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Urban Outlaws #2
Blackout
The world's most lethal computer virus has been unleashed into cyberspace, and now the Urban Outlaws-five tough kids dedicated to justice-must destroy it. Leader Jack knows that they have to shut it down before it throws the world into chaos. But how can he find a virus that might be anywhere, and everywhere? Then the team meets Hector, an insanely talented hacker who even impresses Jack. The Urban Outlaws need his help, but can they trust him? It's a risk that could mean winning big, or losing everything. . . . This sensational sequel has all the makings of a blockbuster non-stop action, cutting edge technology, and a high-stakes plot. But at the heart of this thrill ride is the story of five gutsy kids who will do anything to save the world-and protect each other.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 12, 2015
25 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
About the author
Peter Jay Black
27 books63 followersKeep updated with future releases at peterjayblack.com
Peter Jay Black enjoys spending his time between the UK and US, loves everything technology, science and movie related, along with an interest in ancient Egypt and history.
Urban Outlaws: Peter wrote the first book in the series from a Hollywood apartment - middle grade action & adventure novels about a team of super-skilled kids, who use gadgets and hacking to take from bad guys and give to the needy. Packed full of high-octane fun.
Peter Jay Black enjoys spending his time between the UK and US, loves everything technology, science and movie related, along with an interest in ancient Egypt and history.
Urban Outlaws: Peter wrote the first book in the series from a Hollywood apartment - middle grade action & adventure novels about a team of super-skilled kids, who use gadgets and hacking to take from bad guys and give to the needy. Packed full of high-octane fun.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
September 3, 2017
5/5 stars
"You lived in that place? Oh my, then the bunker must look like a sh-"
"Slink!"
"Like a shack" Slink said and winked at Wren.
That's what I call a funny but also adventurous, quick and light read. And that's the reason I love reading middle grade novels.
Blackout was, if possible, even better than the first book, since we saw glimpses of the characters past (especially Obi's), and since it explored some deeper, darker plot lines like revenge, treason, difficult choices and secrets. I love how cute the characters are, both each one but also all as a squad. This book establishes so great, healthy relationships between literally every character, and treats them all with so much kindness.
The writing is full of humor but also sentiment, simplicity but also depth. The plot was quick and addictive, and there were more incredible gadgets added, something that made me really happy. There were also some new character arrivals, good and bad, which worked really well with the way the story was told overall. I also adored the part with the virtual reality stimulation, which was, in my opinion, slightly creepy and utterly enchanting.
The characters were awesome as always, since they are my babies, especially Obi and Wren. I have a question about the way the plot evolved around them, and that is, why don't they put Raze, who's helped them so many times, in the team, but they did want to put Hector in, despite knowing him for so little time? I guess we'll never know.
I need to see more about the past of the rest of the characters. Also, Slink and Wren's friendship is adorable ♥
Overall, I enjoyed really much and I recommend for something to get you out of a reading slump, especially if you are into middle grade or want a story about a child gang, a virus that threatened the world and all sorts of other adventures :) Keep being your unique selves ♥
~Mary
"You lived in that place? Oh my, then the bunker must look like a sh-"
"Slink!"
"Like a shack" Slink said and winked at Wren.
That's what I call a funny but also adventurous, quick and light read. And that's the reason I love reading middle grade novels.
Blackout was, if possible, even better than the first book, since we saw glimpses of the characters past (especially Obi's), and since it explored some deeper, darker plot lines like revenge, treason, difficult choices and secrets. I love how cute the characters are, both each one but also all as a squad. This book establishes so great, healthy relationships between literally every character, and treats them all with so much kindness.
The writing is full of humor but also sentiment, simplicity but also depth. The plot was quick and addictive, and there were more incredible gadgets added, something that made me really happy. There were also some new character arrivals, good and bad, which worked really well with the way the story was told overall. I also adored the part with the virtual reality stimulation, which was, in my opinion, slightly creepy and utterly enchanting.
The characters were awesome as always, since they are my babies, especially Obi and Wren. I have a question about the way the plot evolved around them, and that is, why don't they put Raze, who's helped them so many times, in the team, but they did want to put Hector in, despite knowing him for so little time? I guess we'll never know.
I need to see more about the past of the rest of the characters. Also, Slink and Wren's friendship is adorable ♥
Overall, I enjoyed really much and I recommend for something to get you out of a reading slump, especially if you are into middle grade or want a story about a child gang, a virus that threatened the world and all sorts of other adventures :) Keep being your unique selves ♥
~Mary
February 15, 2015
I first read Urban Outlaws last year, and fell in love with the world that Peter Jay Black has created. I could not wait to get hold of the next book, so imagine my surprise and excitement when I got an early USA copy of Blackout, from the author himself via the publisher.
