What do you think?
Rate this book
Vampire Child
Ruby Jean, the Queen of Horror, takes her turn at exploring the dark vampire legend! As usual, her focus is on the children… — "If you are looking for a vampire novel that doesn't follow your typical vampire tropes then I recommend this one"
— "Jensen writes kids well and always throws enough twists and turns and brutal murders to keep things interesting"
— “It had some unique elements that I really liked"
— "Quick fun read"
— "There is a lot of time spent on the characters”
Ruby Jean Jensen pioneered a branch of horror that was popular in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Many of her fans have fond memories of their first experiences in reading her books. Ruby Jean was truly a trailblazer for women authors exploring dark forces. New fans will be fascinated to explore her 30 novels! VAMPIRE CHILD is well suited for both young and older adults.
Originally published in 1990, VAMPIRE CHILD was the 12th of 20 Ruby Jean books published by Zebra. Three years ago, a horrible death had led to the flight to hiding halfway across the country. And now her son Paddy has come home… no longer a charming, likable child, but a foul creature of the dark. A hideous fiend prowling the shadows for helpless human victims to satisfy his horrifying, insatiable thirst.
— "Jensen writes kids well and always throws enough twists and turns and brutal murders to keep things interesting"
— “It had some unique elements that I really liked"
— "Quick fun read"
— "There is a lot of time spent on the characters”
Ruby Jean Jensen pioneered a branch of horror that was popular in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Many of her fans have fond memories of their first experiences in reading her books. Ruby Jean was truly a trailblazer for women authors exploring dark forces. New fans will be fascinated to explore her 30 novels! VAMPIRE CHILD is well suited for both young and older adults.
Originally published in 1990, VAMPIRE CHILD was the 12th of 20 Ruby Jean books published by Zebra. Three years ago, a horrible death had led to the flight to hiding halfway across the country. And now her son Paddy has come home… no longer a charming, likable child, but a foul creature of the dark. A hideous fiend prowling the shadows for helpless human victims to satisfy his horrifying, insatiable thirst.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1990
3 people are currently reading
203 people want to read
About the author
Ruby Jean Jensen
39 books210 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 18, 2020
Yes, that actual jacket you see on the cover does indeed play a big part in this book.
February 19, 2021
Ketti lives with her teenage daughter Babette and young son Danny. They left behind another son, Patrick, a few years earlier but one night he arrives at their home after having tracked them down. Ketti is convinced that Patrick is a vampire and must try to stop him. Babette thinks her mother must be crazy and vows to protect Patrick from her. After an incident takes place, the family is split up: Ketti to jail, Babette to a foster home and Patrick to a place for boys who have been victims of abuse. Babette prepares for the day that her mother is released from jail in order to get to Patrick before her. Meanwhile, mysterious deaths occur at Patrick's new home.
I thought this was an interesting take on the vampire story and it had some unique elements that I really liked. The way the vampire was described was rather sinister and grotesque. The fact that the vampire is a child character was also an interesting take and the way that he tries to battle this dark side was an effective idea. I was particularly pleased that the cover artwork depicting a leather jacket does actually exist in the book! The owner of the jacket isn't necessarily described as having a mullet but I'm not surprised that the artist took that liberty (I'd have done the same).
There is a lot of time spent on the characters and we are introduced to several in addition to the family and the story cuts back and forth from one to another as the story progresses. I liked that the story wasn't completely focused on the vampire character but instead we follow multiple characters. That said, a little more of Patrick's story wouldn't have been a bad thing. I do wish we had a little more back story involving the vampire because that was a bit vague. The only other thing letting this one down a little for me were some outdated descriptions of certain characters. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and if you are looking for a vampire novel that doesn't follow your typical vampire tropes then I recommend this one.
I thought this was an interesting take on the vampire story and it had some unique elements that I really liked. The way the vampire was described was rather sinister and grotesque. The fact that the vampire is a child character was also an interesting take and the way that he tries to battle this dark side was an effective idea. I was particularly pleased that the cover artwork depicting a leather jacket does actually exist in the book! The owner of the jacket isn't necessarily described as having a mullet but I'm not surprised that the artist took that liberty (I'd have done the same).
