Dead Fake 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 i...