A Story about Growing Up Between Worlds
The Summer I Ate the Rich
Teen and Young Adult Fiction about Emigration and Immigration, Teen and Young Adult Zombie Fiction
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
April 22, 205
Ebook, Audiobook, Hardback
400
Just add garlic, lemon, 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?
A story of the Haitian-American immigrant experience with just a sprinkle of zombies.
Inspired by their mother’s battle with chronic pain and the struggle to access affordable healthcare, Maika and Maritza Moulite craft a unique coming-of-age zombie tale with The Summer I Ate the Rich.
Set in Miami, the reader meets Brielle Petitfour — a half-American zombie, half-Haitian zonbi — who dreams of becoming a top chef, even as her mother nudges her toward a more “secure” future. A series of events thrust Brielle into the world of the Miami elite. Confronted with the vast gap between rich and poor, she taps into her hidden powers — and a thirst for revenge.
“If you ask any Haitian person if they’ve ever heard of zonbi, they will tell you yes. But the zombie of my home country (which I still have yet to visit) isn’t rooted in decaying limbs falling haphazardly to the ground as you scoot and drag yourself to your next meal. It stems from the fear of slavery. That your existence of forced labor will continue far into the afterlife, white masters lording over you even in the next plane. Scarier than any American zombie, if you ask me.”
This story has so many contributing elements:
- Zombie/zonbi folklore
- Racial and economic divides
- Magical realism
- Family and mother-daughter relationships
- Good and evil
The authors were ambitious with what they tried to accomplish in this story. I would have liked a more narrow and focused scope. The horror elements are light, and the “eat the rich” premise teased at the start never fully delivers. The blend of American zombie and Haitian zonbi lore had real potential but ultimately fell flat. The Haitian zonbi elements, in particular, left me confused — while the story suggests zonbis are meant to be powerless, Brielle somehow wields a mysterious and powerful magic that feels inconsistent and underexplained.
While the book’s concept is rich with promise, the execution left me wanting a tighter, more focused story. The Summer I Ate the Rich had all the ingredients for a standout read, but in the end, it didn’t quite satisfy.
Celeste is a woman who is unwavering about certain things in life; three of those being books, cats, and cold brew coffee. If she can enjoy all three at the same time, it’s going to be a good day. Her favorite genres are fantasy or sci-fi romance, historical romance, and historical fiction but every few books she likes to mix it up with contemporary fiction, a good psychological thriller, or an inspiring memoir. She has a busy schedule working full-time for an online university but she makes sure to unwind each day with stories, either by reading to her elementary school-aged daughter or tucking herself in bed with her Kindle or the latest book she picked up at a local book store.