There is a lot of time spent on the characters and we are introduced to several in addition to the family and the story cuts back and forth from one to another as the story progresses. I liked that the story wasn't completely focused on the vampire character but instead we follow multiple characters. That said, a little more of Patrick's story wouldn't have been a bad thing. I do wish we had a little more back story involving the vampire because that was a bit vague. The only other thing letting this one down a little for me were some outdated descriptions of certain characters. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and if you are looking for a vampire novel that doesn't follow your typical vampire tropes then I recommend this one.
September 14, 2012
Pretty standard Ruby Jean Jensen fare. Kids, terror, imminent danger and all that, complete with an absolutely priceless cover art, just look at that mullet. Jensen writes kids well and always throws enough twists and turns and brutal murders to keep things interesting. Quick fun read.
November 8, 2019
I love Ruby Jean Jensen but this was not one of her better books. The story is clunky and all of the characters have the same interior voice. I also love a good vampire story, but it was pretty weak on that front.
February 28, 2023
“Don’t like Paddy? My firstborn son? Babette, you’ve no idea how much I loved Paddy. I loved him so much it still breaks my heart.”
How do you handle the one you love and trust most seemingly overnight falling over the deep end of insanity with tales of vampirism and death of two innocent babies? As a child of no more than 13 yourself, how do you watch your mother and a stranger battle over the crib of your baby brother Danny knowing what happened three years prior to your other baby brother Billy? More importantly, how do you handle seeing your own brother's face, now three years older, as the one your mother so violently attacked? For Babette Graham, this would unfortunately be her reality, as she awoke late at night to see her mother fending off a mysterious attacker within the house. Unfortunately, she never would've guessed to have known the assailant as none other than her young brother Patrick "Paddy". Watching in horror as the two collided and fell from the bannister, she rushed outside to alert somebody, anybody to save what was happening. However, the police would remove Kette when Patrick uttered the words Mama tried to kill me. with the deep scratch wounds covering his face. With Patrick sitting in an emergency room awaiting Children Services to remove and place his in the Boy's Farm, Babette is sitting in a police officer while her mother is interrogated and set behind bars. Released to a foster family with Mother Anne and three other small children, she's haunted with the knowledge her brother Paddy came back to them, but also her own mother is determined to kill be own son. Left behind three years prior with his father after the death of Billy, Kette and Barbette live a life of isolation within the walls of their house as they bring up Danny together. Missing her other brother, she wrote to him on his birthday a month prior which brought him the rhousand miles to their doorstep. Entering through the bedroom window in Danny's room, Kette sees the same black body, empty eyes and wings that stood over Paddy at five years old all over again. Only this time it's killing her baby.
...."Something happened when Paddy was five years old that I never told anyone. One night I heard a noise in his room, and I went in there to find something on him. It looked like a big, dark bird, only it wasn’t a bird, it was more like a bat. A really huge thing. Like a prehistoric thing. It was sucking his blood, Babette, and as I stood there in the doorway, it was like a nightmare— couldn’t believe what I was seeing—I could hear it sucking. I’ll never forget that sound as long as I live. Never. Well, I started screaming, and it turned, and it had the most terrible face I’d ever seen.” ... "The thing I saw—I know what I saw—it washuman—like it had been human, once. It was like a very ancient thing and its eyes were gone, as if part of it had rotted. It had fangs ... anyway, I guess I fainted, just blacked out. On my feet. The next thing I knew, I was at Paddy’s bed, holding him, and he was dead. Just like Billy later, and Danny last night. We were alone. The—vampire—was gone. But I knew I hadn’t dreamed it. Or imagined it. I sat there holding him, and then I remembered that I should try mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. I did, for a long time. And he revived, finally. He began to cough, and to cry, but—”
As strange occurrences begin taking place at the Boy's Farm including the death of Rex; a permanent placement boyz as well as the death of the dog Lion, all eyes continue to shift between everyone while the true killer watched smugly. Marshal Maybewn (Marsh) was sixteen years old with a regressed mins following the substantial abuse he received as a young child. From a mother and a father who severely beaten him, to an Uncle who would lock him away in a dark closet for days, By seven years old Marsh was already permanently changed. Yet when his Uncle thought the axe down onto his skull, they left a child behind with extensive brain damages. Rufus, an elderly man who helped guard and guide the boys who occupid the farm took a keen interest on the troubled youth, practically adopting him to keep his safe and protected. Usually a well mannered and quiet child, the arrival of Patrick flipped him a full 180° and left his terrified and oftentimes impossible to reach. Constantly crying about the bad boy, Rufus felt suspicions towards Marsh as the deaths began piling up and the evidence of eyes and bloody clothes seemed to always trace back to him. As Patrick continues to wither away the young boy Paddy's subconscious, forever muffling the boy's inner thoughts, he continued to drink the blood of those around him to maintain life. it wouldn't be until he killed eleven year old Gwen that his life would begin to crumble. One of the two daughters belonging to owner Martin Preston, he believed his daughter took after his passed wife and simply ran away from the boredom of farm life while his eldest daughter Hagar suspected worse fates for her sister.
