to life. And sure enough, the dolls begin to move on their own with a kind of mean-spirited intelligence. Imagine a dark version of the original "Toy Story" melded with "Puppetmaster," and you have a good idea of what this is like.
What the book manages to do right, it does really right. This is certainly one of the creepiest stories of it's kind. I truly was brought back to my childhood, lying in bed with insomnia, hyperaware of the sounds of the house, swearing that in the darkness my toys were slowly moving, and their faces were somehow more sinister and cruel at night. There isn't a lot of action and there is no gore, so you horror fans who like your content more extreme will need to look elsewhere. But if you like your slow-burn horrors, if you like things that go bump in the night, if you like the weird and unsettling, this will appeal.
Now to discuss some of what I didn't like about the book, I have to go a bit into SPOILER TERRITORY. If you are interested in this book and want to go in blind, stop this review here.
Now, it is never really explained how the dolls develop sentience. Were they always cursed, evil dolls? It seems the author wanted us to believe that Dorrie herself had some kind of special power, and it was through her life-giving breath that she made the dolls "to live." If Dorrie really had this power, this could have made for an interesting twist along the lines of "Pet Sematary." But the idea goes nowhere, and the dolls seem to be able to feed off of anyone's breath, not just Dorrie's. And this illustrates where the novel went wrong for me--there were so many promising story arcs that went nowhere.
The adults in the story are completely superfluous. We didn't need to hear about them at all, or minimally, because this is a story set in a child's world and from a child's point of view. So we don't really care about the budding romance between the widowed mother and the handsome groundskeeper. We don't need to be privy to the mother feeling guilty about having feelings for someone other than her dead husband. We don't need to cut to the groundskeeper sitting in his trailer and wondering if the family is okay. The adults do not ultimately factor in at all. They do not contribute to the plot or do anything to move the narrative forward. They do not end up as heroes of the story. We could have gathered any information about their personalities or character arcs simply from side comments from the children's perspective. So to spend as much time on the adults as Jensen did seemed to needlessly pad an otherwise simple premise and a succinct novel.
I usually find stories centered around child characters to be incredibly annoying, because so many authors either seem to have never had kids and thus don't know the first thing about how to write a sympathetic and believable pre-adolescent, or the author simply hates children. But Jensen writes her minors with respect, sympathy, and the tenderness of a real mother and grandmother. They are very believable little kids in an unbelievable situation. So "Mama" really would have added to the awe and mystery if the adults simply floated in and out of the children's narrative like ghosts, making the reader truly immersed in the loneliness and helplessness a child feels when faced with the terrors of the dark attic or under the bed.
But I can't bring myself to rate this book less than four stars, because I feel it overall accomplishes what it set out to do quite well. It certainly must have really been quite something to read back in the 1980s before Chuckie from "Child's Play" became a satirical figure and another doll named Annabelle terrified the Millennial crowd. And even now, though this is not the scariest book I've read, it still managed to make a desensitized guy like me want to cry out for mama in the middle of the night.
I've heard some readers complain that Jensen's novels tend to be a bit formulaic, and to that, I say if the formula works, use it.
Fans of paperback horrors should include this classic on their TBR without delay, and it is easier than ever to read it as almost all of Ruby Jean Jensen's books are available as inexpensive e-books.
Briefly, "Mama" concerns a widow and her three children who move into the family's remote ancestral home where they can live rent-free while mother pursues a writing career to pay the bills after the father dies of a long illness. The youngest child, Dorrie, is a little delayed, unable to read or write, and unable to dress herself. She wishes she could bring her daddy back to life. Up in the attic, she finds a trunk of old toys and dolls, and she enacts her fantasies of being able to restore them to life. And sure enough, the dolls begin to move on their own with a kind of mean-spirited intelligence. Imagine a dark version of the original "Toy Story" melded with "Puppetmaster," and you have a good idea of what this is like.
What the book manages to do right, it does really right. This is certainly one of the creepiest stories of it's kind. I truly was brought back to my childhood, lying in bed with insomnia, hyperaware of the sounds of the house, swearing that in the darkness my toys were slowly moving, and their faces were somehow more sinister and cruel at night. There isn't a lot of action and there is no gore, so you horror fans who like your content more extreme will need to look elsewhere. But if you like your slow-burn horrors, if you like things that go bump in the night, if you like the weird and unsettling, this will appeal.
Now to discuss some of what I didn't like about the book, I have to go a bit into SPOILER TERRITORY. If you are interested in this book and want to go in blind, stop this review here.
Now, it is never really explained how the dolls develop sentience. Were they always cursed, evil dolls? It seems the author wanted us to believe that Dorrie herself had some kind of special power, and it was through her life-giving breath that she made the dolls "to live." If Dorrie really had this power, this could have made for an interesting twist along the lines of "Pet Sematary." But the idea goes nowhere, and the dolls seem to be able to feed off of anyone's breath, not just Dorrie's. And this illustrates where the novel went wrong for me--there were so many promising story arcs that went nowhere.
