I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This doesn't affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

NOT at ALL what I expected!!! When I picked up The Last Orphans to read, I was expecting the typical young adult dystopian that I've come to know and love. But it was so much more! This story follows Shane Tucker and his friends at the start of an apocalyptic adventure. Animals are turning and killing the adults, in a matter of hours there are none left in their small town in northern Georgia. Together with a small entourage of little kids, the teens head to Atlanta in the hopes that the military base has survived and they have the answers to what is going on.

Less than one day passed since the sky turned green and the animals went mad. It felt like a year. How much more could he take before he snapped?

Told in a 3rd person limited POV, you experience the story through Shane's eyes. I like Shane! At first I wasn't sure, he has a hard relationship with his dad, his grandmother who was his rock has just died (the book starts with them leaving her funeral), and he seems swallowed by grief. How is he going to fare in this dystopian world? I'm happy to say he turns out to be the leader of his little group. He has strong values and convictions that guide his actions, making him a fair leader even though he doesn't want the job. He's also a teenager with typical teenage hormones guiding him where Kelly is concerned.

Kelly Douglas is a senior at his high school, a cheerleader, and completely out of his league. She also happens to be the girl he's crushed on most of his life. When he finds her after her parents are killed, Shane finds a motive for living. He needs to protect her and her sister and find out what's happening before it happens to them. There isn't really much romance in the book, more just Shane feeling protective of Kelly and wanting to see her smile again.

I really liked that the author tells this story as the apocalypse begins, and really the entire book takes place over just a few days as the teens scramble to take care of themselves and the little kids they find on the way. There are some violent scenes as the adults are killed in front of Shane and as the teens encounter other survivors, some from gangs and some from juvenile detention centers. Really this is a story about survival and finding help in a world gone mad. Oh and be warned the author is not afraid to kill anyone off which makes the story realistic because come on we all know that if something happened in real life that not everyone would live.

Overall I really liked this story and can't wait for April and book two! The author ends the book in a way that leaves you thinking "What the heck?!" and then I was scrambling to find book two's synopsis just because I needed a bit of clarification on what was going to happen to Shane and the others. If you like young adult dystopians, a little science fiction then I highly suggest you go check out [b:The Last Orphans|22030244|The Last Orphans (The Last Orphans, #1)|N.W. Harris|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1398983220s/22030244.jpg|41350176]! You won't be disappointed you did.

Gif to Sum it Up: