Book Review: Dead Fake (Bleak Haven #1) by Vincent Ralph

Dead Fake by Vincent Ralph introduces readers to Bleak Haven—a town with secrets, shadows, and a disturbing relationship with technology. When a mysterious website allows students at Bleak Haven High to view AI-generated “deepfake” videos of their own deaths, it initially feels like just another morbid online trend. That illusion shatters when those fabricated deaths begin to play out in real life.

The story follows Ava Wilson, who refuses to participate in the craze. As the niece of an infamous murderer, she already carries enough unwanted attention. But when her classmates’ deepfakes start becoming reality, Ava is forced into a deadly game where solving the mystery may be the only way to survive it.

This was my first experience reading Vincent Ralph, and while the novel is written in first person—a point of view I don’t typically prefer—Ralph handles it well. Ava’s voice is clear and engaging, and the pacing keeps the tension high throughout. The premise is timely and unsettling, tapping into modern fears around AI, identity, and voyeuristic online culture.

That said, I repeatedly found myself double-checking to make sure this was truly the first book in the Bleak Haven series—and it is. While Dead Fake is set in the present day, Book Two (Night Terror) jumps back to the 1980s, and I personally felt that reversing the order might have allowed the town’s history to feel more grounded from the start. The shift in timeline can be a bit jarring, though it does add depth once the bigger picture comes together.

The ending includes a few moments that made me roll my eyes slightly, but they mirror a familiar trend in modern horror—where everything needs to be explained just a little too clearly. Even so, the resolution fits the genre and doesn’t derail the overall experience.

All in all, Dead Fake is a solid, entertaining read with a clever concept and strong atmosphere. I enjoyed Ralph’s writing style enough that I’ll be seeking out more of his work in the future, and I’d definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy tech-driven horror, teen slashers, and small towns with dark pasts.