The adults in the story are completely superfluous. We didn't need to hear about them at all, or minimally, because this is a story set in a child's world and from a child's point of view. So we don't really care about the budding romance between the widowed mother and the handsome groundskeeper. We don't need to be privy to the mother feeling guilty about having feelings for someone other than her dead husband. We don't need to cut to the groundskeeper sitting in his trailer and wondering if the family is okay. The adults do not ultimately factor in at all. They do not contribute to the plot or do anything to move the narrative forward. They do not end up as heroes of the story. We could have gathered any information about their personalities or character arcs simply from side comments from the children's perspective. So to spend as much time on the adults as Jensen did seemed to needlessly pad an otherwise simple premise and a succinct novel.
I usually find stories centered around child characters to be incredibly annoying, because so many authors either seem to have never had kids and thus don't know the first thing about how to write a sympathetic and believable pre-adolescent, or the author simply hates children. But Jensen writes her minors with respect, sympathy, and the tenderness of a real mother and grandmother. They are very believable little kids in an unbelievable situation. So "Mama" really would have added to the awe and mystery if the adults simply floated in and out of the children's narrative like ghosts, making the reader truly immersed in the loneliness and helplessness a child feels when faced with the terrors of the dark attic or under the bed.
But I can't bring myself to rate this book less than four stars, because I feel it overall accomplishes what it set out to do quite well. It certainly must have really been quite something to read back in the 1980s before Chuckie from "Child's Play" became a satirical figure and another doll named Annabelle terrified the Millennial crowd. And even now, though this is not the scariest book I've read, it still managed to make a desensitized guy like me want to cry out for mama in the middle of the night.
I've heard some readers complain that Jensen's novels tend to be a bit formulaic, and to that, I say if the formula works, use it.
Fans of paperback horrors should include this classic on their TBR without delay, and it is easier than ever to read it as almost all of Ruby Jean Jensen's books are available as inexpensive e-books.
January 14, 2012
Another one of Jensen's best books, involving an attic full of posessed toys. There's not a great deal of action or a high body count, but the level of suspense makes this one a hard one to put down as it's built on menace.
May 8, 2023
This was a fun, cozy horror novella about creepy toys that takes a surprisingly dark turn in the end. Reading this was akin to watching one of those old horror TV movies of the week. This was my first book by the author and I definitely plan to read more soon.
May 1, 2020
A solid, pretty creepy read, Mama is Ruby Jean Jensen’s debut novel on the Zebra Horror line is better written than perhaps what you’d expect—I know I’ve not had much luck with Zebra paperbacks. (Though this book did give me new hope!)
Don’t go into this expecting the creepy woo-woo to be thoroughly explained and don’t expect in-depth character development. The characters herein have their notes and hit them well enough, but there isn’t much “development”, nor are there really arcs to be spoken of; this is simply dumb ‘80s horror fun. Old dolls in the attic come to life and form a special bond with a little girl—and her older brother tries to save her. Oh, and their grieving widower mother is trying to a write a novel. What more can you expect?
Maybe this book worked for me because it preys on a couple of my childhood fears: old attics, dolls, sisters. Jensen gets decent mileage out of these things, though I wish she’d gone a bit farther; I must say the death of a certain character did shock me however. I was expecting a totally happy ending.
This is a solid, albeit pretty tame, book that made me moderately interested in checking out other titles by this author. She wrote only a gazillion; I think I own a few. They might be in the attic....
Don’t go into this expecting the creepy woo-woo to be thoroughly explained and don’t expect in-depth character development. The characters herein have their notes and hit them well enough, but there isn’t much “development”, nor are there really arcs to be spoken of; this is simply dumb ‘80s horror fun. Old dolls in the attic come to life and form a special bond with a little girl—and her older brother tries to save her. Oh, and their grieving widower mother is trying to a write a novel. What more can you expect?
Maybe this book worked for me because it preys on a couple of my childhood fears: old attics, dolls, sisters. Jensen gets decent mileage out of these things, though I wish she’d gone a bit farther; I must say the death of a certain character did shock me however. I was expecting a totally happy ending.
This is a solid, albeit pretty tame, book that made me moderately interested in checking out other titles by this author. She wrote only a gazillion; I think I own a few. They might be in the attic....
February 26, 2019
A little girl finds lots of antique dolls in the attic and literally breathes life into them. Unfortunately, the dolls aren't as nice as she hoped...
Awesome book.
Awesome book.
August 23, 2014
Another great read from what I remember. Nothing like dolls coming to life to scare the ever living sh** out of you!
August 5, 2020
For how little blood is spilled and how sporadic the "doll" (or more accurately, general toys) horror is, I got totally sucked into the characters and the eerie atmosphere. The best kind of horror stories use the supernatural as a projection of real-world horrors we all face, and in this case, it was grief and the uncomfortable process of letting go of the past when the past isn't done with you. The mythology of the antique toys from hell is never built up or explained aside from a reference to a great grandmother that warned never to play in the attic, but there seems to be a message of losing yourself in nostalgic memory or the inability to accept death both leading to destruction.
There were a lot of perspectives switching from paragraph to paragraph, which is typically frowned upon for throwing off the reader but I don't think anyone will have trouble following in this book. The author defines the different personalities of the characters so well that I was never confused. It's difficult to conclude with total accuracy who the true protagonist of the story was since everyone, with the exception of maybe Stephanie, get equal headspace. Elsea and Tommy were my favorites since it was easy to sympathize with the new pressures she faced as a single parent and Tommy rose up to become an active hero against the ancient toy evil.
