When Kostya was ten, his father died. At eleven, he started to taste entire meals in his mouth. He had no trouble identifying every ingredient but couldn’t figure out why he was tasting flavors from his dead father and others. After he told his mother about it, she institutionalized him, so he learned to keep this strangeness to himself.

Twenty years later, Kostya was a mess. The strange tastes still existed, he couldn’t hold a steady job or relationship and resorted to binge eating when things got rough. Years of blaming himself for the angry words he’d tossed at his father the last day he’d seen him alive, and self-torture had worn him down.

One late night an irate customer demanded a drink at a bar where Kostya had just become the dishwasher. After tasting flavors that suddenly appeared he created a drink and, as the customer drank, his dead wife appeared. Through their reunion the grieving husband was able to let her go, she moved on to her final resting place, and Kostya gained a purpose for his life. Through his mysterious ability for aftertastes he could bring happiness to those in mourning. But first, he had to learn how to cook.

I was hooked from the very beginning. Kostya’s struggles, and the ways he was able to get back up again after falling in so many ways, were very moving. His heart was always in the right place, though things didn’t always turn out the way he had planned.

Recommended for Adults.

I really liked the concept of this novel and was really into the first half. However, the second half (or whenever Konstantin met up with Maura again) got much darker than I anticipated. Don't get me wrong, I like dark, but I guess I was expecting it to go one way and it went another (though you can see it leading up to the darker things, I just think from the synopsis I was expecting it to be a more of a journey focused on grief/loss/closure).

With that said though, this felt like an original and new concept, which I appreciated. I also want to go eat a bunch of food now.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such as amazing, unexpected novel! But be warned, all of the exquisite descriptions of food will make this hard to read while you're hungry! Kostya's story is super engaging and unique—I had trouble putting this book down, and I honestly wanted to spend more time with it once I finished.

Great story from beginning to end, touching on ghosts, food, memories, NYC living, restaurants, and regrets with solid character development with a light, humorous touch.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I think this is one of those books that I will be buying as soon as it's released.

this novel took me completely by surprise—in the best way possible!
fair warning: the mouthwatering food descriptions will have you raiding your fridge mid-chapter. Kostya’s story is so unique and addictive that I genuinely struggled to put it down. once I finished, I was this close to flipping back to page one for a second round.

The book serves up a perfect mix of ghosts, food, memories, NYC chaos, restaurants, and just the right amount of regret. It’s like a Michelin-starred meal for your soul, complete with a side of laugh-out-loud moments and top-tier character development. Trust me, this story will haunt you (in a good way) long after the final page.

THIS WILL BE THE BEST BOOK OF 2025.

Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle reveals the story of Konstantin who can taste the foods of ghosts, which he calls aftertastes. He discovers if he makes the food and the ghost’s loved one eats the food, the ghost appears for one last conversation. Konstantin opens a restaurant to cater to the ghosts and people who long to connect to their loved ones. While this sounds heartwarming, ghosts sometimes don’t move on into the afterlife.

I recommend this book for readers who enjoy science fiction/ fantasy with elements of a psychological thriller. Passion for food and hunger for closure are mixed in for a story unlike any other. Grief, loss, and love are added in for extra measure. This was a rather dark story but explores the concept of the afterlife in a completely new way.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

This book will be released May 20, 2025.

While I love the first half of this book, the second half fell a little flat for me. I'm not sure I ever understood Mara and Konstantin's relationship. Kind of ruined the vibe. Gorgeous writing though, and you can definitely tell the author knows their food.

What if you could have one last meal with someone you’ve loved, someone you’ve lost? Combining the magic of Under the Whispering Door with the high-stakes culinary world of Sweetbitter, Aftertaste is an epic love story, a dark comedy, and a synesthetic adventure through food and grief.

Konstantin “Kostya” Duhhovny lost his beloved father after their family immigrated to Brooklyn from Ukraine. He has been having contact with ghosts since he can’t see them but he can taste their favorite foods. HThis is his sign that a spirit is near when he can taste foods that he has never actually eaten in life. He has kept these aftertastes a secret for most of his life, but one night, he decides to recreate the taste and he brings a loved on back for a final goodbye.

Once he discovers that he can bring a deceased loved one back he feels he has found his calling.They can have one final talk at least for the length of time it takes for them to eat a meal he prepares for them. He hopes he will be able to bring his dad back.

All the descriptions of food will make your mouth water and crave food to eat while you read this.

If you have lost a loved one you can relate so easily to the desire to bring them back one more time to be able to say your final good bye and get closure.

This book captures you on page one and keeps you hooked until the end. This is a beautiful story of love, loss, friendship and how to move forward after loosing someone you love. It is very thought provoking, moving and emotional read. Add this to your TBR you will be so glad you did!

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC. I really like food so ready descriptions about food is something I enjoy. However, the plot and characters were not interesting.

Oh my goodness but this is now one of my favorite books of all time... Lavelle has crafted an absolute masterpiece. It is original, heartbreaking, and brilliant in its execution. The writing is spot-on perfect, in tone, tenor and pacing. The characters leap off the pages and into your heart and mind from the opening salvo. I loved the concept and the way that magical realism brought the book together but was not ever forced or "woo-woo" in its presentation. It is thought provoking and moving and also a fabulously entertaining story.

Don't be fooled by this short, gushing, and somewhat cryptic review - this book is intricate and clever and definitely best entered blind, because you won't want a minute of the magic spoiled. This was a stellar read and I literally cannot say enough good things... Sign me up for anything else Lavelle writes.

4.5🥺⭐️ highly descriptive food scenes that are just so unique & magical. I was hooked on page one…the writing oozes with wry dark humor that’s heartbreaking and super passionate. Set against a New York City ambiance, it follows Kostya as he learns to navigate his special gift and becomes a ghost calling chef, with really interesting mini-stories throughout and the people he meets and helps. I was really moved by this premise and how it all played out.
- Some of the subplots were The Bear level stressful, deeply depressing, and exhausting though & the emotional weight of the story made it slower to finish.

I have never read a book with a concept like this before and wow was it good! Although this book was darker than I had anticipated going into it, I enjoyed the connection built between the afterlife and finding closure.

Trigger Warning: be sure you have a well stocked kitchen or plenty of Instacart coupons before opening this book!

Even with a belly full of homemade deliciousness, I found myself salivating over every page. In the spirit of A Spoonful of Time and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this is a tale of ‘clairgustance’. But because this takes place in modern Manhattan, the cuisines, flavors and ingredients know no boundaries!

The food descriptions take it to a whole nother level.

“Thin-skinned dumplings bursting with lightly sugared sour cherries, their warm, dark juice flooding your mouth. Or the cheese kind—soft, sweet kernels of curd luxuriating in a pool of liquid butter. The meat ones, his dad’s take on pelmeni, beef and pork and black pepper and onion, boiled first and then pan-fried, brown and crispy, doused in a poultice of white vinegar and sinus-clearing Russian mustard and thick sour cream.”

There is a murder mystery of sorts as well as the requisite childhood trauma healing. The story also tackles death, mediums, religion, toxic kitchens and much more with no-nonsense dark comedy.

Aftertaste is one of those books with a really unique concept that makes you wonder if it would actually work. I mean, it's food and the afterlife. I'm here to say 1000% give this book a chance. It is such a meaningful book dealing with grief that will have you looking back at your own memories that are linked with food, particularly memories with those who are no longer here.

I have always had strong memories attached to food. My grandfather used to make fudge when I was a child and he would let me scrape the pot when he was done. Just the smell of that fudge takes me back to sitting with him and watching the magic unfold.

Aftertaste takes the concept of food as memories and brings it full circle. Konstantin Duhhovny lost his father at a young age. Throughout his life he has experienced “aftertastes” of meals he has never eaten. One night, he decides to take action on an aftertaste and he opens a world of possibilities. The meals bring spirits back for one final visit—for closure.

His ability to bring back these spirits for one final meal brings all of the things he never thought he would have—money, fame, accolades, love. But there is a darker side.

This book was fantastic. It’s a unique concept that not only took me into Konstantin’s world but took me back into my own memories. I found myself thinking of what I would say if I could make goulash one more time with my grandma, have grandpa’s fudge one more time. What would I say to them? What would they say to me? The concept of aftertastes was fascinating, enticing, and satisfying. It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel! I’m already hungry for more!

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Daria Lavelle, Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance digital copy for review.

This was a really interesting book! I liked the mix of the afterlife and seeing someone you had been missing for a long time, plus the culinary world. It was a weird mix but so so interesting. For some reason it was reminding me of The Menu even though they differed a lot. It had some good themes, and the writing style was so good!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Aftertaste is a stunning debut that blends magical realism with the high-stakes world of professional kitchens. Kostya, a chef who can taste the favorite foods of ghosts, uses his gift to bring grieving people a brief moment of closure with their lost loved ones—one dish at a time. Set against the vibrant New York culinary scene, this book beautifully explores grief, love, and connection, with rich, mouthwatering descriptions that will leave you hungry for more. It’s a ghost story, a love story, and a food lover’s dream all in one—and I absolutely devoured it! If you love the TV show 'The Bear', you’ll definitely want to check this one out. Can’t wait to read what the author does next!

Congratulations Daria for creating such a powerful and unforgettable story. Your debut novel is one that I’ll be recommending to everyone. And to Simon & Schuster, thank you so much for providing me with an ARC of this book. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to read and share this beautiful story ahead of its release.

I already know this will be one of my top books of 2025. AFTERTASTE by Daria Lavelle is a stunning book full of poignant moments, meditations on grief and love and death, and surprising humor. Food descriptions that will make you capital H Hungry. What an incredible debut!

I don't even know where to begin.

I finished Aftertaste a few days ago, and have found it impossible to pick up another book because the pages of this book have stuck with me long after I finished it. This novel so perfectly deals with grief, love and how food is defined and weaved into by both. Food for me has always taken me back home in the way's the main character, Kostya connects to food in the book. I was immediately hooked on this book when reading the description. Food + Ghosts + Love, sign me up.

Kostya is working a job that he wants more from when he finally gives into a his first aftertaste. I love that there was a mix of mystical and sci-fi, about the afterlife. I felt the ghost fix well into the story. I didn't forsee some of the twists and turns this book took which is refreshing and enjoyable as a reader. Kostya for me even had a character arc of growth as he was faced with new grief and new love. I thought this was so well written and I truly can't wait to read what's next by Daria.

I can't wait to buy a copy of this novel!

Review Copy

I loved this book. The author's writing was so descriptive that I could taste every bite of food, see every item through the characters eyes and hated when the book ended.

If you've lost a loved one and could and speak with them just one more time, would you do it? I would do/give pretty much anything to see/speak with my husband again.

This is without a doubt the best book of 2025. Grab a box of kleenex and buy this book.

Awesome, sometimes sad but creative ghost story. It will make you hungry, but also remember meals, ingredients, and flavors that make you think of loved ones.
Kostya can sense the dead's proximity by feeling an aftertaste. When he finally decides to cook what he is tasting, ghosts appear. Against all recommendations, he directives to share this gift with others, but he doesn't yet understand what it's at stake. Amazing read. The middle slows down a bit focused on their relationship, but then the end is emotional.