Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed the morally grey MC and learning more about Haitian culture, but the actual plot let me down - there wasn't so much of 'eat the rich' as I wanted.

The Summer I Ate the Rich is one of those rare books that’s best approached with minimal context the less you know going in, the more powerful and pleasantly surprising the experience becomes. What I can say is that this novel is bold, original, and completely captivating from start to finish.
At the heart of the story is Brielle, a 17-year-old Haitian American living in Miami’s Little Haiti. An aspiring chef with big dreams, she juggles the pressures of high school, a deeply traditional mother suffering from chronic illness, and the challenges of working for the wealthy while struggling to make ends meet. But there’s more to Brielle than meets the eye she’s also a “zonbi,” not in the typical horror-movie sense, but rooted in Haitian folklore. This reimagining of the zombie archetype is one of the book’s most fascinating and inventive elements, offering a fresh cultural lens that feels both grounded and relevant.
Brielle is an unforgettable protagonist she’s smart, sharp-tongued, and fiercely loyal. She’s unafraid to speak out against injustice, whether it affects her or those around her, and she refuses to mould herself to anyone’s expectations. Her voice feels authentic and raw, and her passion makes it impossible not to root for her.
The Moulite sisters skilfully blend myth, identity, and social commentary into a story that’s as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. The writing is rich and evocative, and every character is vividly drawn, each with a story that feels lived-in and real. As secrets from her mother’s past come to light, Brielle is forced to navigate a complex web of history, legacy, and survival—adding emotional depth to an already compelling narrative.
From page one, this book pulls you in and it never lets go. The Summer I Ate the Rich is a vibrant, genre-bending triumph that redefines what a “zombie story” can be. It’s a fierce, culturally rich tale that stays with you long after the final chapter.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While I really appreciated the way this YA tackled the issues of inequality, living in poverty and the diaspora experience in the US (specifically Haitian-Americans), it fell a little flat when it came to what we'd been promised - a young BIPOC FMC with a taste for human flesh and a recipe for vengeance. It opened on a strong note, visceral scenes of blood and gore and plenty of talk of brains and zombies. But then it started to trail off. I was expecting horror. I was expecting a hint of cannibalism a la Hannibal the TV series. And yet... it failed to quite deliver. I think of you go in with different expectations then you'll enjoy it - this is more like contemporary YA with a hint of spookiness about it. Don't go in expecting shock and horror because it ain't happening!

I devoured this book, and was hungry throughout as the descriptions of Brielle's meals were very tempting, pilfered body parts aside. I went in with different expectations given the horror genre, and zombie/zonbi character but i was very pleasantly surprised with what i got, and would strongly recommend as a story for readers beyond the genre aswell.

The sociopolitical questions, stories about Haiti, and the slightly twisted young love all meant that i couldn't put this one down.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 4.0 stars.

I really love the Haitian representation in this book, it was woven brilliantly with fantasy and a little horror.

Brielle is a fantastic character, I really admire her drive throughout this book even if she is a little reckless. Preston was an unexpected character, but added so much to the story. It may be odd considering Brielle’s scenario and her choices, but I’d love to try her cooking I won’t lie.

This story was really fun and easy to devour, I highly recommend this for a unique read.

Honestly, I saw the cover and the title and I was sold on wanting to read this! Brielle is quite the interesting character, being a zombie who can act mostly normal, enough that most people can't guess what she is. Though it turned out to be less Hannibal or Sweeney Todd with his meat pies and wholesale slaughter as Brielle only gives a light dusting of special ingredients (carefully stolen from a few bodies in a funeral home) on the food she serves to the rich. So, sadly she does not actually eat the rich, she feeds them and gets her revenge and a better life for her and her family that way. It definitely turned out differently than what I expected, a good message about wealth inequality and poverty and some interesting cultural facts about Haiti and their type of zonbi as opposed to the American version of a zombie. It does flow quickly and did keep me interested the whole time cause I had to know what Brielle was capable of. And I liked the twist at the end and how Brielle uses her powers to help her family in Haiti and then what happens back in Miami with her internship.

