The ­Summer I Ate the Rich

Gr 9 Up–Brielle Petitfour, 17, loves to cook, and she is the daughter of a single mother who immigrated from Haiti to the U.S. Unfortunately, their lives do not reflect the “American Dream.” Instead, Brielle’s mother works a job as a caretaker for one of the world’s wealthiest families; it doesn’t pay enough to cover household bills and the treatment Brielle’s mother needs for her chronic illness. On top of that, a series of unfortunate events leads to Brielle’s mother losing her job, which jeopardizes Brielle’s aspirations of becoming a culinary chef. Instead, Brielle uses her cooking skills to earn some extra money by catering to the wealthy families in central Miami. At the same time, she uses her Haitian heritage to enact revenge on those same families who left her, her family, and other poor families behind to suffer while they live the high life. Readers will understand where the protagonist is coming from, but they will realize that she is being rewarded for her questionable actions even after she gets caught. Inspired by Haitian zombie lore, this plot-driven novel is more of a clumsy revenge thriller than a horror narrative.