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!

The story seemed to take forever to get going. I liked the concept of the chef being able to bring back a ghost for someone with a favorite food or food memory. Those parts were really enjoyable and I loved all the food descriptions. Once that was established the storyline wavered a little and the ending was a bit strange, but overall I enjoyed the book.

As a chef and book lover, I devoured this book. I appreciated all the descriptions of the flavors and dishes. It even has inspired me to delve into more recipes and ingredients.
The progression of the story was the perfect amount of mystery and emotion to truly develop the characters. My only big critique is that the book is 5 pages too long, I don’t think that we needed the Frankie or the “souls chef”’s chapters at the end. It felt a little forced and cheesy at the end. I would have been happy with a little mystery and wonder.
I will absolutely recommend this book. And I think this would be a great book club pick with a dinner party serving dishes that were Aftertastes.

Super super interesting concept!! If you are a foodie, you will appreciate the food descriptions. Warning: this book might make you hungry lol. Also if you like ghosts, you’ll be into this! The writing quality / story telling was really good! I liked Kostya a lot.

But there was so much going on! I did feel a bit lost at times. There’s romance, culinary rivalry, mafia, horror, suspense…. And I just felt a little confused at times about what was happening with Maura. And I’m also not sure what even happened at the end? Please DM me if you can shed a little light on that.

👻 “Someone told me once that grief is like having leftovers, with no one to serve them to.”

👻 “When the Living don’t let go, the Dead go Hungry; we can’t move On.”

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

✨✨✨ Bon Appétit mon bien-aimé✨✨✨

I love the idea of Aftertaste. The idea of being able to taste ghosts favorite foods, sharing one last meal with someone you love, etc. There are a lot of memories people have with loved ones that are tied to food. That’s where the heart of this story lies, somewhere in the middle of grief and loss, love and a ghost story, is food and taste.

I really enjoyed the idea of this book, the delicious food writing, and the overall story. I think some of the plot I wanted to be a little bit different and for me it was a little slow in parts in the middle. I like that at its core though it’s a thought provoking book about loss and grieving and it is a unique concept. It wasn’t a perfect read for me, but it is distinctive, bittersweet, and delectable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released May 20, 2025.