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.

A book about class disparity mixed with Haitian culture and also a female chef main character? Don't mind if I do.

This book was so much fun to read. Brielle and Marcello were so much fun to follow as the main characters. Their friendship was a refreshing and welcome respite from some of the more serious elements of the novel.

Brielle's mother is a home healthcare provider for the eldest member of a family dynasty of rich assholes. She has worked for them for twenty years and yet her boss still doesn't know how to pronounce her name correctly and won't acknowledge her chronic back pain despite being the CEO of the pharmaceutical company that makes the medicine pump attached to her spine.

When a mysterious text gives Brielle the chance to make a huge difference in the lives of others, she takes the plunge and lands herself in a whirlwind of opportunities to show off her cooking skills and maybe throw a little magic in there, too.

I really loved the conversations about privilege and wealth disparity as well as the diasporic duty of the children whose parents sacrificed so much for their kids to have everything. Brielle refusing to be ashamed of her economic status or culture was handled so beautifully. Other books would have the main character making excuses and skirting around the truth, but Brielle leaves a fancy party and then goes to the bus stop. Small details like that ground the story and, despite its fantastical elements, make some of the strongest moments of the novel.

I don't want to give too much away, but this is a fun read. The backstory of Brielle's family back in Haiti is heartbreaking and the scenes with Brielle throwing her supper clubs are so delightful. It's a roller coaster that I highly recommend everyone hop on.

Thank you so much to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is marketed as a horror novel, but I’d describe it more like the Disney movie Zombies—it includes zombie lore and horror-adjacent elements, but overall feels more like a YA contemporary fiction. That said, it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the story. While I do love true horror and was slightly disappointed that it wasn’t actually scary, the book still delivered in other ways.

It draws on fable-inspired themes and uses them to highlight real socioeconomic and racial inequalities that are deeply rooted in our society. The storytelling is uniquely done through alternating perspectives—the FMC and her “muses,” her Haitian sisters, which added depth and richness to the narrative.

I really loved the writing style and the plot, especially the FMC’s mission to take revenge on the ultra-wealthy 1%. It’s a compelling and entertaining read, and I’d definitely recommend it to fans of YA. Honestly, I’d love to see this adapted into a movie—I think it could be a really fun and impactful watch!

Listen, I LOVED this, especially as conversations on TikTok have picked up about the Haitian origins of zombies, originally zonbis. Freaking great YA horror that I'd put in the same zone as Bones and All. There is something so deeply satisfying about the rich being manipulated to further the goals of the people.

Overall I enjoyed this book, but I think my biggest qualm is that it felt like it tried to do too many things at once. There was so much potential for a compelling story - life as a teenage zombie, searching for identity as a Haitian American, complicated family ties, romance across socioeconomic barriers, a revenge plot against billionaires, the opioid crisis, and more. But with that many elements, it feels nearly impossible to dive into any one of those elements in a fully fledged way that feels complete. But perhaps this somewhat convoluted entanglement of various subplots is telling and intentional as a way of showing all the different facets of identity and relationships that a Haitian American teenager has to navigate all the time. You can't fit life into a neat storyline.

I also found many plot points to be a little too unbelievable to take seriously. I don't mean the magical realism parts like the zombie backstory, eating the rich, etc. - I mean the parts that moved the story along that just didn't make sense. I'm all for a little suspension of disbelief, but this book required so much that it felt like there were plot holes.

I absolutely LOVED this book. A new take on a Zombie book - Brielle Petitfour hides her Zombie abilities. Life is hard enough as a Haitian American teen with a chronically ill mother and a family home in Haiti who relies on your paychecks. But Brielle is a talented chef, and begins to garner attention when her supper clubs become popular among the uber wealthy in her town. Brielle is hiding many secrets, as she also has been giving away the wealth of her mother's employer to charity in a phone mishap.

I loved the critique of race and socio-economic inequalities, and the Haitian lore about Zombies.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this title in exchange for my honest review.

I thought that this was fun book and a nice, quick read. I enjoyed it and the idea of taking down this giant company, but there was a fun twist adding in Haitian zombies.

This felt like four different stories that, if they’d been separated, would’ve been awesome. I loved the storytelling through the sisters, I was so intrigued by Valentine’s story, but then we got back to Brielle and… yeah, we just didn’t eat the rich, did we? The rich all lived except that one guy and I was kinda expecting a lot more violent cannibalism and bloodshed considering this is a zombie book?