Aftertaste is an intriguing novel that will appeal to fans of foodie literary fiction and dark fantasy. If it were a restaurant it would be a mysterious fusion place which merges dishes in unique and delightful, but challenging ways.

The story focuses on Konstantin Duhovny, whose childhood was defined by his family's immigration to the United States from Soviet Ukraine and his father's early death. Duhovny has a unique ability, clairgustance, which allows him to taste the foods that are most emblematic of unseen spirits. He is warned against interacting with these "Hungry Ghosts" by a beautiful young psychic, Maura, who he meets at a rave event, but Duhovny is spurred on by his desire to have closure with his father and works his way up the line at Micheline star restaurant in order to learn to recreate the dishes that linger on his tongue. Maura is also working through her own loss, her sister who committed suicide.

There are many twists and turns and the story will keep you guessing till the very end. The books conclusion is satisfying and hopeful, if not a completely happy ending.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review.

Loved some parts - the premise drew me in immediately! As a foodie, the vivid descriptions of meals and pro chef life were so fun and a joy to read. Also enjoyed the MMCs Ukrainian heritage, written so profoundly from the author’s real life. Other parts didn’t quite land - the mix of genres (romance, litfic, paranormal, speculative), the ending, the connection to characters wasn’t there for me, and the pacing felt a bit disjointed.

Overall, I think some would enjoy this, and it went a little middle of the road for me.

The best kind of book is one that leaves you sobbing into your pillow just before midnight on a Tuesday.
This book was gorgeous. It truly captures the feelings and the gravity of grief in a way that really touched me. Each story told through the novel, like each recipe made, hit me in different ways that I wasn't expecting.
I started reading this a little more than a month after I lost my grandpa, someone very dear to me, and throughout the story of Kostya, I kept being reminded of him in weird (and beautiful) ways. Food has a way of touching us through many emotions, but especially grief. That's why funerals are often followed by a feast and fellowship. I know I personally think/will think of him every time I drink a Pepsi or certain German delicacies.
As I sit here writing this review, I'm also reminded that I currently have my grandmother's favorite candy bar in my fridge and now I'm crying even harder. It's been nearly sixteen years since I lost her and still, all of these years later, every bite tastes like my love for her.
This book captivated me from the moment I started reading it and I found it very hard to put down, I simply had to know what dish Kostya would make next, where his unique gift would lead him (hence me crying at nearly midnight.)
I think anyone affected by grief, no matter how far removed, should read this book and follow Kostya's journey.

A unique ghost story, Aftertaste pulled me in. I wasn't sure where it was going. The twists and turns were unexpected, and the lavish foodie concoctions, flavors, and sensations ratcheted up the whole experience. The descriptions were so rich that I could smell the smoke, taste the grains of salt, swirl the cocktail. Yum.

Kostya has a gift for taste and is a talented chef. He may also have a connection with the dead. Putting those skills to work in the food mecca that is New York City, we have Aftertaste. Saying anything more will give too much away. Just trust me that you'll be delighted with the mouthwatering dishes, charmed by Kostya, and surprised along the way.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the Advance Reader Copy. (pub date 5/20/2025)

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC.

I have never read anything even close to being like Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle and I don't think I ever will again. The portrayal of grief in this novel was so raw it stopped me in my tracks a few times. And don't even get me started on the food descriptions - do not read this while hungry.

What a unique story. Will be one that is loved for years to come.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for providing me an advanced copy of this book. I want to start off by saying that this book is out of the norm for me. That may explain why I didn't enjoy it as much as other reviewers. I found the book to be overly wordy and hard to follow at times. It did not reel me in.

The pacing of the story is a bit slow for me. My favorite parts are the ghost tour because of the way that character spoke. It really pulled me in. It does pick up in the second half of the book, but not enough to grip me. 

I liked the main character's conflict with this gift. I find this gift unique and never really written about, which I found refreshing. O also really liked the "Food Hall" perspective and how spirits move on.