How do you handle the one you love and trust most seemingly overnight falling over the deep end of insanity with tales of vampirism and death of two innocent babies? As a child of no more than 13 yourself, how do you watch your mother and a stranger battle over the crib of your baby brother Danny knowing what happened three years prior to your other baby brother Billy? More importantly, how do you handle seeing your own brother's face, now three years older, as the one your mother so violently attacked? For Babette Graham, this would unfortunately be her reality, as she awoke late at night to see her mother fending off a mysterious attacker within the house. Unfortunately, she never would've guessed to have known the assailant as none other than her young brother Patrick "Paddy". Watching in horror as the two collided and fell from the bannister, she rushed outside to alert somebody, anybody to save what was happening. However, the police would remove Kette when Patrick uttered the words Mama tried to kill me. with the deep scratch wounds covering his face. With Patrick sitting in an emergency room awaiting Children Services to remove and place his in the Boy's Farm, Babette is sitting in a police officer while her mother is interrogated and set behind bars. Released to a foster family with Mother Anne and three other small children, she's haunted with the knowledge her brother Paddy came back to them, but also her own mother is determined to kill be own son. Left behind three years prior with his father after the death of Billy, Kette and Barbette live a life of isolation within the walls of their house as they bring up Danny together. Missing her other brother, she wrote to him on his birthday a month prior which brought him the rhousand miles to their doorstep. Entering through the bedroom window in Danny's room, Kette sees the same black body, empty eyes and wings that stood over Paddy at five years old all over again. Only this time it's killing her baby.
...."Something happened when Paddy was five years old that I never told anyone. One night I heard a noise in his room, and I went in there to find something on him. It looked like a big, dark bird, only it wasn’t a bird, it was more like a bat. A really huge thing. Like a prehistoric thing. It was sucking his blood, Babette, and as I stood there in the doorway, it was like a nightmare— couldn’t believe what I was seeing—I could hear it sucking. I’ll never forget that sound as long as I live. Never. Well, I started screaming, and it turned, and it had the most terrible face I’d ever seen.” ... "The thing I saw—I know what I saw—it washuman—like it had been human, once. It was like a very ancient thing and its eyes were gone, as if part of it had rotted. It had fangs ... anyway, I guess I fainted, just blacked out. On my feet. The next thing I knew, I was at Paddy’s bed, holding him, and he was dead. Just like Billy later, and Danny last night. We were alone. The—vampire—was gone. But I knew I hadn’t dreamed it. Or imagined it. I sat there holding him, and then I remembered that I should try mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. I did, for a long time. And he revived, finally. He began to cough, and to cry, but—”
As strange occurrences begin taking place at the Boy's Farm including the death of Rex; a permanent placement boyz as well as the death of the dog Lion, all eyes continue to shift between everyone while the true killer watched smugly. Marshal Maybewn (Marsh) was sixteen years old with a regressed mins following the substantial abuse he received as a young child. From a mother and a father who severely beaten him, to an Uncle who would lock him away in a dark closet for days, By seven years old Marsh was already permanently changed. Yet when his Uncle thought the axe down onto his skull, they left a child behind with extensive brain damages. Rufus, an elderly man who helped guard and guide the boys who occupid the farm took a keen interest on the troubled youth, practically adopting him to keep his safe and protected. Usually a well mannered and quiet child, the arrival of Patrick flipped him a full 180° and left his terrified and oftentimes impossible to reach. Constantly crying about the bad boy, Rufus felt suspicions towards Marsh as the deaths began piling up and the evidence of eyes and bloody clothes seemed to always trace back to him. As Patrick continues to wither away the young boy Paddy's subconscious, forever muffling the boy's inner thoughts, he continued to drink the blood of those around him to maintain life. it wouldn't be until he killed eleven year old Gwen that his life would begin to crumble. One of the two daughters belonging to owner Martin Preston, he believed his daughter took after his passed wife and simply ran away from the boredom of farm life while his eldest daughter Hagar suspected worse fates for her sister.
