A swift, icy read
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More juicy bits of action, city atmosphere, brave characters (Cludge the dog is back!) ...and some truly heart-warming moments. Illustrations by Dave Mckean are still kick-ass too.
I remember the first one being a bit better/fresher, but this is an admirable sequel, with a hint of mystery in its icy eye!?
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A great follow- up to Varjak Paw
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Rating : 4.0/5
Number in Series : #2 in Varjak Paw series
Raeson for Reading : Four-Legged Friends Challenge, to complete the series
It follows on directly from Varjak Paw with the Mesopotamian Blue cat now living on the streets with Tam, Holly and Cludge. They are hungry and finding it very difficult to find food in the winter months. To make matters worse in the quest for food, Sally Bones' gang are claiming all the best food by law even in the neutral areas of the city. If you aren't in Sally Bones' gang, you don't get any food.
Varjak and his friends go to the wise Mrs Moggs for advice on how to deal with Sally Bones. Like Varjak, Sally Bones knows the Way taught to him by his distance ancestor Jalal and she is the best fighter in town. Mrs Moggs isn't a great help only passing on childhood tales and legends. As a result of Varjak causing trouble for her gang, Sally Bones declares him and anyone helping him outlaws to face her terrible punnishment.
A really good follow up to the first book. The illustrations were beautiful again and the new characters fitted in well. It was again very dark in places and I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers (maybe save it for teenagers). I liked that Jalal was in it again offering more wisdom to Varjak when he sleeps and it was interesting to find out how Sally Bones knew the way and her place in the scheme of things.
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A book with true crossover appeal
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Like Harry Potter or His Dark Materials, this is a book with true crossover appeal. Buy it for the kids, then enjoy it yourself - even the stylish cover won't give you away on the 7.40 to King's Cross.
What's it about? Imagine a junior Sin City featuring feral cats and lost dogs, full of martial arts philosophy and urban strangeness. A sequel to 2002's Varjak Paw, this sees our feline hero leading a new street gang that believes in those old clichés liberty and justice. But he, his fellow cats and his canine friend Cludge are opposed by a sinister threat from the dark side, in the thin, ice-white shape of Sally Bones and her dead-eyed henchman Luger.
With simple but stunning illustrations from Neil Gaiman collaborator Dave McKean, Said tells his story in spare, elegant prose that maintains its tension without playing sentimental tricks. Dark and wonderful.
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Because It's Cool for Cats
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so the title of the review probably shows my age (old enough to remember when jools holland was actually cool. sort of) but that's important: this book is not just for kids. anyone who enjoys kickass writing that can turn from comic to tragic to hardcore action to gentle romance on a penny, and who loves the thoughtful but witty works of, say, joss whedon or howard hawks, will find much to enjoy between the gorgeously illustrated covers of The Outlaw Varjak Paw.
If you're looking for a book to read with your kids that won't bore you, embarrass you, scare them or put them off reading, this is it. The pictures illustrate the story beautifully for younger children ready for a complex story with loveable heroes (especially Cludge the dog, who will melt your heart) and the prose is satisfying and full of new vocabulary but not verbose for children ready to read alone. Best of all, there will be no gender gap in readers -- boys (and girls) who think reading is nancy will latch on to the active, funny characters here.
warning: this book is set in the real world, and some sad and occasionally violent things occur. they are not gratuitous, but described seriously. readers of a sensitive nature should be prepared, but also reassured that the book's fighting scenes are for a higher ethical purpose that carries through the nasties.
And while I can't recommend digging out 80s classics to read to, a playlist of cat-influenced tunes and artists (Love Cats by the Cure and anything by Cat Power are on my list ;) will add to the rich pleasure of this novel.
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Martial Art Cats? Now You've heard everything......
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Outlaw : Varjak Paw is the rivetting sequel to Varjak Paw by S.F Said. Admittedly, it may move quite slowly in early chapters, but once it picks up, Outlaw is pure brilliance, with many unforsee-able plot twists and a completely original story line.
For Varjak Paw, a cat who has recently dicovered a secret power of martial art within him, the streets are about to get a lot more dangerous. Sally Bones has him named as an Outlaw, and she wants him dead or alive. In a town where cats are forbidden to even hunt for themselves, lest they be punished in a barbaric and brutal act, Varjak Paw must rise to his potential, and fight for the lives of his friends. If you enjoyed book one, the warriors series or any similar books, this action filled, gripping sequel is something you should definately read. Even if you wouldn't normally read a book with an animal as a main character, this book may just surprise you. Get your paws on a copy of Outlaw : Varjak Paw now!
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