Varjak Paw

Varjak Paw is the first entry in S. F. Said’s series of middle-grade adventure stories. The 2003 novel follows the titular character as he matures from a sheltered kitten into a courageous leader and fighter. The book also introduces Holly and Tam, two street cats who become Varjak’s friends, and Cludge, a dog who helps Varjak save his family from the villainous Gentleman. At the end of Varjak’s first adventure, he, his friends, and the street cats he rescued from the Gentleman form their own gang and return to London.

Said continues the brave cat’s story in The Outlaw Varjak Paw, which was published in 2005. While much of the first book takes place in the Contessa’s home and centers around Varjak’s desire to fit in with his relatives, the sequel focuses on Varjak’s found family rather than his biological family. In addition, Varjak is an adult cat in the second book. These changes underscore Varjak’s growth and independence while shifting the story’s themes from The Impact of Heritage on Personal Development to the struggles of leadership.

After establishing themselves in London, Varjak and his friends must once again battle for survival. Sally Bones, a cruel feline gang leader who appears briefly in the first book, emerges as the sequel’s antagonist. After Varjak defeats one of her lieutenants, Sally Bones becomes determined to destroy the new challenger to her supremacy over the city. Her forces ambush Varjak’s gang, which is called the Free Cats. In the ensuing struggle, Sally Bones cuts off Varjak’s ability to use the Way of Jalal, a set of seven survival skills that he learned in the first book through a series of mystical dreams about his ancestor. Removing Varjak’s access to the Way of Jalal for much of the sequel places him in an underdog position similar to his situation in the first book. This raises the story’s suspense and continues the series’ exploration of the theme of Courage in the Face of Challenges.

Although Said gives Varjak several new allies in the sequel, many of the key players are returning characters. Holly continues to develop the theme of The Power of Friendship and Loyalty through her selfless determination to protect Varjak. Cludge takes on a more prominent role in the second book, and Said introduces the dog’s home and family. Razor, a tomcat who fights Varjak and tries to recruit Holly for Sally Bones’s gang in the first book, joins the Free Cats after Varjak shows him mercy. This echoes the protagonist’s respect for life and ability to forge unlikely alliances in the series’ first installment.

The Outlaw Varjak Paw won the BBC’s Blue Peter Book of the Year Award and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal. In addition, the book was voted into the top ten list of Blue Peter Book Award-winners in 2020, earning a place among beloved children’s classics like J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Roald Dahl’s Matilda. In The Outlaw Varjak Paw, Said offers middle-grade readers another adventure filled with suspenseful action and powerful friendships.