I Woke Up a Final Girl: A Horror Novel

by John Durgin

A pulse-pounding slasher horror novel from bestseller John Durgin that subverts every trope in the book.

Fight back or flatline.

Sabrina Campbell wakes up in a pool of someone’s else’s blood. She’s in the Hensley house, a disgusting, ramshackle building. She knows its horrific past but has no memory of hers, and now the doors are sealed and the windows barricaded, the gloomy halls whispering with the echoes of a decades old massacre.

As Sabrina searches for her missing friends and the medication keeping her heart beating, she discovers she is not alone. A ghoulish, masked figure stalks her from the shadows and pushes her to the edge of her physical limits. She must stay calm, think fast, and evade a killer who wants the past remembered – one victim at a time.

Not everything from the past should be remembered, but the house – the house remembers everything.

I Woke Up a Final Girl, by bestseller John Durgin, is a pulse-pounding survival horror that subverts every trope in the book. Perfect for fans of classic slashers with a high-stakes, medical twist.

Genres: Horror

211 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 23, 2026

About the author

John Durgin is an award-nominated indie horror author from New Hampshire. Growing up in the Granite State, he discovered Stephen King much younger than most probably should have — reading IT before he reached high school — and knew from that moment on he wanted to write horror.

His debut novel, The Cursed Among Us, released June 3, 2022, and went on to become an Amazon bestseller. The book launched the Newport Curse series, a small-town supernatural horror trilogy rooted in the dark corners of New England.

Since then, John has published steadily and prolifically: his sophomore novel Inside The Devil's Nest followed in January 2023, with his debut collection Sleeping In The Fire arriving in June of the same year. In 2024 he released two more novels — Kosa, which earned stellar reviews, and Consumed by Evil through Crystal Lake Publishing. His most recent novels are The Devil's In The Next Room and The Envelope.

His latest book, I Woke Up a Final Girl (Wicked House Publishing), is his most successful launch to date — debuting at #1 in American Horror paperback new releases, hitting the top 5 overall in the category, and accumulating nearly 100 Goodreads reviews in its first week alone.

John writes supernatural and demonic horror, small-town dread, and dark fiction influenced by Stephen King, with recurring themes of curses, demons, and the terror lurking in quiet New England towns. When he isn't writing, he creates visual art — including pencil drawings — and continues building one of independent horror fiction's most dedicated reader communities.

Twitter- @jdurgin1084
Website- www.johndurginauthor.com
Instagram- @durginpencildrawings
TikTok- @johndurgin_author

Reviews

[LTJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I Woke Up a Final Girl” by John Durgin is one of those short, sweet, and to-the-point horror books that you can enjoy over a weekend. If you love slasher movies and slasher books in general, you will enjoy this one. It’s not perfect, but it sure packs a punch.

Before I dive into my horror book review, here are all the trigger warnings I found while reading:

- Violence against children (babies)
- Heart conditions
- Violence against animals (cats)

If any of these trigger you, please do not read this book. Moving along, I loved the intro that set the tone for a solid story about friends, being young and dumb, and wanting to explore a haunted house with all sorts of crazy lore. That setup immediately struck a chord with me, taking me back to my teenage years growing up in Queens, NY.

It’s very similar to this story from when I was a teenager, hanging out with my neighborhood friends, about a burned-down house everyone kept saying was haunted. It’s ironic since, at the time, a few wanted to visit it late at night, and I sure as hell said no thanks. I love my horror and all, but the moment it becomes a reality, I’m good. I’m also glad I didn’t do anything dumb, because over the years, it eventually collapsed, and that became a story about the evil spirits tearing it down and all that jazz.

The overall story of “I Woke Up a Final Girl” resonated with me because it felt so real and believable, and it brought me back to those teenage years. It has short, quick chapters, and the visceral slasher horror is next-level. I’ve always loved slasher movies, with “A Nightmare on Elm Street” being my all-time favorite, and Sabrina, the main protagonist, is one hell of a final girl.