Something that surprised me was how much the story leaned into the vulnerability of children. I kept thinking up ways Elsea might discover the supernatural happenings in the attic for herself and believe her children, but the narrative never made things so simple or redemptive. The ending was particularly chilly in that vein. I do respect the author for sticking to her guns with a downbeat conclusion though.
There were a lot of perspectives switching from paragraph to paragraph, which is typically frowned upon for throwing off the reader but I don't think anyone will have trouble following in this book. The author defines the different personalities of the characters so well that I was never confused. It's difficult to conclude with total accuracy who the true protagonist of the story was since everyone, with the exception of maybe Stephanie, get equal headspace. Elsea and Tommy were my favorites since it was easy to sympathize with the new pressures she faced as a single parent and Tommy rose up to become an active hero against the ancient toy evil.
Something that surprised me was how much the story leaned into the vulnerability of children. I kept thinking up ways Elsea might discover the supernatural happenings in the attic for herself and believe her children, but the narrative never made things so simple or redemptive. The ending was particularly chilly in that vein. I do respect the author for sticking to her guns with a downbeat conclusion though.
November 17, 2022
MaMa by American horror author, Ruby Jean Jensen was my first exposure to her work. Over her life, she wrote 20+ novels. Now when you look at her picture,
you don't necessarily see a horror author, maybe the neighbour lady who works in her garden cutting her roses? Well, I'll tell you...
Mama was originally published in 1989. The story follows Elsea, newly widowed with three children: Stephanie, the oldest, Tommy, the middle child and Dorrie, the youngest. The family, due to financial difficulties, is forced to move back home, to live rent-free in Elsea's grandmother's old house. It is already furnished and is a grand old house, with an attic filled with all sorts of wonders, even including old dolls and toys.
All is going well. They meet author Corrie who lives just up the road and helps them adjust to their new surroundings. The older children begin school. Elsea, trying to find a way to earn money, begins to write a romance novel. And Dorrie spends her time in the attic, quietly playing with these dollies and other toys, especially one decrepit, one-eyed celluloid doll. It seems that Dorrie has a certain power. Her breath is bringing the toys back to life. (and they aren't necessarily very nice toys).
Tommy becomes aware of what is happening and begins to panic about the safety of the family and what he can possibly do to protect them. That is the premise of this creepy story. It's a slow burn, but gradually the tension mounts as Tommy becomes more terrified and embroiled in his battle to protect Dorrie from these 'soul-sucking'? toys. Emma Jean Jensen presents a well-written family, trying to adjust to a new life and adjust to new circumstances. The horror building in their home adds to the pressures on all of them. It's a neat story, lots of tension, breath holding moments (especially as we get to the climax) and a suitably satisfying ending. (4.0 stars)
you don't necessarily see a horror author, maybe the neighbour lady who works in her garden cutting her roses? Well, I'll tell you... Mama was originally published in 1989. The story follows Elsea, newly widowed with three children: Stephanie, the oldest, Tommy, the middle child and Dorrie, the youngest. The family, due to financial difficulties, is forced to move back home, to live rent-free in Elsea's grandmother's old house. It is already furnished and is a grand old house, with an attic filled with all sorts of wonders, even including old dolls and toys.
All is going well. They meet author Corrie who lives just up the road and helps them adjust to their new surroundings. The older children begin school. Elsea, trying to find a way to earn money, begins to write a romance novel. And Dorrie spends her time in the attic, quietly playing with these dollies and other toys, especially one decrepit, one-eyed celluloid doll. It seems that Dorrie has a certain power. Her breath is bringing the toys back to life. (and they aren't necessarily very nice toys).
Tommy becomes aware of what is happening and begins to panic about the safety of the family and what he can possibly do to protect them. That is the premise of this creepy story. It's a slow burn, but gradually the tension mounts as Tommy becomes more terrified and embroiled in his battle to protect Dorrie from these 'soul-sucking'? toys. Emma Jean Jensen presents a well-written family, trying to adjust to a new life and adjust to new circumstances. The horror building in their home adds to the pressures on all of them. It's a neat story, lots of tension, breath holding moments (especially as we get to the climax) and a suitably satisfying ending. (4.0 stars)
January 21, 2015
I love anything by Ruby Jean Jensen. This book was even autographed. Though the author has passed away, her legacy of being the Queen of horror novels lives on! Mostly her books are about dolls or toys coming back to life or evil and strange children doing ugly things. Loved this book and all the others.
October 21, 2014
Rating: 3.5 of 5
MaMa was exactly what I thought (and hoped) it'd be: terrifying. An old attic plus old demonic toys equals one of my top two worst nightmares! I was more than a little miffed with Elsea, the mother who was so absorbed in her own grief she neglected her children, and I was shocked by what happened with Tommy. Overall, an entertaining pageturner for a cold, rainy October night.
Below is the actual blurb on the back cover of ISBN 0-8217-2950-0 (not sure why GR has what's currently listed):
MaMa was exactly what I thought (and hoped) it'd be: terrifying. An old attic plus old demonic toys equals one of my top two worst nightmares! I was more than a little miffed with Elsea, the mother who was so absorbed in her own grief she neglected her children, and I was shocked by what happened with Tommy. Overall, an entertaining pageturner for a cold, rainy October night.