Blackout is the second installment in the Urban Outlaws series, and picks up where that left off. The super virus is still lose and causing blackouts throughout the city. The Outlaws themselves even suffering the consequences of it getting lose. They are using all of their technical know how to find it, and contain it, before it gets into the wrong hands.
In the process of finding the virus, the Outlaws break into a variety of places, and meet a fellow hacker. Hector is super skilled at hacking, and desperately wants to be part of the Urban Outlaws. But can he be trusted, and will his skills be used to help or hinder the Urban Outlaws.
Blackout is everything you expect from the author, and from the Urban Outlaws. There is more gadgets, more RAKing, and more breaking and entering. I fell back into this series easily, and it felt like I had never been away. The characters are just as I remember them, and while I do still love Slink, I have to say that Wren is used a lot more in this book, to get into the smaller spaces, or being used as an unsuspecting target due to her smallness. I love how they all use their skills to make this team, this partnership, this family work, and when it comes down to it, they have each others back, even at the risk of being caught themselves.
Obi, who mainly stays behind, benefits the most from this family. The Outlaws break into several of his parents old homes in order to find his Dad's Will, to prove that his Uncle has stolen money, businesses, and property that is rightfully his and his sisters. For the Outlaws to do this, to risk being caught and sent to jail shows how close this unit is, and I was happy that we got to see the outcome of all of this hunting. Blackout was just as enjoyable and gripping as the previous book, and the ending has me wanting to know more.
Final Verdict
Blackout is another great addition to this series, and packs so much into the pages. The ending leaves a lot up in the air and I need to know what happens in the next installment.
Blackout is the second installment in the Urban Outlaws series, and picks up where that left off. The super virus is still lose and causing blackouts throughout the city. The Outlaws themselves even suffering the consequences of it getting lose. They are using all of their technical know how to find it, and contain it, before it gets into the wrong hands.
In the process of finding the virus, the Outlaws break into a variety of places, and meet a fellow hacker. Hector is super skilled at hacking, and desperately wants to be part of the Urban Outlaws. But can he be trusted, and will his skills be used to help or hinder the Urban Outlaws.
Blackout is everything you expect from the author, and from the Urban Outlaws. There is more gadgets, more RAKing, and more breaking and entering. I fell back into this series easily, and it felt like I had never been away. The characters are just as I remember them, and while I do still love Slink, I have to say that Wren is used a lot more in this book, to get into the smaller spaces, or being used as an unsuspecting target due to her smallness. I love how they all use their skills to make this team, this partnership, this family work, and when it comes down to it, they have each others back, even at the risk of being caught themselves.
Obi, who mainly stays behind, benefits the most from this family. The Outlaws break into several of his parents old homes in order to find his Dad's Will, to prove that his Uncle has stolen money, businesses, and property that is rightfully his and his sisters. For the Outlaws to do this, to risk being caught and sent to jail shows how close this unit is, and I was happy that we got to see the outcome of all of this hunting. Blackout was just as enjoyable and gripping as the previous book, and the ending has me wanting to know more.
Final Verdict
Blackout is another great addition to this series, and packs so much into the pages. The ending leaves a lot up in the air and I need to know what happens in the next installment.
June 3, 2015
I loved the first book, and this was just as good. Peter Jay Black, bravo. I loved this book. I would recommend it to people of all ages, male and female. Amazing.
February 6, 2019
This brilliant action packed book was about three young boys and three girls. In the story Jack, Slink, Wren and Charlie are zip wiring from one building to another trying to break into Obi's Uncle's flat. the reason they were there was that Obi was sure that his uncle had forged his father's will. Also at the same time a terrible computer virus is breaking down all the power stations in England. When the Urban Outlaw's found their way back to their secret dugout which was underground. there they found out that the disease had managed to start destroying this visual reality power station. Quickly they travelled in a submarine under the River Thames and to the other end. There they managed to unsuccessfully lose it. Then they were captured by some secret agents and were questioned about were the virus was. They said the truth and that they didn't know. Then they were interrogated because they weren't trusted. Suddenly the police arrived and arrested the agents and life was back to normal again.