No spoilers here, but I enjoyed the storytelling and its format, with a past-and-present flow that was easy to follow and never confusing. I enjoyed the tension between what was happening in the present and the backstory being filled in from the past. This slasher story also flirts with the horror mystery subgenre, where you have no idea who the killer is, which made me turn the pages even faster to find out who it ultimately was. I had my guesses, and it kept me engaged for the most part.

The only complaint I have is that the story drags a bit from the 30% mark onward, but it eventually picks up nicely again from the halfway point, thanks to some nice plot twists and reveals. It was a nice race to the end, and it didn’t disappoint. It was so action-packed that it kept me on the edge of my seat, since I had no idea where it was going. Everything from the atmospheric writing, thumps, bloodshed, and gore was fantastic. Especially leading to the ultimate reveal.

As for the ending itself, I absolutely loved it! It’s an epic finale of the classic final girl versus killer, and it was a bloody masterpiece. It was written brilliantly, and in a smart way that, when you connect the pieces, will make you freak out. I couldn’t read it fast enough because I was turning the pages like a convulsive lunatic to soak it all in when it all clicked and made sense to me. It was such a final showdown that I’ll never forget it.

I give “I Woke Up a Final Girl” by John Durgin a 4-Star rating out of 5. It’s one of the best slasher horror books I’ve ever read, and truly feels like you’re reading a classic 1980s slasher movie one bloody page at a time. Sabrina is a great final girl, and all the twists and turns of what happens one Halloween night in a haunted house with a slasher twist will leave its mark on you. Some parts dragged on, but overall, this was a lot of fun.

Gauze Face was here.

[Kayla_Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 perfect slasher for summer

[Michael Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I can finally breathe and get some sleep now that this is over. This is one of the most addictive slashers I've ever read (aside from Strand's Your Body Will Never Be Found). Maybe Durgin's take will finally convince me to read more slasher novels. I've never been a huge fan of the genre (literature, film, or otherwise). I often find slashers predictable, with tropes so overused they just piss me off.

Somehow, Durgin makes the genre feel fresh and completely unpredictable.

The story begins exactly as the title promises: Sabrina wakes up a final girl (with no memory of the horrors that preceded her situation). You'd think all the horror is behind her, right? Wrong. It's only just beginning.

Durgin launches you into a feverish, adrenaline-fueled nightmare so engrossing, you won’t sleep until the last page. YOU may wake up a Final Girl by the time it’s over.

[§am I Am · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sabrina, who has a heart condition, wakes up a final girl. This book flashes between nov 1 and Halloween night. She conveniently lost her memory and is remembering halloween night slowly. I guess im a minority on this book and didnt really like it. No wow factor for me.

[Sarah Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sabrina wakes up in the home of a small town urban legend nightmare in a pool of someone else’s blood. As she tries to piece together the events that have unfolded, she is in a fight for her life. The events that transpired leave her confused and scared for her life. As she faces her own medical challenges, she must fight to stay alive, one heart beat at a time.

John broke his own mold with this one. Although different than his previous works, John has proven that he can write multiple tropes. This is perfect for fans of 90’s - 2000’s slashers. This story left me on the edge of my seat as the action is nonstop from page one and will leave you guessing as you dive into this fast-paced horror with both feet.

[Louis (audiobookfanatic) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

BLURB:
Sabrina Campbell wakes up on November 1 inside Hensley House, injured and with no memory of how she got there. As she searches for her friends and the medication she needs to survive, fragments of the previous night begin to return.

REVIEW:
If you haven’t read any of John Durgin’s books before, like me, this is a fantastic place to start. This book has some classic ‘80s/‘90s slasher horror vibes, including a strong-willed Final Girl female lead, a masked killer, slasher gore, and a creepy haunted house with no escape—PHEW!! If you love these elements, this book will check all the boxes for you! I went in completely blind, and I wasn’t expecting the story to be as unpredictable, twisty, or relentlessly paced as it was—it’s a wild ride, and there literally wasn’t a moment for me to catch my breath!

