I was drawn to this book because of its bold premise—a young Haitian-American woman literally “eating the rich” as a form of reclamation. It promised biting satire and sharp commentary, but what I read felt muddled and directionless.

The most compelling parts were the interludes about Brielle’s mother and her past in Haiti. These sections had a lyrical depth that stood in stark contrast to the rest of the novel. Unfortunately, Brielle herself felt like a passive protagonist, swept along by events rather than driving the story.

The romance subplot didn’t add much either, and the lack of clarity around Brielle’s powers as a zonbi made the plot feel even more disjointed. I really wanted to love this, but it left me more confused than satisfied.

I chose this book because “eat the rich” has been a mantra by which I, personally, have been living for years. The concept of a young Haitian-American woman literally eating the rich in a reclamation of power seemed to me to be a satirical and powerful way to comment on income inequality and racial hierarchy.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that is the book I ultimately read. To start, I could not figure out how seriously this novel wanted me to take it. At times, I believed I was meant to see this story as a light-hearted take on some serious topics, something evidenced by the lack of a real plot and certainly any character development. This book was mostly comprised of ideas and events than any real narrative structure, relying on the reader’s own desire to “eat the rich” to keep them engaged instead of a compelling story. If the book had been funnier, more ridiculous, more in-your-face, I actually think this could have worked.

But then there were times that I thought the book actually wanted me to take it seriously. These times were largely the Greek chorus interludes, in which Brielle’s sisters in Haiti provided some heartbreaking and important context for their mother and the circumstances that led to her move to the United States. These sections also contained the strongest writing, which was poetic and lyrical, unlike the rest of the novel, where the writing was not bad, but certainly nothing that caught my attention or wowed me. During the times when the reader was being told a story of love and possession and defiance and difficult choices, I found myself questioning the rest of the novel; why is this the story of Brielle, who, throughout the course of this novel makes very few choices and mostly just reacts to events that happen around her, instead of her mother, whose past is agonizing and shocking and torturously difficult to imagine oneself in? In these “flashbacks,” so to speak, Brielle’s mother is a woman of agency and nerve and fortitude, and I feel that in the “present” of the narrative, she’s largely reduced to a burden that Brielle must navigate around and account for.

Because of these odd tonal differences, I found that I couldn’t not take the story seriously, which had the unfortunately effect of my actually thinking about the plot. Or, where a plot should have been, had one been included. As I said before, Brielle, ostensibly the main character of the story, largely does nothing from beginning to end. The only real choice she makes, an on-a-whim decision right at the beginning to donate millions of dollars of someone else’s money when she has the opportunity to do so and the belief that she will not get caught, leads to a cascade of events that sometimes don’t make sense but that give her little opportunity to actually do anything. I think that, were she a real person, Brielle would have quite a lot of agency - after all, she’s not even a legal adult and she has a successful private catering business in Miami - but as a protagonist in a narrative, she doesn’t do much over the course of this book. Things happen, and she goes along with them, seemingly biding her time until…something. I’m still not sure what.

In general, the characters seem as superficial and lifeless as the plot. No one feels real, complex, or deep, and I would be hard-pressed to identify a character I believe grew or changed over the course of this story. Certainly I would not go so far as to call any of the characters likable, though I don’t believe that a character needs to be likable to be valuable to a story. It seemed that the characters largely existed in two camps in this book: “good” people who supported Brielle and didn’t say shitty, racist things out of pocket, and “bad” people who…were the opposite. There was very little nuance or room for complicated relationships or motives, which made every character read as flat.

I’m honestly not sure how I’m supposed to feel about Brielle’s romantic relationship with Preston. There are a number of reasons for this, but the biggest one is that I don’t understand how Brielle’s zonbi powers work (and, I suspect, neither do the authors, as the fact that Brielle is a zonbi is so absent from much of this book as to be a non-factor altogether). From what I could interpret, by the end of the novel, Brielle has…charmed? Preston into marrying her? At seventeen? So she can be come a part of the ultra-elite that she has spent the rest of the novel claiming she hates? Is this not the very definition of girl-bossing too close to the sun? But it’s okay, because Preston only got close to her because he wanted to know if she knew that he was the one who killed his great-grandfather? I think? To be honest, the romance felt very shoe-horned in, and yet I think the novel would completely fall apart without it, because so much of the time spent in this story is spent with the two of them and their rather ridiculous romance.

