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Aftertaste
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Debut Novel (2025)“A haunting evocation of pain and pleasure, and the power of food.”—Nigella Lawson
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.
A food story to binge.
A ghost story to devour.
A love story to savor.
Konstantin Duhovny is a haunted man. His father died when he was ten, and ghosts have been hovering around him ever since. Kostya can’t exactly see the ghosts, but he can taste their favorite foods. Flavors of meals he’s never eaten will flood his mouth, a sign that a spirit is present. Kostya has kept these aftertastes a secret for most of his life, but one night, he decides to act on what he’s tasting. And everything changes.
Kostya discovers that he can reunite people with their deceased loved ones—at least for the length of time it takes them to eat a dish that he’s prepared. He thinks his life’s purpose might be to offer closure to grieving strangers, and sets out to learn all he can by entering a particularly fiery ring of the New York culinary scene. But as his kitchen skills catch up with his ambitions, Kostya is too blind to see the catastrophe looming in the Afterlife. And the one person who knows Kostya must be stopped also happens to be falling in love with him.
Set in the bustling world of New York restaurants and teeming with mouthwatering food writing, Aftertaste is a whirlwind romance, a heart-wrenching look at love and loss, and a ghost story about all the ways we hunger—and how far we’d go to find satisfaction.
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.
A food story to binge.
A ghost story to devour.
A love story to savor.
Konstantin Duhovny is a haunted man. His father died when he was ten, and ghosts have been hovering around him ever since. Kostya can’t exactly see the ghosts, but he can taste their favorite foods. Flavors of meals he’s never eaten will flood his mouth, a sign that a spirit is present. Kostya has kept these aftertastes a secret for most of his life, but one night, he decides to act on what he’s tasting. And everything changes.
Kostya discovers that he can reunite people with their deceased loved ones—at least for the length of time it takes them to eat a dish that he’s prepared. He thinks his life’s purpose might be to offer closure to grieving strangers, and sets out to learn all he can by entering a particularly fiery ring of the New York culinary scene. But as his kitchen skills catch up with his ambitions, Kostya is too blind to see the catastrophe looming in the Afterlife. And the one person who knows Kostya must be stopped also happens to be falling in love with him.
Set in the bustling world of New York restaurants and teeming with mouthwatering food writing, Aftertaste is a whirlwind romance, a heart-wrenching look at love and loss, and a ghost story about all the ways we hunger—and how far we’d go to find satisfaction.
11 pages, Audible Audio
First published May 20, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,870 reviews
December 22, 2025
This masterpiece is unquestionably one of the best books of the year. Who am I kidding? It’s one of the best things I’ve ever read! It explores the soul’s hunger, the kind of love that consumes you like a craving for salt, the deep, piercing pain of grief that stabs both heart and soul, and the bittersweet taste of life, love, and unfinished business.
At its core, it begins as the story of a grieving boy—Konstantin Duhovny—who idolized his father, only to have their last exchange be filled with words he can never take back. Immigrating from Ukraine, struggling to adapt to life in the States, ten-year-old Konsta not only loses his father but also his mother, who becomes a shell of herself, bedridden and neglecting her son as if she is the only one grieving.
One day, as he sits alone by the pool, watching other children with their fathers, he suddenly tastes his father’s favorite liver dish on his tongue. Could this be his father’s way of reaching out? What if he recreates the dish—could it serve as a bridge, a way to communicate, to apologize? But when he shares this discovery with his mother, her reaction is devastating—she sends him to a mental ward. Realizing he must keep his ability a secret, Konsta embarks on a journey, working his way up from dishwashing in Michelin-starred restaurants to becoming a sous chef, all in pursuit of mastering his father’s dish. He has managed to connect with spirits through food before, but when he experiences a crushing personal loss and meets Maura—a purple-haired clairvoyant who warns him against tampering with the boundary between life and death—he is faced with an impossible choice. Should he continue cooking for those who seek closure, risking the delicate balance between the living and the dead?
The ending left me shattered. This novel is a unique fantasy gem, a lyrical, soul-stirring literary masterpiece that lingers long after the final page. It’s the kind of book that deserves to be shouted about from the rooftops! I, for one, will be doing just that—preferably while nursing my favorite whiskey cocktail. A stunning debut from Daria Lavelle, and I cannot wait to devour whatever she writes next!
A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a digital review copy of this marvelous book in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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At its core, it begins as the story of a grieving boy—Konstantin Duhovny—who idolized his father, only to have their last exchange be filled with words he can never take back. Immigrating from Ukraine, struggling to adapt to life in the States, ten-year-old Konsta not only loses his father but also his mother, who becomes a shell of herself, bedridden and neglecting her son as if she is the only one grieving.
One day, as he sits alone by the pool, watching other children with their fathers, he suddenly tastes his father’s favorite liver dish on his tongue. Could this be his father’s way of reaching out? What if he recreates the dish—could it serve as a bridge, a way to communicate, to apologize? But when he shares this discovery with his mother, her reaction is devastating—she sends him to a mental ward. Realizing he must keep his ability a secret, Konsta embarks on a journey, working his way up from dishwashing in Michelin-starred restaurants to becoming a sous chef, all in pursuit of mastering his father’s dish. He has managed to connect with spirits through food before, but when he experiences a crushing personal loss and meets Maura—a purple-haired clairvoyant who warns him against tampering with the boundary between life and death—he is faced with an impossible choice. Should he continue cooking for those who seek closure, risking the delicate balance between the living and the dead?
The ending left me shattered. This novel is a unique fantasy gem, a lyrical, soul-stirring literary masterpiece that lingers long after the final page. It’s the kind of book that deserves to be shouted about from the rooftops! I, for one, will be doing just that—preferably while nursing my favorite whiskey cocktail. A stunning debut from Daria Lavelle, and I cannot wait to devour whatever she writes next!
A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a digital review copy of this marvelous book in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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May 18, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Honestly, I thought I’d be hungrier… or scared. I kind of just feel tired…
Dipping its feet into the waters of horror, romance and culinary drama, this book falters from not being willing to go deeper into any of them. It wades into the shallows and wiggles its toes, but never takes the plunge. And that dryness just makes me feel chapped.
I wanted to see more of Kostya and Maura. Or I wanted to better understand the ghost world in all its ghastly machinations. But because the book was trying so hard to straddle both genres, I felt like I didn’t get either. But I did get mobsters for some reason, so I guess we can throw that into the genre stew and stir.
I kind of want a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup…
Honestly, I thought I’d be hungrier… or scared. I kind of just feel tired…
Dipping its feet into the waters of horror, romance and culinary drama, this book falters from not being willing to go deeper into any of them. It wades into the shallows and wiggles its toes, but never takes the plunge. And that dryness just makes me feel chapped.
I wanted to see more of Kostya and Maura. Or I wanted to better understand the ghost world in all its ghastly machinations. But because the book was trying so hard to straddle both genres, I felt like I didn’t get either. But I did get mobsters for some reason, so I guess we can throw that into the genre stew and stir.
I kind of want a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup…
April 15, 2025
Aftertaste is a speculative fiction work that's centered around the culinary world and the supernatural realm. The book is so many things in one, it's a love story, a story about grief, and the danger that can accompany the spiritual world. Aftertaste explores our relationship to food and how certain foods evoke a memory.
The book was very will written with a vivid New York City setting and characters with depth. I just adored the main character Konstantin and found Aftertaste hard to put down. Daria Lavelle has crafted a beautiful debut novel and I see readers of all genres loving Aftertaste when it is released.
I alternated between reading the book myself and listening to the audiobook. The audiobook is read by full cast including Ari Fliakos, Tessa Albertson, André Santana, and Kristen Sieh who all did a fantastic job bringing this story to life.
Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle will be available on May 20. Many thanks to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook and Simon Books for the gifted copy!
The book was very will written with a vivid New York City setting and characters with depth. I just adored the main character Konstantin and found Aftertaste hard to put down. Daria Lavelle has crafted a beautiful debut novel and I see readers of all genres loving Aftertaste when it is released.
I alternated between reading the book myself and listening to the audiobook. The audiobook is read by full cast including Ari Fliakos, Tessa Albertson, André Santana, and Kristen Sieh who all did a fantastic job bringing this story to life.
Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle will be available on May 20. Many thanks to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook and Simon Books for the gifted copy!
November 26, 2025
☆☆☆☆
Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle is an incredibly strong debut, and the opening half of the book really impressed me. The first section felt like a solid 5-star read, creative, engaging, and built on a story concept that truly stands out. Lavelle’s early character work and worldbuilding are especially well done.
Around the midpoint, the story shifted in a way that didn’t work quite as well for me. While I still enjoyed the book overall, the latter half didn’t carry the same energy as the beginning, which is ultimately why I landed on 4 stars instead of 5.
One small downside for me was the frequent use of the word aftertaste. I understand it’s central to the theme and title, but its repetition started to feel a bit excessive.
Still, this is a debut well worth reading. It’s unique, thoughtfully written, and full of potential. I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing what Daria Lavelle writes next.
Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle is an incredibly strong debut, and the opening half of the book really impressed me. The first section felt like a solid 5-star read, creative, engaging, and built on a story concept that truly stands out. Lavelle’s early character work and worldbuilding are especially well done.
Around the midpoint, the story shifted in a way that didn’t work quite as well for me. While I still enjoyed the book overall, the latter half didn’t carry the same energy as the beginning, which is ultimately why I landed on 4 stars instead of 5.
One small downside for me was the frequent use of the word aftertaste. I understand it’s central to the theme and title, but its repetition started to feel a bit excessive.
Still, this is a debut well worth reading. It’s unique, thoughtfully written, and full of potential. I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing what Daria Lavelle writes next.
March 26, 2025
2.5 stars.
I want to be clear about this: I love food and I love ghosts. Normally, a book like this would have worked beautifully for me. And it did have a really cool concept. I love the idea of a chef being able to taste a spirit's most meaningful meal. There were lovely passages throughout the book, and I do think that Lavelle can write nice prose.
Here were my issues:
1. I didn’t like the main character, Konstantine. He was stubborn and surprisingly judgmental of everyone he met. The overall narrative tone confirmed this, as the mere descriptions of strangers often included insulting adjectives and felt negative for seemingly no reason. He was always cranky. I found him difficult to root for, even knowing many useful things about his difficult past. Something about his attitude and behavior just didn’t sit right with me, and I was mostly just annoyed. When confronted with drama involving the other characters, his choices and behavior in those instances only made me dislike him more. (While we're on the topic, I didn't really care for Frankie, either.)
2. The romance was way too sappy for me. Kostya's obsession with Maura came across as creepy and overbearing. She was so beautiful and perfect and flawless that when she finally did show a weakness it was too much for him. I wasn't feeling the magical couple thing. And some of their dialogue was honestly too corny for me. I almost put the book down permanently but I wanted to find out what was going to happen, so I pressed on. This book should have been emphasized more as a Romance in the description so that I knew what I was getting into.
3. The rules of how everything worked with the ghosts and the cooking became a bit too complicated. Things started out pretty straight forward, but then the rules changed and evolved and there was so much more to it that I got confused. I think that Lavelle was building up this world, but I had trouble following at a certain point. (May have just been me.)
There were aspects of this that I enjoyed. I liked the concept of sharing a brief meal with the ghost of someone special to you who has passed away, and how the act of dining as an intimate and meaningful experience plays an important role. It seems as though the idea of “temporary reunion with a spirit” is becoming a common theme in new fiction, because I’ve seen several books on my feed with this concept recently. This story had moments that were profoundly sad and dark, but the tone shifted too far into the realm of cheesy romance for me and kept me from feeling invested.
Minor nitpick, but there was also a scene in a tattoo parlor that was filled with inaccuracies. (Example: It's absolutely possible that I misread/misunderstood some things, but it sounded like the character was getting a full sleeve done in one appointment. That would take literal days. I also think that if you're going to have a bad reaction to the ink it'll happen before a full sleeve has been completed. But I've never had an experience like that when I've been tattooed, so maybe I'm wrong.)
"Aftertaste" WILL make you hungry! That’s the thing: Lavelle clearly knows a lot about the culinary arts, and honestly I could read her vivid descriptions of food all day long. These were the standout passages for me. If she were to release a work of nonfiction in which she talked about the world of cooking or even just critiqued restaurants, I would absolutely check it out.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Disordered eating, Suicidal ideation/Self-harm, Depression, Substance abuse/Overdose
I want to be clear about this: I love food and I love ghosts. Normally, a book like this would have worked beautifully for me. And it did have a really cool concept. I love the idea of a chef being able to taste a spirit's most meaningful meal. There were lovely passages throughout the book, and I do think that Lavelle can write nice prose.
Here were my issues:
1. I didn’t like the main character, Konstantine. He was stubborn and surprisingly judgmental of everyone he met. The overall narrative tone confirmed this, as the mere descriptions of strangers often included insulting adjectives and felt negative for seemingly no reason. He was always cranky. I found him difficult to root for, even knowing many useful things about his difficult past. Something about his attitude and behavior just didn’t sit right with me, and I was mostly just annoyed. When confronted with drama involving the other characters, his choices and behavior in those instances only made me dislike him more. (While we're on the topic, I didn't really care for Frankie, either.)
2. The romance was way too sappy for me. Kostya's obsession with Maura came across as creepy and overbearing. She was so beautiful and perfect and flawless that when she finally did show a weakness it was too much for him. I wasn't feeling the magical couple thing. And some of their dialogue was honestly too corny for me. I almost put the book down permanently but I wanted to find out what was going to happen, so I pressed on. This book should have been emphasized more as a Romance in the description so that I knew what I was getting into.
3. The rules of how everything worked with the ghosts and the cooking became a bit too complicated. Things started out pretty straight forward, but then the rules changed and evolved and there was so much more to it that I got confused. I think that Lavelle was building up this world, but I had trouble following at a certain point. (May have just been me.)
There were aspects of this that I enjoyed. I liked the concept of sharing a brief meal with the ghost of someone special to you who has passed away, and how the act of dining as an intimate and meaningful experience plays an important role. It seems as though the idea of “temporary reunion with a spirit” is becoming a common theme in new fiction, because I’ve seen several books on my feed with this concept recently. This story had moments that were profoundly sad and dark, but the tone shifted too far into the realm of cheesy romance for me and kept me from feeling invested.
Minor nitpick, but there was also a scene in a tattoo parlor that was filled with inaccuracies. (Example: It's absolutely possible that I misread/misunderstood some things, but it sounded like the character was getting a full sleeve done in one appointment. That would take literal days. I also think that if you're going to have a bad reaction to the ink it'll happen before a full sleeve has been completed. But I've never had an experience like that when I've been tattooed, so maybe I'm wrong.)
"Aftertaste" WILL make you hungry! That’s the thing: Lavelle clearly knows a lot about the culinary arts, and honestly I could read her vivid descriptions of food all day long. These were the standout passages for me. If she were to release a work of nonfiction in which she talked about the world of cooking or even just critiqued restaurants, I would absolutely check it out.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Disordered eating, Suicidal ideation/Self-harm, Depression, Substance abuse/Overdose
August 2, 2025
3.5 stars Hm. This was a solid 4 for me for most of the book, but it started to get very…commercial? With choices that felt aimed towards a filmed adaptation?
The food porn is pretty great, from humble home-cooked meals to mentions of the infamous French ortolan dish, and there are some early food memories that are also poignant people memories. The big Grand Plot is where the story loses its focus—it’s interesting at first as Kostya explores his gift of tasting food beloved by the dead, but when things start to go awry and there is a (not entirely unpredictable) betrayal, it just doesn’t feel very organic. And the inevitable movie cliches that follow with the rushed action-y climax set during a big opening night with Russian mobsters, a meddling mom, a dramatic physical event that ends in a sacrifice…it all felt like another version of something we’ve seen again and again.
I also didn’t expect that the romance, which felt bright and full of promise at first, would eventually take center stage as well as become so much less uninteresting as the plot got more convoluted. This didn’t turn out to be the work of thoughtful speculative fiction I expected, and I wondered if it would have worked for me better if it had been presented as a Time Traveller’s Wife type romance? But I didn’t really love the way the relationship developed, either. It felt a little shoe-horned.
I think this’ll end up being a better Apple TV-type movie than it is a book. I like the food stuff, but the character work, themes, and emotional depth are much less complex and meaningful than I’d hoped for. A little gimmicky with some of the ancillary POVs and scenes as well.
Audio Notes: Primary male narrator does well, as do the female voices. I don’t love the musical cues or the showy performance of the tour hawker, but in all fairness, it’s also the way the text is presented.
The food porn is pretty great, from humble home-cooked meals to mentions of the infamous French ortolan dish, and there are some early food memories that are also poignant people memories. The big Grand Plot is where the story loses its focus—it’s interesting at first as Kostya explores his gift of tasting food beloved by the dead, but when things start to go awry and there is a (not entirely unpredictable) betrayal, it just doesn’t feel very organic. And the inevitable movie cliches that follow with the rushed action-y climax set during a big opening night with Russian mobsters, a meddling mom, a dramatic physical event that ends in a sacrifice…it all felt like another version of something we’ve seen again and again.
I also didn’t expect that the romance, which felt bright and full of promise at first, would eventually take center stage as well as become so much less uninteresting as the plot got more convoluted. This didn’t turn out to be the work of thoughtful speculative fiction I expected, and I wondered if it would have worked for me better if it had been presented as a Time Traveller’s Wife type romance? But I didn’t really love the way the relationship developed, either. It felt a little shoe-horned.
I think this’ll end up being a better Apple TV-type movie than it is a book. I like the food stuff, but the character work, themes, and emotional depth are much less complex and meaningful than I’d hoped for. A little gimmicky with some of the ancillary POVs and scenes as well.
Audio Notes: Primary male narrator does well, as do the female voices. I don’t love the musical cues or the showy performance of the tour hawker, but in all fairness, it’s also the way the text is presented.
July 1, 2025
I really like food-centered books, even more so if they are a bit magical, and this turned out to be a great mix of culinary success tale and hungry ghost story. It's about Konstantin Duhovny who suddenly developed the ability to taste food without actually eating it. Over time he finds out that it's not just a random occurrence but a message from the dead who want to stay in touch with their living loved ones. Actually making the food Konstantin's tasting brings them back as ghosts and opens the opportunity to reunite people separated by death. He first has to learn how to cook, though. The book follows Konstantin from a young age as he discovers his gift and starts a journey through the New York culinary scene, working in different restaurants, learning everything he can and eventually becoming a chef himself. I really liked that part of the story and all the food descriptions were top tier and made me hungry. The beginning was a bit rough for me with its sped-up storytelling and all the time jumps, but the book eventually found its pace. Konstantin wants to offer his services to the public, but his gift doesn't make for that much of a reliable business model and he is also very much messing with the spirit realm. Luckily, he is not alone on his journey and great side characters accompany him. I really liked both Frankie and Maura. I didn't care for the romance at first, because it started as instalove, but it developed in an intriguing way as Maura was explored more as a character. By the end I liked her more than Konstantin himself, because he mostly stayed a strangely distant character to me. The ending to his story really got me, though, and made me surprisingly emotional. It took some time, but Aftertaste really convinced me as a story, and I overall have to call it a fantastic debut.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
May 22, 2025
◦ Aftertaste ◦ by Daria Lavelle ◦
★★★★★
◦: plot :◦
Kostya can summon spirits through food and opens a restaurant serving closure. But as his dishes disrupt the Afterlife, he must face his past—and a psychic who may be his undoing.
◦: my thoughts :◦
A masterpiece. I don’t use that word lightly, but this book truly earned it. I’m not the same person I was before reading this. This book completely consumed me for a couple of days.
What makes it even more special is that it’s a story I know my partner would love too. It’s moving, groundbreaking, and offered a reading experience so unique, I doubt anything will ever replicate it. The pacing and flow of this book was well done too.
The plot twist halfway through left me reeling and reshaped everything I thought I knew about Kostya’s journey.
The subtle romance was beautifully done- honest, believable, and deeply human.
A huge congratulations to Daria Lavelle. You’ve created something extraordinary, and I can’t wait to see what you do next.
◦: reminds me of :◦
✧ The Bear
✧ Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Grams
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the opportunity to read this early and share my honest thoughts.
Pour a hot drink, it’s time to talk about books.
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★★★★★
◦: plot :◦
Kostya can summon spirits through food and opens a restaurant serving closure. But as his dishes disrupt the Afterlife, he must face his past—and a psychic who may be his undoing.
◦: my thoughts :◦
A masterpiece. I don’t use that word lightly, but this book truly earned it. I’m not the same person I was before reading this. This book completely consumed me for a couple of days.
What makes it even more special is that it’s a story I know my partner would love too. It’s moving, groundbreaking, and offered a reading experience so unique, I doubt anything will ever replicate it. The pacing and flow of this book was well done too.
The plot twist halfway through left me reeling and reshaped everything I thought I knew about Kostya’s journey.
The subtle romance was beautifully done- honest, believable, and deeply human.
A huge congratulations to Daria Lavelle. You’ve created something extraordinary, and I can’t wait to see what you do next.
◦: reminds me of :◦
✧ The Bear
✧ Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Grams
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the opportunity to read this early and share my honest thoughts.
Pour a hot drink, it’s time to talk about books.
TikTok
May 4, 2025
This is an entertaining, well written novel, which has a unique premise and elements of fantasy and romance. It is fast paced with endearing, quirky, characters, humor, grief, the power of food as it pertains to memory, and hope. I especially liked the memorable declaration of love, and the distinctive section headings. Many thanks to Ms. Lavelle, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley, from whom I received an advanced reader copy of this fantastic novel. This is my honest opinion.
December 17, 2024
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.
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.
July 5, 2025
Konstantin Duhovny is being used as a conduit for the dead, tasting the flavors of their favorite meals. He discovers that by recreating these meals he can unite the spirits with a grieving loved one. For the duration of the meal, the ghost reappears, allowing the two to bury any lingering issues. Konstantin dedicates his life to this mission, driven by a personal quest for reconciliation.
When he was ten years old, Konstantin had a heated argument with his father. “Mama’s right! We should have stayed in Kiev!... You’d cook! You’d own a restaurant instead of driving a stupid bus!... And I wouldn’t be so ashamed!... Go to the Devil!” His father died that day and Konstantin remained burdened by guilt. His desire to conjure the dead is, in part, fueled by his desire to reconcile with his father.
Early on, after Konstaantin’s first successful conjuring, his close friend, Frankie, persuaded him to get a tarot reading from the beautiful Madame Everleigh. When he confided in her and asked about his “gift,” she warned him he was treading on dangerous ground. “You’re dealing with hungry spirits and capital-D Death and the Hereafter… Let me be as idiot-proof as I possibly can here. Don’t ever make that food again.”
The book is heavily foodie-oriented, with deep dives into flavor profiles. In order to be able to successfully replicate the flavors he is tasting, Konstantin immerses himself in restaurant work. Here he will be able to hone his skills and have access to a vast array of ingredients. Eventually he opens his own humble establishment, part of what one spirit promotes as The Konstantin Duhovny Culinary Experience.
There is romance. Madame Everleigh, whose real name is Maura, tracks Konstantin down and changes her tune about helping him with his mission. She, also, is looking to find closure with someone she’s lost. They inevitably fall in love. Maybe the line of the book follows their profession of love for one another, the profound: “I love you like salt.” Foodies, IYKYK.
There are plenty of unforeseen twists and turns on the menu. In addition to creative and moving ghost encounters, there are gangsters, otherworldly food courts, and even a pure embodiment of evil– a food critic. The narrative poses two compelling questions: Will Konstantin find resolution with his father, and will there be a price to be paid for disturbing the balance between the living and the dead?
Daria Lavelle has prepared a delicious and inventive serving in “Aftertaste.”
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and to NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #Aftertaste
When he was ten years old, Konstantin had a heated argument with his father. “Mama’s right! We should have stayed in Kiev!... You’d cook! You’d own a restaurant instead of driving a stupid bus!... And I wouldn’t be so ashamed!... Go to the Devil!” His father died that day and Konstantin remained burdened by guilt. His desire to conjure the dead is, in part, fueled by his desire to reconcile with his father.
Early on, after Konstaantin’s first successful conjuring, his close friend, Frankie, persuaded him to get a tarot reading from the beautiful Madame Everleigh. When he confided in her and asked about his “gift,” she warned him he was treading on dangerous ground. “You’re dealing with hungry spirits and capital-D Death and the Hereafter… Let me be as idiot-proof as I possibly can here. Don’t ever make that food again.”
The book is heavily foodie-oriented, with deep dives into flavor profiles. In order to be able to successfully replicate the flavors he is tasting, Konstantin immerses himself in restaurant work. Here he will be able to hone his skills and have access to a vast array of ingredients. Eventually he opens his own humble establishment, part of what one spirit promotes as The Konstantin Duhovny Culinary Experience.
There is romance. Madame Everleigh, whose real name is Maura, tracks Konstantin down and changes her tune about helping him with his mission. She, also, is looking to find closure with someone she’s lost. They inevitably fall in love. Maybe the line of the book follows their profession of love for one another, the profound: “I love you like salt.” Foodies, IYKYK.
There are plenty of unforeseen twists and turns on the menu. In addition to creative and moving ghost encounters, there are gangsters, otherworldly food courts, and even a pure embodiment of evil– a food critic. The narrative poses two compelling questions: Will Konstantin find resolution with his father, and will there be a price to be paid for disturbing the balance between the living and the dead?
Daria Lavelle has prepared a delicious and inventive serving in “Aftertaste.”
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and to NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #Aftertaste
December 11, 2025
I enjoy this book very much,it has many lessons and it’s a great read,the characters are real and the story is unique,it has so much to offer and I definitely recommend it.Don’t want to give to much away but it’s a story about love between a father and son and what he would give to bring him back after losing him at a young age,the story is wonderful and highly recommended.
June 9, 2025
If you’ve ever tasted something and instantly remembered a person, a place, a moment—Aftertaste is your kind of weird.
Daria Lavelle’s debut is one of those books that defies easy labels. It’s a ghost story, sure, but also a love story, a meditation on grief, and a deep dive into the chaotic poetry of restaurant kitchens. Oh, and it has killer food writing—no pun intended.
Konstantin “Kostya” Duhovny isn’t your average haunted soul. He doesn’t see ghosts. He tastes them. He’s plagued by sudden mouthfuls of meals he’s never eaten, the favorite foods of spirits lingering nearby. It’s bizarre, deeply original, and—somehow—it works. After a lifetime of silence, Kostya decides to act on the flavors that haunt him. He starts cooking. And from there, things spiral: grief therapy via five-course meals, spectral reunions over duck à l’orange, and a whole lot of emotional unraveling.
Lavelle is fearless with tone, shifting from tender to terrifying to laugh-out-loud funny, often within a single scene. One moment you’re swooning over a love interest with psychic baggage, the next you’re panicking about what happens when the afterlife gets hangry.
What’s wild is how much works. The characters are layered and strange and often kind of awful—in that compelling, “I don’t want to hang out with you, but I will absolutely read 400 pages about your existential spiral” way. Kostya in particular is a mess: charming, judgy, impulsive, and just self-aware enough to know he's in over his head. His friendship with Frankie, is one of the book’s most compelling threads, adding levity and pathos in equal measure.
And the food. Lavelle writes with a sensuality that borders on criminal. Even if you’ve never been near a Michelin star kitchen, you’ll feel the sizzle, the steam, the weight of memory in a sauce reduction. It’s less about appetite and more about soul hunger—a craving for connection, forgiveness, closure.
Bottom line? Aftertaste is completely unhinged in the best possible way. It’s about food and ghosts and love and grief and the terrifying idea that the only thing harder than letting go… is not knowing when to. Definitely one of my top reads this year.
Daria Lavelle’s debut is one of those books that defies easy labels. It’s a ghost story, sure, but also a love story, a meditation on grief, and a deep dive into the chaotic poetry of restaurant kitchens. Oh, and it has killer food writing—no pun intended.
Konstantin “Kostya” Duhovny isn’t your average haunted soul. He doesn’t see ghosts. He tastes them. He’s plagued by sudden mouthfuls of meals he’s never eaten, the favorite foods of spirits lingering nearby. It’s bizarre, deeply original, and—somehow—it works. After a lifetime of silence, Kostya decides to act on the flavors that haunt him. He starts cooking. And from there, things spiral: grief therapy via five-course meals, spectral reunions over duck à l’orange, and a whole lot of emotional unraveling.
Lavelle is fearless with tone, shifting from tender to terrifying to laugh-out-loud funny, often within a single scene. One moment you’re swooning over a love interest with psychic baggage, the next you’re panicking about what happens when the afterlife gets hangry.
What’s wild is how much works. The characters are layered and strange and often kind of awful—in that compelling, “I don’t want to hang out with you, but I will absolutely read 400 pages about your existential spiral” way. Kostya in particular is a mess: charming, judgy, impulsive, and just self-aware enough to know he's in over his head. His friendship with Frankie, is one of the book’s most compelling threads, adding levity and pathos in equal measure.
And the food. Lavelle writes with a sensuality that borders on criminal. Even if you’ve never been near a Michelin star kitchen, you’ll feel the sizzle, the steam, the weight of memory in a sauce reduction. It’s less about appetite and more about soul hunger—a craving for connection, forgiveness, closure.
Bottom line? Aftertaste is completely unhinged in the best possible way. It’s about food and ghosts and love and grief and the terrifying idea that the only thing harder than letting go… is not knowing when to. Definitely one of my top reads this year.
November 14, 2024
I devoured this book! Pun intended. It’s quickly becoming one of my favorite reads of the year. The way it explores the connection between grief and food is both moving and relatable, capturing how a simple bite can bring back powerful memories. The food descriptions were so vivid and enticing, I found myself salivating with every page. If you’re looking for a story that tugs at your heartstrings, this one’s a must-add to your TBR!
March 30, 2025
4.5 stars
"The Living, after all, ate mostly to remember. They marked their lives in food. In birthday cakes, and champagne toasts...To eat was to celebrate. Food was living, after all; food was love. It was how the Living coped. How they kept going. Shorthand for their entire lives."
A highly addictive and bingeable read that I couldn't put down. With hungry ghosts, top tier chefs, New York, the Afterlife, grief, love, life and death; Aftertaste took me completely by surprise. I found it such an emotive read, whilst it featured larger than life characters and a humour that gave it a good balance and prevented it from being too heavy.
Aftertaste really explores our relationship to food and how it connects us to other people, especially our loved ones, to our memories, and how we mark significant events in our lives with it. It has a different take on hungry ghosts and the Afterlife, which really made me think about letting go of the people we love. Intriguing interludes break up the main narrative and add to the mystery.
I highly recommend you read Aftertaste and that you definitely have snacks on hand when you do! Lavelle's sensory writing about food and cooking is going to make you hungry.
"The Living, after all, ate mostly to remember. They marked their lives in food. In birthday cakes, and champagne toasts...To eat was to celebrate. Food was living, after all; food was love. It was how the Living coped. How they kept going. Shorthand for their entire lives."
A highly addictive and bingeable read that I couldn't put down. With hungry ghosts, top tier chefs, New York, the Afterlife, grief, love, life and death; Aftertaste took me completely by surprise. I found it such an emotive read, whilst it featured larger than life characters and a humour that gave it a good balance and prevented it from being too heavy.
Aftertaste really explores our relationship to food and how it connects us to other people, especially our loved ones, to our memories, and how we mark significant events in our lives with it. It has a different take on hungry ghosts and the Afterlife, which really made me think about letting go of the people we love. Intriguing interludes break up the main narrative and add to the mystery.
I highly recommend you read Aftertaste and that you definitely have snacks on hand when you do! Lavelle's sensory writing about food and cooking is going to make you hungry.
July 27, 2025
3.5 Stars- Having one last meal with someone you love sounds incredible but is it? Konstantin tastes foods that ghosts give him. If he makes that meal he can bring that ghost back and the person can talk and see the ghost. This sounds incredible but unfortunately everything has a cost.
Konstantin has a tragic back story and has a difficult life. I felt bad for him and wanted him to do well but he was at times a frustrating character. This book had an interesting concept but I will admit that I was disappointed with how things worked out. This was only ok for me and I did have to push myself at times to keep reading. I was going to make this three stars but it was such a unique book that I had to round it up a little.
Konstantin has a tragic back story and has a difficult life. I felt bad for him and wanted him to do well but he was at times a frustrating character. This book had an interesting concept but I will admit that I was disappointed with how things worked out. This was only ok for me and I did have to push myself at times to keep reading. I was going to make this three stars but it was such a unique book that I had to round it up a little.
June 24, 2025
Holy GHOSTS! This was fantastic. Unsure what is happening but I have read two of my favorite books of the year in the past couple of weeks and Aftertaste is one of them!
Kostya loses his father as a child and later when drowning in grief, he experiences an aftertaste. The flavors of his father's favorite meal appear on his tongue. As he gets older he realizes he can taste other people's loved ones too. This ability turns into a restaurant where Kostya can connect the living with the dead for one more meal, one more conversation. Maura warns him not to mess with the afterlife, that there will be consequences but he carries on and eventually pays the ultimate price.
Daria Lavelle is a remarkable talent. The way she described each bite of food was done with immense detail. The flavors, the smells, the textures. I felt like I was a part of a culinary experience. There was so much heart and soul. Food is a necessity of life but she used it as a point of connection, blending ingredients with emotion and creating a menu full of love and loss. Sharing a meal is a new memory, a token of love. One you can continue to give to others in story and in food, allowing the ones no longer with us to live on for a bit longer. I was not ready for the ending, it was devastating in the most beautiful of ways. This book and these characters will never leave me.
Aftertaste is a delicacy to be savored, long after the last bite. Creative, powerful and healing.
"You bring out the best of everything- the sweet, the sour, the bitter. You're the reason to savor things. You're the first seasoning, and the last. You're the sea. You're the stars. Life is built on salt, and I want to build mine with you."
Kostya loses his father as a child and later when drowning in grief, he experiences an aftertaste. The flavors of his father's favorite meal appear on his tongue. As he gets older he realizes he can taste other people's loved ones too. This ability turns into a restaurant where Kostya can connect the living with the dead for one more meal, one more conversation. Maura warns him not to mess with the afterlife, that there will be consequences but he carries on and eventually pays the ultimate price.
Daria Lavelle is a remarkable talent. The way she described each bite of food was done with immense detail. The flavors, the smells, the textures. I felt like I was a part of a culinary experience. There was so much heart and soul. Food is a necessity of life but she used it as a point of connection, blending ingredients with emotion and creating a menu full of love and loss. Sharing a meal is a new memory, a token of love. One you can continue to give to others in story and in food, allowing the ones no longer with us to live on for a bit longer. I was not ready for the ending, it was devastating in the most beautiful of ways. This book and these characters will never leave me.
Aftertaste is a delicacy to be savored, long after the last bite. Creative, powerful and healing.
"You bring out the best of everything- the sweet, the sour, the bitter. You're the reason to savor things. You're the first seasoning, and the last. You're the sea. You're the stars. Life is built on salt, and I want to build mine with you."
July 24, 2025
⭐️ 4 ⭐️ What would you do to see someone you loved again? To have a last conversation? Perhaps ask their advice or just to hear their voice? What would you give for one last meal together?
It’s true what they say about death and aftertastes— that we can remember people based on certain smells or tastes because they linger on like souls & always remind us of what was before or who it belonged to. What if you found a place that serves dishes that can unlock your pathways back to the ones you lost? Would you have a last meal to help them finally let you go? An aftertaste, a magic meal?
Aftertaste is an edible nirvana. With well layered characters, so much depth and a brilliantly executed concept of connecting with a ghost of the lost soul, this was a hit in my opinion. It had heart, it was original, it was heartfelt. It touched on deep topics—death, suicide and complexities of grief, loss and suffering. It explored how hollow and drowning depression is & how it affects you and those around you.
I loved how Daria Lavelle incorporated food into her writing. It made me HUNGRY! You can feel the research behind the culinary scenes. She completely turned this into a sensory experience. Loved how she incorporated the paranormal elements/ghosts into nostalgia. Beyond creative.
Side note: this is a debut novel from a woman who immigrated from Kiev, Ukraine.
It’s true what they say about death and aftertastes— that we can remember people based on certain smells or tastes because they linger on like souls & always remind us of what was before or who it belonged to. What if you found a place that serves dishes that can unlock your pathways back to the ones you lost? Would you have a last meal to help them finally let you go? An aftertaste, a magic meal?
Aftertaste is an edible nirvana. With well layered characters, so much depth and a brilliantly executed concept of connecting with a ghost of the lost soul, this was a hit in my opinion. It had heart, it was original, it was heartfelt. It touched on deep topics—death, suicide and complexities of grief, loss and suffering. It explored how hollow and drowning depression is & how it affects you and those around you.
I loved how Daria Lavelle incorporated food into her writing. It made me HUNGRY! You can feel the research behind the culinary scenes. She completely turned this into a sensory experience. Loved how she incorporated the paranormal elements/ghosts into nostalgia. Beyond creative.
Side note: this is a debut novel from a woman who immigrated from Kiev, Ukraine.
February 16, 2025
Aftertaste is a brilliant, heartwarming concept. A man can taste, in his mouth, the best meals a ghost ate while alive. It allows them to share a meal that he prepared with a loved one. He lost his dear father and discovered his superpower after tasting a meal his father had as a boy in Kyiv Ukraine. It takes you down the path of several departed people and their unfinished business.
Read if you like
-stories about Ukrainian immigrants
-culinary business, running a restaurant and chef language, like The Bear
-Before the Coffee Gets Cold
The writing style seemed pretty "stream of consciousness" and the character development was almost poetry-like. I did find much of it a bit hard to follow, I don't know much about chef lingo although I liked the main character and how he chose to use his gift. My favorite was about a nun who had recently lost a fellow-nun and will give bonus points for reference to Ghostbusters "There is no Dana only Zuul."
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC. Book to be published May 20, 2025.
Read if you like
-stories about Ukrainian immigrants
-culinary business, running a restaurant and chef language, like The Bear
-Before the Coffee Gets Cold
The writing style seemed pretty "stream of consciousness" and the character development was almost poetry-like. I did find much of it a bit hard to follow, I don't know much about chef lingo although I liked the main character and how he chose to use his gift. My favorite was about a nun who had recently lost a fellow-nun and will give bonus points for reference to Ghostbusters "There is no Dana only Zuul."
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC. Book to be published May 20, 2025.
December 7, 2025
4.25 stars "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."
What a brilliant debut! This exploration of love, loss and grief was absolutely delicious and left me hungry for more. Konstantin is a chef who has the ability to communicate with the dead through food. He lost his father at a young age.
"Grief is like having leftovers with no one to give them to." - Konstantin
This book has it all: the longing humans have to reunite with loved ones who have passed on, a love story, a ghost story, and food to savor. This book will satisfy all your senses and I highly recommend it.
What a brilliant debut! This exploration of love, loss and grief was absolutely delicious and left me hungry for more. Konstantin is a chef who has the ability to communicate with the dead through food. He lost his father at a young age.
"Grief is like having leftovers with no one to give them to." - Konstantin
This book has it all: the longing humans have to reunite with loved ones who have passed on, a love story, a ghost story, and food to savor. This book will satisfy all your senses and I highly recommend it.
November 29, 2025
3.5⭐️ I felt so confused during a good bit of this book.
August 1, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ | At first I wasn’t going to read this because I’m not really a foodie. However, the more I kept eyeing this book and seeing how much people were enjoying it, my FOMO took over and I had to pick it up and dive in.
Boy am I so glad I did!!
Boy am I so glad I did!!
Read
September 13, 2025Listened. Tessa Albertson, André Santana and Kristen Sieh were all serviceable, but HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, I think I've just discovered my new favorite male narrator. Ari Fliakos is an extraordinary talent. WOW. Freakin' blew my socks off. Blew out my eardrums? Um. What's the proper metaphor here?
I love food. I am a foodie. My in-laws are pals with Thomas Keller of Per Se and The French Laundry. He even offered to cook my wedding feast at the latter (we had to turn him down after he limited us to 32 guests. Alas).
So I was entranced, taken in, fully enmeshed in the restauranting/culinary escapading parts of this book. Lavelle is a sensuous lovely writer. She knows her way around a sentence as much as she so obviously knows her way around commercial kitchens and haute cuisine. Her plating was impeccable.
Both Konstantin and Maura were great characters and I could almost hear the first agent or editor who read this book thinking, "I am really rooting for these two."
But...I am not so enamored with ghosts or ghost stories or other-worldly content as such. Not my cuppa. I was drawn to read this book because of the very creative plot as well as the gustatory vibes. In both cases, Lavelle delivered.
I just wish the spirit world aspect had left me feeling slightly more sated.
I love food. I am a foodie. My in-laws are pals with Thomas Keller of Per Se and The French Laundry. He even offered to cook my wedding feast at the latter (we had to turn him down after he limited us to 32 guests. Alas).
So I was entranced, taken in, fully enmeshed in the restauranting/culinary escapading parts of this book. Lavelle is a sensuous lovely writer. She knows her way around a sentence as much as she so obviously knows her way around commercial kitchens and haute cuisine. Her plating was impeccable.
Both Konstantin and Maura were great characters and I could almost hear the first agent or editor who read this book thinking, "I am really rooting for these two."
But...I am not so enamored with ghosts or ghost stories or other-worldly content as such. Not my cuppa. I was drawn to read this book because of the very creative plot as well as the gustatory vibes. In both cases, Lavelle delivered.
I just wish the spirit world aspect had left me feeling slightly more sated.
May 19, 2025
The description sold me on this book. I had to read it. It is a debut novel about a guy with a unique ability and I had to learn more.
Description:
Konstantin “Kostya” Duhhovny is a haunted man. When he was a child, his beloved father died shortly after their family immigrated to Brooklyn from Ukraine, and ghosts have been hovering around Kostya ever since. Kostya can’t exactly see the ghosts, but he can taste their favorite foods. Flavors of meals he’s never eaten will flood his mouth, a sign that a spirit is present. Kostya has kept these aftertastes a secret for most of his life, but one night, he decides to act on what he’s tasting. And everything changes.
Kostya discovers that he can reunite people with their deceased loved ones—at least for the length of time it takes for them to eat a meal he prepares for them. He realizes that perhaps his life’s purpose is offering closure to grieving strangers—and that he might finally be able to find closure himself.
Kostya sets out to learn everything he can by entering a particularly fiery ring of Hell: the New York culinary scene. As his kitchen skills begin to catch up with his ambitions, Kostya is too blind to see the catastrophe that looms. And the one person who knows Kostya must be stopped happens to be falling in love with him.
Set in the bustling world of New York restaurants and teeming with mouthwatering food writing, Aftertaste is a whirlwind romance, a heart-wrenching look at love and loss, and a ghost story about all the ways we hunger—and how far we’d go to find satisfaction. Lavelle’s debut is a multi-course tasting menu of a book that will sate, delight, excite, comfort, and inspire even the pickiest of readers.
My Thoughts:
Inventive and engrossing, this novel kept my attention throughout. It was hard to put it down. The descriptions of various foods are mouth-watering and vivid. Themes of romance, grief, suicide, depression, and supernatural ability. Kostya has a unique supernatural ability to taste a ghost's favorite meal and at one point the author provided a name for it, but can't find anything about it. I did some searching and did find some information on a supernatural ability to taste (but it had nothing to do with ghosts). I liked the creativeness and the plot of the story. I enjoyed the parts about the various restaurants and the interactions in the kitchen atmosphere. Kostya's interaction with the spiritual realm had some very surprising and unexpected effects. I enjoyed the story.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster through Netgalley for an advance copy.
Description:
Konstantin “Kostya” Duhhovny is a haunted man. When he was a child, his beloved father died shortly after their family immigrated to Brooklyn from Ukraine, and ghosts have been hovering around Kostya ever since. Kostya can’t exactly see the ghosts, but he can taste their favorite foods. Flavors of meals he’s never eaten will flood his mouth, a sign that a spirit is present. Kostya has kept these aftertastes a secret for most of his life, but one night, he decides to act on what he’s tasting. And everything changes.
Kostya discovers that he can reunite people with their deceased loved ones—at least for the length of time it takes for them to eat a meal he prepares for them. He realizes that perhaps his life’s purpose is offering closure to grieving strangers—and that he might finally be able to find closure himself.
Kostya sets out to learn everything he can by entering a particularly fiery ring of Hell: the New York culinary scene. As his kitchen skills begin to catch up with his ambitions, Kostya is too blind to see the catastrophe that looms. And the one person who knows Kostya must be stopped happens to be falling in love with him.
Set in the bustling world of New York restaurants and teeming with mouthwatering food writing, Aftertaste is a whirlwind romance, a heart-wrenching look at love and loss, and a ghost story about all the ways we hunger—and how far we’d go to find satisfaction. Lavelle’s debut is a multi-course tasting menu of a book that will sate, delight, excite, comfort, and inspire even the pickiest of readers.
My Thoughts:
Inventive and engrossing, this novel kept my attention throughout. It was hard to put it down. The descriptions of various foods are mouth-watering and vivid. Themes of romance, grief, suicide, depression, and supernatural ability. Kostya has a unique supernatural ability to taste a ghost's favorite meal and at one point the author provided a name for it, but can't find anything about it. I did some searching and did find some information on a supernatural ability to taste (but it had nothing to do with ghosts). I liked the creativeness and the plot of the story. I enjoyed the parts about the various restaurants and the interactions in the kitchen atmosphere. Kostya's interaction with the spiritual realm had some very surprising and unexpected effects. I enjoyed the story.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster through Netgalley for an advance copy.
August 16, 2025
2.5 Stars
I started out really enjoying this, but as it progressed I felt it got a little long and redundant. Still, it was such an interesting concept and I enjoyed the uniqueness of it.
I started out really enjoying this, but as it progressed I felt it got a little long and redundant. Still, it was such an interesting concept and I enjoyed the uniqueness of it.
March 29, 2025
My first though when I finished this book was, that was not fun. This is a dark read, it’s sad. The main character Konstantine, is reaching out through the whole book for a connection to his dead father, or others that need to connect to persons that passed. He is driven to be needed, to the point of bleakness. His mother is a shadow, his friends/coworkers, a mob boss, just a wisp of smoke. He is the center focus of the story and I found him a pitiful lost man and couldn’t find any care about him. As a character driven reader this blew the whole book for me, I didn’t enjoy it at all. The story was fascinating in it’s concept. Meeting the dead through their favorite meals, there were so many possibilities there. I asked to read it based on the blurb, I love ghost stories and am a foodie but it didn’t hold up for me.
May 15, 2025
A surprising treat! And pretty tasty!
I had no idea what to expect going into this book, but I ended up having so much more fun than I thought I would.
Also, I’m hungry. This author definitely knows their food.
I liked this book like salt ;)
I had no idea what to expect going into this book, but I ended up having so much more fun than I thought I would.
Also, I’m hungry. This author definitely knows their food.
I liked this book like salt ;)
November 18, 2025
Audiobook (10 hours) narrated by:
Ari Fliakos
Tessa Albertson
André Santana
Kristen Sieh
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
At least some of the narration cast are award winning. The narration is very good.
The audio is flawless.
Aftertaste is an interesting take of a ghost story. 🍚.･:･:･:･:･:.𐦂𖨆𐀪𖠋 👻
The characters are interesting, well developed, and full of personality.
Food and taste becomes an additional character, as well as ambience. It's almost like a musical scoring but with food. The taste, smell, texture, passion behind the food whether it's from the preparation or the time it was served at. For example special holiday food holds sentimentality, memories of loved ones, emotional feelings associated with the taste, smell, etc. In the audiobook the narration of certain parts and food descriptions sped up or slowed down to accentuate the intended feeling associated with that particular food experience, which likely added a lot to the scenes in which food appeared.
The world building is decent. Although, arguably the characters and food took presidence over any world or setting details. In fact the world is clearly and consistently in third place on the page, where the characters and the food flip flop as to which is more important, sometimes being competitive as to which takes the scene priority.
Aftertaste is the debut novel of Daria Lavelle, and is one of the books nominated in this years Goodreads Choice Awards. Daria shows immense talent and skill as an author, and certainly deserves this nomination. I really enjoy the layers of reality and blurred lines that cross genres, making this a full and rich story.
This is actually the type of story that I was looking to sink my teeth into for Halloween. Not that there's a bad time for a good ghost story, I just really wanted one on that day. Better late than never and all that!
I will be following this author and look forward to seeing what Daria Lavelle decides to work on next. With such strength in her writing overall, I'm interested in seeing if she prefers a certain genre or if perhaps she will branch out and write good stories regardless of genre, like perhaps R.F. Kuang who seems to be aiming towards covering the entire Dewey Decimal system.
Note: Aftertaste is one of the books nominated in this years Goodreads Choice Awards.
This and Homeseeking are my top two debut novel picks. Both are written as if by well established authors and are excellent ways to spend your reading time.
Ari Fliakos
Tessa Albertson
André Santana
Kristen Sieh
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
At least some of the narration cast are award winning. The narration is very good.
The audio is flawless.
Aftertaste is an interesting take of a ghost story. 🍚.･:･:･:･:･:.𐦂𖨆𐀪𖠋 👻
The characters are interesting, well developed, and full of personality.
Food and taste becomes an additional character, as well as ambience. It's almost like a musical scoring but with food. The taste, smell, texture, passion behind the food whether it's from the preparation or the time it was served at. For example special holiday food holds sentimentality, memories of loved ones, emotional feelings associated with the taste, smell, etc. In the audiobook the narration of certain parts and food descriptions sped up or slowed down to accentuate the intended feeling associated with that particular food experience, which likely added a lot to the scenes in which food appeared.
The world building is decent. Although, arguably the characters and food took presidence over any world or setting details. In fact the world is clearly and consistently in third place on the page, where the characters and the food flip flop as to which is more important, sometimes being competitive as to which takes the scene priority.
Aftertaste is the debut novel of Daria Lavelle, and is one of the books nominated in this years Goodreads Choice Awards. Daria shows immense talent and skill as an author, and certainly deserves this nomination. I really enjoy the layers of reality and blurred lines that cross genres, making this a full and rich story.
This is actually the type of story that I was looking to sink my teeth into for Halloween. Not that there's a bad time for a good ghost story, I just really wanted one on that day. Better late than never and all that!
I will be following this author and look forward to seeing what Daria Lavelle decides to work on next. With such strength in her writing overall, I'm interested in seeing if she prefers a certain genre or if perhaps she will branch out and write good stories regardless of genre, like perhaps R.F. Kuang who seems to be aiming towards covering the entire Dewey Decimal system.
Note: Aftertaste is one of the books nominated in this years Goodreads Choice Awards.
This and Homeseeking are my top two debut novel picks. Both are written as if by well established authors and are excellent ways to spend your reading time.
September 24, 2025
I devoured this book (how fitting). Truthfully didn’t know what to expect, I LOOOVED all the behind the scenes chef speak. I feel like if you’re a fan of The Bear you’ll love that aspect of this. Loved the side of romance, loved the paranormal aspect perfect for fall. LOVED the immigrant representation and even more so from Ukraine. Not quite 5 stars because I didn’t love the way it ended, it felt a little rushed and honestly quite a bit depressing - although I do understand why it was necessary. Such an original story, can’t wait to see what else Daria writes!!!
May 20, 2025
Honestly I just skimmed the second half. I had been enjoying this - Lavelle writes beautiful descriptions of food, and the part of me that enjoyed watching The Bear enjoyed the cooking aspect - but then I got to the tattoo scene. Every single thing Lavelle writes about the process of getting a tattoo is wildly inaccurate.
1. Tattoos are not seared or burned or blistered into the skin. No heat is used. The first couple of times she used a heat-related word I thought it was just a fun use of metaphors, but there is not a single mention of getting a tattoo that does not use one of these words.
2. An entire sleeve would take several weeks to complete, particularly if it were incredibly detailed and full colour. You'd at least do a session for blackwork, let it heal for six weeks, and then go back for colour. You could not reasonably do it in one session. (Maura being the artist's "eleven" implies that this was also completed before 11am, or that the artist regularly books appointments into the middle of the night.)
3. The allergic reaction really threw me, as well as the tattoo artist's treatment of it, as if this is a normal thing that happens when you get a tattoo. It's not! And if you get a tattoo and your arm "balloons," you should probably go immediately to a doctor, not just put on a "mystery goop."
4. After everything else this is just a minor nitpick, but Maura's tattoo apparently took "just a few minutes," when realistically that artist would have to clean up and sanitize after Kostya's tattoo, set up for Maura's, apply stencil, confirm placement, and then do the tattoo and aftercare, so you're looking at a half hour at least. But after Kostya's time-warping sleeve, what's 22 minutes between friends.
While this scene did unintentionally result in some pretty great body horror, overall it read like a ghoulish PSA against tattoos. This stuff is really Googleable - there are YouTube videos that will teach you everything you need to know about doing tattoos - and so for this 10-page scene to be just so blatantly BS'd really put a bad taste in my mouth, wonderful food writing aside.
1. Tattoos are not seared or burned or blistered into the skin. No heat is used. The first couple of times she used a heat-related word I thought it was just a fun use of metaphors, but there is not a single mention of getting a tattoo that does not use one of these words.
2. An entire sleeve would take several weeks to complete, particularly if it were incredibly detailed and full colour. You'd at least do a session for blackwork, let it heal for six weeks, and then go back for colour. You could not reasonably do it in one session. (Maura being the artist's "eleven" implies that this was also completed before 11am, or that the artist regularly books appointments into the middle of the night.)
3. The allergic reaction really threw me, as well as the tattoo artist's treatment of it, as if this is a normal thing that happens when you get a tattoo. It's not! And if you get a tattoo and your arm "balloons," you should probably go immediately to a doctor, not just put on a "mystery goop."
4. After everything else this is just a minor nitpick, but Maura's tattoo apparently took "just a few minutes," when realistically that artist would have to clean up and sanitize after Kostya's tattoo, set up for Maura's, apply stencil, confirm placement, and then do the tattoo and aftercare, so you're looking at a half hour at least. But after Kostya's time-warping sleeve, what's 22 minutes between friends.
While this scene did unintentionally result in some pretty great body horror, overall it read like a ghoulish PSA against tattoos. This stuff is really Googleable - there are YouTube videos that will teach you everything you need to know about doing tattoos - and so for this 10-page scene to be just so blatantly BS'd really put a bad taste in my mouth, wonderful food writing aside.
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