Home Sweet Home By Ruby Jean Jensen

Home Sweet Home
By Ruby Jean Jensen
1985 Zebra
Paperback, 317 pages

                This is the second of many books published by Zebra from everybody’s favorite grandmother. While many of her creepy kid books have a supernatural leaning, this one does not. In fact, even though it’s about children (usually a big NO for me), they are not the creepy ones. And despite starring kids, I really enjoyed this book. What do you know? Maybe I’m maturing!

 

                Connie had to have some uterus surgery, and her husband Steve wanted to be right by her side. The problem is, they weren’t sure what to do with their 10-year old son Timmy. He couldn’t just hang around the hospital for a couple of weeks. In steps Steve’s pal Dan Walker, who generously offers to take Timmy along with him on his own vacation into the mountains of Alabama. Connie and (especially) Timmy think it’s a horrid idea but for some reason (that reason being that this is a fiction book) it goes down and the boy finds himself in a van with “Uncle Dan”, heading into the wilderness.

 

                Dan starts getting a bit more creepy than usual before their long journey is over, getting touchy-feely with the boy, but they get to the cabin safely. To Timmy’s surprise, when he wakes up he sees he is among other kids who are all orphans; 13-year old Rex, two younger boys and 5 year old Susie, a very timid child. Uncle Dan’s insanity comes to full fruition now as he thinks he has put together a perfect family, just the 5 children, him and “Little Mama”. Presumably, she is behind the locked door and to make her mad is to get a beating. Or worse.

 

                Anyone who has ever seen Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) knows exactly why Dan puts on the frilly apron and acts funny and what is behind the locked door. But the kids in the book haven’t seen or read it and that’s where Jensen’s writing prowess gets put to good use. The suspense builds rapidly, even though the reader is aware, as the kids learn the secrets of the house. Those who survive, anyway. If children in danger/ being tortured or hurt is a trigger, you might skip this one. Dan also films the kids skinny-dipping, which is pretty gross, though no hands-on sexual activity is ever related.

 

                RJJ does an amazing job voicing the children. Their dialog and actions are believable, though sometimes their thoughts get a little poetic enhancement, but it’s just the author flexing her muscles. The writing is tight and the narrative bowls along at a rapid pace. I finished this one quickly. Richard Newton’s amazing cover does nothing to hide the Psycho-ness of the story inside. As a Bostonian, I love that the skeleton is clutching a Red Sox hat!