The Outlaw Varjak Paw

by S.F. Said

Book Overview

The second adventure in the life of the extraordinary Mesopotamian Blue, Varjak Paw: kung fu for cats

Having saved the city cats from a fate worse than death, Varjak Paw finds himself the elected and popular leader of a new gang - a gang that supports freedom and kindness for all. But will the pressure take its toll on this brave yet sometimes naive cat?

Soon the city erupts in an all-out gang war as the evil Sally Bones attempts...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0552572306
• ISBN13: 9780552572309
• Release Date: January 2014
• Publisher: Corgi Childrens
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 7.3"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

One of my 10-year-old's favorites!

My daughter is not a "girly girl" in her reading choices but does love animals. She said the book was exciting and caught her attention in the first two chapters. She got it from the library originally and asked me to keep renewing it. She read it four times in a row. She had not read the first book in the series before this one.

The second book!

This is book 2 about the Mesopotamian Blue Varjak Paw, who has now left his family and lives on the city streets with his friends Holly, Tam, and the dog Cludge, who together form a small gang. However, the evil cat Sally Bones is taking over the city, and to the cats who don't obey her she gives a terrible punishment. Sally Bones has gone too far, and Varjak is defying all of her laws. She is determined to hunt him down, alive or dead. Sally and Varjak are also the only cats who know the Way, a secret cat martial arts, so she sees him as a threat. Soon, Varjak decides that he must face Sally Bones at any cost. She is destroying life and happiness for everyone in town with her cold and malicious heart. In this second book about Varjak Paw, our hero meets new friends, and new enemies; faces a tough challenge; and last but not least, loyalties shift and Varjak must ally himself with several cats he never would have dreamed of. For those who read the first book and liked Varjak's Way Lessons in his dreams and think that now that he has learned the Way his ancestor Jalal will disappear, don't worry! Jalal is back and teaches Varjak new, exciting, and deep lessons to teach him about how to live life well. Varjak Paw's new adventure is better than the first - it is easier to understand and more exciting to read - but I recommend reading the first one, well, first, so that you understand more about the Way. I found this book in the bookstore. Coincidences like that usually happen: the book was lying there exposed on the shelf, and if it hadn't I would never had found this series. First I was going to buy this book when I saw the first Varjak Paw book, so I bought it instead. But soon afterwards I got this one too. The only bad thing about this book is that it doesn't give very much background information on what happened to Varjak earlier. That's why you should read the first one first. This cat is wanted - alive or dead.

ALL THE KITTIES were KUNG FU fighting!!!

Like the first book, The Outlaw Varjak Paw the sequel is full of intriguing characters, mythological archetypes and reads like an AFRICAN folktale (written for 4-5th graders). The world Said has created with his warrior cats is both realistic and fantastic, like animal tales before, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NiMH, or the REDWALL series, but this one has martial arts. Varjak Paw is a Mesopotamian Blue kitten,who had lived a sheltered like up in a oldhouse, until he learns about the WAY- a secret martial art for cats. Having saved the city cats from a fate worse than death, our young protagonist finds himself the leader of a new gang. But will the pressure take its toll on this brave but sometimes naive cat? Soon the city erupts in a gang war as the evil Sally Bones attempts to control all cats. Hopelessly outnumbered, Varjak and the others must fight for their freedom or die trying. SF Said's second work, effectively taut, moves an increasingly grim plot, and makes Varjak's growing maturity and leadership appear natural. Outlaw is a sequel that so surpasses the original with its fast pacing and vivid battle scenes that make it a fast read. Also Dave McKean's striking sketchy iillustrations add much to the haunting mood of the series.

Dazzling. Like Nothing I've Ever Read Before!!!

Amazing. A story of a young black cat named Varjack Paw and his three friends Cludge, a big black dog, Holly, a black and white cat and Tam, a chubby chocolate cat. Varjack is learning what it's like to live on the streets when he hears about Sally Bones, a thin, bony white cat with one ice-blue eye and a heart of malice and cruelty. She makes up a new law about where her and her gang can hunt (which is practically all over town!) and Varjack and his friends must try and stop her. We also learn that there's a slight romance between Varjack and Holly but then she dies while saving the cats' lives (or does she?) and poor, poor Varjack finds life so hard without her. This book is also a bit bloodthirsty with cats fighting and dying but that just makes it even more exciting!!! A must-read for animal lovers! This book is spooky, mysterious and romantic. ABSOLOUTELY DAZZLING!!!!

great!!!

it was a good book! a little confusing at first but good...it was sad when holly dies(or did she...) =( and we discover varjak likes her! i hope another book will come out soon, good job sf said!!!! anyway...let me go through it as shortly as possible; varjak is a cat who longed for city life and got it. he posseses the 7 skills...but so does his enemy....im not giving away anymore!!! tam is his friend(a fat cat)and holly(another freiend) along with cludge the dog...i will not say anymore!!!! you think its good...read it! bye all