The Summer I Ate the Rich

By Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

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?

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374390533
• ISBN13: 9780374390532
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.4" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 14 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 9 to Postsecondary