The Last Scarecrow

Scarecrows of Coldharbour Farm, Book 1

By: Neil J Hart

Narrated by: Samantha Norbury

**WATTY'S WINNER 2021**

When the human race faces extinction, the scarecrows will rise.

Erin loved to build scarecrows. She made a dozen in all. Her Pa showed her how. But he’s dead now. Everyone is dead. Well... almost.

The Many Years Storm flooded the world, swept Erin’s brother out to sea, and turned her hilltop farm into a rapidly shrinking island. While hope remains, she must take her chances on the open ocean and find her brother. But Erin doesn’t have the knowledge to build a raft and there’s no one to ask except the last and most terrifying of all her scarecrows—Number Twelve!

Erin needs help. Scratch that. Erin needs a miracle.

'Return to Oz' meets 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' in Neil J Hart’s award-winning adorably terrifying fantasy adventure where climate change has flooded the earth, destroyed humanity, and ushered in a grave new world!

Climb aboard and join the adventure today!

©2024 Neil J Hart (P)2025 Neil J Hart

Haunting, Heroic, Unforgettable — The Dystopia of Your Dreams (and Nightmares), Led by the Voice that Commands the Tempest.

In The Last Scarecrow — WATTY’S WINNER 2021 and the spellbinding first entry in Scarecrows of Coldharbour Farm — Neil J Hart drenches you in a post‑apocalyptic world swallowed by an endless, wrathful storm. Strange new species rise, familiar ones evolve into marvels or terrors, and the atmosphere crackles with eerie beauty. The prose is as rich and haunting as the tempest it conjures, while Samantha Norbury’s audiobook performance is nothing short of alchemy — each voice so vivid and distinct, you’ll forget it’s one narrator and not a full cast breathing life into these characters. Twelve, Raven, The Blue King… they don’t just inhabit the story; they stake a claim in your imagination.

Though this is only book one, the conclusion lands with such elegance it could stand alone — yet you’ll find yourself craving the sequel like rain after a drought. Cinematic, fast‑paced, and brimming with emotion, it’s a tale of found family, loyalty, resilience, and the stubborn spark to truly live. Perfect for teens, irresistible to adults — if you love dystopian fantasy, haunting world‑building, or simply an audiobook crafted with rare excellence, this is one you cannot miss.

Adventure at World's End

For fans of Howl's Moving Castle and James and the Giant Peach.

An adventure at world's end. Accompanied by the monstrous Scarecrow Number 12 and a blackbird named Raven, Erin, the Last Human Girl, ventures out into the desolate world to seek scarecrows and survivors.

Samantha Norbury's audiobook narration is phenomenal. This story requires an impressive number of different voices (you'll see why when you read it) and she makes every one of them distinct. I particularly enjoyed the three main characters.

Ultimately, I DNF'd this book because the tone was a bit more juvenile than the Young Adult books I typically enjoy. I think this book is a good fit for the younger end of the YA spectrum.