At the end of the day, I don’t think this novel set out to accomplish what it wanted to - although I cannot guess what it is that it wanted to accomplish. I hate to be let down by this book, because I did really have high hopes for it. I just wish it had delivered on any of the promises made in its summary; now that was a book I would have loved to have read.

Elizabeth Rose Quinn's The Summer I Ate the Rich is an ambitious, eerie tale that blends Haitian folklore, social critique, and a revenge narrative wrapped in a zombie story unlike any other. Brielle, a 17-year-old Haitian American living in Miami’s Little Haiti, isn’t your typical zombie—she’s a zonbi, rooted in Haitian mysticism. Struggling with her supernatural "urges," Brielle remains fiercely loyal to her family, creating a hauntingly complex, morally gray protagonist.
The story critiques wealth inequality, showcasing Brielle and her mother’s battle to survive while serving the wealthy. The novel’s title promises a satirical, blood-soaked look at "eating the rich," yet the gore is lighter than expected, giving way to subtler, more psychological chills.
The book’s plot takes its time; Brielle’s revenge arc is slow, entwined with subplots of family secrets and romance that, while intriguing, occasionally sidetracks the main narrative. Unexpectedly, the romance subplot adds a tender layer to an otherwise intense story. Themes of healthcare disparity and the influence of pharmaceuticals enrich the commentary, though some tonal shifts feel jarring.
Despite a climax that falls short of its potential, The Summer I Ate the Rich stands out for its cultural richness and unique approach to horror. For those seeking a novel that melds dark folklore with biting social themes, this story delivers a chilling experience

This book gave much more than I anticipated! A book about class and wealth disparities and the impact of being on the outside of that. I am still digesting this book but I highly recommend you read it for yourself.

The Summer I Ate the Rich was a book that tackled issues of class and privilege, but also seamlessly incorporated cultural beliefs. I enjoyed how the authors framed Brielle being a zombie, while still humanizing her.

I wouldn’t consider this book horror or thriller at all. There was very little talk about zombies at all. Definitely disappointing.

Very cool style with the muses and intermissions. I also liked the uniqueness of the story and characters. Some of the secondary storyline was confusing, but the book overall was gripping and interesting. Would recommend!

This book had a decent premise but clocking in at 400 pages there were still so many unanswered questions. The novel starts strong and then starts to try to encompass so much that holes begin to pepper the plot like Swiss cheese. Why did Brielle and Preston get married? What happens to the sisters? If she's a zombie, there wasn't much to it for her.

The Summer I Ate The Rich offers a poignant take on income discrepancies and the absolute joke that is the United States health care system.

The book follows Brielle, an American born child of a Haitian Immigrant who is afflicted with the Zonbi. I loved reading the way that zonbi were written in the novel and the quirky take the authors followed. It made it very interesting and different from your every day zombie novel. It gave a look into the way other culture’s shape zombies in a way that can relate to the current world we live.

Brielle is a smart, quick witted high school student that was not afraid to tell it how it is when she fights for injustices of herself and other’s. She is unapologetically who she is and does not change that for other’s around her.

I absolutely LOVED the incorporation of Haitian culture and everything I learned about it

I am rating it five stars for the absolutely necessary spot this book holds in a YA’s catalog in order to fully grasp the problems within the US’s immigration system, healthcare system, and class system. That being said I did have a lot of issues with some aspects of the book that didn’t quite line up for me.

Namely, I wanted more zombie and less love story. If you are going to present me with a horror novel, I would like at least half of it to be about that aspect. It seemed like the zonbi aspect of the story line was glossed over and I was given a YA fantasy love story with zonbi aspects. What is the back story of the muses? In what world can a high school student get a paid internship with provided health insurance that covers a dependent, much less a parent? Where is more about the supper club? I feel like I was promised a lot that was not delivered to me.

Such an incredible and amazing concept that has so much potential. The writing is incredible as well and everything read exactly how I feel like the authors wanted it to. The characters were well developed and unique in personality and life stories.

This YA horror is as chilling as it is clever. Brielle, a Haitian American teen with a knack for cooking, discovers she has zombie-like abilities, which she uses to get back at the wealthy elite who’ve hurt her family. Blending Haitian lore with a sharp look at social inequality, the Moulite sisters deliver a darkly funny, thought-provoking story that’ll make you think twice about what’s on your plate.

What's a teenage zonbi to do when she's got culinary ambitions and a taste for human flesh? In The Summer I Ate the Rich, Brielle Petitfour balances her dreams of becoming a chef with caring for her chronically ill mother and managing her secret identity as a half-zonbi. When she lands an internship at a pharmaceutical company and starts running an exclusive supper club for Miami's wealthy elite, Brielle finds herself serving up dishes with very special ingredients sourced from the local mortuary. (I do wish we'd gotten more of an explanation and description of the purpose of this. We somewhat see the results, but I wanted to know more of the hows and they whys.) Despite its horror premise, the book reads more like a YA drama, complete with a romance between Brielle and Preston, the son of a powerful pharmaceutical dynasty. Drawing from Haitian zonbi lore rather than Hollywood-style zombie stories, the authors create an unexpectedly glossy take on what could have been a much darker tale. The story weaves together elements of young love, family dynamics, and class disparity, while keeping its more gruesome aspects surprisingly subtle.

To me this was the non-gruesome version on Tender is the Flesh.
I loved the concept of the story and to me (sorry not sorry) but, I find some myths of Haitian culture to be creepy so this and her being a zombie added to the story for me!
I highly recommend this book! Thank you for the ARC

The Summer I Ate the Rich was definitely unique. I like the unique zombie (aka zonbi) from Haitian culture, as well as, all the other references to the culture. The food references were yum and you can imply the author loves some Haitian food. Book had many valid points about how rich people hoard wealth and don't help people in need enough. While I enjoyed the plot, I do feel there was some over simplification of events that I would not mind more details about. Like what happened with what was done. I need to know. Also I had issues with Brielle's recklessness, lack of repercussions for actions, and behaving so adult all the time. I had some issues with mom too being so hands off. But great book, fun story with quite a few shockers. I enjoyed it.

The Summer I Ate the Rich by Maika and Maritza Moulite is a captivating, genre-blending story that combines elements of magical realism, social commentary, and coming-of-age drama. Set in the vibrant Little Haiti area of Miami, the novel introduces us to Brielle, a seventeen-year-old Haitian American girl whose life is anything but ordinary.

Brielle is an aspiring chef with dreams of a better life, but she also happens to be a zombie—though not the typical undead creature one might expect. The way Brielle’s condition is portrayed is fresh and intriguing, and the twists and surprises around her “zombie” nature will definitely keep readers hooked. But Brielle is more than just a zombie—she’s a multifaceted character dealing with the weight of her mother’s painful illness, financial struggles, and the societal divides between the wealthy and the working class.

The heart of the story lies in Brielle’s desire to break free from the constraints of her circumstances and find a way to help herself and her mother. As the plot unfolds, we dive deep into Brielle’s relationship with her Haitian heritage, her mother’s past, and her efforts to take control of her fate. The cultural exploration in the book adds a rich layer to the narrative, bringing Brielle’s world and the Haitian-American experience to life in a vivid and thought-provoking way.

The Moulite sisters expertly balance the magical with the real, creating a layered story full of surprises, emotional depth, and insightful commentary on class, identity, and resilience. Brielle’s character development is particularly strong—she is resourceful, bold, and never what you expect her to be. Her journey is full of twists, and each reveal adds complexity to her character and the world around her.

Overall, The Summer I Ate the Rich is a unique and thought-provoking read that offers much more than just a fantasy story. It’s a fresh take on the zombie genre, filled with heart, humor, and cultural richness. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something different—both entertaining and thought-provoking—packed with surprises and great character development. You won’t want to put it down!

Special thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Children’s for this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

I received this book as an ARC but absolutely loved it! Not scary horror per se but still so good! For some reason Haitian culture already creeps me out and then she a zombie, haha awesome! If you liked Tender is the Flesh then this is a more non serious version.

The cover and premise of this book are GOLD. Brielle, a teenage zombie (or Haitian zonbie), wants nothing more than to be a chef. What could go wrong?

Brielle lives with her mother, a Haitian immigrant living with chronic pain, and like many mothers and daughters they don’t see eye-to-eye about career paths. Brielle wants to be a chef and her mother wants her to….I don’t know, do something different. Instead of accepting a summer internship with a prominent, well connected chef Brielle takes an internship with a big bad billionaire from the same family her mother works for. How does that happen? Don’t ask, it’s silly and completely inconsequential to the story. As Brielle spends her summer working for a corrupt pharmecutical empire she’s also somehow keeping up with her side hustle running a super club for the super wealthy and having a romance with her billionaire boss’s son. I almost forgot, Brielle is half zonbie and there’s a sub sub sub plot where she goes to Haiti to vanquish her sister's father? Okay, yes, this is so off the rails I’m having a hard time giving a plot description.

