Ghosts, grief, and mostly wonderful tastes are all mixed up with a garnish of love. This
is an original story blending food, drink and emotions.

A very different and unique fantasy ghost and food story. If that seems like an acquired taste, I would encourage all fantasy readers who have a taste for a thrilling and unusual story to pick this up and give it a good go. It took me a little while to really get into this story, but when I did I was totally hooked. That happened as the author starts to show the reader who the chapter narrator is, and what’s really going on. Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK and ANZ) and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

I don't know whether I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for this book or whether I thought it was something other than what it was but I just couldn't get into it at all. It just annoyed me from the get go. I'm obviously in the minority as every other reviewer seems to have loved it. So many apologies to the author and I hope it is successful but it's not for me I'm afraid and I did not finish it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

A beautifully written story with a strange and unique premise – what if taste could resurrect the ghosts of the past? This was whimsical and poignant with a strong bent towards grieving and letting go.

If you are interested in food, love, ghosts and the what if, this is the book for you.

Compelling reading a ghost story with a huge difference. Can ghosts have an aftertaste?

Excellent writing.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book.

Aftertaste is one of those books with a truly unique concept that immediately draws you in—grief, memory, and love all filtered through the lens of food. The idea that flavors can resurrect ghosts of the past, both literally and emotionally, was incredibly compelling. I really appreciated Daria Lavelle’s ambition in blending magical realism with a deeply personal story of loss and identity.

The writing is rich and evocative, especially in the descriptions of food—at times, I could almost smell the meals on the page. Lavelle clearly knows how to tap into sensory detail, and when it works, it really works.

That said, the execution didn’t fully land for me. The narrative shifts and multiple styles, while creative, occasionally pulled me out of the story. The pacing also lagged in the middle, making it a bit of a slog to push through despite the intriguing premise. Some emotional beats felt underdeveloped, which made it harder to connect with the characters at key moments.

Still, I think readers who love books that take creative risks, especially food lovers and fans of literary fiction with a ghostly twist, will find something to appreciate here. It’s not a light read, but it is a flavorful and thought-provoking one.

Daria Lavelle’s Aftertaste is a gorgeously written, unforgettable novel that will linger long after the final page — much like the meals it so lovingly describes. At once a tender coming-of-age story, a meditation on grief, and a celebration of food as memory, Aftertaste offers a unique blend of magical realism and emotional depth that is both rare and resonant.

At the heart of the novel is Kostya, a young man who has the uncanny ability to experience the lingering “aftertaste” of meals once eaten by the dead. What begins as a strange, isolating quirk becomes a powerful gift, allowing him to reconnect the living with those they’ve lost through the alchemy of recreated meals. This premise — whimsical, spiritual, and deeply human — sets the tone for a story that is equal parts magical and emotionally grounded.

Lavelle’s prose is remarkable, especially in the way she evokes food. The descriptions are so vivid and sensory-rich that you can practically smell, taste, and feel every dish. But these aren’t just indulgent culinary interludes — they serve a greater purpose. Through food, Lavelle explores identity, memory, and love. As she writes, “Food could do that. It could tell stories... Leaving behind a recipe was a way to be remembered and savored and loved even after you were gone.” This sentiment captures the heart of the book, where food becomes a conduit between past and present, loss and healing.

Beyond its enchanting premise and exquisite language, Aftertaste is also a powerful narrative about family, immigration, and self-discovery. Kostya’s journey — from a boy grappling with grief and displacement to a man forging love and purpose — is moving and authentic. His relationships, particularly with the vibrant Frankie and the warm, sharp-witted Maura, add layers of charm and emotional nuance to the story. Their dialogue sparkles with humour and heart, and their shared moments are as nourishing as any of the meals Kostya prepares.

Lavelle doesn’t shy away from the ache of loss or the complexity of love. The ending, while emotionally wrenching, feels earned and true to the story’s themes. It may not satisfy every reader’s longing for a simple happy ending, but it offers something deeper — closure, continuity, and the comforting echo of what remains.

Ultimately, Aftertaste is a literary feast: immersive, poignant, and utterly original. With its seamless blending of the fantastical and the everyday, Lavelle crafts a novel that is as much about what we taste as it is about what we carry. It's a story that reminds us that to eat is to remember, and to remember is to love.

A must-read for anyone who has ever found solace in a recipe, a memory in a flavour, or a sense of home in a shared meal.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Following the death of his father, Kostya begins experiencing tastes from the Afterlife. When he discovers he can bring back spirits by preparing the meals they hunger for, he decides to open a restaurant that allows the deceased and their loved ones to commune, in the hope of bringing both sides closure. However, death is not to be toyed with and messing with the veil is bound to have consequences. Could it be that Kostya’s efforts are doing more harm than good?

From the description, ‘Aftertaste’ sounds like just the kind of story I love to read, so I was disappointed to find it didn’t live up to expectations. Given it is categorised as literary fiction, I thought it would have a higher quality of writing, stronger characterisation, a less formulaic plot and deeper exploration of themes. I wanted to enjoy it—and I’m sure many other readers will—but unfortunately I couldn’t, and the problems I have with it make it only a 2-star read for me.

The book is full of clichés, from the people who can eat obscene amounts of food while never gaining an ounce of fat, to the trite observations on mental health and grief, to the descriptions: “his nails making crescents in his palm”, “he tasted the salt of his own tears, like drinking in a sea”, “the weight of loss around her shoulders like a stone.” The characters feel clichéd, too—especially Viktor and his henchmen. I wanted to see real people on the pages—people with fresh insights on grief, people with complicated and messy and yet authentic feelings, people with depth, people I could empathise with and feel a connection with. Unfortunately, I found characters as flat as cartoons, their emotional lives and their responses to the situations utterly predictable.

Talking of situations and responses—aka plot—it feels formulaic, the events that occur seeming to stem from the demands of a beat sheet, rather than arising organically. This makes certain events and conversations feel contrived: a spirit’s convenient (and clunky) explanation of how spirit-raising works, which she doesn’t know how she knows, she just knows; the opportunity Kostya is given at the Gild dinner and how he messes it up (as if a year’s notice wasn’t sufficient time to arrange appropriate cover, as if Kostya would abandon his post like he did); the ‘All is Lost’ moment between Kostya and Maura (which also feels melodramatic).

Beyond the melodrama of Kostya and Maura’s ‘All is Lost’ scene, the writing isn’t much better. It frequently feels mawkish (especially the interactions between spirits and their loved ones, and Kostya’s reaction to witnessing them) or overwrought, reminding me of bad fanfic: “when she blinked, a streak of molten emeralds cascaded down her face, beautiful tears”, “her face streaked with phosphorescent tears, like someone had broken a glow stick”, “the whole place smells like sex and Fun Dip and curly fries”, “a tingle went up his spine, his pulse blending through his body—mix, stir, liquify.” Constant asides in parentheses disrupt the flow of the writing too, often multiple times within a single sentence, and the pace is slowed by long passages of unnecessary description (e.g., lists of groceries, or detailing events not shown in direct scene). But the worst offenders of all are the numerous pop culture references and the incessant food puns, which jolted me out of the story every single time. One or two puns, fair enough—if they’re good. But in ‘Aftertaste’, they are non-stop. And a lot of them don’t make sense. They feel forced, or like the author has told an unfunny joke and is prompting you to laugh with a, ‘Get it? Get it?’ Examples include: lowering a casket into the ground “like slipping sage into the cavity of a fish”, “his voice a donut, glazed”, “Years trickled by, his life fermenting”, “His future had soured, its possibilities curdled”, “Kostya’s heart beat six cups of coffee”, “[the train’s] light slurped into the mouth of the tunnel”, “their lives to set into the strange new shape they would mold to now, Jell-O, without him.”

Overall, I think it’s fair to say this book wasn’t for me. I won’t be rereading it or gifting it to anyone I know. However, I think many readers will love it and get a lot out of it. If you enjoy commercial fiction and if the paranormal and romance elements appeal to you, give it a go! Hopefully you’ll find it more entertaining than I did.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Daria Lavelle and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC. My review will be posted on Instagram, Amazon UK, Goodreads and The StoryGraph near to the publishing date.

This book was absolutely phenomenal! I read an eARC of this book on Net Galley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

I couldn’t put this book down. It starts off with a gentler journey and then turns into something so unexpectedly sinister. There are two core and connected themes in this book, food and ghosts. How the book interweaves these is just absolutely brilliant and like nothing I’ve read before. The closest comparison I can make is Bat Eater because of the hungry ghosts but this doesn’t lean as heavily into horror as that. (Both are brilliant books). Instead we have a main character who receives flavours from ghosts. He catches a taste of a memorable dish from them and if he cooks it in the presence of their loved one he can make them manifest. He feels like he’s doing something kind, giving people closure when it works, but actually, he isn’t aware of the chaos he’s causing in the afterlife.

Not all the food in the book is delicious, more importantly is that it’s meaningful. Some of the dishes are quite odd but they represent something shared between the bereaved and the deceased that forged a strong memory. The book explores the effect of loss, and how damaging it can be when the living can’t let go of the dead. This was so compassionately explored, embracing the deep love people have for each other, whilst discussing the importance of processing grief.

The supernatural elements of this book were so fascinating. More so because of the lack of malice from the dead. Where they become dangerous is all due to the actions and impact of the living. This was so cleverly done.

I loved this book! This was an easy five stars to give! Wonderfully written, so unusual!

*Aftertaste* delivers a satisfying mix of drama and introspection, with well-drawn characters and a strong sense of place. Daria Lavelle's writing is engaging, and the emotional stakes feel real. However, the pacing drags in parts, and some plot points feel a bit predictable. While it doesn't break new ground, it's an enjoyable read for fans of character-driven contemporary fiction.

This book made me hangry! It was a work of art, I’d read some other reviews and was worried but I loved it! The character development was great and the love, mystery, health and food worked so well together.

Beautiful, I loved it and I love the cover :-)

This could well be my new favourite book. It is both fantastical and at the same time believable.

Kostya experiences clairgustance - where a person can taste things without them actually in their mouth. It leads him on a journey where he finds love, attempts to recreate his father's favourite dish and creates meals for those trying to connect with those who have passed on. The world created is entirely believable. Although very different, if you enjoyed the Night Circus, this book is definitely for you. Suicide is mentioned, so avoid this book if you would rather not read about that topic

Not my usual style of book, and it was a bit wordy for me at times. Overall I liked the unique storyline once I got into it and I really liked the main characters, especially Frankie. I wasn’t 100% sold on the ending but I can see why the author felt this was the right way for it to end.

Thanks Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A book like no other?! I didn’t know what to expect and I still don’t know what to think! I’m still talking about the book a few weeks after finishing it so it’s obviously made its mark… I’m very intrigued to read what the author writes next. A well deserved 4.5*.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Aftertaste has left me with the aftertaste of love and sorrow: needing to let go and knowing why we hold on.
It’s a gorgeous read full of vivid description and - for me - great character building.
Lavelle clearly knows food and I assume grief. What you wouldn’t give to spend some time with those we have lost and grieve for. I found myself asking what I’d eat and who I’d share it with.
I loved the concept and it was well executed. Didn’t love the mafia part and thought the resolution there was a little clunky but I found it a moving read with a good ending.
Thank you so much to publishers and netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Let me start by saying: Do not read this book hungry. Seriously. Daria Lavelle’s Aftertaste is a feast for the senses—part ghost story, part love story, and 100% a tribute to the way food ties us to memory, grief, and the people we’ve lost. If you’ve ever tasted something and been instantly thrown back to a moment with someone you miss, this book will hit you right in the heart (and the stomach).

The story follows Kostya, a dead-end dishwasher with a weird gift—he can summon spirits through the food he cooks. After losing his dad young, he starts using his ability to help others reconnect with their own lost loved ones, serving up literal closure on a plate. But of course, nothing’s that simple. There’s a catch (isn’t there always?): messing with the afterlife has consequences, and Kostya’s got his own unresolved ghosts. Plus, there’s Maura, a psychic who knows his secret—and might be the only one who can stop him.

Lavelle’s writing is lush and immersive—every dish Kostya makes feels so real you’ll wanna lick the page. But beyond the food, this book digs into grief in a way that’s raw but never heavy-handed. It’s funny, tender, and at times downright eerie—like when the Afterlife starts pushing back against Kostya’s meddling.

What really got me was how human it all felt. Kostya isn’t some flawless hero; he’s messy, stubborn, and sometimes infuriating, but you root for him anyway. His relationship with Maura adds this sweet, slow-burn tension—she’s his opposite in every way, but their chemistry is undeniable. And the side characters? Chefs, ghosts, baristas—they all pop off the page, making New York’s culinary scene feel alive (and haunted).

The ending? It’s the kind of finale that lingers, like the aftertaste of a perfect meal.

If you’re into books that blend magic realism with real emotion, Aftertaste is a must-read. It’s inventive, heartfelt, and impossible to put down just don’t blame me if you finish it and immediately start Googling “how to summon my grandma’s biriyani.”

5/5 stars. A stunning debut that’s equal parts delicious and devastating. Pre-order it, read it, then force your friends to read it so you can cry about it together.

And maybe keep snacks nearby.

Kostya, a would-be top chef, but working as a pot-washer, realises that he can sense foods that his late father loved. Whilst restocking the bar at the end of the evening he encounters a very morose man wanting a drink In conversation he learns that the gentleman’s lady has passed away and suddenly finds himself sensing a cocktail, When he mentions the ingredients that came to his mind the man immediately says that it was her favourite drink and asks him to make one. As it is put before the man a vision of his lady appears and Kostya is left wondering what he has done and could he repeat it. He sets too with a friend who is a good chef and opens up a small dining project accommodating just one or two people at a time. He meets, and starts to fall for Maura who is also somewhat of a psychic, and despite her telling him to stop he can’t resist the challenge.

As time goes on word of his ability to conjure up the dead leads to a shady character offering to set him up in a fine-dining establishment on condition that he continues to bring people back to this life on a regular basis. Can he succeed or is he getting into deep trouble? Also, will his love for Maura survive? ……

Aftertaste is a wildly inventive, emotionally rich, and deliciously genre-defying novel that blends culinary fiction, supernatural suspense, and tender romance in a way that feels entirely fresh and unforgettable. It’s not every day you find a story where food becomes a literal bridge between the living and the dead—and even rarer that it’s done with this much style, wit, and emotional depth.

The book follows Kostya, a weary dishwasher with a mysterious past and a quiet obsession for creating meals that matter. When he discovers that his food can summon spirits, his dream of opening a restaurant takes on a much deeper purpose: helping the departed—and the living—find the closure they didn’t know they needed. But as the flavors deepen, so do the stakes. Kostya’s creations begin to unravel the fabric of the Afterlife itself, and his growing connection to Maura, a sharp-tongued party psychic with secrets of her own, complicates things even further.

This is a novel that bites and soothes in equal measure. The prose is crisp and lyrical, often laced with dark humor and moments of striking beauty. It’s not afraid to tackle grief, guilt, and longing, but never gets bogged down in melancholy. Instead, it dances between tones—funny, haunting, heartwarming—and lands each note with surprising finesse.

What makes Aftertaste stand out is its fearless originality. It’s part ghost story, part foodie fantasy, and part love letter to human connection—all stirred together with just enough danger and mystery to keep the pages turning. Readers who love The Midnight Library, The Night Circus, or even Chef’s Table with a supernatural twist will find a lot to savor here.

If there’s one critique, it’s that the story occasionally veers into the overly whimsical, which may not work for every reader. Some secondary characters could have used a touch more development. But these are minor quibbles in an otherwise captivating read.

In short: Aftertaste is a rich, strange, beautiful meal of a book—best devoured in one sitting, and sure to linger long after the final page. Highly recommended for readers hungry for something different.

#BBNI2025

My initial thoughts about the first Aftertaste chapters:
I absolutely loved these first chapters!
The writing style is so intimate and rich. The way food is described is incredible - you can almost taste it yourself, and this concept of food linked to spirits is beautiful.
I was especially drawn to the main character, his journey of self-discovery is beautifully told. The narrator does an amazing job recounting his childhood and the moment he begins to discover his power.
I can't wait to read more after this readathon!!

Well this one was enough to keep me up at night to read. It’s a story of love, loss and food. The food descriptions and the memories they invoke are real and moving. The characters flawed and full of regrets but still loveable. Maybe there is a message in there. It will stay with me and remind me the next time I cook recipes handed down from family. Where there is food, there is love. Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for this review copy.