The story is told from a third-person POV, mostly following Sabrina, and alternates between two timelines (November 1 and Halloween night) that work well together to keep you constantly unsettled and guessing. On November 1, after waking up disoriented inside Hensley House with no memory of how she got there, Sabrina experiences one horror after another, and in key scenes, memories resurface from the night before, revealing how she, her best friend Lydia, Lydia’s boyfriend Duncan, and another couple, Nick and Robin, entered the abandoned house on a dare and everything that followed. Doesn’t that sound like a great setup??

I love how Sabrina’s heart condition is woven into the story to heighten the stakes and make you feel even more invested in her survival. She misplaces her medication early on and relies on it every few hours to stay alive—and you can literally feel her escalating paranoia and panic as she’s not only trying to escape a masked killer but is constantly in a race against time before her own body fails her—so expect some very nerve-wracking moments! I also loved how, in the November 1 timeline, Sabrina becomes an amateur sleuth, deciphering clues from a journal and other items in the house, determined to find a way out. As she navigates room after room, there’s an impending sense of doom in the way the scenes are written—and believe me, it’s all warranted. Dead friends, gory scenes, and sudden encounters with the masked killer, including one of the most intense cat-and-mouse chase scenes you’ll ever read, will have your heart pounding and leave you unable to put the book down!

With a small cast of characters and the story also being a closed-circle whodunnit, you’ll find yourself suspicious of everyone at different points. Add in the chilling legend of Gauze Face, the deranged son who murdered his family inside Hensley House in 1972, and the fact that the masked killer looks eerily similar to him, along with no cell service, maze-like corridors, hidden passageways, and a terrifying basement filled with horrors, and you have a slasher straight out of a classic 1980s horror film!!

The short, punchy chapters, many ending on cliffhangers, make this the perfect binge read. But with lots of gore and vividly described, graphic kill scenes (some of which are very stomach-churning), I wouldn’t recommend picking this one up right before bed. And just like in many slasher films, Sabrina and her friends make some VERY frustrating decisions, wasting valuable time or assuming the killer is dead or unconscious, only to regret it moments later—and I was literally screaming at them at times. So you need to suspend your disbelief in several scenes, but that’s all part of the fun! And in exchange, you get a wildly entertaining, heart-pounding ride with nonstop thrills. When the killer is finally revealed, there’s a major twist, but there are clues sprinkled throughout that do help you predict pieces of it. The ending has some very satisfying moments that had me wanting to pump my fist in the air, but just like every great horror movie, there’s a final scene (in the epilogue) that will have you needing more answers!

If you love Final Girl slasher stories, masked killers, haunted houses, survival horror, or books that keep you on edge the entire time, you need to add this book to your TBR!

[kayla :)]

i don’t think men write teenage girl POVs well enough for me to get through !

[Chelsea Cardiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so sad i finished it because it’s SO GOOD. 😭

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

Best book I have read all year. Can't wait to read more books by this author and see what else he has written

[Ruby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fun! I love a good slasher story. The only reasons why it wasn't five stars for me was that I feel like everything was a little too convenient. The heart problem, the perfect timing of everything, and I feel like it was a bit predictable.

Nevertheless, I still did enjoy it.

[Emily Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Durgin never misses! There’s a reason he’s one of my favorite authors and this one is easily my new favorite by him now. A brutal slasher that was wildly unpredictable. I was hooked the whole time and the twists just kept coming and kept me guessing until the very end. This one comes out 6/23 and you definitely need to check it out!

[Eunice Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his author’s note, John Durgin mentioned how crazy it is that this is his eighth novel, and honestly, as a reader, my immediate thought was: "Here I am again, diving headfirst into another one of his books!" And let me tell you, he does not disappoint.
If you’ve read John Durgin before, you already know his signature style,he does not waste time. The story gets straight to the point, throwing you right into the action from page one. The pacing is incredibly tight, and the plot is beautifully woven together.

Let’s talk about the main character, Sabrina. You know that classic horror movie frustration where you’re screaming at the screen like, "Girl, what are you doing?! Stop looking back, just RUN!"? Yeah... I had a lot of those moments in the middle of this book. 😂
Sabrina has a serious heart condition, and there were times I was legitimately yelling, "GIRL! Put your medication in your pocket! Why are you slacking?!" 🤦‍♀️ It was a total rollercoaster of anxiety. But honestly? That’s how you know a horror book is good. If a story can make me react that loudly and feel that stressed for the characters, the author did his job perfectly.

What I love most about this book is that it’s not just your typical slasher. Yes, you get the blood, the guts, and the thrill of the chase, but it also has a surprising amount of heart. It balances the gory horror with emotional depth that really hits you.
If you love high-stakes, fast-paced survival horror with a unique medical twist, you definitely need to add this to your TBR!

[LJ🥀👻 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen. I started this book yesterday, finished it today, and I’m still sitting here like a Victorian widow staring out a rain‑streaked window whispering, “John… why would you do that to me.” Because this man? This man writes characters you accidentally adopt, and then he rips them away like he’s collecting emotional taxes. And I paid. I paid in tears. This story is damn good. Like…. Durgin really said “plot twist?” and then threw the whole plot into a blender, poured it over ice, and handed it to me with a little umbrella like, “Enjoy :)” The writing? Sharp. The pacing? Ferocious. The characters? I got attached. Against my will. Against my better judgment. Against every horror‑reader instinct that says “don’t love anyone, they WILL die.” And guess what happened. Guess. Exactly that. (Obviously. It’s in the title but let me be sad for a minute 😭) The ending was somewhat satisfying in that “I’m glad the story wrapped up beautifully but also I’m grieving like I just lost three fictional roommates” kind of way. You know the vibe. But let me be clear: If you’re a horror reader? If you love final girl chaos, emotional carnage, and plots that grab you by the throat and drag you through the woods? Read this book. Read it yesterday. Read it twice. Read it and then come cry with me in the comments. John Durgin has done it again. Another 5‑star read. Another emotional crime scene. Another reason I’m convinced he’s secretly trying to break us and we’re all just… letting him.

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy all of this authors’ books and this title was no exception. The title alone was what drew my attention to wanting to read the book. I have read and watched movies that portray the ‘final girl’ some have been horror, some have been psychological thrillers. This one happened to be of the horror genre. from the very beginning there is something off about the group of friends that drive out to the ‘haunted mansion’ that has an urban legend attached to the property. I could understand the reasons behind Sabrina wanting to take on the supposed ‘haunted house’ but I am sure she regretted that choice as the evening wore on. Each time Sabrina regains a memory or consciousness, the reader finds out more about the other young people at the house as Sabrina tries to make sense of what happens to each of her friends. After each horrific scene, I was just as confused as Sabrina about who the ‘killer’ could be. Each person’s death is more gruesome than the next and I was surprised at Sabrina for not giving up or in; to the condition she suffered from. As the reader discovers the truth behind the horrible night, I was just as flabbergasted as Sabrina at the conclusion of the evening. Sabrina definitely deserved the title of: the final girl.

[Cathrine Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

heart stopping thrill

Here’s a more emotional, Goodreads-style version:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I Woke Up a Final Girl completely consumed me. This is the kind of book that grabs you from the first page and refuses to let go. It was a heart-stopping thriller filled with gruesome scenes, shocking twists, and nonstop suspense that had my heart racing the entire time.