Spoiler talk.

First off, where the bodies at?? The premise promises “The rich families who love her cooking praise her use of unique flavors and textures, which keep everyone guessing what’s in Brielle’s dishes. The secret ingredient? Human flesh….” and it makes me think that whoever blurbed this book didn’t actually read the book. As a zombie there’s surprisingly little talk of her bloodlust which I would have assumed would have been a bigger conflict for her. Before her first supper club she steals a few bits and pieces from a mortuary and grounds it up into a fine powder that she mixes into food. That’s it. Yes, that’s disgusting, don’t invite me to dinner, but also don’t call this book “bone-chilling” because stealing a toe from an already dead person and putting microscopic amounts on food is not bone-chilling. And what is a zonbie even? Did I miss the part where it explained that along with blood lust the zonbie can magically bend people to their will? Because at one point I forgot Brielle was a zonbie and just thought she was some sort of witch.

I also didn’t think the book had a very distinct point of view on socioeconomic or racial inequiality. All of the elements were right there but the book decided to go wide and wacky instead of actually saying anything. Let’s take Preston for example. I didn’t think this book was going to have a heavy romance slant because a bad bitch like Brielle has plenty of other things to worry about right now. Hypothetically, she’s taking care of her mother, working two full time jobs, trying to take down a billion dollar empire and keep her zombie tendencies at bay. But the start of the book gives us this murder mystery. Bare with me. Brielle witnesses the fatal hit and run of her mother’s employer, the eldest in the billionaire dynasty at the center of Brielle’s ire. She has the car on video but for some reason never tells the police. Very quickly she learns the car belongs to Preston, the youngest son of the family who is also, for whatever reason, interning at the family business. They fall in love, she knows he’s a murderer and at some point she tells him she’s a zombie who feeds magical people powder to rich dinner guests. What are a murder and zombie in love to do? Get married at 17.There’s a possibilty that together they take down his father’s company but it’s entirely unclear.

The book tried to do too many things and accomplished nothing but making a mess.

Miscellaneous nits to pick:
High school kids don’t get health insurance for their summer internships
Parents can’t be on their children’s health insurance plans (at least not in cases like this)
Why are there intermissions with dialogue between “muses” who are actually her sisters who are actually just giving exposition but in an incongruous form?
Where did Silas’s racist assistant go and why is an adult bullying a child?
Where did the molar come from if she ground everything up?
Why is her mother scared of her if her condition was so mild that it’s not brought up for most of the book?
I think her dad used opioids to dull his zombie cravings - I may have missed some details because this book was wild - but if that's the case I want to double down on the point that I completely forgot she wasn't human for most of the book.
When did YA books get so long? This clocks in at 400 pages without having anything to say. Rein it in.

Thank you net galley and publisher for sharing this book.

Such a fun book! I love the main character and her storyline of being a zombie and also wanting to be a chef. It was a different take on zombies which I loved

I was approved for this ARC just as I was about to finish reading the last book I read aloud to my 14y/o.

Me: Hey, would you be interested in us reading this next?

Them: Based on just the title and cover, yes, absolutely.

Overall, it was highly enjoyable and I'm glad I read it aloud. I loved Brielle's voice, and the interludes with the Greek Hatian Chorus Muses to give us backstory and provide a different flavour of narration. I also really enjoyed the Haitian magic and zonbi mythology (which, tbh, I was obsessed with a bit when I was younger after The Serpent and the Rainbow scared the pants off me at far too young and age). Also loved the scathing criticism of the billionaire class and how they'll step on everyone for money.

BUT. It all kind of fell apart at the end? Everything up until about 80% was tight and suspenseful and funny, and then...it just was kind of over? There was very little of what I expected this to be going in, and I was fine with that up until I wasn't.

This book was chilling and badass! Fun in a way that heightened your stress and made you keep reading until well into the morning. In this YA mix of Fresh and The Menu, this book is one you can't help but take a bite of!

This was a hell of ride and I could not put this down. I enjoyed it a lot and I can't wait to put it on my shelf. thank you netgalley,.