Below is the actual blurb on the back cover of ISBN 0-8217-2950-0 (not sure why GR has what's currently listed):
Once upon a time there lived a sweet little dolly. Her porcelain like face was so smooth, just like a baby. Her mouth even had a tiny hole so she could eat and breathe. But her one beaded glass eye gleamed with mischief and evil. She had waited a long time in the attic for someone to set her free...
Once upon a time there lived a sweet little girl. The only place she was happy was in the attic with her dolly. If she could have seen her little doll's legs kick, she would have been frightened. If she could have felt her little doll's arms squeeze, she would have been shocked. But if she could have read her little doll's thoughts she would have run from the attic forever--for her sweet little dolly only had killing her on her mind...
April 5, 2020
Following her husband's death, Elsea and her three children move into an old house that used to belong to her grandmother. The youngest child, Dorrie, finds a bunch of dolls and toys in the attic and, as you can probably guess, creepiness ensues!
Dorrie has always been the quietest of the children and her mother doesn't realise as Dorrie retreats further into her own world with her new friends. The middle child, Tommy, also becomes a large part of the story as he starts to believe the dolls are doing something to Dorrie but he knows no one will believe him so he tries to take matters into his own hands.
I really enjoy Jensen's writing style. She writes believable and relatable characters that you can feel for, which made for some emotional moments throughout the story. I also thought the topic of death and grief was handled very well and realistically.
The descriptions of the dolls and toys were unsettling, as were some of the things they get up to. This is an excellent creepy and emotional read!
(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review).
Dorrie has always been the quietest of the children and her mother doesn't realise as Dorrie retreats further into her own world with her new friends. The middle child, Tommy, also becomes a large part of the story as he starts to believe the dolls are doing something to Dorrie but he knows no one will believe him so he tries to take matters into his own hands.
I really enjoy Jensen's writing style. She writes believable and relatable characters that you can feel for, which made for some emotional moments throughout the story. I also thought the topic of death and grief was handled very well and realistically.
The descriptions of the dolls and toys were unsettling, as were some of the things they get up to. This is an excellent creepy and emotional read!
(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review).
August 22, 2017
A young widower and her three children move into an old family house. It is a new start for a broken family and Elsea Marsh is doing her best to make a new life and new home for her children. When her youngest child, the shy and quiet Dorrie, finds an attic full of toys, Elsea is thankful for the distraction it brings to the little girl in the wake of her father's death. But Dorrie's attention seems to bring to life the antique dolls and toys in a terrifying way. And only her brother Tommy seems to understand that something horrifying is happening.
A great read from the under-appreciated, and sorely missed Ruby Jean Jensen!
A great read from the under-appreciated, and sorely missed Ruby Jean Jensen!
September 27, 2022
This one is a very creepy book, it has a 1970's-80's movie feel to it, I liked it
June 21, 2025
Talk about nostalgia.
October 9, 2020
Jesus, Christ! It got into my nerve system as I almost choked on myself while devouring this piece of gem. Found the Absolute pleasure after reading this horror...
It's been a long time since I read this kind of horror which subjected with Doll, one thing I dislike most. The atmosphere of this book and characters and all those events creep the hell out of me. This my first Ruby Jean read and not for last obviously...
Little girl Dorrie's dad unfortunately died of leukaemia and moved to her great-grandmother's old house. Where she was living with her mom Elsea, big sister Stephanie and her protective brother Tommy. Dorrie found a lots of toy but old, scary, creepy looking toy in the attics of that old house. She loves them and simply couldn't get rid off them. Somehow she could give life to those creepy looking things and the events started happening just from then. It was at night that Tommy her brother could sense and hear that somethings no right. He became investigate and found something unbelievable that his little mind could ever believe. Elsea also knew there's some odd things going on in the house but couldn't find out the reason. There's a name of character named Corey who been liked by all of them. I do thought there will be more action with him in this book but no there's none. I liked the way how Tommy always tried his mighty best to protect his little sister, it just broke my heart and depressed too after knowing the final fate of Tommy. Can't tell more as I afraid I gonna spoil out everything of it...
Highly recommended read to someone who loves to read creepy, scary horror subjected with Doll. Total 5...
It's been a long time since I read this kind of horror which subjected with Doll, one thing I dislike most. The atmosphere of this book and characters and all those events creep the hell out of me. This my first Ruby Jean read and not for last obviously...
Little girl Dorrie's dad unfortunately died of leukaemia and moved to her great-grandmother's old house. Where she was living with her mom Elsea, big sister Stephanie and her protective brother Tommy. Dorrie found a lots of toy but old, scary, creepy looking toy in the attics of that old house. She loves them and simply couldn't get rid off them. Somehow she could give life to those creepy looking things and the events started happening just from then. It was at night that Tommy her brother could sense and hear that somethings no right. He became investigate and found something unbelievable that his little mind could ever believe. Elsea also knew there's some odd things going on in the house but couldn't find out the reason. There's a name of character named Corey who been liked by all of them. I do thought there will be more action with him in this book but no there's none. I liked the way how Tommy always tried his mighty best to protect his little sister, it just broke my heart and depressed too after knowing the final fate of Tommy. Can't tell more as I afraid I gonna spoil out everything of it...
Highly recommended read to someone who loves to read creepy, scary horror subjected with Doll. Total 5...
June 29, 2020
3.5 rounded to 4 stars
What can I say? This is good old classic 80's style horror - the type of books that taught me to love horror. I didn't like the mother at all. I thought she was written expecting the reader to be sympathetic towards her but I'd have rather b***h slapped her. I think that bothered me the most about the book (not perceiving the mother as intended) and that was a failure on the author's part in getting her point across IMHO. The author does offer up a creepy little girl and toys that live and it's hard to go wrong with that. This book didn't wow me and it was surely more original when published than it is now but it still holds up. Not the greatest story but it flowed well and was fun. Good enough for me.
What can I say? This is good old classic 80's style horror - the type of books that taught me to love horror. I didn't like the mother at all. I thought she was written expecting the reader to be sympathetic towards her but I'd have rather b***h slapped her. I think that bothered me the most about the book (not perceiving the mother as intended) and that was a failure on the author's part in getting her point across IMHO. The author does offer up a creepy little girl and toys that live and it's hard to go wrong with that. This book didn't wow me and it was surely more original when published than it is now but it still holds up. Not the greatest story but it flowed well and was fun. Good enough for me.
April 3, 2022
Thought this book would never end
I usually read a book in a day , this book took me a week to finish due to slot of things . first the author likes to say the same things over and over , she never explains how the little girl had the ability she did , never explains why the dolls are evil . this book was very boring and I was overly annoyed with how many times the look of the boxes in the attic or the look of the dolls were mentioned .
I usually read a book in a day , this book took me a week to finish due to slot of things . first the author likes to say the same things over and over , she never explains how the little girl had the ability she did , never explains why the dolls are evil . this book was very boring and I was overly annoyed with how many times the look of the boxes in the attic or the look of the dolls were mentioned .
June 18, 2020
It's not a literary masterpiece, nor does it try to be anything other than what it is, which is a fun read about a creepy child and her possessed dolls. It's a lot like Toy Story, except with murder.
September 6, 2020
This is a surprising paperback to read. There was more emotional moments than I expected. Grief is a real theme here but it’s also a book about moving on. The toy aspect itself is not so scary, but the idea of moving forward into a life you never planned is.
July 24, 2025
I can't believe they finally wrote the novelization of "Mama" by My Chemical Romance. I totally didn't have that song stuck in my head the entire time I was reading this.
Jokes aside, Ruby Jean Jensen seems like a really wholesome person. A staple of the 80s horror boom, she has since passed away but her family is making sure to keep her books in print. They even thank you multiple times in the liner notes for reading Ruby's book. "She wanted for people to enjoy her work!" Which seems like an obvious statement, but just comes off as kawaii. Same for the list of discussion questions for if any book clubs choose to read this lol. I really hope there's a book club out there reading obscure 80s paperbacks and they're very excited that the family wrote up discussion prompts for them.
Jokes aside, Ruby Jean Jensen seems like a really wholesome person. A staple of the 80s horror boom, she has since passed away but her family is making sure to keep her books in print. They even thank you multiple times in the liner notes for reading Ruby's book. "She wanted for people to enjoy her work!" Which seems like an obvious statement, but just comes off as kawaii. Same for the list of discussion questions for if any book clubs choose to read this lol. I really hope there's a book club out there reading obscure 80s paperbacks and they're very excited that the family wrote up discussion prompts for them.
May 19, 2021
Taco-bout this book, it’s honestly not that spine tingling terror. It took me long to finish this book, it’s slow in ways but interesting as well and suspense factor loomed as pages past by. But it hit me harder to encounter a bunny oriented horror, somehow that sort we find in kid’s horror books. I was expecting it be more wild but it turned out to be Toy Story on steroids. Celluloid dolls and toys talking and living their lives in attic and doing conspiracies against humans. The end was worst of all.
September 9, 2022
It was ok. A bit slow for a RJJ book. I still wish all of her books had been reprinted.
January 5, 2023
My daddy is dying. My daddy is dying.
For married couple Vern and Elses Marsh lide used to be picture perfect. With three beautiful children; Dorrie (the youngest), Tommy (the middle) and Stephanie (the eldest) they seemed to be happily content with the paths life allowed them to live, until a diagnosis two years prior would shatter their illusion. When Vern became deathly sickened with cancer, his wife and children watched him slowly decay in his own bed. His eyes sinking into his skull and his pallor flesh clinging to his very bones, Vern was losing his fight and quickly. Trying to remain the strength for her husband and her children, Elsea watched the savings plummet and the bills continue to raise as his care and treatments kept adding up. With his passing in a hospital room, her world turned upside down. The money to afford their apartment in the city ran dry without her husband's income, and it forced her and her children to retreat to her parents estate located deep in the isolate woods in California. Yet this old and seemingly harmless house held its own secrets within the confines of the attic, in the form of ancient china dolls, cloth dolls and stuffed animals that exist he centuries. Locked away and left to rot, it was Dorrie who would make them her playmates. And with every kiss and breath she breathed into them their eyes would shine a deeper malice as they came to life. With hatred and evil burning inside their straw stuffed bodies, they began to move on their own will, often at time inflicting pain and leaving bloody scratches and bites behind. As first Dorrie believed they were her dollies and animals, but as she continues to breathed life into their vessels they turned more and more evil.
The celluloid doll struggled to move. The scrapings of the tiny half-formed toes against the floor were feeble, and growing more feeble, and at last stopped, leaving the attic without sound. But the eye of the doll grew stronger and glared toward the ceiling with malevolent brightness, fed by the fury of its helplessness.
Don’t you know, she thought, how it feels to have your husband lying in one of those closed rooms dying? Do you have any idea how it feels to watch someone you love, someone so important to your life, drift away in pain and terror, losing the battle against which he fought so hard? No, you don’t know. I hope you don’t.
They stared back at her, the shadowed light creating on their faces hideous grins and malevolent leers. Within their eyes a steady flame-like hatred burned at her. It was as though they stood daring her to enter their world, to come closer. If she moved, they would move. They were ready to attack.
While loneliness remains close at heart for widowed Elsea, she encounters Corey Stapleton the very day they move into the desolate house. As he begins warming her heart again, she's inflicted with grief for her recently deceased husband and for the lust growing for this new man. As he convinces her to begin writing a novel, in this case a historical romance book, the two began growing closer and fonder as the days melted into weeks. All the whole little Dorrie remains isolated in the attic, aying with her new dollies. It would be late at night when he siblings Tommy and Stephanie would hear them walking around above their heads as well as communicating in a bizarre childlike voices. After making the mistake of showing Tommy one she brought back to life, he crushed it to the floor and left her feeling distrust for her brother. As the days continues he becomes withdrawn as he guards the bedrooms from the attic and the monstrosities that lie beyond it. As Dorrie becomes more and more fatigue and lethargic after every playing, her family begins to worry but for cast reasonings. Refusing to abandon the toys she brought life into, it would be one fateful night when they escaped the attic and nearly smothered the young girl to death. As she was rushed to the hospital for treatment Tommy stayed behind and armed with an axe laid out an attack on the cursed toys. Yet they would over power him and smother him to death before positioning his sprawled body on his bed for his mother and sisters to find. As they laid him to rest, his mother and siblings move from that house to a place with their grandmother. It would take two years for the property to finally sell to the Christopens family and the toys left alive would reawake to new victims.
The head dropped off and rolled across the floor. She lay the body aside and reached for the head, and abruptly it moved away from her fingers, spinning, turning upright to stare at her with eyes that threw lights of defiance. The pouted lips were changing, lengthening into a smile that was threatening and ugly.
For married couple Vern and Elses Marsh lide used to be picture perfect. With three beautiful children; Dorrie (the youngest), Tommy (the middle) and Stephanie (the eldest) they seemed to be happily content with the paths life allowed them to live, until a diagnosis two years prior would shatter their illusion. When Vern became deathly sickened with cancer, his wife and children watched him slowly decay in his own bed. His eyes sinking into his skull and his pallor flesh clinging to his very bones, Vern was losing his fight and quickly. Trying to remain the strength for her husband and her children, Elsea watched the savings plummet and the bills continue to raise as his care and treatments kept adding up. With his passing in a hospital room, her world turned upside down. The money to afford their apartment in the city ran dry without her husband's income, and it forced her and her children to retreat to her parents estate located deep in the isolate woods in California. Yet this old and seemingly harmless house held its own secrets within the confines of the attic, in the form of ancient china dolls, cloth dolls and stuffed animals that exist he centuries. Locked away and left to rot, it was Dorrie who would make them her playmates. And with every kiss and breath she breathed into them their eyes would shine a deeper malice as they came to life. With hatred and evil burning inside their straw stuffed bodies, they began to move on their own will, often at time inflicting pain and leaving bloody scratches and bites behind. As first Dorrie believed they were her dollies and animals, but as she continues to breathed life into their vessels they turned more and more evil.
The celluloid doll struggled to move. The scrapings of the tiny half-formed toes against the floor were feeble, and growing more feeble, and at last stopped, leaving the attic without sound. But the eye of the doll grew stronger and glared toward the ceiling with malevolent brightness, fed by the fury of its helplessness.
Don’t you know, she thought, how it feels to have your husband lying in one of those closed rooms dying? Do you have any idea how it feels to watch someone you love, someone so important to your life, drift away in pain and terror, losing the battle against which he fought so hard? No, you don’t know. I hope you don’t.
They stared back at her, the shadowed light creating on their faces hideous grins and malevolent leers. Within their eyes a steady flame-like hatred burned at her. It was as though they stood daring her to enter their world, to come closer. If she moved, they would move. They were ready to attack.
While loneliness remains close at heart for widowed Elsea, she encounters Corey Stapleton the very day they move into the desolate house. As he begins warming her heart again, she's inflicted with grief for her recently deceased husband and for the lust growing for this new man. As he convinces her to begin writing a novel, in this case a historical romance book, the two began growing closer and fonder as the days melted into weeks. All the whole little Dorrie remains isolated in the attic, aying with her new dollies. It would be late at night when he siblings Tommy and Stephanie would hear them walking around above their heads as well as communicating in a bizarre childlike voices. After making the mistake of showing Tommy one she brought back to life, he crushed it to the floor and left her feeling distrust for her brother. As the days continues he becomes withdrawn as he guards the bedrooms from the attic and the monstrosities that lie beyond it. As Dorrie becomes more and more fatigue and lethargic after every playing, her family begins to worry but for cast reasonings. Refusing to abandon the toys she brought life into, it would be one fateful night when they escaped the attic and nearly smothered the young girl to death. As she was rushed to the hospital for treatment Tommy stayed behind and armed with an axe laid out an attack on the cursed toys. Yet they would over power him and smother him to death before positioning his sprawled body on his bed for his mother and sisters to find. As they laid him to rest, his mother and siblings move from that house to a place with their grandmother. It would take two years for the property to finally sell to the Christopens family and the toys left alive would reawake to new victims.
