Born at the end of the Vietnam war and raised on a horse farm near small town north Georgia, his imagination evolved under the swaying pines surrounding his family's log home. On summer days that were too hot, winter days that were too cold, and every night into the wee morning hours, he read books. He lives in sunny southern California with his beautiful wife and two perfect children.

The Last Orphans - The Last Orphans Series Book 1 by N.W. Harris

One horrifying day will change the life of sixteen-year-old Shane Tucker and every other kid in the world.

In a span of mere hours, the entire adult population is decimated, leaving their children behind to fend for themselves and deal with the horrific aftermath of the freak occurrence. As one of the newly made elders in his small town, Shane finds himself taking on the role of caretaker for a large group of juvenile survivors. One who just happens to be Kelly Douglas—an out-of-his-league classmate—who, on any other day, would have never given Shane a second glance.

Together, they begin their quest to find out why all of the adults were slaughtered. What they find is even more horrifying than anything they could have expected—the annihilation of the adults was only the beginning. Shane and his friends are not the unlucky survivors left to inherit this new, messed-up planet. No, they are its next victims. There is an unknown power out there, and it won't stop until every person in the world is dead.

Take a deep breath before you start The Last Orphans Series. This action adventure series filled with cinematic science fiction action, end of the world apocalyptic events, and heart pounding thrills will leave you enthralled from beginning to end. Fans of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The Maze Runner by James Dasher will love this teen fiction series. With over 500 five-star reviews on Goodreads, this is definitely the series you should read next!

CURATOR'S NOTE

Sometimes you feel sad when you finish a really good book… except when you discover it's a series. That was my reaction when I started N.W. Harris' The Last Orphans series. It might be every teenager's dream to inhabit a world without adults… but be careful what you wish for. – Nick Harlow

 

REVIEWS

  • "If I have ever doubted the strength of youth when left to fend for themselves in a frighteningly realistic scenario, thanks to N. W. Harris, I don't anymore. N. W. Harris writes with clarity and realism as this tale unfolds in jagged pieces of tension, loss and survival. There are no over-the-top superheroes to save the day. These kids feel real, from their inner thoughts and insecurities to their determination to stay alive, even if they have no idea how. Each scene runs like a mental movie screen, the sounds, the sights, the emotions, I wear, I could smell the fear. If you read nothing else this year or better yet, if your YA reader reads nothing else this year, make this a priority. All this fantastic reading and no zombies in sight!"

    – Tome Tender Book Blog

  • "This is the story of orphans' trying to find their way in a world that is almost lost to them. They meet many, many challenges ahead. Mind you, this is not a pretty super hero book. It's very brutal. It's straight forward and it doesn't beat around the bush. It's detailed and full of twists. I like the pacing and I like how the characters handle themselves. The good guys are my new idols when it comes to teen spirit. The bad guys.. Hmm.. They are real darn effective since I've probably killed them 10 times in my head. All in all, I want, I beg, I implore, I plead to everyone ... READ THIS!! Give this book a shot. I promise that it will make your heart pound, squeeze it and let it fly."

    – Musings of the Book-a-holic Fairies, Inc.

  • "...Mr. Harris keeps one on the edge of their seat throughout this apocalyptic young adult story. "The Last Orphans" shows a terrifyingly realistic view of what could happen... ...This story is a great start to an excellent series and will have readers begging and pleading for more!"

    – Heather Mcguire, InD'tale Magazine
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

Light faded from the gloomy heavens as Shane climbed over his aunt and out of the passenger side of the cab. Ominous green clouds still choked the sky, but the air was calm and quiet. He walked a few yards away and turned around, staring absently at the wreckage and wanting to die. The truck door hung open, his aunt's swollen feet sticking out. Crippling numbness overtook him, pressing in on all sides, as if he were being buried in wet cement. It invaded his mind, drowning his thoughts, and leaving only dejected questions that no one could answer. What was he supposed to do now? Why did he have to still be alive when everyone he loved was being taken from him?

"Help!" A girl's hysterical voice ripped through his viscous daze like a bullet through a soda can. "Can you please? Help!"

The voice was pitched with agony and grief, but also very familiar.

Shane pivoted, the weight of his aunt's nightmarish demise making it hard to move.

Two girls ran up the Douglas' long, gravel driveway toward him. The taller one's tangled, blonde hair billowed behind her. She wore cutoff blue jeans and a baggy, white T-shirt with crimson paint smeared across her chest. She dragged a shorter version of herself by the hand behind her as she ran. It took a second for Shane to register who it was.

"Kelly?" he shouted, his voice hoarse with shock. Struggling to break free of the catatonic state threatening to turn him into stone, he jogged heavily down the driveway to meet her.

"They killed my dad and my mom!" she shrieked, her eyes wild and her gaze darting like she expected some horror to jump out of the fields and attack her. "They went berserk and trampled them!"

"Wait—slow down." Shane grabbed her shoulders to steady her. Her distress tore his mind away from the despair seeping through every part of his body, starving him for breath and welding his joints together. "Who killed your parents?" He realized the red on her clothes was fresh blood.