October 28, 2025
3.5
I grew up reading Ruby Jean Jensen as a teen and, like most books of that time period, my poor memory has forgotten them. Nothing personal against the author, just the way of the brain, but I remember adoring most of her creepy books that focused mainly on children.
First, the positives. This is unique vampire story. While it's not fully explained and only hinted at in some areas, and I would have liked more explanation maybe, it's not a rehashed, tired plot that been bled and drained. Not only that, but I adored some of the central characters on the Boy's Farm and I got into their stories and the possibilities. These are not discarded red shirt characters.
For the negative, some of it needed editing to cut off some boring parts, such as the young girl's multiple pages of horse thoughts and boy cravings, the one character's chapters of his horses that didn't go anyway. When I got into the Boy's farm, I lost interest in the mother and Babette mainly.
Still, very good vampire tale, despite some boring parts.
I grew up reading Ruby Jean Jensen as a teen and, like most books of that time period, my poor memory has forgotten them. Nothing personal against the author, just the way of the brain, but I remember adoring most of her creepy books that focused mainly on children.
First, the positives. This is unique vampire story. While it's not fully explained and only hinted at in some areas, and I would have liked more explanation maybe, it's not a rehashed, tired plot that been bled and drained. Not only that, but I adored some of the central characters on the Boy's Farm and I got into their stories and the possibilities. These are not discarded red shirt characters.
For the negative, some of it needed editing to cut off some boring parts, such as the young girl's multiple pages of horse thoughts and boy cravings, the one character's chapters of his horses that didn't go anyway. When I got into the Boy's farm, I lost interest in the mother and Babette mainly.
Still, very good vampire tale, despite some boring parts.
March 17, 2025
This is the book that reminds me of why I became such a big fan of Ruby Jean Jensen! Where she was always known for her creepy doll stories this one takes a horrific turn in the vampire direction and doesn't disappoint. Babette is a young teenage girl who can't understand why her mother deserted her younger brother Patrick known to Babette as Paddy but her mother knows exactly why. Years ago something broke into their home and changed Patrick from an innocent child into a murderous 13-year old. On one hand you want Patrick to be caught because the deaths hit pretty hard but then their is another part well at least for me where I felt bad for him because he didn't want to do the horrible things but was changed into something with a thirst for blood. Such a good book! Highly recommend.
September 22, 2019
Babette just wanted everything to be normal, and she couldn't understand why here mother had abandoned her brother Paddy. She didn't quite connect the return of Paddy with the infant death. And she couldn't understand why Paddy was not sent to a boy's farm. She felt like she was doing everything possible to hold the family together. Although the vampire stuff is a bit vague, Ruby Jean entertains as always.
June 10, 2021
This was my first Ruby Jean Jenson book, after hearing everyone rave about her on my FB horror group, I jumped at the chance to buy one for $0.99 on Kindle. I spent the entire book trying to figure out whether it was supernatural or psychological and that always pisses me off. The names were super weird too, which kind of knocked me out of the story. Babbette, Ketti, Hagar, Orion, not very common names in the 90s. Anyway, I gave it three stars. It wasn't a bad book once I got into it.
June 25, 2022
Good lord. Have you ever met a cast of characters that are so wrong about everything and make terrible decisions at every turn. I hoped they all would die.
October 16, 2024
Cool leather jacket
Unlikeable teen on ranch
Too much horse drama
Unlikeable teen on ranch
Too much horse drama
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews