#dead fake

[libertyreads]

October 2025 Wrap Up--

This has probably been the most seasonally appropriate my reading has ever been in the Fall. I did my best to read a lot of spooky, witchy, or murder-y things this month and I think it's been a good month ratings wise. Let's get to the reads.

Comics/Graphic Novels-- 1. Over My Dead Body by Sweeney Boo-- 4.25 stars.

2. Nothing Special, Vol. 3: Pride and Pompousness by Katie Cook-- 4 stars.

Short Stories/Novellas-- 1. Dead Fake by Vincent Ralph (NetGalley)-- 3.5 stars.

2. Night Terror by Vincent Ralph (NetGalley)-- 3.25 stars.

Novels-- 1. King of Sloth by Ana Huang-- 3.75 stars.

2. Witchshadow by Susan Dennard-- 4 stars (original rating).

3. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (Library)-- 4 stars.

4. Business Casual by B.K. Borison-- 4 stars.

5. He's to Die For by Erin Dunn-- 3 stars.

6. Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks-- 2.5 stars.

7. Oxford Blood by Rachael Davis-Featherstone-- 3 stars.

The overall rating for the month was 3.57 stars. I have some big books on my TBR for next month so I'm sure I won't read nearly as much.

[readingwithwrin]

Dead Fake by Vincent Ralph | Mystery/Thriller Book Review

Title: Dead Fake Author: Vincent Ralph Publisher: Wednesday Books Published Date: January 20th, 2026 Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Horror, YA Source: Library Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ .5 Goodreads Summary: Welcome to Bleak Haven: The town you won’t (or can’t!) leave… Deep fake murders have taken over the high school, but what happens when they start to become real?Would you Swipe to Die? When the new…

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[the-worlds-between-pages]

Dead Fake gets one start for an easy to spot villain, horribly written characters and refusing to actually make use of the ai in the story. Readers deserve better

Dead Fake By: Vincent Ralph

[teanderthalrex]

Dead Fake by Vincent Ralph

I love the cover of this book.

Excellent short horror; perfect for fans of the Fear Street books or Christopher Pike's Spooksville books.

Much like R.L. Stine's Shadyside, Bleak Haven has a colorful history of tragic and gruesome murders.

Most recent of which were the murders committed by Ava's Uncle Miles. Ava has been a pariah ever since it happened. Now deep faked death's of her classmates are appearing online and it seems like the person posting has taken inspiration from her uncle. Ava is determined to find out who is behind the dead fakes before they stop being fake altogether.

Genuinely a short, fun, scary read, perfect for the next generation of teens wanting a campy and deliciously morbid scare in a bite-sized package.

3.5/5 stars

I don't think the twist in this is too far-fetched. It's much more grounded than I was expected.

Ava's aunt's motivations are incredibly realistic to what we see with real-world murders all the time, even if her execution and zeal were a little over the top.

I found the hardest part to be that her aunt was keeping up with who was who and what all was going on with the teens by listening to them gossip while getting coffee, but that could just be how it is for people who leave the house.

There's a second book in the series publishing the same day, so I'm off to read that and hope that this new series keeps the nostalgia train going.

[jonathanpongratz]

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

    Blurb: Would you Swipe to Die? When the new craze takes over Bleak Haven High, Ava Wilson refuses to join in. As the niece of an infamous murderer, it’s the last thing she needs. The mysterious website allows people to view their own ‘death’ – an AI generated version of their final slasher-movie-moments. But, when some of her classmates’ deepfakes are replicated in real life, Ava can either…

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[bookvibesandtarotcards]

Dead Fake by Vincent Ralph

“A website that shows your death… but what happens when it comes true?”

✶ PRE-READING ✶

Wouldn’t sign up for the website myself, thank you very much, but the concept is irresistibly twisted. High school horror + deepfake tech? Count me in.

✶ POST-READING ✶

As I thought... Chilling from the first page, with twists that hit exactly when they should. Bleak Haven High is fully realized, tense, and consistently unnerving.

It surprised me by... The story leans heavily on backstory that we’re not given in full — at first I assumed it was part of a series. It works as a standalone, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a prequel or sequel fills in the history gaps.

✦ RECOMMENDATIONS ✦

📚 Book: The Naturals — teen sleuths, tense mysteries, and high stakes 📺 TV: Riverdale — high school drama with a sinister twist

✦ MUSIC PAIRING ✦

🎵 Featured Song: Thriller by Michael Jackson — classic creepy energy, perfectly on-theme 🎶 Vibe Album: Anything orchestral-heavy with strings and suspense 🎧 Artist Recommendation: John Carpenter soundtracks — perfect tension, ominous atmosphere

✧ VIBE CHECK ✧

Colour Palette: Dark night and blood red

Soundtrack: Lots of strings; tense and paranoid

Season: Autumn — shadows lengthen, nights grow in

Mood: Suspenseful, edgy, and uneasy

Scent: Popcorn and cold air — the perfect cinema-meets-horror vibe

★ TAROT CARD PULLED ★

Judgement — Horror Tarot Set in a graveyard with the dead rising, this card mirrors both the story’s eerie setting and Ava’s personal stakes. Her uncle’s shadow looms over her actions, and the rising figures echo the tension of the deepfake murders coming to life. Judgement captures the story’s themes of reckoning, confronting the past, and facing consequences head-on — all while standing on the edge of fear and discovery. It’s the perfect reflection of Ava’s courage in a town where the past refuses to stay buried.

[morallygreymmc]

goodreads review