The head dropped off and rolled across the floor. She lay the body aside and reached for the head, and abruptly it moved away from her fingers, spinning, turning upright to stare at her with eyes that threw lights of defiance. The pouted lips were changing, lengthening into a smile that was threatening and ugly.
September 6, 2024
I can’t believe I’ve been slacking on reading Jensen my entire life because I found a GEM that’s possibly my new favorite ‘creepy toys’ book (of all time?!). I think we can also agree that the cover art is amazing - creepy dolls for the win!
This tells the story of a recently widowed mother to three children who move into her grandmothers large vacant home. Five year old Dorrie finds an old toy chest filled with antique toys in the attic and quickly grows attached to a celluloid doll with a missing eye. Grieving the death of her father, Dorrie believes she can bring things to life by “breathing life” into them. Her new playmates start to slowly come alive with every kiss and every breath into their little mouths. But Dorrie is unaware that their greed for more of her breath will mean using their long claws and sharp teeth to get what they need…
What I loved about this book is the fluid writing and how Jensen manages to engage the readers sense of Horror without adding any shock value. Yes, murder does occur but theres no blood or gore. Instead Jensen creates a slow mounting dread that builds the suspense with a sinister feeling throughout. The characters are well developed and felt like real people - especially the children. Dorrie’s youth and innocence of not understanding the death of her father was heartbreaking. And Tommy’s inability to communicate to an adult for fear of not believing him felt spot on. It was also easy to sympathize with the mother Elsea, who faces immense pressure as a newly single parent. At the heart of the story is the way a family navigates grief in their own ways and I was surprised by how emotionally driven it is. I love an intricate plot and the toys slowly coming to life was just the cherry on top! (although it could be nightmare fuel for others) Dolls, rocking horses, clowns and evil stuffed cats are just a few of the delightfully creepy characters you’ll come across.
If you enjoy grief horror and possessed dolls, you need to read this! It’s also the first of five “Evil doll” books and I need them all!
This tells the story of a recently widowed mother to three children who move into her grandmothers large vacant home. Five year old Dorrie finds an old toy chest filled with antique toys in the attic and quickly grows attached to a celluloid doll with a missing eye. Grieving the death of her father, Dorrie believes she can bring things to life by “breathing life” into them. Her new playmates start to slowly come alive with every kiss and every breath into their little mouths. But Dorrie is unaware that their greed for more of her breath will mean using their long claws and sharp teeth to get what they need…
What I loved about this book is the fluid writing and how Jensen manages to engage the readers sense of Horror without adding any shock value. Yes, murder does occur but theres no blood or gore. Instead Jensen creates a slow mounting dread that builds the suspense with a sinister feeling throughout. The characters are well developed and felt like real people - especially the children. Dorrie’s youth and innocence of not understanding the death of her father was heartbreaking. And Tommy’s inability to communicate to an adult for fear of not believing him felt spot on. It was also easy to sympathize with the mother Elsea, who faces immense pressure as a newly single parent. At the heart of the story is the way a family navigates grief in their own ways and I was surprised by how emotionally driven it is. I love an intricate plot and the toys slowly coming to life was just the cherry on top! (although it could be nightmare fuel for others) Dolls, rocking horses, clowns and evil stuffed cats are just a few of the delightfully creepy characters you’ll come across.
If you enjoy grief horror and possessed dolls, you need to read this! It’s also the first of five “Evil doll” books and I need them all!
March 28, 2021
Of the four Ruby Jean Jensen books I have read this is probably the weakest, but I still enjoyed it.
The plot feels like something Charles Band would cook up, as an army of evil toys slowly infests a house. This story is dripping with creepy atmosphere, and the toys themselves are a wonderfully chilling army of villains. These aren't wise cracking Chucky dolls, but something more primal. I was impressed by how much they unnerved me as the story progressed. Jensen is also smart in that she doesn't actually spell everything out. There are plenty of things in regards to the how and why that never get answered, and the book is creepier for it.
The characters are likeable for the most part, with only teenage daughter Stephanie not really given much to do. Tommy and his little sister Dorrie carry the bulk of the story, and Jensen continues to prove her ability to write compelling children characters. While character motivations may be frustrating, they make sense considering the age of the characters, and the situation they are up against.
The ending of this book was satisfying, and appropriate. There is even set up for a sequel, which we will sadly never get.
If you like Ruby Jean Jensen, you will like this book. If you like creepy toys in the vain of Puppet Master or Demonic Toys, but with a gothic twist, you will like this book. Definitely recommended.
