Obviously, this book deals heavily with grief. Therefore, it may be triggering for some people. It is sad because it deals with people who have lost loved ones, but there is a sweetness to it as well because they get to say a final goodbye, which people are not usually given in real life. Likewise, the reunions between people and their lost loved ones are heartwarming and heartbreaking in that they are reunited and then parted again for a final time.

However, the story eventually devolves into more of a ghostly horror story than a touching story about people reuniting with their lost loved ones for one final meal. Thus, if you are more interested in the latter and that is the kind of book you thought you were getting, it is like having the rug pulled out from under you, and it takes away from the enjoyment of the book. However, if you enjoy a good, dark ghostly story, you may really like this book.

Can't believe I'm not seeing more hype surrounding this one! It so unique and captivating. Definitely recommend if you love a genre-blend!

Tasting Menu: A Feast of Grief and Flavor, With a Dash of Identity Confusion

Amuse-Bouche: A Curious Beginning
The story begins with a soft note of magic: a young boy, reeling from the loss of his father, discovers he can taste the favorite foods of the dead. It’s an unusual premise, but it immediately intrigued me—maybe because I’ve always believed food holds a kind of memory. This bite-sized intro sets the table for something strange and soulful, and I found myself hungry for more.

First Course: Broth of Memory and Migration
Here we’re introduced to Konstantin “Kostya” Duhovny, a Ukrainian immigrant navigating the kitchens—and emotional currents—of New York City. The flavors in this course are steeped in identity and longing. At multiple points, Lavelle describes a dish that made me stop and reread a few lines just to sit with the memory it evoked. It reminded me of how my grandmother used to make tortillas, the smell alone enough to transport me. Lavelle captures that power in a way that feels deeply personal, even if it’s not your memory being served.

Second Course: Entrée of Emotional Umami
This is where the story hits its stride. Kostya’s gift—to use food as a way of helping others reconnect with lost loved ones—isn’t just a narrative trick. It’s the emotional marrow of the book. The writing is tender and immersive. I could almost smell the simmering broth, feel the weight of inherited grief. It’s the kind of book that, if you’ve ever lost someone, might hit you in the chest when you least expect it.

Intermezzo: A Palate Cleanser with Bite
Still, even a well-composed meal can have its off notes. One thing that tripped me up more than once was the inconsistent use of the protagonist’s name. He’s “Konstantin” in some scenes, “Kostya” in others—and not always in a way that seemed intentional. At times it felt like I was being reintroduced to him mid-course. A clearer strategy—like using “Kostya” only when the story leans into intimacy—would have added cohesion. It’s a small thing, but noticeable when the rest of the writing flows so well.

Dessert: Bittersweet and Lingering
The final pages deliver the same quiet intensity as a perfectly balanced dessert. There’s no overly sweet resolution, but the emotions settle warmly. I found myself thinking about it long after I finished—especially the way grief and food intertwine, how both can be inherited, passed down, and quietly transformed.

Digestif: Final Thoughts
Aftertaste is a rich and memorable debut. Yes, the occasional name inconsistency caught me off guard, but it didn’t spoil the experience. Lavelle serves a story full of warmth, magic, and meaning—and if you’ve ever tasted something that made you remember someone you’ve lost, this novel will speak to you. I’d absolutely recommend it, especially to those who enjoy books that linger in the heart the way certain flavors linger on the tongue.

Thank you Simon & Schuster, NetGalley, and Daria Lavelle for this eARC!!

Food that can bring the dead back was the concept that drew me to this book, but it ended up being so much more complicated that that. I will admit, I struggled with the first portion of the book. Not enough to not keep reading, but enough that made it a little slow going. The structure and style were not what I expected, but some of that came from the complexity of the multiple layers of the plot. All the characters in the book are consumed with grief over a lost one. They feeling of responsibility in the loss of their loved one is all consuming, and it's all consuming for the reader, too. When I got to the middle of the book, I became more intrigued, I loved the developing love between Kostya and Maura, but at the same time, they really didn't belong getting into a relationship when there were so many demons between them. Then as Kostya finally gets his chance to open his own restaurant, he has to deal with the problems he has created with hungry ghosts as well as a mobster financial backer. I felt the pacing picked up a little more once you made it pat the halfway point - more was happening, there was more depth to the characters vs just seeing them in the pits of their grief. Then when all the truths come out and the puzzles is finally clear, as a reader you are able to see that this was in many ways a masterpiece. How Maura and Kostya are able to finally move past their own grief to fix the afterlife issues they created, gave them a sense of purpose. Even with all the food and ghosts, the element that I keep reading for was to get more information on the Food Tour that came in little bursts throughout. (Like a little amuse0bouche) At first, I was just confused, but as you move through the story and more in revealed, it all becomes clear. There are enough recipes and food references to satisfy anyone's hunger!

Overall, I thought it was well written, but very deep with numerous trigger warnings. While, I hovered between 3 and 4 stars for this book, I see many readers giving it 4-5 stars. The style just wasn't want I was used to or expected and the pacing was a little slow in the first half.

If you could have one final meal with the spirit of a loved one who passed away, would you? I know I would. The ability to have closure, say "I love you" and hear it back, one last time...would be such a gift. This concept is explored in this book in a really compelling way.

Aftertaste has a storyline that any foodie would love, and has an undeniable artistic quality to the writing and format.

Devour this to get a taste of:
🍴The supernatural
🍴Examination of grief & death
🍴Mouthwatering meal descriptions
🍴An interesting love story

I enjoyed this one a lot and think it's going to be really popular.

As a voracious reader, it is often difficult to find a truly unique story. Aftertaste is just that book. While it took me some time to lock into the plot, once I understood where this subway train of a novel was taking me, I didn’t want to get off the ride. Aftertaste is a story about love and grief, and who a person becomes in the presence and absence of both. Told through the dark underbelly of the restaurant business, this cast of characters will amuse and perplex you. At times gritty, moving, and deeply romantic, I could not put this book down. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my gifted ARC.

It honestly took me a while to actually get hooked into this book but I ended up enjoying it! I absolutely loved the very deep descriptions of the foods and flavors- it definitely made me very hungry while reading. I feel like there’s just so much depth and it has a great storyline. I loved the jumping between past and present, and between the narrators (even if I didn’t know who it was at the time.
Aftertaste is comedic, depressing, hungry, suspenseful; as I kept reading, it got more and more mysterious which really kept me interested in what was going to happen next. So many mysteries and plot twists!
I really enjoyed this book!

Aftertaste is a genre-blending novel that will leave your head spinning, but in a good way. The combination of speculative fiction, supernatural aspects, grief, and the culinary world is mind boggling when you think of it, but Daria Lavelle delivers such a complex, cohesive story that brings all these unusual elements together in a way that will leave the literary world talking about this book for years to come.

I was so impressed by this novel and I will be recommending it to everyone!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the digital ARC.

What a ride. Part thriller part paranormal romance, this unique story grabbed me from the first chapter. Such a unique exploration of grief and life.

Aftertaste is the kind of book you want to marinate in, soaking up every little thing so you become one with its pages. This is an absolutely breathtaking one-of-a-kind literary experience, and I don’t say that hardly ever. I’m a solid 3-4 star rater. Most books are fine, but not something I think about forevermore. Most of theme barely stick with me a week or two before I can’t tell you much about the story anymore. Some books, I forget I’ve read at all until I see I’ve rated them on Goodreads. It’s only been a couple of days since I finished Aftertaste, but I’m certain I’ll remember it forever.

The characters are fully formed, flawed, and really carry the story. Whether they’re main characters like Konstantin Duhovny (our protagonist), strong supporting characters like Maura (love interest) or Frankie (best friend), or those who visit Kostya to have a loved one brought back, each character has a depth to them that is so hard to find in stories these days.

What’s also hard to find these days is unique stories and storytelling. So many books I read are so similar to other stories I’ve read or are retellings. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy these types of stories. But they are often not very memorable. Aftertaste was unlike anything I’ve ever read. The premise, the storytelling, the prose. It was just a really beautiful analysis of grief, letting go, and moving on.

I think that once I got past the initial introduction of the story and Kostya’s youth, the pacing of the story became really consistent and easy to follow. Even though this book is heavily paranormal, it’s not absurd or tough to imagine. It’s exactly fantasy, and there’s no major world-building to push through and try to understand. Though the afterlife does require a small bit of imagination, it’s not something totally new from what we know in our world.

Diversity-wise, we do meet characters from different walks of life with different identities. We meet a queer character, a Black character, but there’s not a huge racially or sexuality diverse cast in a story set in New York, which feels inaccurate. There is a lot of ethnic diversity, as well as socioeconomic diversity. And there are several characters that present as Latinx. Overall, I would’ve liked to see more diverse characters, but the diversity overall wasn’t atrocious.

I do still have several questions, but answers to those would only feed my curiosity and would not serve the story itself. Mostly things like *cue Brad Pitt* “What’s in the bag? WHAT’S IN THE BAG??!”

But overall, Aftertaste has been one of the best books I’ve read so far this decade. An absolutely beautiful story! I wasn’t sure where I expected the book to go once it took off, but I couldn’t see it shaping up any other way than it did. This book is funny at points; it’s a love story at heart (familial, platonic, romantic); it’s paranormal literary fiction. It’s also heartbreaking and heartwarming, and enthralling.

I loved Aftertaste. It was sweet, sour, bitter, savory - a little bit of something for everyone. Try a sample, and I’m sure you’ll devour the entire thing.

AFTERTASTE has one of the most unique, interesting concepts I've seen in a long time. The very definition of high-concept! It's no wonder this is getting a lot of buzz... but for me, the execution fell flat. The writing is excellent, but I really struggled with the pacing. A lot happened in the beginning and then it slowed way down, so much so that I didn't look forward to picking it back up. I would try something else by this author as I enjoyed the line level writing, but the storytelling just wasn't there for me.

aftertaste had a really intriguing premise and there are some genuinely beautiful, vivid descriptions of food. the setting in a new york restaurant felt atmospheric, and i appreciated the way grief, memory, and food were all tied together. though the pacing was uneven for me. some parts felt rushed, especially the more emotional or supernatural moments, and i had a hard time fully connecting with kostya as a character. i wouldn’t say i disliked it.. i’m glad i read it, and i think some people will really love the mix of magical realism and culinary.. drama? i think this was the authors debut so lots of potential!
3/5 stars

Loved the unique storytelling in this. I consumed every word. A great mix of mystery, romance, a little literary and magical. I just couldn't get enough.

What would you pay to have one last mean with someone you love who has passed on to the afterlife? If there were someway to get the closure needed to move on, would you take the chance? Not knowing what it is costing that loved one?
Konstantine has a gift. He can bring together grieving hearts with passed on loved ones. With the lingering aftertaste of shared meals, he is able to
Bring closure to the living. However, the souls in the afterlife have not gotten theirs.
This is a story of love. Of loss. And how far one will go to have just one more moment.

4.5, rounded up.

Is this a story about food? About love? About ghosts? Yes.

This book has such an original and compelling concept. I really enjoyed how it brings together love, culture, identity, grief, and food. Konstantin can commune with the dead... through his tastebuds. By recreating lingering aftertastes, he’s able to reconnect loved ones and offer them comfort or closure. Or so he believes. As you can imagine, things don’t go quite as planned, and he ends up facing much more than he expects when it comes to the Afterlife.

The characters and their grief are written with so much care. It was fascinating to see how the guilt consumes them, but how this also tethers their loved one to them, like an anchor. I also liked watching Konstantin grow as a chef in the New York City food scene. Kitchen dynamics are always interesting to me. I’ve never eaten at one of those high-end restaurants that serves tiny, artistic portions, but I’d love to try it at least once. I liked Maura and the way her connection with Konstantin offered both of them a sense of healing. They helped each other move forward, even just a little. And honestly, we all need a friend like Frankie. He was such a good presence in the story.

The ending? It was everything I wanted. I won’t spoil it, but it landed in exactly the right way. I might have cried a little. Just a little.

I'm not much of a fan of fantasy novels, but the description of this book intrigued me, and I'm delighted that I read it.

Konstantin (Kostya) emigrated from the Ukraine as a small boy, and his father passed away when he was only 10, leaving Kostya with a huge sense of loss. His mother barely recovered, and effectively Kostya lost her too.

As he matures, he realizes that he can taste his father's favorite food at times, and then that he can taste the favorite foods of others that have passed away. He comes to learn that his gift is clairgustance, or the aftertastes of the ghosts around him. He works is way up through the restaurant business, from dishwasher to sous chef, trying to figure out how to replicate the foods he tastes. He realizes that if he cooks these foods, he can bring the ghost back for the period of time that their food is eaten. He is determined to reunite as many people as possible with their loved ones, through his food.

As he suffers a huge personal loss, he meets and falls for Maura, who tries to warn him that his actions are going to bring trouble...

This was a fascinating read, that kept me engrossed through the book. I enjoyed the setting, with lots of wonderful restaurant and foodie descriptions. But also the dark side as Kostya gets involved with mobsters, and then his dawning realization of what is happening in the afterlife because of his actions. And what he must do to fix things...

The ending was such a good ending to such a complex plot.

Excellent read!

If you could speak with a passed loved one, would you? And all it would take is to eat/drink something made by a special chef who has an "after taste" of a favorite meal of loved ones that haven't moved on.

Konstantin loses his father when he's ten and shortly after he somehow tastes a meal he's never eaten but he knows it's a meal his father used to talk about. First he thinks he's going crazy but soon realizes he can feel people's lost loved ones favorite meal if they are still around. He goes 20 years without doing anything about what he calls "after tastes", he mixes a drink for a random custom at a bar and his late wife appears. Now realizing what can happen, he starts his journey of becoming a chef so he can make the after tastes. But then he meets Maura who warns him to not keep making the meals, that something bad could happen. But of course he doesn't listen and opens a restaurant while falling in love with Maura.

But once things takes a turn, what will Konstantin do to make things right???

This book is definitely an original. The story hooked me right away. It made me smile but also brought tears to my eyes. It was a great read and the ending made me feel like I said goodbye to a friend.

What a dark imagining with a flair of kitchen magic. Those gone but memories are brought to life. Delving into those we have missed, to the loss of all that is present. Take care with your dreams of the Aftertaste will take over. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What if you could have one last meal with someone you have loved and lost?

At the age of 11, Konstantin Duhovny (Kostya) began experiencing the acute sense of the aftertaste of pechonka, his dead father's favorite dish. Determined that it could be a sign from his dead father, he focuses on becoming a chef in order to recreate this dish. Along the way, Kostya experiences other "aftertastes" when in contact with other people. Are these aftertaste sensations a gift or a curse?

This wonderful novel provides part ghost story, love eternal, grief, loss, sacrifice, Russian mob, and lots of great food descriptions that will have you salivating. So unique and enjoyable. Be prepared to laugh and cry.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon/Schuster for this eARC.

I really enjoyed reading this book I loved it Thank you so much NetGalley for letting me read this book