May 23, 2021
This is one of the most action packed story I’ve read so far this year and even managed to finish the whole book in one day as it was so gripping. It’s fast paced and gets straight to the point without having to spend an unnecessary amount of pages just for the use of fillers. The characters were intelligent and tolerable and was easy to follow their thoughts without the computer sciencey terms being too over complicated to understand. This had also recaptured the scenarios I had created in my head when i was younger of being a secret spy/ detective going on crazy missions, with everyday being a whole new adventure. Despite the targeted audience being for younger children, I still really enjoyed it as it contained mystery and thrill and was a refreshing change of pace compared to the other books I’ve read this past year.
October 5, 2021
Urban outlaws is a series about a group of kids that have lost their parents or never knew them. They live in a secret bunker and go on missions to steal money from bad people. In book one they discovered a destructive virus that can take over the world and in this book (book two) they try to stop the virus from spreading. Jack, Charlie,Obi, Slink and Wren set out to stop the virus but run into a problem. As they try to download the virus and trap it, someone else comes in and takes it. They track it back to a boy their age named hector. Hector pretends to be on their side but it takes a turn in the end and the virus is still out there and in the hands of Hector this time. I loved this book. It was a lot better than the first book. If you like action and spy books this is the book for you. I would rate this a ⅘ and am definitely excited for the next book.
December 5, 2017
Rating 3.5 This could easily be a blockbuster movie either with kids or adults in the starring roles, it's that action-packed and complex. The action is fast-paced and the kids are as gutsy as ever. The gadgets abound once again and the author manages not to use the same tricks over again, keeping the techo-wizardry fresh. I enjoyed the Hector faction--can he be trusted or not? Is Jack merely jealous of someone whose skills may rival his own, or is he just being cautious and protecting the team? The story is complete but leads directly into the next plot wrinkle and challenge for the group.
November 26, 2017
The book did really well with continuing on the story. Though the plot lines were different between the first book in this one, Black stayed true to the overall theme and concept. Each character stayed the same throughout the entire book which became a good thing because each on is so uniquely written that a change to any of them would have ruined the story. Blackout was a great sequel to Urban Outlaws and I can’t wait to read the next book.
June 5, 2018
This was a great book with high action and with some great twists. I think that the author did an amazing job with this book with adding some new characters into the story and still having the ingenuous strategic planning in this book. I loved how the author comes with amazing gadget ideas and I cant what to read the next book in the series. if I where to select a demographic I would recommend this book for readers 9-14 who enjoy high action and gadgetry.
September 30, 2021
If you want to find a book full of family, suspense, technology, and a taste for adventure, then this is the book series for you. We are introduced to five kids that live under the streets of London. They are very tech-savvy and help people through random acts of kindness. They eventually have to try and stop a virus that will be able to go into anything, and it shows that not everyone can be trusted.
August 15, 2018
An action-packed book filled with several themes. Really made me inspired to do the right thing after seeing the kids in the book (outlaws) help each other out and aspire to make the world a better place.
February 22, 2018
this book Acton packed and thrilling if you like that than you will love this book :/ :)
January 5, 2021
It was very exciting and very fun
August 3, 2021
Review by E.B. : "Sometimes you want to stop in the middle of the chapter because you don't want to know what happens next."
August 27, 2021
I think this book is good if you like action and a bit of sci-fi type stuff.
March 21, 2016
Blackout is the second book in the Urban Outlaw series by Peter Jay Black. I loved reading this when it was published last year, so getting to listen to this book is just an added bonus.
Blackout picks up after the events in Urban Outlaws, the gang is still trying to find the virus that was accidentally let lose, they hack into a variety of places, using more gadgets and ingenious ideas to do this. The hunt for the virus isn't exactly hassle free, but it also takes a while for the outlaws to find each new location.One problem that arises comes in the form of another hacker called Hector. Hector is an enigma, and you can never be quite sure if you trust him or not. Sometimes he helps the Urban Outlaws out in a sticky situation, and other times he just seems off.
For me, Blackout was just as good as the previous book, and Peter Jay Black really knows how to draw you in and keep you reading. I love some of the adventures the Urban Outlaws get up to, especially when it means helping out one of thier own. I love how this team works together, not only in being prepared to take the fall for another member, but also making sure family is safe and provided for.
Narration
I had issues with the previous book, the narrator just didn't really work for me. Blackout is still narrated by the same person, yet this time not only does he sound different (I had to check it was the same person) but he also works better for me.
Final Verdict
Blackout was another audiobook that I devoured, I enjoyed this one much more than the previous book, and I've nearly finished listening to the next installment already.