So though I hoped there would be more brain eating and Brielle getting her revenge with a snack along the way, it was still a good read though not the horror story it seems to be toting in the blurb describing the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

‘The Summer I Ate the Rich’, follows Brielle, a seventeen year old Haitian American who lives in Little Haiti with her mother, Valentine. Valentine struggles with chronic pain and although her boss is part of the company who makes her pain relief, she is currently going without with no end date in sight. Brielle’s job also has her come in contact with the wealthy often and treated poorly.

First of all, and though not the most important, I have to say the cover and title of the book are such an iconic combination that work so well together, I adore them. The little hidden tooth on the cover had me obsessed.

Secondly, I was instantly gripped by this book from the first page, it dragged me in straight away. I could tell that it was going to be a weird book for weird people - perfect! Brielle is an excellent character, she is fully fleshed out, interesting, flawed, compassionate, smart. I just thoroughly enjoyed her.

I loved the Haitian culture throughout the book - I learnt so much about it!

Of course, the general commentary around the wealthy and discrepancies between them and the poor talked about in the book was great and necessary in the current day and age.

My only slight criticism is that I wish that the horror element would have been lent into more - however that’s probably more my own personal preference!

I really enjoyed this book overall, a fun read, lots of secrets to uncover, with great characters and solid writing. 4 stars!

Firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc of this book via netgalley!

This was an odd book, but I enjoyed it! The Summer I ate the Rich follows Brielle and her mum, who are Haitian living in the USA, Brielle’s mum looking after a very rich old man, who dies near the start of the book, followed by plot twists of what happened before and after the death. Brielle had some really odd actions, which really added in the creepy factor to this book.

Brielle and Preston’s relationship was.. intriguing! The way it ended was unexpected, and I am not fully convinced that Brielle really loves him, I think she has more ulterior motives.


The tooth thing..the eye thing… eughgh whyy!? It definitely made me make some faces at my kindle whehn I was reading it - on a relatively crowded ferry crossing jo less! I can see why there are horror elements to this story, but not in the way I was expecting.


Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I am giving it 3.5 stars, it was definitely interesting and kept me engaged the whole time, and had some twists I didn’t see coming!

THE SUMMER I ATE THE RICH BY MAIKA MOULITE; MARITZA MOULITE.
Release date set for the 24th of March 2025.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the authors for allowing me an early ARC.
The cover for this book is captivating and drew me in.
This is a YA horror thriller.
I don't ever read books like this genre but thought i'd try something different.
I didn't really know what it was going to be about but found it enjoyable overall.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Summer I Ate the Rich is a tale of two stories, one exploring the social inequities of the have and have nots and the other about zonbis, revenge and taking back what we deserve. I loved the structure of this novel as it is broken up into sections with intermissions with commentary from (Haitian) muses that added not only a theatrical flare but reminded me of the zombie novel Dézafi by Franketienne which also incorporated verse poetry and Haitian mythology. There are several laugh out loud moments and despite being teenagers their actions, motivations and dialogue fit but aren't tiresome or cringeworthy.

I think ultimately Brielle is a great character but ultimately I wanted to see more of her zombie nature. We get glimpses of it and I wanted a lot more given this book is positioned as a horror. The ending wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Still, the book centred Haitian zombies in an interesting way and I hope to see more of that from the author's certainly but other Haitian writers. If you're newer to reading stories featuring Afro-Caribbean folklore, this book is a fun place to start.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm always very happy about an ARC and being able to give it a review! <3

I've never read a zombie/horror story before and I have to say, I really liked this one.

The humor was just right and the characters were well developed. I also found the basic story really interesting and I've never read anything like it before - but the story was a bit long, which bothered me a bit.

I also think it's great and "refreshing" to read something about Haitian culture!

The twists were okay, but unfortunately the book won't stick in my head. Nevertheless, it was an interesting and unique YA thriller/horror.

I enjoyed the concept of this book and the synopsis had me intrigued. The title and cover complement each other so well.

I liked how we got to know about the Haitian culture and the various dishes mentioned by Brielle’s mum. I thought Brielle was a great character and love how she didn’t sit back and she took the opportunity when it came to her. I didn’t expect that ending but at the same time it was a heart warming end to the story. I also read the authors note and it was very insightful. Overall, I thought it was a unique YA thriller and feel that others will also enjoy this book.

Thank you to Hatchette children’s group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc.

I don't usually go for books of this subgenre, but I do quite like how zombies, or zonbis, are associated with Haitian culture in pop culture. It seems to give them power over the other characters they are living alongside. I found this book to be quite slow-paced, and it took me quite some time to get through it, which is different for me and a YA book, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless.

The Summer I Ate the Rich is a young adult novel about a seventeen year old Haitian American zombie girl who suddenly finds herself in a world of unthinkably rich people who love her cooking. Brielle is working as a server in fancy restaurant for the summer, hoping to eventually showcase her culinary talents, but when her chronically ill mother loses her job and Brielle uses a chance opportunity that makes her attract the attention of a very rich family, suddenly she's in a new world of opportunity, where she might finally get revenge on the people who've caused pain.

This book was marketed as being horror, but going in with that expectation isn't necessarily helpful. Though it obviously explores Haitian zombies and has some cannibalism elements, it is more of a light thriller mixed with a revenge story, with quite a few twists and turns but not much that would be described as horror. The way the book combines different elements—it is mostly focused on Brielle's perspective, but also has a chorus of her sisters in Haiti who tell some of her mother's past—makes it a rich experience, with a lot included, though it is tricky to know which parts are more satirical and which aren't. There's some very cutting elements, particularly around healthcare and the opioid crisis, but there's also some ridiculous, fun plotlines, including the ending.

It's great to have young adult fiction that doesn't shy away both from racial and economic inequality and from a dark plotline that lets the protagonist do what it takes. I loved the Haitian cuisine and the way the zombie element is included, though the latter could've been given a bit more space, especially at the end.

I was provided a copy of this book via Netgalley by the Publisher (thank you) but my opinions are my own.

I went into reading this book thinking it was going to be a thriller or even more horror vibes, given the zonbie topic and the 'eat the rich' title with a tooth on the cover?! So I was a little disappointed when it read more like an atmospheric contemporary book with a supernatural twist. But, despite this shift in expectations I still managed to really enjoy this book.

I loved the Haitian lore and culture (and food!) mentioned in the book, it's a culture I only vaguely know about and I love learning new things, so it's great to see it in what I'm sure will be a very popular book. Hopefully I'll get to read more Haitian characters in future! (And try out some Haitian food in real life)

It was a shame I didn't see as much of Brielle's friend as I'd have liked to, they were a nice character and a little more development for them might have stopped them feeling as much like a cheerleader at the side of Brielle's life than they did. I don't think it veered into GBF (gay best friend) territory exactly, but it was close enough to feel a little iffy to me. Plus, they seemed like such a great person it was a shame to not see him on the page as often in general.

I think the zonbie abilities and powers could have been expanded on even more too - maybe this whole book could have been a smidge longer just to develop everything more and feel even more drawn into this world. You can't have too much of a good thing!

I have mixed feelings about the ending of the book and main conflict too, it felt very unique and I didn't expect the route it took, which was very exciting. But at the same time it also felt a little rushed, and any nervousness on Brielle's part of being found out as a zonbie or her past actions could have been stretched out so I could sit in her anxiety for a bit longer, then the finale might have felt even more satisfying. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Basically this was a unique book that was very fun to read, and I just wanted more!

I don't feel I can give a fair review as I didn't like the writing style of this novel. I tried reading it but after a few chapters I had to give up and DNF

Really enjoyed this book, was fast paced and the story unique and different. Really enjoyed the character development and twists within the story!

Very different from my usual genre but a definite fun read for the YA set that had a Scream Queens/American Horror Story vibe. Very cool