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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
This sequel to Said's Varjak Paw was even better than the first book, and stands alone pretty well. The plotting is much tighter than the first, and I read this pretty much in one gulp.
Varjak has mastered the Seven Skills taught to him by his ancestor, Jalal, and saved the cats of his town from the Vanishings that plagued them in the first novel. But without the fear of Vanishings as a distraction, the fearsome Sally Bones and her gang have seized control of the entire city. No cat who is not part of her gang can hunt freely or move about unhindered, and those who disobey face fearsome retribution. It doesn't take long for Varjak and his friends to be labeled outlaws, and soon it becomes clear that if Varjak wants to end his days as a Free Cat, he must face Sally Bones head on -- and she is the only other cat he has met that also knows the Seven Skills.
Varjak has mastered the Seven Skills taught to him by his ancestor, Jalal, and saved the cats of his town from the Vanishings that plagued them in the first novel. But without the fear of Vanishings as a distraction, the fearsome Sally Bones and her gang have seized control of the entire city. No cat who is not part of her gang can hunt freely or move about unhindered, and those who disobey face fearsome retribution. It doesn't take long for Varjak and his friends to be labeled outlaws, and soon it becomes clear that if Varjak wants to end his days as a Free Cat, he must face Sally Bones head on -- and she is the only other cat he has met that also knows the Seven Skills.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
The action was sometimes a bit choppy, but overall it was a good book. Easy to read and the illustrations added to the story quite nicely.
I don't wanna give out 5 stars too often but damn this deserved it alone for Cludge and his family, what a good boi :')
Also, the Free Cats are wonderful and deserve the world
Omg also also, finding out Sally Bones's punishment was wild, wtf?!? Poor babies :(
Also, the Free Cats are wonderful and deserve the world
Omg also also, finding out Sally Bones's punishment was wild, wtf?!? Poor babies :(
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't wanna give out 5 stars too often but damn this deserved it alone for Cludge and his family, what a good boi :')
Also, the Free Cats are wonderful and deserve the world
Omg also also, finding out Sally Bones's punishment was wild, wtf?!? Poor babies :(
Also, the Free Cats are wonderful and deserve the world
Omg also also, finding out Sally Bones's punishment was wild, wtf?!? Poor babies :(
You can find my review on my blog here (& below):
http://elementaread.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/review-outlaw-varjak-paw-by-sf-said.html
'The Outlaw Varjak Paw' by SF Said is a middle-grade action/adventure set in the world of city cats. This is actually the second book in the Varjak Paw series (which I didn't realise until I was part way through!) but it can be read as a standalone.
Varjak Paw is a silver-blue cat with amber eyes living in the city with his friends Holly, Tam and a dog Cludge. It is winter and there are very few mice around so the gang are hunting for scraps of food in the city dump when they are found by a patrol from Sally Bones's gang. Sally Bones, a thin white cat with an ice-blue eye controls the largest and most menacing gang in the city. Her 'laws' make it almost impossible for the other cats to find food. Sally is in charge because she knows a special way of fighting and is unbeatable.
Varjak also knows this way of fighting. He calls it 'The Way' and was taught it in his dreams by his ancestor Jalal. A member of Sally Bones's gang, Razor, tries to take the mouse that Varjak has caught outside the dump and Varjak gets angry and uses The Way to beat Razor in a fight. Suddenly, the whole city is talking about this new cat who fights like Sally Bones, and she has put a price on the head of him and his friends. Can the outlaw Varjak Paw defeat Sally Bones and free the city from her rule?
I thought this was a great little adventure story for both children and adults alike. Partway through the book Varjak thinks that he has lost his power to fight but his friends still believe in him and he gets it back, which I think is a great message for kids about confidence and believing in yourself.
The book is wonderfully illustrated by Dave McKean. The illustrations really bring the fight sequences to life and I loved how in Varjak's dream chapters there was the blue and white background of the mountains of Mesopotamia.
I would recommend this book to both children and adults looking for a quick fun read. I enjoyed it so much that I have now bought the first book, and am looking forward to reading it :)
http://elementaread.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/review-outlaw-varjak-paw-by-sf-said.html
'The Outlaw Varjak Paw' by SF Said is a middle-grade action/adventure set in the world of city cats. This is actually the second book in the Varjak Paw series (which I didn't realise until I was part way through!) but it can be read as a standalone.
Varjak Paw is a silver-blue cat with amber eyes living in the city with his friends Holly, Tam and a dog Cludge. It is winter and there are very few mice around so the gang are hunting for scraps of food in the city dump when they are found by a patrol from Sally Bones's gang. Sally Bones, a thin white cat with an ice-blue eye controls the largest and most menacing gang in the city. Her 'laws' make it almost impossible for the other cats to find food. Sally is in charge because she knows a special way of fighting and is unbeatable.
Varjak also knows this way of fighting. He calls it 'The Way' and was taught it in his dreams by his ancestor Jalal. A member of Sally Bones's gang, Razor, tries to take the mouse that Varjak has caught outside the dump and Varjak gets angry and uses The Way to beat Razor in a fight. Suddenly, the whole city is talking about this new cat who fights like Sally Bones, and she has put a price on the head of him and his friends. Can the outlaw Varjak Paw defeat Sally Bones and free the city from her rule?
I thought this was a great little adventure story for both children and adults alike. Partway through the book Varjak thinks that he has lost his power to fight but his friends still believe in him and he gets it back, which I think is a great message for kids about confidence and believing in yourself.
The book is wonderfully illustrated by Dave McKean. The illustrations really bring the fight sequences to life and I loved how in Varjak's dream chapters there was the blue and white background of the mountains of Mesopotamia.
I would recommend this book to both children and adults looking for a quick fun read. I enjoyed it so much that I have now bought the first book, and am looking forward to reading it :)
Wow this sequel was actually better than the first book, and the ending fixed the problem of the first book which was an anti climatic ending as the ending for this was epic. I won't say what it was as I don't want to spoil the book, but it was very good. I like how it continued with the mysterious character sally bones being the enemy in this one, and how it gotten worse with her running things. There was some things in the book that wasn't explained however like how/why can sally bones live as long as she could ( I assumed she was actually an undead creature tbh but it wasn't stated that way anywhere in the story) , and the thing with holly at the end with her eye being the color it was? Maybe they latter will be explained in book 3, but I dunno bout the other thing... maybe it will I dunno. Other than that I still loved this story, and will be reading the 3rd book if it does come or is made.
An exciting, gripping sequel to Varjak Paw. I found this story more real than the first, willing the characters to defeat Sally Bones and her gang, feeling the raw emotions portrayed. A typical good vs evil story, with a modern feline twist.
Puzzles - What happened to Holly's eye?
Puzzles - What happened to Holly's eye?
The first book had a weird dystopian feel with cats disappearing only to reappear as horrific feline cyborg toys. This book lacks that compelling side plot. The winter is dangerous and the rival gang is too but neither is as compelling.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2018/comments_06/outlaw_varjak.html
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2018/comments_06/outlaw_varjak.html