There is romance in it, but to me, that is not the main component in the book. I liked their banter and how they met. 

Overall, it's an interesting read and I think anyone who likes stories about mediums, ghosts, and character journeys would like this.

This book was unlike any other I've read. It was great for any foodie for sure and for fans of tales involving the afterlife it will be a one of a kind read. The meals and 'aftertastes' were highly detailed and it really made me want to try some new things!
There were a few times when I felt like I lost the storyline, as if detailing the food was almost too much and it overshadowed the plot. But the food itself takes center stage many times in the book so it balanced a fair bit.
There are several moments when a reader can truly connect to the characters and what they've experienced. I think almost any reader could identify with at least one of the types of loss this book covers. That being said, trigger warnings may be suggested for suicide/ideation.
Overall, this was a unique idea that developed into a deeply detailed novel.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the food aspect of this book. I was hoping for more with the part of the story with eating meals with dead people but in less of a ghost way. I was hoping for more depth there but it was still a beautiful story.

When you read a lot of books, finding the unusual is refreshing. The memory of a meal and being able to share it with the ghost of someone you love is a beautiful concept. But does holding onto grief tightly prohibit loved ones from moving on? Can food breach the veil between life and death? Two haunted people,Kostya and Maura, each have their own ghosts and gifts. Kostya can taste the favorite meals of a deceased and Maura has crossed between life and death. Inevitably this is their love story and an emotional one at that.
Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for this eARC

A phenomenal read! The attention to detail was unlike anything I have read. Daria Lavelle clearly did research on food and you can tell there is a passion for cooking. I couldn't put this book down. It was so emotional and really makes you think about the potential of your loved ones who have passed on needing you to feel as if you have closure. Although the consequences of messing with the dead must be extreme, I believe Konstantin had the best intentions in helping people and hoping for his own closure. This book found me at a good time as I am grieving the loss of someone and looking for the closure myself. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this.

After a jarring moment of losing his dad, Konstantin has been haunted by flavors. They overwhelm his senses and make him look around, searching for the source. But after a chance meeting one night while being a bartender, he makes a drink for a grieving man and gives him closure with a loved one, tied specifically to a drink and a memory. He realizes that the tastes he gets, those hits of overwhelming flavor, are actually those spirits that have passed trying to connect with their left behind loved ones.

This story was odd at first and took me a moment to get into. It didn't dive too deep into grief, which I appreciated, but it meant that it kept the last meals and the loss of loved ones a little light. Konstantin makes a lot of mistakes, as he bumbles around in the underworld of spirits he knows nothing about. As his flavors spiral out of control and his constant cooking burns him out, he has to work out what he's doing this all for.

I really liked learning about his friends and loved ones. I liked the side stories and I loved the little breaks in the story with the tour guide and the Hunger. This is the second book I've recently read with hungry spirits and I love the idea of tying a memory to a flavor, a memory with food. A fast, fascinating read. I liked it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. I was engaged from the start. This book is sharp, irreverent, and unexpectedly tender. Lavelle’s dark humor and eccentric characters reminded me of Christopher Moore’s work—think Lamb or A Dirty Job—where the absurd somehow feels deeply human. If you like your fiction with a twist of satire, a sprinkle of the macabre, and a whole lot of voice, this one’s for you.

✨ 𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚 ✨
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Daria Lavelle
Format: tandem audio and physical copy

“sᥱᥱ, ᥕһᥱᥒ ᥕᥱ ძіᥱძ? 𝗍һᥱіr grіᥱ𝖿 ᥕᥲs ᑲ᥆𝗍𝗍᥆mᥣᥱss. s᥆ ᥎ᥲs𝗍 ᥲᥒძ ძᥱᥱ⍴ і𝗍 sᥕᥲᥣᥣ᥆ᥕᥱძ 𝗍һᥱm ᥕһ᥆ᥣᥱ. 𝗍һᥱᥡ ᥴ᥆ᥙᥣძᥒ’𝗍 ⍴r᥆ᥴᥱss ᥆ᥙr ᥣ᥆ss; 𝗍һᥱᥡ ᥴ᥆ᥙᥣძᥒ’𝗍 ᥣᥱ𝗍 ᥙs g᥆. 𝗍һᥱᥡ һᥱᥣძ ᥆ᥒ s᥆ 𝗍іgһ𝗍 𝗍һᥲ𝗍 і𝗍 һᥱᥣძ ᥙs ᑲᥲᥴk. kᥱ⍴𝗍 ᥙs һᥱrᥱ. mᥲძᥱ ᥙs һᥙᥒgrᥡ….. і𝖿 ᥆ᥙr ᥣі᥎іᥒg ძ᥆ᥒ’𝗍 m᥆᥎ᥱ ᥆ᥒ, 𝗍һᥱᥒ ᥒᥱі𝗍һᥱr ᥴᥲᥒ ᥕᥱ.”

This book is unlike anything I have ever read. It’s joy and sadness. Love and loss. Grief and longing. You name an emotion, this book’s got it. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to ruin the experience for anyone else but just know that it’s going to take you on an emotional journey like no other. Just picture enjoying one last meal with someone you’ve loved and lost and what implications could come from that. And I’ll never look at Reese’s peanut butter cup the same.

“іᥒ 𝗍һᥱ ᥱᥒძ, һᥱ ძ᥆ᥱsᥒ’𝗍 kᥒ᥆ᥕ һᥱr ᑲᥡ sіgһ𝗍, ᥆r 𝗍᥆ᥙᥴһ, ᥆r s᥆ᥙᥒძ. ᥆ᥒᥣᥡ ᑲᥡ 𝗍ᥲs𝗍ᥱ.”
“𝗍һᥱ 𝖿ᥣᥲ᥎᥆r ᥆𝖿 һᥱr kіss ᥲ ᥴrᥲ᥎іᥒg, і𝗍s 𝗊ᥙᥲᥣі𝗍ᥡ ᥣіkᥱ ᥴ᥆mіᥒg һ᥆mᥱ.”
“𝗍һᥱ ᑲᥱs𝗍 𝗍һіᥒg һᥱ һᥲs ᥱ᥎ᥱr 𝗍rіᥱძ. ᥕіᥣᥣ ᥱ᥎ᥱr. ᥱ᥎ᥱr ᥴ᥆ᥙᥣძ.”
“ᥲ s⍴ᥱᥴіᥲᥣ kіᥒძ ᥆𝖿 sᥲᥣ𝗍.”

Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster for the e-arc as well as physical copy arc. This book was incredible.

Aftertaste is such an original story! It’s far different from my normal reads, but I loved this one. Our main character was enjoyable, the food made me hungry and the idea of bringing someone back for just one more meal together was so exciting. I wish it was a real thing! Love, humor, grief, ghosts and the magic of food brought this all together in a way that worked so well. The ending though… 😭 I can’t believe that this is a debut! Thanks so much to Simon and Schuster for my ARC.

ARC Review ✨️

♡Unforgettable♡

This story is truly remarkable and one that will stick with me for a while to come. This author created such a unique storyline and delivered it excellently.

Kostya is able to connect with the dead, but the weird thing is that he can't actually see them. Instead, he connects with them through taste. Meaning he can taste their favorite food, and that's how he knows a spirit is present.

I don't want to give anything away, but just know this book is absolutely incredible. Forewarning, it deals with some very heavy topics, so just be cautious while reading.

The ending was remarkable, and I'm really happy to say that I ended up loving this author's writing. Overall, I highly recommend this book, and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did!

A huge thankyou to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the ARC!

Kostya has always had random episodes of tasting foods that he has never eaten. The tastes are really strong and he can determine the ingredients, leading him to consider becoming a chef. One night, he experiences a strong aftertaste of a cocktail which leads him to realize what these aftertastes really mean. This opens up a whole new world to him and he pursues his dream, using his gift of aftertastes. This was SO GOOD! I could not put it down. The writing is so descriptive that I wanted to taste the foods. Don't let the description of ghosts in the story scare you away--this is a book about love and loss and using food to conjure up memories of the past. What a concept and the execution was ...I have to do it... chef's kiss!

Aftertaste is one of the most original books I’ve ever read. A true reminder of why magical realism is one of my favorite genres! It was poignant and creative and reflective, with the whimsy of Pushing Daisies and the raw emotion of The Bear. I love books that examine the nuances of grief and this one did it so artfully. The way the author wrote about the connection between food and memories was so creative and made for a book that felt like nothing I’ve ever read before.

For me, food and memories are inextricably linked. A freshly toasted piece of bread slathered with butter and doused in cinnamon sugar calls to memory weekends spent on the recliner at my grandparents’ house, binging Disney Channel original movies and feeling like a queen. Crunchy homemade Chex mix blanketed in a salty seasoning blend brings me back to the annual neighborhood Christmas parties of my childhood that I still feel nostalgic for every year. A perfectly salted French fry with a dollop of ketchup can transport me to the annual fry tour my college best friends and I did for several years a decade ago. A thick slice of homemade chocolate cake topped with decadent buttercream frosting makes me fondly recall my childhood birthday parties. And the smell of Andes mints alone always brings a wistful smile to my face and makes me think of my Nana. There are countless foods that bring back a rush of memories for me, and Aftertaste gave me that feeling in book form.

As quirky as the concept for this book may be, it’s also full of heart and depth. The food descriptions were incredible - do not read this while hungry! But ultimately it was the thoughtful exploration of complex grief, loss, and moving on made this a truly unforgettable read. Konstantine’s story was simultaneously heartbreaking and healing. This is a book that will make you reflect on the role food has played in the biggest moments of your life. It will surprise you, it’ll make you smile, and it might even make you shed a tear or two. You’ll definitely want to add this to your TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a cool concept and very well executed. Magical realism done in a different way, makes you wonder if you were in the position how would you handle this type of power, who would you want to share a meal with?

I think I liked Aftertaste conceptually more than I did in reality. It is a really strong premise - using food (which we know ties HEAVILY to memory in humans) as a sort of tether for the dead to the living. I really like that idea in theory, but in execution, I do feel like Aftertaste left me wanting something more.

Although I loved the way that Kostya's life fit into the story (his strained relationship with his mother, and the fact that he deeply regrets the last words he spoke to his late father, which kind of drives the whole narrative), I didn't love him as a character. Or any of the characters, really. And I didn't love the way he fit with the rest of them. His relationship with Maura seemed really over-the-top to me. Like, they met once and now they're soulmates. But only on Kostya's end - at least at the beginning. You know how that one goes.

Kostya felt to me like every action he took was in service of a performance of himself, rather than any real characterization. He didn't feel authentic, know what I mean? Like, it feels like he hopped directly from living for Frankie to living for Maura. I know some people are like that, but...I don't want to read about them particularly...

I appreciate that he was doing what he was doing ostensibly to help people (while also working up the courage/practice to try to bring back his dad successfully), but it wasn't enough to keep me fully in the story.

Otherwise, the premise was pretty entertaining. Although I do feel the story failed to capture the horrors of working in a professional kitchen (especially one in a high-end restaurant), it did at least focus heavily on food. Although the line "I love you like salt" is going to haunt me - and not in a good way.

Rating:

★★★

Ultimately, I don't think I'm this book's target audience. I went out on a limb selecting it, because I am interested in both spec-fic and food, but it just didn't hit for me. However, if you like your speculative to be heavy on the contemporary fiction, this might be just the thing for you. I can see where other people would really dig on it. I'm just not those people.