Every chapter ended with a cliffhanger, making it impossible to put down. Just when I thought I knew what was happening, another twist completely blindsided me. The atmosphere was dark, creepy, and intense, and I found myself thinking about the story even when I wasn’t reading.

If you love psychological thrillers with plenty of gore, mystery, and edge-of-your-seat tension, this book delivers. It’s one of those rare reads that keeps you guessing until the very last page. I absolutely loved it and will be recommending it to every thriller fan I know!

This version reads naturally as a passionate reader’s review while highlighting the heart-stopping suspense, gruesome elements, and unputdownable pacing you wanted.

[Craig King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently finish I Woke Up A Final Girl by John Durgin.

First things first…. If you grew up on slashers then this book is for you. It is an absolutely stellar slasher novel.

When Sabrina wakes up in a puddle of someone else’s blood with no memory of how she got there, her nightmare is just beginning. Between her heart problems that can cause her to pass out or die if she gets to excited to excited and the creepy house she can’t seem to find her way out of, she is in for a long night.

John manages to play with slasher tropes in a fun and unique way while staying true to the genre.

It released today so make sure you grab a copy!!!

[Jill Paschal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave I Woke Up a Final Girl by John Durgin 2 stars.

As a horror fan, I really wanted to like this one because the premise seemed like a good one. Unfortunately, the execution never lived up to the idea. For such a short novel, it somehow managed to feel much longer than it is. The constant reminders of Sabrina’s heart condition quickly became repetitive and pulled me out of the story instead of adding tension. I kept waiting for the pacing to kick into high gear or for the horror to really land, but it never quite got there. A solid concept that, for me, didn’t stick the landing.

[Jennifer Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was perfect. All the great elements of a classic slasher story. Your final girl also has a serious heart condition, so she has everything stacked against her. It seems like from page one, she can’t catch a flipping break. The pacing is fast and the violence is thick. Nobody is safe and everyone is a suspect!

[Brittnee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Heart Pounding Read

If you enjoy slashers, you need to read this! Sabrina is a final girl you can really root for. She doesn’t let her heart condition stop her or hold her back. Gauze Face is a slasher that fits right in with Ghost Face, Michael Myers, and all the rest.

The tension is perfectly crafted. The plot flowed smoothly with nothing feeling clunky or out of place.

[Stephanie Rumbarger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book by this author. It certainly won't be my last. This is a slasher type book but the final girl aspect made it different from other slashers I've read. Highly recommend! I can't wait to read more of his work

[Jamie LeGuier · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5🌟 rounded up

[Ta'Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Cheri B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was a great slasher too, my month of June was Slasher filled. This one also keeps you guessing. I felt invested in the characters and think this would be a really great movie too.

[anyraen · Rating 4 out of 5]

casual slasher💋

[Adrienne Oliveri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this slasher for the summer!

[Kez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love slasher books, and this one filled that slasher-less hole in my heart.

Who doesn't love a kickass final girl? And a final girl with a medical condition is even more badass, and you can't help but root for Sabrina the whole way through.

A great read!

[Jennifer Altier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Read

Loved it! Read it in one day! Binge worthy! Horror with a mysterious twist. So glad I got to read this!

[Craig E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great quick read. Really did a great job of bringing the slasher film genre to a novel form. Excellent choice for any horror movie fan

[Breone Norris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely enjoyed this book. The thrills were non stop, there were no slow burns, and it was VERY gory. The book loses a star due to dialogue. I felt about 30% wasn’t realistic. If i’m in a dire situation, I wouldn’t still be referring to my friends as girl, sweetie, love, etc. I couldn’t really imagine the fear of the situation when the dialogue is giving cheesy. Other than that, I think this was a good, quick read of about 200 pages that I finished in less than a day.

[Kathy Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the storyline and the way the final girl kept forgetting what was going on and then remembering. She was slowly piecing together what was happening to her and her friends. It’s a good book and can be read in a couple of days. I do recommend it.
This is an Advanced Reader’s Copy review