I loved this book. It's a beautiful exploration on the nature of grief and healing. Kostya has the ability to taste the meal a ghost desires most. When he cooks, the beloved returns for one final conversation. It seems like a gift, an offering for those who are in pain. As it turns out, however, this might not be the case. On the eve of Kostya's big break, the opening of a restaurant that will secure his future, strange events begin to plague the living, and Kostya must finally decide how to use his unusual ability. The characters are memorable and vivid, and every meal is described with tenderness and precision. This book will mak eyou hungry for more.

I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.


Do yourself a GIANT favor and do not start reading this book if you’re even the tiniest bit hungry. You will be raiding the pantry, calling a delivery service or heaven forbid, actually cooking something yourself, just to quell the pangs conjured up from the exquisite, descriptive prose served by author, Daria Lavelle, in her debut, full length novel, AFTERTASTE.

Full of gastronomical delight and kitchen detail we’ve come to adore, AFTERTASTE is so much more - Yes, Chef! Lavelle evokes a storyline that is singularly unique - it has no compadres. In the book world, that’s extremely rare. It’s hard to share too much of the story without creating a spoiler fest but here we go…

Kostya, a young immigrant boy, is left with an unusual ability after his father dies - he can taste his favorite meal when he has a moment of intense grief; no food needed. As a young man working in a Michelin starred restaurant, he cooks the meal and whoosh! Dad appears for a brief period of time. Ideas run crazy and he decides to explore this ability, offering to reunite the living with their loved ones who have passed via a special meal; the AFTERTASTE. He begins the journey with his best buddy, another young chef who’s also his roommate; lots to unpack here.

Besides the earthly activities, a secondary plot line is meandering through the afterlife. These pages drop into the story in their own brief chapters all done in italics. It takes a good while to catch on to what is happening in this venue. I found it confusing to start with but in retrospect, that could have been purposeful on the author’s part. The ideas presented for what Heaven, (or the concept of life after death), is and how it works is like nothing else I’ve ever heard before. If you’re even remotely religious or ever were, buckle up! This storyline becomes more prominent as the book progresses until the two unite for a wild, twisted conclusion.

Unorthodox is how I’d describe the romance part of this story. Kostya clearly loves food. He has a passion that’s nurtured and tended to. It grows as he grows. It refines and changes with him. His relationship with Maura is not romantic or loving, IMO. It’s intense, serves the story, has moments some will enjoy but the word that comes to me is: usury - by them both and, well, others. I found it hard to like these MC’s much of the time. Getting to know them was like peeling five pound of onions. Many of the secondary characters were much more interesting but less developed.

Themes are heavy in the story: death, grief, loss, suicide, fractured family relationships and more. The author and publisher made a good attempt to warn readers by putting a very brief page noting grief and suicide as heavy themes, altho’ the book is ultimately uplifting and hopeful. At the end of the Acknowledgement, phone numbers and website information are provided for suicide, mental health and substance abuse assistance. IMO, it would serve readers better if that information were added to the page in the beginning of the book.

Appeal for this book will be wide and varied - foodies, ghost story lovers, strange romance aficionados, 1st generation immigrant makes good, spirituality and afterlife. Strongly triggered responses will be quick and decisive. I cannot see too many fence sitters with this book.

3.5 stars rounded up for the creative and unique storyline(s) that are sure to have readers talking and turning pages📚

Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC, with thanks

Author Daria Lavelle had such a great opening idea for AFTERTASTE: tasting the favorite meal of a dead relative/friend and summoning their ghost to the meal. I enjoyed thinking about favorite meals of family members that have died; it is almost a joyful activity. Unfortunately for me, the rest of the plot left me decidedly empty. There are various supporting characters, all of whom seem to have motivation to exploit this ability. And the details just become overwhelming to the book as a whole. Nevertheless, for sheer creativity, this book is an interesting one to read. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This book was a captivating read involving food, cooking, grief and memories plus a bit of the supernatural.

Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle is a beautifully written debut that blends magical realism with the culinary arts, following chef Konstantin Duhovny who can taste the favorite meals of the dead and use them to connect grieving loved ones with those they’ve lost. The novel is rich with emotion and flavor, exploring themes of grief, memory, and healing through food. Lavelle’s prose is vivid and sensory, making each dish—and the stories behind them—feel deeply personal. It’s a poignant, imaginative story that lingers like a powerful aftertaste.

What would you do if you could suddenly taste phantom meals and realized they were sent to you by ghosts?

Pros:

👻 The concept of bringing ghosts closure, by cooking recipes linked to their most precious memories, was fantastic. I loved every scene where the reasoning behind those connections was explained. I wanted more!

👻 The food descriptions were exotic and “to die for” pun intended. It made my foodie heart full to devour them.

👻 The exploration into what happens to our loved ones if we don’t let them go, if we hold on too tightly was intriguing. It made me think about the concept long after I finished the book.

Cons:

👻 The writing style switching between parts left me with whiplash. I understand the concept but in practice it was jarring as a reader. Maybe I’m not smart enough to understand it? It felt like art I just wasn’t sophisticated enough to grasp.

👻 “Stan” was hard to like, not saying every book guy has to be a Hollywood star but the author kept describing him using extremely unflattering language so I feel like she set the stage for those emotions. It made me think he was a slob and he never improved much.

👻 Trigger warnings are needed for this novel. It deals with dark subject matter and sensitive readers should be forewarned.

Overall, I was obsessed with the concept and idea behind the novel. The marketing hooked me and I couldn’t wait to read it! I even read the bonus chapter the author sent out and needed more immediately! However, the bonus chapter was my favorite part and was not even included in the book itself. I wanted and expected to love it. Much to my surprise… I did not. What I thought I was going to read was absolutely not what this book was about. It is a dark, artistic look into the ugly ways people deal with loss and ended up not being my type of art. I can appreciate the fact that others will highly disagree though! Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Net Galley for allowing me to “satiate my own hunger” and giving me an ARC of Aftertaste. I will no longer be at risk of being Hangry. IYKYK 😱👻🍴

Aftertaste
By Daria Lavelle

If you like books about love, magic, the uncanny, food, and most of all cooking – then this is the book for you. I admit I wasn't too sure about this one early on, but the story, with all its twists and turns, captivated me. By the end, with its intimations of things to come, this book blew me away.

This is the story of Konstantin Kostya Duhovny. As a child Kostya came to New York with his parents from Ukraine. Kostya felt very much the outsider, but loved his parents, especially his father. As the story begins, dad is leaving for his work as a bus driver. Kostya wants his dad to take some time with him before leaving, but his father is late and says no. Kostya, angry at not getting his way, yells unkind words at his departing father. Little did he know, these would be the last words he ever said to his father. As he grows older he is devastated by his guilt and grief, and longs for just one more conversation with his father.

Some time later, Kostya discovers a new talent – an aftertaste floods his mouth. It is the taste of a dead person's last meal. It seems that, if a living person longs for someone they have lost, and if Kostya can recreate what he tastes from the deceased and feed it to the mourner, the dead person can cross back and materialize for one more time with their loved one – as long as the food lasts. Then the dead are freed to move on.

From that basic premise, the story grows and grows. It is intriguing. But it leaves the reader right up until the very end trying to figure out where this is all going. The ending, while deliberately leaving the reader wanting more, leaves you with a feeling of hope. I loved this book.

Aftertaste is a unique concept of memories coupled with taste sensation of exotic and complex dishes ranging from meats to desserts. Unfortunately the dark nature of the main character’s life weighs heavily on the story to the point it is difficult to read. Perhaps the book may be enjoyed best by food and drink connoisseurs.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC.

4.5 stars- this was one of my favorite books I’ve read recently coming out of a slump.

tackling grief, cooking, and fantasy realism the way this book does is incredible. plus I love the anthony bourdain quotes. the pacing felt good, I connected deeply with each character, and I really enjoyed the ending. highly highly recommend.

Interesting and unique premise. I love food/cooking in a book so I was really excited for this one. Sadly, the writing left me wanting more and felt like I couldn’t fully connect with the characters. Definitely interested to see what else the author comes out with, but this was just an okay read for me.

I wanted more from this book. The premise was strong but the execution was lacking conviction and I wish the author had really gone for it, giving us more.

This is the story of a young man who can taste important meals from departed souls (aftertastes). And not just taste them, he can tell exactly how to recreate those meals, and thus bring back the dead. He figures out (accidentally) how to connect the living with their departed loved ones, and opens a restaurant to do just that.

I don't want to say much more than that, because it would give away so much if I did. I will say this: the book several times didn't go where I expected it would. At first I was annoyed with the first pretty major switch up, but I came to appreciate it. And I got sucked into this book, into this story, wanting to know where it was going to go. I honestly could not figure out how this was going to end. It's rare for me to have a reading experience like that, which I really appreciated.

I really liked this book, a lot. I liked how authentic the kitchen scenes felt. I really liked Frankie's voice, even though he's not our MC. I had mixed feeling about Kostya, but at the end of the day, I could see he was a really damaged person just trying to do good and not always knowing how to do that. And he so very much wanted to do right, and I was rooting hard for him. I didn't particularly love Maura, but because Kostya did, I gave her grace.

This book was so readable, and felt very original. The last 50 pages or so dragged for me, and I'm still not sure I actually loved the ending (leaning towards not loving it, although I can see where in context it actually makes good sense).

But those are relatively minor issues for me on the whole. This was a really good book.

**EDITED (02:25 PM PST) due to choosing the wrong book to review 😣**— Overall I enjoyed this one a lot! I wasn't sure necessarily what to expect given it's rather unique premise, but it did successfully grab my attention and really give pause/reflect on the relationship we have with food and what that can look like for different people. I will say that this was honestly a bit of a hard read for me (as someone who suffered from an ED for many years and, while healed in most ways, still has a very complex relationship with food), but I powered through it! Kudos to Lavelle's writing style, as I think that's what kept me intrigued and willing to push through to the end.

Aftertaste
Rating: 3.2 out of 5

Initially when I thought to give this book a look, I was expecting something like the golden spoon to occur but, it was nothing like that really. I mean it away t was it did have crime and food which is cool when I read it but, I was having trouble getting past the characters and making the story fit. I loved the concept of the storyline and how it worked out in the end. But these characters especially the main character bothered me in a way, I felt the need to make faces sort of like if my mouth doesn’t say it my face will. Whatever my face was giving was how i felt about the main character. I want more likable people or at least one, so it can have a better potential for me.

Thank you NetGalley for given me the opportunity to read. Thank you to the publishers as well.

Aftertaste is a quirky fantasy novel for the likes of TJ Klune and T. Kingfisher. A reflection death and the afterlife, it invites deep reflection while maintaining a decent amount of humor.

If cooking your late loved one’s favorite dish could bring them back for one last meal—would you do it? That’s the haunting question at the center of Aftertaste, a novel that blends grief, food, memory, and a touch of the supernatural.

Konstantin Duhovny has experienced "aftertastes" from the dead ever since his father passed away when he was a child. These aren’t just emotional echoes—they’re literal tastes tied to the meals of those who’ve departed. It isn’t until years later that he realizes the power these aftertastes might hold. What if he could cook these dishes and bring someone back—just for one final meal? But the real question becomes: can a final meal bring closure, or will it only make goodbye harder the second time?

This novel surprised me in the best way. From the moment I read the premise, I knew I had to dive in. The idea of sharing a last meal with someone you've lost feels like an impossible gift—bittersweet and beautiful. While the beginning was a bit slow, as it traces Konstantin’s childhood in Ukraine and his struggles as an immigrant in the U.S., the story gradually gained depth and momentum. Before I knew it, I was completely hooked, unable to put it down. The ending left me unexpectedly heartbroken.

It’s clear the author did their homework—the details of kitchen life, restaurant work, and flavor felt authentic and vivid. More than anything, this book made me reflect on meals I’ve had that mattered not because of the food, but because of the people at the table.

Aftertaste is perfect for readers who enjoy supernatural elements, ghost stories, and culinary fiction, with just the right touch of romance. It’s a quiet, tender exploration of loss—and the flavors we carry with us long after someone’s gone.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Konstantin Duhovny is a lost soul. His father died when he was ten years old, and ever since then, he’s been haunted by ghosts. He can’t see the ghosts, but can taste their favorite foods. It begins with a puff at the back of his throat, signaling him that a ghost is present, and then all the flavors flood in. One night, he decides to make a drink that comes into his mouth as a lonely, grieving man sits at the bar where he works. This action changes everything.

Konstantin discovers that by cooking the aftertastes that arrive, he can bring the ghosts back for a limited time, usually until the person finishes the food or drink that Konstantin has prepared. He is amazed and decides to make his life mission reuniting people with their lost loved ones. When the beautiful Maura comes into his life, he feels even more strongly that he is on the right path. He opens a restaurant, and word about his abilities quickly spreads. However, he doesn’t realize that he is tampering with the Afterlife, and there may be consequences.

This is an incredible book, maybe one of the best I’ve read this year. I can tell the author either did a lot of research or is very passionate about food. I learned some things I didn’t know about the culinary world. The book’s premise is unique and refreshing. Reading this book makes the reader appreciate life, loved ones, and shared experiences with family and friends. The pacing is slow to medium until the end, when everything speeds up. Konstantin’s journey is not one I will forget. I felt gutted and torn to pieces at the book’s ending, but it was fitting and maybe the only way it could have ended. This book gets a solid five stars from me! Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Great read! I love the premise of Aftertaste. The idea of being able to share one last meal with someone you love is one I am sure many people connect with and would love the opportunity to have. It made me think of the favorite food my loved ones had that have passed on. It is emotional and thought provoking. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

I really enjoyed this! One of the aspects I appreciated the most about Aftertaste was that it is very approachable for literary fiction. It raises complex questions about grief, memory, food, and death, but in a way that will appeal to a broad range of readers. In a novel centered around food, the descriptions are appropriately lush without feeling overly indulgent. I found myself constantly wanting to pick it up to find out what would happen next. It's an impressive debut and I'll be looking forward to Daria Lavelle's future works!

A great read! Super fun premise. I couldn' wait to see what happened next. Also, can't wait for Daria's next book. Fun stuff!