I enjoyed it in general but thinking back about it, it has big flaws i struggled to pass over like for example the murders especially the second one were just.. forgotten until the car accident was convenient for the plot and it felt as a very weak plot point to me. I wish it went deeper in the critic of healthcare in America and try to end the book within this book but it quickly turned into a romance first, it confused me.
And Brielle being a zombie was great but it felt extra and not worked very well into the story as it wasn't enough incorporated into her story beside the few hunger from time to time, i thought it would have been more at the center of the book especially with the haiti definition of a zonbi

Brief overview:

After a cell phone mix up, Brielle, a teenage zombie, gets the chance to do a summer internship at an infamous pharmaceutical company. She can't turn down the opportunity to get her mothers medication and earn extra funds to send back to her sisters in Haiti.

My thoughts:

The first chapter had me excited, then it all kind of went downhill from there. It felt like there was constantly so much going on, yet nothing actually happened. This story read as more of a YA romance than a horror. The fact that the main character is a zombie didn't really seem like much of a main plot point and it was only brought up when the character wanted to do something a normal person could not. It didn't feel fully fleshed out (excuse the pun). The writing style was a bit hard to keep up with at times, and every time it felt like something interesting would happen, the chapter would end and we would jump forward in time right over the interesting thing! Oh, and the part that made me the most upset, she didn't even eat the rich!

Was this the best book I've ever read, no, but so much about it made it an obvious five star for me. This is a YA horror book that took something personal that happened in the authors family, added in some hot button issues many are dealing with in the US and finished it off shedding light onto the immigrant experience, Haitian immigrant to be precise with a sprinkle of class system issues. They really wrapped so many important issues into a very entertaining book. This was a zombie book written in a way so different than what mainstream American culture has made it. I really enjoyed learning about the Haitian people, their foods, customs and lore. They even managed to toss in the opiate crisis and struggle with insurance plus cost of life saving meds. I was just blown away by how much real life was entertained into this horror book. Even though cannibalism plays a part, I didn't feel like it was super gory. I think this book would be good for any reader.

This book was very fast paced, I ended up finishing it in one sitting! I liked Brielle as a narrator, but I only wish that as the reader we had more insight into how she was planning some of her more nefarious tricks. I loved that the authors wove their own life story into the tale, making it feel very visceral and raw. I was hoping that more rich people were going to be killed/eaten/forced to reckon with their greed, but at the end of the day I was pleased with the ending. I think the Muses as the sisters were an excellent way to provide context and tell backstory without it all feeling like a massive lore dump!

The Summer I Ate the Rich is a hard book to pin down, genre-wise. And really, that’s part of the joy of it. The combined horrors of zombiism, late stage capitalism, racism, and teenagehood interweave with each other and create a dark tonal landscape, while the plot and character voice inject the sort of comedy that a slightly beyond belief coming of age story provides best. The Mouliete sisters’ combined prose—so deftly combined that I can’t tell which sections were written by each author—have created a story that’s layered, interesting, and so fun. I had a very good time with this book.

I especially enjoyed Brielle, our voicey, zonbi/zombie protagonist. She was not only an excellent vehicle for delivering the story’s themes,but she also did the most important thing a teen protagonist (especially in a YA story) can do: acted like a teenager. Brielle knows better than most that people like her—Black 3rd culture impoverished girls who don’t quite “act right” (read: with a neurotypical understanding of social mores)—are rarely if ever given grace, the benefit of the doubt, second chances… and yet, her anger and ambition and drive are bigger than she is sometimes, and the justifications she makes after the fact for some wild choices feel very “yeah, that’s how I’d have justified this impulse at 17, too”. This added a sense of realism to level out the larger than life plot occurrences that would otherwise stretch my suspension of disbelief and kept everything consistent within the rules established in the story.

I like that Brielle is a little complicated, with conflicting drives at times, but I didn’t feel we got to *feel* with her, and that some of her characterization was more told than shown. It wasn’t so much that her characterization felt inconsistent, because the rationale behind her told reactions was logical and followed what came before. But it was incomplete, as though Brielle more knew she SHOULD be feeling some sort of way but wasn’t really. I couldn’t tell if this was meant to be because of her zonbi identity, and it seemed sometimes the narrative didn’t either—at times, she says that she is the one who locks her feelings away, but other times it’s said or implied that she can’t help it and was born this way. Given how big a part of the narrative centered on Brielle’s dual identity as Haitian and American, zonbi and zombie, I hoped for those details to be ironed out more.

That said, I did like her! I’m a sucker for a deeply ambitious protagonist willing to be cutthroat to achieve her goals. The light to moderate parentification was hard to read and really demonstrated the nuances of brielles feelings of responsibility to her mother and sisters and the immigrant reality of being given opportunity by nature of your parents sacrifice but having those same parents then want to limit your choices in the name of securing the stable future they didn't have… yeah, that hit.

The side characters were less dimensional, and I wasn’t big on the unnecessary feeling “girl hate” with another intern Blake or the romance where even Brielle didn’t seem to know whether the boy was a means to an end or actually someone she cares for (and the duality wasn’t well balanced, in my opinion).
They felt more like backdrop in situations Brielle needed to learn to interact in. Her status as the only one in a room that is aware (consciously) of the disparity of power and privilege gives her just the edge she needs until she finds her footing and begins to thrive in the situations she’s in. Brielle doesn’t really fail at any of her endeavors, and in this story, I don’t need her to. This is a story made for the reaction “good for her,” not for biting your nails and hoping she’ll succeed.

In terms of craft, I found the interludes with the Muses/Brielle’s sisters, to be an interesting way of delivering backstory, a sort of modern
Greek chorus. I felt they went a little long at times, especially with how little narrative importance the sisters actually had. I was worried at first that they would be working with Franki to keep Valentine on Haiti and adding a layer of complexity to the familial struggles, forcing Brielle to reckon with her diasporic identity and reflect on the way her experience at Banks Corp may have changed her, but that didn’t end up being the case. Again, Brielle doesn’t fail at much of anything or struggle beyond the inbuilt obstacles that exist because of her identity (not that those aren’t more than plenty), but that might’ve been an interesting thing to see, especially how with how much page time was given to those sections.

But that’s not the story being told here. The Summer I Ate The Rich is a romp and a ride and an excellent, quick summer read with a lot of thematic nuance hid underneath the fun. I recommend it to fans of both the movie Knives Out and zombie stories of all sorts, for readers who gravitate to tales that combine the reality of families rallying to overcome hardships with the magic of dark fairy tales, and anyone who’s ever said they support women’s rights AND wrongs, and meant it.

☀️THE SUMMER I ATE THE RICH☀️ by @maikamoulite and @maritzamoulite was a biting and satisfying story filled to the brim with social commentary. Thank you to the authors, @netgalley and the publisher @macmillanaudio for the audio ARC. #macaudio2025

🔪🔪🔪

Brielle Petitfour is a Haitian-American woman whose mother desperately needs medication for her chronic pain. Brielle has dreams of being a chef but lands an internship at a prestigious firm that caters to the elite to pay the bills. Soon she realizes she could kill two birds with one stone by, on the side, promoting a "Supper Club" where she caters culinary desires to the bottomless pockets surrounding her. Invoking her dormant Zombi abilities, embued in her by a voodou curse, she charms her wealthy patrons with rich and savoury meals by using a very special ingredient...

I absolutely LOVED this book. I mean, the first line is, "My favorite part has always been the blood." And it was a wild ride from there forward. Brielle is a fantastic, messy, angry, witchy phenomenon who takes revenge into her own hands and defies the "station" she has been handed in life. This is a "good for her" that is more on the level of class vengeance instead of gender. Also this book could not have been released in a more relevant time period. I even really enjoyed the love story which was a pleasant surprise as the characters TRULY see each other's flaws and still choose each other. I also think the fact that this was written by sisters is amazing. This has romance, Haitian mysticism/voodou/folklore, class dichotomy, hot summer nights and delicious food.

The audio was an absolute delight to listen to as @ashdelarosa did a flawless job of narrating. To sum up, this one was chef's kiss. 💋

So I went into this book expecting horror. I definitely wouldn't label this book as horror. It has some horror elements sprinkled in, but it really isn't horror. More fiction with magical realism.

But I enjoyed the book, mostly. I just wasn't a fan of the direction it eventually went in.

Thank you to NetGalley & MacMillian for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to Macmillan for an advanced reader's copy.
Brielle loves nothing more than to cook. her and her mother live paycheck to paycheck, just trying to get by while working for the nearby rich. after donating her boss’ money to charity, she gets an offer she can’t refuse, an internship with his company. She runs her own dinner club, and starts feeding the local rich her “unique” recipes. The moulite’s paint a story like no other, and remind us not only where zombies truly come from, but of the class system we’re all a part of.

What a very interesting take on this story. I went into this book blind so I had no idea there would be a zombie spin to it. While I think it could have easily gone to a very cheesy space, I think it avoided that!

I requested this book solely because of the line "previously hidden zombie abilities" in the synopsis. It felt like a very loose repurposing of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe, honestly, but only because of "hidden things" in the food, if that makes sense. I love the cultural significances in this book. I loved the urgency behind finding a solution to help her family. I even loved the type of "robbing the rich to steal for the poor" type of mentality that was going on. An interesting take on horror!

I found The Summer I Ate the Rich to be a compelling and thought-provoking read. I particularly appreciated the depth of Brielle's character and her personal journey throughout the story. However, what resonated most with me was the portrayal of her mother's experience, which I found to be a refreshing perspective. It is not often that novels explore the complexities faced by patients navigating the healthcare system, including the standpoint of the pharmaceutical industry. This dual perspective added a layer of realism and depth that enriched the narrative.Additionally, I loved learning about another culture through the story told about the mother's past, which provided valuable insights and broadened my understanding of different cultural backgrounds and not only that but also gave me a better understand of our main character.

One of my favorite aspects of Brielle's storyline was her unwavering pursuit of her passion to become a chef, despite family expectations. Her determination and self-belief showcased her ambitious spirit and served as an inspiring element within the novel.Additionally, I thoroughly enjoyed her love story, which added emotional depth and further highlighted her journey toward self-discovery and happiness.

That said, there was one part of the book that I found somewhat challenging to follow. When the narrative shifted to the sister’s point of view, I initially struggled to identify whose perspective I was reading, as the early chapters did not clearly establish the character's identity. It took some time into the story before the relationship between the characters was clarified, which momentarily offset the reading experience.

For a book about feeding spoiled rich people old body parts, this was quite boring. I just didn’t really resonate with any of the characters and the ending was strange and bleak. Didn’t really enjoy this one.

Like other reviews have mentioned, this is definitely more contemporary than anything else. A dash of horror, a dash of paranormal, but mostly a contemporary. I loved the concept of the Haitian zonbi meets American media zombie, and really everything involving Haitian culture and immigrant narrative. I thought it was so well done, and then reading the authors' note cemented that even more. And I liked Brielle as a character, I loved her relationship with her mom (complicated but very loving), as well as her desire to know her sisters in Haiti better. I also loved her passion for cooking, and her ambition!

Here's the thing: I do wish the authors had either fully embraced the zonbi/zombie thing, or left it out. Because it felt a little like an afterthought sometimes, even though I don't think that was the intention. We started off dark, our girl was plucking eyeballs and stuff, but then it was diluted through most of the book so when it was mentioned, it felt out of place. That, and the ending really threw me off. I didn't totally hate it, but it did seem very out of left field for me.

4.5* - The time jumping can be a little confusing at times (as can the 'muse' sections) and the conclusion feels a bit rushed but please don't let that scare you away from this great read!

The Summer I Ate The Rich starts off as the tale of Bri, who is trying to balance being a good dysphoria daughter, finding her own way in the world, and being happy. As the story pulls you in, you almost forget that she is zombie... almost. Threads that feel like they might have been forgotten get woven in as things progress, assuring you that the authors thought this through, making you all the more eager for what happens next. While consequences for Bri are almost non-existent during these events, she's 'paid' enough to get where she is, that those meant to read this book will cheer it.

Highly recommended if you like slow burn phycological horror, the real kind of zombie, and/or a 'down on their luck' protagonist making the best of their opportunities but very impolitely.

This was such a unique and entertaining story, although it definitely isn’t horror. Brielle was such an interesting character and was at times both startlingly naive and deeply cynical. She’s navigating the duality of coming from one culture and being forced to assimilate to another to survive financially, while feeling not quite a part of either, and trying her best to fit in and not draw attention to herself and her “otherness.” This was a fun read and weaves in Haitian culture and mythology juxtaposed with American extreme wealth and privilege.

This wasn't horror in the way I expected. Which was a bit of a let dow,n. Despite that, its still really good.

What a year for Haitian folklore in YA literature. This time it is a Zombie story, and it is absolutely delicious! Check out my full review: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjfdaNuG/

This book is engaging and draws the reader in . This book is excellent for readers to get them on board to read. I love how it will draw the young readers in just like it drew me in to continue reading. Its an interesting title snd subject for all readers. It engages which is so refreshing! I hope to find more engaging books like this one for students.

I really wanted to love this book. I had very high hopes. I loved the concept, just not the execution.

What I did love:

I enjoyed reading about the immigrant experience and the story about why Brielle and her mother came to America and left her sisters behind. I thought that was a fascinating story, and I wish it had been more fleshed out. (ha - get it - fleshed out)

I loved reading about Brielle's passion for cooking and everything related to it. I love stories that involve food and cooking, and I thought the stuff about her supper club and the foods she cooked were great.

What I didn't love:

I was promised a story about zombies and cannibalism and vengeance, and there really wasn't much of any of that. While I did like learning about Haitian Zombies, and what that means in their culture, it wasn't enough of the plot to consider this a zombie book. That should have been the bulk of the plot, but I felt it meandered too much into the romance, which was confusing. I wanted a story about vengeance and eating the rich, but instead, I got a weird romance between Brielle and a billionaire's son. And that romance did NOT work for me. And the ending left me feeling very confused - I still don't understand the decision there, and it really felt out of left field.

While the premise was fascinating, and it started strong, with a compelling and queasy scene in which Brielle is cooking scrambled eggs with brain (not human, unfortunately, but definitely setting the tone right for more oddness later), the narrative quickly devolved into a typical story about a poor outcast girl struggling to resist being ground under the heels of the oblivious rich white folk that she and her kind work for. The concept of Brielle being--so she believes--a Haitian "zonbi" was mostly telling and little showing. It didn't feel like the Moulite sisters had committed, Gillian Flynn-style, to putting us into the minds of a protagonist who so firmly believes in her unusualness that she convinces readers as well.