- Genre: YA Fiction Horror
- Published by: Macmillan/Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
- Publish date: 04/22/2025
- Number of pages: 400 pages
- Author’s website: https://www.maikaandmaritza.com/
- Support local! Buy the book on BookShop!
Just add lemon, garlic, and a dash of the one percent.
This smart, biting novel explores what happens when a Haitian American girl uses her previously hidden zombie abilities to exact revenge on the wealthy elites who’ve caused her family pain.
Brielle Petitfour loves to cook. But with a chronically sick mother and bills to pay, becoming a chef isn’t exactly a realistic career path.
When Brielle’s mom suddenly loses her job, Brielle steps in and uses her culinary skills to earn some extra money. 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.
Written by the storytelling duo Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite, The Summer I Ate the Rich is a modern-day fable inspired by Haitian zombie lore that scrutinizes the socioeconomic and racial inequity that is the foundation of our society. Just like Brielle’s clients, it will have you asking: What’s for dinner?
Rating: 3.5/5
Please note this review is not spoiler free.
Brielle “Bri” Petitfour is a daughter of a Haitian immigrant, aspiring chef, oh, and a zombie. This was a unique plot and I admired how the authors sought to write a revenge novel against a corrupt pharamceutical company including its uber-rich CEO.
I went into this expecting the main character would be the one “eating the rich” but it goes further because as a chef for a new but quickly successful supper club, she feeds her wealthy patrons a mixture of crushed body parts. As part of her zonbi powers, when someone eats her special food, she can influence their thoughts and emotions, sometimes she can control them.
I loved learning about zonbis from Haitian culture and the authors did this really fun plot device of using a greek chorus to fill in some additional details for the reader. It was cool how the characters of this chorus actually end up being real people– Bri’s sisters in Haiti who we get to “meet in person” when Bri and her mom travel there
- Highlights the origin of zombie stories from Haitian zonbi folklore
- I did not like the romance part of the book. The relationship felt superficial so I was really shocked with how the relationship progresses in the end.
Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to know!
I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book from Netgalley and Macmillan/Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR). This has not impacted my rating and this review is voluntary.
Musings by Michelle 