Blackout picks up after the events in Urban Outlaws, the gang is still trying to find the virus that was accidentally let lose, they hack into a variety of places, using more gadgets and ingenious ideas to do this. The hunt for the virus isn't exactly hassle free, but it also takes a while for the outlaws to find each new location.One problem that arises comes in the form of another hacker called Hector. Hector is an enigma, and you can never be quite sure if you trust him or not. Sometimes he helps the Urban Outlaws out in a sticky situation, and other times he just seems off.
For me, Blackout was just as good as the previous book, and Peter Jay Black really knows how to draw you in and keep you reading. I love some of the adventures the Urban Outlaws get up to, especially when it means helping out one of thier own. I love how this team works together, not only in being prepared to take the fall for another member, but also making sure family is safe and provided for.
Narration
I had issues with the previous book, the narrator just didn't really work for me. Blackout is still narrated by the same person, yet this time not only does he sound different (I had to check it was the same person) but he also works better for me.
Final Verdict
Blackout was another audiobook that I devoured, I enjoyed this one much more than the previous book, and I've nearly finished listening to the next installment already.
September 8, 2015
Blackout is a great read for tweens who are into technology and gadgets. In this sci-fi super thriller, the second installment of the Urban Outlaws series, the super virus is still loose in the city and causing blackouts all over. Readers still follow the Urban Outlaws: Jack, Charlie, Slink, Obi, & Wren. In Blackout, we meet Hecter, a skilled hacker, who runs into the band of Urban Outlaws and desperately wants to join their group. The outlaws are not sure at first whether or not Hector can be trusted, but his skills are quickly needed to fight the virus. The story ends on a cliff hanger and the reader is left waiting for book 3 to find out what happens with the Urban Outlaws.
This is a good choice for tech minded teens who want a fast, fun, adventure. I did not read the first book in the series and I feel as though I would have enjoyed this book more if I had. All in all, it’s not a bad bridge book between the first and second. I do not recommend reading as a stand-alone title.
Read-a-likes: Little Brother, Feed, A Girl Named Digit
Grade Range: 7-9
Genre: Sci-fi
Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommendation: Recommended
This is a good choice for tech minded teens who want a fast, fun, adventure. I did not read the first book in the series and I feel as though I would have enjoyed this book more if I had. All in all, it’s not a bad bridge book between the first and second. I do not recommend reading as a stand-alone title.
Read-a-likes: Little Brother, Feed, A Girl Named Digit
Grade Range: 7-9
Genre: Sci-fi
Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommendation: Recommended
July 19, 2015
This book is great for middle schoolers who love technology and all things gadget-related. The characters are fun - especially Charlie who is able to fashion technological miracles out of practically anything. Very satisfying to see them triumph over the evil villains! I didn't know this was the second book in the series and I think it's better to read the first book so as to know the characters a bit better.
September 21, 2015
(3.5 Stars)
Jack, Charlie, and the rest of the Urban Outlaws are back in the second book in the series. The virus that they accidently unleashed in the first book is wreaking havoc on electrical grids across London. Jack feels obligated to track it down and capture it. Unfortunately, the agents from the first book are after it as well. This book is full of more super spy inventions as well as Mission: Impossible type situations. For fans of the first book, grades 4-7.
Jack, Charlie, and the rest of the Urban Outlaws are back in the second book in the series. The virus that they accidently unleashed in the first book is wreaking havoc on electrical grids across London. Jack feels obligated to track it down and capture it. Unfortunately, the agents from the first book are after it as well. This book is full of more super spy inventions as well as Mission: Impossible type situations. For fans of the first book, grades 4-7.
January 4, 2015
Book review will be posted on blog first.... http://www.mrripleysenchantedbooks.com/
January 15, 2016
Cliché, but who cares?
EXPLOSIONS AND GUNS AND PARKOUR AND GOVERMENT YAAAAAAAA
EXPLOSIONS AND GUNS AND PARKOUR AND GOVERMENT YAAAAAAAA
February 8, 2016
2nd book is just as EXCELLENT! Picked right up and the fun spun right off. Looking forward to the third.
March 16, 2016
Asher (9yo) read.
April 17, 2016
Great. Like the first one full of action, technology and gadgets. Add double crossing and it has a nice twist. Looking forward to the next one.
January 1, 2017
Took me forever to get into this book, which surprised me because I like the first one so much. Once I got into, I enjoyed it. The last few chapters were especially exciting.
January 2, 2017
Gadget heaven. Great for adventure readers aged eight plus. Younger fans of Alex Rider and Percy Jackson might like this series.
February 24, 2018
This book is better. Slink is my favorite character... Even though he is fictional, I adore his told flexibility and agility....
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October 4, 2018Great Book for people who like action and adventure books.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews