The portrayal of Miami and the different socioeconomic groups made me feel like I was right beside Brielle experiencing the jobs and slights and travel and stress. Those parts really made me feel like I was living all this with her. So the commentary on power and how we see that manifested in her mother's life before felt very near and very dangerous. The way that Brielle fought that power did not have as much of an impact, but I appreciated the role it played in the story. The ending wasn't really what I expected, but it fit with the story being told.
And possibly my favorite part was the Haitian chorus of her sisters. I loved what they had to say and the way they framed the story.
This sister duo tells stories I like reading!

Thank you to Macmillan audio & NetGalley for this arc!

I love being in this character head, the small things when Brielle describes the food & people around her. She doesn’t overly describe but you can tell miss does live in her own world & hardly pays attention to the people around her. Currently 16 weeks pregnant she makes me hungry every time I pick up this book!😂📚


I don’t feel like this is horror, how it is marketed it didn’t really dive into zombism how I thought it would. I wanted more. There is little to no blood thirsting how many zombie books are.

Let me tell you sometimes I’m so upset with Brielle like why does she choose chaos. Like is it because she is a zonbi (zombie) or a teenager.

With this audiobook there are many chapters with many woman talking in third person omniscient which was really confusing. They were telling us things about her parents that I don’t even believe Brielle knowing & when don’t know who these women are until 32% in.

Honestly it’s a good book but its marketing was wrong, there wasn’t any horror. Mainly coming of age, fantasy & hints of romance. I just expected more.

The Summer I Ate the Rich was the one book I really wanted to like. The premise and plot was soooo promising and the narrator in the audiobook promised a witty, strong lead who had some tricks up her sleeve.

But unfortunately, the switch up between iZombie meets 90210 that somehow ends up getting a mix of diversity, political and romantic conflict all in once. Are we listening about the billionaires getting a taste of human flesh while Brielle works on strengthening her powers? Well… sure but we also get office drama, the most boring murder investigations, and fight for diversity. While also her being 17? How was that missed until she actually says it?

I’m confused, maybe the author was confused and Brielle is definitely confused. It’s like the idea was so big that they had to cram it all into a book and see what sticks. So 1.5 stars because I actually finished it but mostly because of spite by the time it was over.

While the premise had me hooked, I found that the writing style itself didn't intrigue me as much as the ideas. While this is a personal preference, I have to admit I felt the writing didn't quite live up to the potential within the pitch? I felt the same thing while watching the Truman Show though so maybe I'm just overly picky.
I enjoyed the story of the child of a Haitian immigrant striking back at the elite, but I wish there was more horrific descriptions within this horror. I understand this is a restriction of the YA genre, so I might like to read this book as a full adult graphically descriptive properly traumatizing read.

⭐ Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

This book is heartfelt, and full of flavor—literally.


**CONTAINS SPOILER IN REVIEW**

The story follows 17-year-old Brielle, who’s spending her summer working two jobs in Miami: one as an intern at a prestigious company owned by the wealthy family her mother works for, and the other running a secret dinner club for the rich—something she keeps hidden from her mom. But Brielle isn’t your average teen—she’s a zombie. Not the horror movie kind, but one rooted in Haitian folklore. Her secret ingredient? Human flesh. Her magic? An exceptional ability to enchant those who eat her food.

What unfolds is a coming-of-age story that blends cultural identity, ambition, family loyalty, and teen chaos. Brielle is trying to take care of her chronically ill mother, maintain her internship, juggle romance, and explore her passions—all while dealing with the reality of being a first-gen Haitian-American girl with a very unusual legacy.

The novel is original, smart, and full of standout side characters. The way Haitian zombie mythology is used to highlight real-world themes—like healthcare inequities, the immigrant experience, and navigating multiple worlds—is powerful.
The Muses add a fun, theatrical dimension to the audiobook and give the story even more heart.

A few plot points did push believability (spoiler alert: her mom letting her fly off to Europe or get married at 17? Yeah, no. Haitian moms do not play like that). But it’s fiction—and it works for the story.

This is a solid YA pick for middle schoolers, teens, and adults alike. It’s thought-provoking, funny, full of heart, and unlike anything else out right now.


**Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook copy in exchange for my honest review.**

⭐3.5
Wow—this book took me by surprise in the best way. I went in with no expectations and walked away with a story that’s still echoing in my chest. One of my favorite quotes from the book is:

“Why do we have to fight so hard to be treated like a human being?”

That line alone captures the heart of this novel. Beneath the surface of its plot, this is a story about power—who has it, who doesn’t, and how the elite often strip others of their humanity in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. It’s a searing look at the social divide: the way the wealthy view and devalue those without status, how they see “normal” people not as equals, but as disposable.

It also unflinchingly takes on Big Pharma and the cold truth that, in many cases, profit is prioritized over people. The book doesn’t shy away from the reality that—in the U.S., especially—our systems are structured to serve the rich, even at the cost of the public’s health and well-being. It’s the kind of story that makes you angry in all the right ways, but more than that, it makes you think.

And perhaps what struck me the most is how the story lays bare—cracks wide open—the feeling of being an outsider. Of existing in spaces that weren’t built for you. As someone who’s part of a minority community, I felt this deeply. That quiet pressure of having to work twice as hard just to be seen, just to be let into the room, let alone have a voice once inside—it was portrayed in a way that felt honest and raw.

And yet, despite the weight of these themes, the book is anything but heavy or hard to follow. It's told through the perspective of Brielle, whose personal journey pulls you in from the very beginning. Through her eyes, we experience what it means to collide with wealth, influence, and a world that was never meant for her. Watching how her connection with a billionaire family changes everything—and how she handles it—was gripping and surprisingly uplifting.

This book is thoughtful, unflinching, and quietly powerful. If you’ve ever felt like an outsider, questioned the systems we live in, or just want a socially aware story told through a compelling voice, this is absolutely worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audio arc. this is my honest review. I am giving this 2.5 stars because the ending really ruined it for me sure this book contained zombies, but really next to none of this was horror. This had so much potential and honestly just fell flat in every way this girl is evidently a junior in high school and somehow gets married at the end??? like that made no sense in the story honestly, the way, this ended really ruined the book for me. This girl was a zombie and somehow instead of using that at the end of the book they decided the big bad was gonna get taken down by pretty much the FBI and IRS like what was the point in making her a zombie? I really loved the beginning and the middle portion of this book but the last 3/4 of it made me extremely disappointed.

Brielle and her ailing mother are Haitian immigrants working hard to get by in the US. Their very wealthy and all white clients are absurd and do nothing to help anyone but themselves. Brielle, being an actual zombie, decides to use her zombie powers to get back at them. This is what is promised in the blurb of the book. We are delivered an excellent exploration of socioeconomic and racial inequity in society! The book does a great job with that. Where it falls very flat for me was the whole zombie aspect and you know, eating the rich…as the title proclaims. I really wanted more from this, it barely felt like a zombie book at all. If not paying close attention, you can actually miss in entirety the whole eating human flesh part. I was entertained by Brielle and she is a wonderful protagonist and I was interested in the story, but the horror and zombie part was barely in existence. And that was why I felt disappointed. It is definitely YA, which is exactly what it says it is. I have read some YA horror that completely encompasses the horror aspects still. Maybe this one is aimed more towards the Y than the A in YA, which is why the horror lacked? Not sure. It was a solid ok from me, no more no less. I would recommend it to younger readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC! The audio narration was done very well. Book releases 4/22/25.

The best way to describe this book is as readable. The Moulite's are great storytellers who can develop a plot with likable characters that move quickly. Brielle's has big dreams with family drama that makes her relatable. The romance, while brief, was fun, with Preston being a good romantic lead. However, to me, the best part of the book was the integration of Haitian tradition into the story. It made an already fresh book feel even more original.

This was pitched as YA horror, but it’s more of a coming-of-age thriller with some magical realism. Brielle was such a fun, bold lead! I loved her voice and her mission to take down the 1%. The themes were powerful, even if they sometimes felt a little simplified.

The zombie element was cool but barely there. It felt more like a side note than a key part of the plot, which was a bit of a letdown.

The audiobook had a full cast, which was super engaging, especially with the ancestor voices woven in, but at times the switches between narrators made things a little hard to follow.

Still a good and unique listen if you go in with the right expectations!

In many ways, Brielle is like many contemporary teens. She works hard at her summer internship, hangs out with friends, has a unadvisable crush, and worries about the health her Haitian immigrant mother. Oh, and she's a zombie. Not the groaning, brain-eating type from Hollywood but the older, spookier Haitian type. This makes things interesting and smart and slightly gory and sharply funny when she interns with an evil billionaire

I took this book via audio with a multicast of women narrating, including Ashley De La Rosa, Fedna Jacquet, Khaya Fraites, Melinda Sewak, Mieko Gavia, and Zuri Washington. It took 9 hours and 53 minutes to listen. I loved these voices, though I'm unsure why so many people spoke in this story. Two would have sufficed, but I understood the purpose of each narrator's being there solely to represent. De La Rosa was the star of this narrative, while the others served as the Haitian Hercules version of the singing muses.

The Summer I Ate the Rich is about Brielle, an aspiring, poverty-stricken young chef who hates the inequality between the rich and the poor. In a wave of defiance, she steals money from her mother's employer and donates it to inner-city organizations, triggering her involuntary recruitment into the world of the wealthy. Oh, and let's not forget that she's a Zombie. All of this sounds great except for the fact of SHE. DID. NOT. EAT. THE. RICH. As a matter of fact, there was no horror asphyxiation in the story whatsoever!

My biggest problem with the story was that I thought I was getting a Zombie horror novel. Nothing was horrifying about it, and Brielle being a zombie is an afterthought. There was a lot of information and moving pieces that really had nothing to do with the story or the progression of it. What I liked about the book was the conversations about the disparities between rich and poor, the entitlement of having money, how the healthcare systems and insurance companies work, family separation due to immigration, etc. If we could have stuck tot he script with any of these topics, I'd have a better reaction to things.

It was an okay book, that felt a bit catfishing. I was once again Shamalyan-ed towards the end.

This book is difficult to categorize! Not quite horror, although the way the book opens, it seems we will be reading of gore and fear. Instead, the book follows Brielle, a Haitian-American zonbi teenager who sheds light on the broken system that her medically-fragile mother has to rely on. The book does a consistent and great job of highlighting class disparity, the immigrant experience, and family dynamics.

What was unexpected was how the horror was more of a magical realism that weaves in and out of the story. The book is broken up by an interlude from "The Muses", Brielle's half-sisters in Haiti. There are definitely as many quirky and humorous references to horror that it makes me think a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer might be into this. It also would be a good pick for fans of With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acavedo.

This was a fun ride, and I enjoyed listening on audiobook. The narrators (both the author and her real sister) were perfect for narrating Brielle and her sisters!

3.75

Devours big ideas, but goes light on the flesh.

This one had a killer hook: Haitian zombie lore + class revenge + culinary horror?? YES PLEASE. I was ready to watch Brielle Petitfour tear down the rich, one ethically questionable course at a time.

And the opening? Chef’s kiss. There’s a moment with a cow brain and an internal hunger that had me clutching the book and whispering, “yaaasss” But after that? The spice level dropped. I kept waiting for the book to lean into its promise, to go full "if you can't beat them, eat them," but instead, it felt more like, "if you can't beat them, intern for them."

The zombie ("zonbi") element was almost decorative until the final chapters, and while I loved the themes of economic injustice and generational struggle, they sometimes felt like bullet points from into tosociology.

That said, I did enjoy the read! It’s sharp in moments, and I appreciated the immigrant family dynamics and cultural specificity. But if you’re here for full-blown horror or gory class warfare… temper your expectations.

🍽️ I came for vengeance and marrow bones; I got more metaphor than meat.

However, I did really enjoy the narration. It brought Brielle’s voice to life with just the right balance of edge and vulnerability. The performance captured the cultural rhythms and emotional stakes in a way that made some of the slower moments better. The audio might be the move if you’re curious but on the fence.

Thanks to the publisher for gifted Audiobook

Genre: ??? Horror? Magical realism? Satirical social commentary buffet?

Okay, so apparently this was horror, but I honestly spent more time confused than creeped out. There’s a zombie girl (not your average brain-muncher—she’s Haitian and it's rooted in folklore), a billionaire internship, and a supper club for the 1%. Think The Devil Wears Prada meets Get Out with a sprinkle of Iron Chef: Afterlife Edition.

It had potential, but it felt like the book was trying to do too much at once—like juggling social justice, satire, magical realism, capitalism critique, and culinary gore… all while blindfolded. It shouted about the immigrant experience and wealth inequality, but then kind of tripped over its own message. Nuance? Somewhere in the pantry, I guess.

Not terrible. Just a little chaotic. Like if a TikTok thinkpiece became a novel.

Brielle is a first-generation American dealing with a lot. Her mom is sick, bills need to be paid, and everyone’s depending on her to hold it all together. That pressure to succeed, to make everything better for your family, and to undo years of struggle really came through in this story.

I really enjoyed the multiple POVs. Each one added a new layer and helped build a fuller picture of what was at stake. I also listened to the audiobook, and the narration was perfect. The pronunciation of the Haitian Creole was absolutely beautiful.

What I appreciated most was the use of real Haitian zombie lore. Haitian zombies aren’t the brain-eating kind you see in movies. They come from Vodou tradition and are rooted in the history of slavery and control. That cultural depth added so much to the story and made Brielle’s actions feel even more powerful.

There’s no gore here, and it’s not a horror story. It’s a smart, layered fable about food, family, and revenge. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Young Listeners for this ARC Audio Copy! 3.5 Stars

This was such an interesting story, and I really appreciate how it was written, and how it shows the impact of how the predatory health industry and the wealth disparity is in America. Watching the mother/daughter struggle through, pain, shame, and desire for something more out of the world was so intriguing. It was much different than it expected, because who really knows what to expect about a book about zombies, but it was actually really enlightening to learn about the true meaning/realization of zombies from the Hattie culture.

I unfortunately DNFed this at 70% and that actually made me really sad. I was very much looking forward to this book as a huge YA horror fan (I frankly think YA horror is often more well done than adult horror but I digress) and this premise had me frothing at the mouth. Like what do you mean this young Haitian zombie-girl is going to make the rich eat the rich??? Like that sound bomb - but unfortunately this is not what the story delivered.

This was not horror. This was not tense. The cannibalism was nearly nonexistent; frankly the plot in general was nonexistent. And I was bored. And that all kills me because I wanted to like this so much.

I saw similar reviews with similar thoughts to mine so I hope with a rewrite this story can blossom into what I think could be a very very good story.

What I expected from The Summer I Ate the Rich and what I got were two very different things. Going in, I was hoping for a bloody, biting takedown of the elite—a cathartic tale of the rich finally getting what they deserve for their privilege, racism, microaggressions, and complete disregard for anyone outside their gated world. And while the book hints at that vengeance-fueled premise, it never quite delivers in the way I’d hoped.

Our main character, Brielle, is navigating a toxic, elitist environment where she constantly has to bite her tongue just to survive. She gets in a few small wins—some quiet moments of resistance—but the promised reckoning? It never fully lands. And while the zonbi element adds a layer of intrigue, it’s not the traditional American horror trope. Rooted in Haitian lore, the zonbi mythology here is different—more spiritual, more subtle—and while I appreciated the cultural specificity, the execution felt more underwhelming than thrilling when it came to how Brielle uses her power.

That said, where this book truly shines is in its themes and relationships. The bond between Brielle and her mother is absolutely the heart of this story. The strength of her mother’s love is felt in every chapter—it bleeds through the pages with a tenderness and ferocity that’s hard to ignore. The author also does an exceptional job highlighting real-world issues: the opioid epidemic, systemic inequality, immigration struggles, and the brutal cost of poverty, especially when it comes to healthcare access and the price of survival.

The audiobook narration was a major highlight. The voice actor brought Brielle’s inner monologue to life with honesty, edge, and emotion, making it easy to connect with her pain, exhaustion, and quiet strength. What really stood out, though, were the chapters from Brielle’s mother and sisters—each with their own voice and perspective, adding so much depth and richness to the family dynamic. These sections made the story feel more intimate and grounded, giving listeners a layered view of the love, grief, and generational strength running through this family.

In the end, The Summer I Ate the Rich wasn’t the razor-sharp revenge tale I expected—but it’s not without its power. It's more introspective than explosive, and while that may disappoint some readers, others will find something quietly compelling in its message and voice.

This book follows Brielle Petitfour, who loves to cook, but her family doesn't want her to pursue that career because they don't think she will be successful enough. When her chronically ill mother us unable to continue working, she has to pay the bills some how. While her family doesn't want her to use her culinary skills to help pay the bills, this is what she is good at and people will pay for it.

The rich families who love her cooking and continue to praise her for the use of her unique flavors, keeps them guessing what's in each dish. The secret ingredient??? Human flesh.

This book sounded really interesting and I was interested in learning more about the Haitian zombie lore, but I felt that after the opening seen, the book kind of fell flat for me. Maybe this is because I listened to it on audio, but it was just okay for me. I felt that it was slow at times and had a hard time holding my attention. Just because I didn't necessarily love the book though, doesn't mean you shouldn't check it out.


Thank you @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the #gifted copy.