Wow. As a child of Ukrainian immigrants and as someone who grew up watching The Food Network, this book is a perfect bit of nostalgia. The descriptions of food are enough to make your mouth water and your heart melt. The deep connection characters have to loved ones lost and Lavelle's interpretation of the afterlife is just stunning. The characters are so beautifully written with their reasons for holding on and for doing what they do. There was a moment at the end that I felt was a touch too dramatic, but then the ending wraps it all up so well that I went back to absolutely loving this book.

The description of this book sold me on it - who wouldn’t want to have a last meal with someone they lost? But then as I was reading it turned into much more, a ghost story but also a thriller and a love story along the way and I did not always enjoy it. Tasting meals without eating, spending time and revisiting memories with loved ones all seems nice, but then what happens on “the other side” is just a little too out there for my taste (pun intended!)

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Shuster for the digital ARC.

This was a wild ride. The idea of summoning the afterlife by eating food is out of this world. This story had me hooked from the moment Kostya said he tasted foods that he'd never eaten before. It was riveting and I knew I had to get through the story because I was intrigued. Realizing he had a gift he decided to turn it into a business while tackling the harsh critiques of the New York culinary world. I would absolutely recommend this book to those that love a good paranormal mystery story.

This book is about love and hurt and food. What a different kind of story. I read it very quickly and instantly saw the gift Konstantin had for Aftertastes. He just wants to help people. But helping in a universe you know nothing about can be harmful. Maura is broken from her sister's death and Stan helps her let go. I hope this book finds every reader who needs to be heard to help themselves heal.

I love a foodie novel, suspensions of belief not so much. Regardless I took a chance on requesting a copy of Aftertaste through NetGalley - an this book was so much fun. Yes emotional, but the author made the aftertastes seem possible! I did enjoy the front half more than the second, and enjoyed the description of the food most of all. I think other foodie fiction readers will joy this novel.

I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS BOOK. I started it and I found myself absolutely hooked and tearing up and crying at parts because there's something so visceral about the grief and being cursed to deal with aftertaste of plates that the dead really loved or cherished and seeing how Kostya comes to uncover this power of sorts, I am loving the development though and I NEED MORE from this author because I will for sure be reading more of their work!!

Reading challenge category - 2025 PopSugar: Main character is an immigrant or refugee (Ukrainian)

This story follows Konstantin Duhovny (Kostya/Stan,) starting as a grieving boy of 10 years who lost his father soon after immigrating from Ukraine to the US. Kostya and his father had a fight right before his sudden death. His mother is paralyzed by grief, leaving him to take care of them and attempt to provide for them, even food. Kostya then begins to taste his father's favorite meal out of nowhere (occurrences he nicknames 'aftertastes'). As he gets older, this happens with other meals. He finds that if he recreates the meal/food/cocktail for the person attached to the ghost, it can bring them back for the duration of the meal. This part was fabulously written.

We then diverge into a fantasy horror hodgepodge instead of magical realism. The ghosts don't actually disappear or get closure. Problems pile up for Kostya and his girlfried, Maura (who has problems of her own). Ending on a bitter note that leaves the reading feeling unsatisfied. It started out so strong and had potential, but the second half was a slog.

Thanks to #Netgalley for the ARC.

I loved this book from the very beginning and the more I read, the better it got.

As someone who lost her dad, I felt connected to the characters wanting to have that last moment with a loved one.

One of the best books of 2025!

After Taste is a totally unique story. It is the story of a guy who can taste the favorite foods of ghosts and decides to use this skill to bring back the dead. So weird, so dark and just such a good book. A story of grief, forgiveness and resilience. Heartbreaking and funny all at once. Just so clever and so well done.

Aftertaste was a mixed bag for me. I really loved the concept—it had a unique hook and the setting was mostly well executed. However, the story seemed to be trying to juggle too many genres at once, which left it feeling a bit unfocused. While there were moments that stood out, the overall experience didn’t quite come together in a satisfying way for me. Solid potential, but not quite the flavor I was hoping for.

Aftertaste was such a weird, tender, funny surprise in the best way. Konstantin (Kostya) is a Ukrainian-American dishwasher turned accidental medium, whose grief literally rewires his body to taste the emotions of the dead. That premise could have been heavy-handed or overly quirky, but Daria Lavelle pulls it off with this perfect blend of heart, satire, and magical realism. I was so invested.

The writing is rich—like, you can taste it. Kostya’s sensory experiences, especially when he recreates final meals to help people connect with their lost loved ones, were honestly emotional and strange and beautiful. The Spectral Sour? The pechonka? The smoky fish head? I was both hungry and slightly haunted the entire time.

What really worked for me was the balance: it's about grief, yes, but it’s also about reinvention, found family, and the chaos of being alive. The secret supper club! The psychic romance! The ghost tour guide named Frankie who helps Kostya navigate this weird underworld of flavor and feeling! It all sounds wild on paper, but it works.

Everything in this book is textured and alive (even the ghosts). This is a book I will be recommending to everyone.

3.25 stars

Interesting concept but ultimately not executed as well as I was hoping. I was entertained enough to finish but I feel like this just tried to do too many things. It felt too predictable and most of the characters felt pretty surface level. The ending was also...a lot. Everything felt very rushed.

I had really high hopes for this book. It seems like everyone was rating it super well, but unfortunately it fell short for me. The beginning was beautiful and full of love and grief that felt tangible, but it fizzled out for me quickly. A ghost story that is also about food felt right up my alley, but I struggled to get through it. It started to feel a little cheesy and rushed in the middle for me. Maybe I will pick this book back up again in the future and get the hype, but for right now I would say it’s a solid three stars.

Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle is the book that I can not stop thinking about it over a month after reading it! It was also so much better than I expected a non-horror book about ghosts to be. Konstantin Duhovny has been haunted for as long as he can remember. His father died when he was ten, and ghosts have been hovering around Kostya ever since and he can never shake the feeling he needs to talk to his dad one last time. Kostya connects to the spirit world through "after tastes" or flavors of a very specific meal or drink that he can taste every portion of even though he's never eaten it. He's experience these after tastes for year and one day he decides to recreate what he's tasting and he opens a world of possibilities. The meals of the aftertastes can bring back a loved one for one final time. The description of the New York City culinary world was my favorite part of the book, but Lavelle wrote beautiful characters, a love story, and really hit on the topics of grief and love in a way that's not been done before! Absolute standout of 2025 for sure!

Is this a ghost story? A love story? A thriller? Magical Realism? All of the above! And also a great audio experience. I could listen to Ari Fliakos talk about food all day long! The story explores grief and the connections we make between food and the ones we love. Kostya gave off Carmie vibes (the troubled, genius chef from The Bear) while Maura was more oblique to me. I struggled to follow some of the scenes set in the ghostly realm and it got more complicated as the story went on. Other than that, this genre-mixup was a surprising treat and definitely made me hungry.

So many emotions reading this book. I would love to have another moment with some of my loved ones, but this book made me second guess that, and maybe that's not a bad thing. Kostya was such a great character and you experience all of his ups and downs throughout the book. I was cheering with him, crying with him, angry with him, all of it. I really enjoyed all of the food aspects of the book, and the descriptions of the way things tasted were so great. This was like a dangerous love story set in the culinary world, and I'm there for that, great book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle is a beautifully unique blend of magical realism, culinary fiction, and emotional depth. Konstantin Duhovny lives with a strange gift—or curse: he can taste the favorite foods of nearby ghosts. When he discovers that preparing these meals can bring grieving people face-to-face with their lost loved ones for one last meal, Kostya dives into the high-pressure New York restaurant scene to perfect his skills.

Lavelle masterfully balances dark humor, romance, and grief, while delivering rich, sensory food writing that leaps off the page. The world of professional kitchens is vividly drawn, and the novel's high-stakes emotional core is both touching and thought-provoking. Kostya’s journey is equal parts tender and haunting, with just the right touch of whimsy and heartbreak.

While some plot twists stretch believability and a few character arcs could have used more development, Aftertaste remains a deeply satisfying and original read. Fans of Under the Whispering Door and Sweetbitter will savor every bittersweet bite.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. The novel included magical, romantic, and culinary elements that really created a unique and intriguing story. I especially enjoyed the detailed descriptions of food and restaurant life. I will definitely be recommending this book to anyone wanting to read something emotional, moving, and unique!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Aftertaste absolutely blew me away with its premise—so unique, so clever, and unlike anything I’ve read lately! I was immediately hooked by the concept and found myself fully invested in the characters, who were beautifully written with such emotional depth. Watching their growth throughout the story was incredibly satisfying. My only wish is that a few parts of the narrative had been built out a bit more—there were moments where I wanted to linger longer in the world or dive deeper into certain plot threads. Still, this was such a compelling, memorable read that I’d absolutely recommend!

WOW this book. If you've ever felt all consuming grief--the desire to talk to one you have lost one last time--and if you believe in the power of food and the way it can connect us--this is for you!

Food has the ability to connect us--that's why so many of our major holidays and celebrations (regardless of culture!) center around food or meals. It connects us to each other, or to a place. Sometimes both. So why should that connection end upon death? Why can't food also connect us to the afterlife?

Well, because ghosts get hungry too. And you don't want to mess with a hungry ghost.

This combines so many things that I love in a book--cultural connections, characters doing their best with what they have while still being human, emotional growth,....Food. I should be embarrassed by the number of times I wanted to reach for a Reese's--dented or no.

This story was so well written, had the perfect ending, and touched on so many important themes regarding grief, the human condition, and love--I don't have a single negative thing to say.