The plot feels like something Charles Band would cook up, as an army of evil toys slowly infests a house. This story is dripping with creepy atmosphere, and the toys themselves are a wonderfully chilling army of villains. These aren't wise cracking Chucky dolls, but something more primal. I was impressed by how much they unnerved me as the story progressed. Jensen is also smart in that she doesn't actually spell everything out. There are plenty of things in regards to the how and why that never get answered, and the book is creepier for it.
The characters are likeable for the most part, with only teenage daughter Stephanie not really given much to do. Tommy and his little sister Dorrie carry the bulk of the story, and Jensen continues to prove her ability to write compelling children characters. While character motivations may be frustrating, they make sense considering the age of the characters, and the situation they are up against.
The ending of this book was satisfying, and appropriate. There is even set up for a sequel, which we will sadly never get.
If you like Ruby Jean Jensen, you will like this book. If you like creepy toys in the vain of Puppet Master or Demonic Toys, but with a gothic twist, you will like this book. Definitely recommended.
August 14, 2024
My grateful thanks to whoever donated this to the little free library! One look at the cover and I knew I had to have it.
This horror story from 1983 follows Elsea and her three children. Following the death of her husband, Elsea moves her family into the old home of her deceased grandparents, a very old house in a remote area. The only other person who seems to be around is Corey, the caretaker.
If the book has flaws it’s that it’s kind of brief at 300 pages and Elsea and Corey have kind of insta love, but that was pretty standard from this type of book from memory of what I used to read in the 80’s. It’s definitely story over detail, but it works.
Its strength is the absolute creepiness of the old toys in the attic which five year old Dorrie becomes obsessed with and discovers she can help them “live”. Of course it wouldn’t be a horror story without a disbelieving parent and older sister, Stephanie, and things get out of hand quick with only 10 year old Tommy able to see the evil that is happening.
This was an enjoyable read for fans of 80’s horror and trashy novels/creepy doll stories.
This horror story from 1983 follows Elsea and her three children. Following the death of her husband, Elsea moves her family into the old home of her deceased grandparents, a very old house in a remote area. The only other person who seems to be around is Corey, the caretaker.
If the book has flaws it’s that it’s kind of brief at 300 pages and Elsea and Corey have kind of insta love, but that was pretty standard from this type of book from memory of what I used to read in the 80’s. It’s definitely story over detail, but it works.
Its strength is the absolute creepiness of the old toys in the attic which five year old Dorrie becomes obsessed with and discovers she can help them “live”. Of course it wouldn’t be a horror story without a disbelieving parent and older sister, Stephanie, and things get out of hand quick with only 10 year old Tommy able to see the evil that is happening.
This was an enjoyable read for fans of 80’s horror and trashy novels/creepy doll stories.
July 10, 2023
This was the second Ruby Jean Jensen novel I have read. A solid horror novel with a likeable family. I did find the youngest daughter, Dorrie, to be annoying every once in awhile. But that could just be due to kids that young being overwhelming at times. Ruby was great at building tension and dread, based off the novels I have read from her. You know there will be a showdown with the evil dolls...but you just don't know when. Ruby was also unafraid to kill off any character. Even though most of her books were from the 70s and 80s, it's freshing reading a horror novel where any of the main characters could die. Even being a child does not save characters from potentially dying in Ruby's novels. Any violence in her books serves the plot and doesn't seem gratuitous at all
June 25, 2020
Sooooo, I recently was made aware that I live 15 miles from both where Ruby Jean was born (Pineville, Mo) and where she lived her last 50 years (Rogers, Ar) and HOW have I not read anything by her yet???
WELL!!! Holy HELL.
Mama ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You have a creepy ass old house
You have a creepy ass kid
You have a creepy ass old attic
You have a creepy ass old doll
Stick all that into a blender a d let Ruby Jean Jensen knit a yarn and you smash a book in 2 days!!! The writing was fluid and easy flowing. This is the style of writing that, without being overly wordy, the reader can slip into the written word like Alice through the looking glass!
WELL!!! Holy HELL.
Mama ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You have a creepy ass old house
You have a creepy ass kid
You have a creepy ass old attic
You have a creepy ass old doll
Stick all that into a blender a d let Ruby Jean Jensen knit a yarn and you smash a book in 2 days!!! The writing was fluid and easy flowing. This is the style of writing that, without being overly wordy, the reader can slip into the written word like Alice through the looking glass!
June 25, 2020
Sooo, I recently found out that I live 15 miles from both where Ruby Jean was born (Pineville, Mo) and where she lived her last 50 years (Rogers, Ar) and HOW have I not read anything by her yet???
WELL!!! Holy HELL.
Mama ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You have a creepy ass old house
You have a creepy ass kid
You have a creepy ass old attic
You have a creepy ass old doll
Stick all that into a blender a d let Ruby Jean Jensen knit a yarn and you smash a book in 2 days!!!
The writing was fluid and easy flowing. This is the style of writing that, without being overly wordy, the reader can slip into the written word like Alice through the looking glass!
WELL!!! Holy HELL.
Mama ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You have a creepy ass old house
You have a creepy ass kid
You have a creepy ass old attic
You have a creepy ass old doll
Stick all that into a blender a d let Ruby Jean Jensen knit a yarn and you smash a book in 2 days!!!
The writing was fluid and easy flowing. This is the style of writing that, without being overly wordy, the reader can slip into the written word like Alice through the looking glass!
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