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dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was an incredible debut of original storytelling resulting in a unique reading experience. The best I can put it into words makes for an unusual combination of genres: tragic romance and culinary ghost story. The author takes so many elements and blends them seamlessly into a tale of clairgustance (think clairvoyance but for taste). The themes of loss, grief, forgiveness, mental illness, friendship, remembrance, and the afterlife are blended together in the setting of the cutthroat world of NYC cuisine. I can't wait to read what she writes next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief
Moderate: Suicide attempt
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is really moving and original. Konstantin's dad dies when he is ten, and at some point after that, Konstantin starts getting random, extremely specific tastes - aftertastes - in his mouth for no apparent reason. He eventually realizes they're connected to people who have passed away, and then he learns that if he cooks a meal that's exactly like the aftertaste, he can bring the person back for as long as their loved one is eating that meal. He meets and falls in love with Maura, who has her own feelings and background with the supernatural, and things unfold in ways neither of them could have predicted.
I found this book touching, insightful, and deeply entertaining. The plot didn't go anywhere I expected to - not that I could have ever imagined the twists and turns and depth to the supernatural aspect of this book - and it was hard for me to put this book down because I had to know what was going to happen. But the emotion in this book is the real heart. Lavelle describes grief with incredible delicacy and compassion, and the way both Konstantin and Maura process their losses feels so intensely real and powerful. I cared about the side characters right away, and the chaos of a restaurant kitchen was so fun to live in, especially in different iterations.
Despite this book being largely about grief, the overall feeling is hopeful. Konstantin helps give closure to so many people, and his journey is a testament to what it means to really love someone and then have to make sense of the fact that they're gone. This review is all over the place and not well articulated, but just know I loved this book and it will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
I found this book touching, insightful, and deeply entertaining. The plot didn't go anywhere I expected to - not that I could have ever imagined the twists and turns and depth to the supernatural aspect of this book - and it was hard for me to put this book down because I had to know what was going to happen. But the emotion in this book is the real heart. Lavelle describes grief with incredible delicacy and compassion, and the way both Konstantin and Maura process their losses feels so intensely real and powerful. I cared about the side characters right away, and the chaos of a restaurant kitchen was so fun to live in, especially in different iterations.
Despite this book being largely about grief, the overall feeling is hopeful. Konstantin helps give closure to so many people, and his journey is a testament to what it means to really love someone and then have to make sense of the fact that they're gone. This review is all over the place and not well articulated, but just know I loved this book and it will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent
Minor: Gun violence
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Enjoyable, though not as enjoyable as I wanted it to be. The story kind of lags in the middle- the ending packs so much into 30-40 pages, which is a 10th of the book! The writing, with all of its allusions to food, cooking, and/or the sense of taste, was beautiful and clever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Eating disorder
Minor: Alcoholism
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Drug use, Mental illness
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Self harm, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I'm very grateful I was able to receive an ARC of this deliciously unique story. Going into the book I thought it sounded unlike anything I had ever read before, and that was very true. This beautifully written book discusses grief, how humans are bonded together with food, the dangers of holding on too tightly, and love. Just be warned that you will get hungry as you read the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide attempt
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!
This book has been on ALL of the summer "must read" lists! That's no surprise with such a unique story idea. I love the concept of Kostya bringing back a loved one through food, and that not turning out exactly as he envisioned.
However, I felt like there was a lot going on to add to the intensity - maybe too much. I think the book could have been just as compelling with fewer stories (threads?) to follow. I found myself wishing the book was about 50 pages shorter.
Overall though, this was a good read that kept you wondering how things were all going to work out in the end! This is a fun twist on a ghost story.
This book has been on ALL of the summer "must read" lists! That's no surprise with such a unique story idea. I love the concept of Kostya bringing back a loved one through food, and that not turning out exactly as he envisioned.
However, I felt like there was a lot going on to add to the intensity - maybe too much. I think the book could have been just as compelling with fewer stories (threads?) to follow. I found myself wishing the book was about 50 pages shorter.
Overall though, this was a good read that kept you wondering how things were all going to work out in the end! This is a fun twist on a ghost story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide attempt
First things first - This book has a brilliant premise. It and the comparison to Under The Whispering Door is almost the entire reason I picked it up, expecting a highly emotional book about closure and the afterlife.
Ever since he lost his dad, ghosts have been giving Kostya a phantom aftertaste of a food that was special to their life some how
Years later, he recreates one. A ghost materializes in front of the person he made it for and they’re able to get a final goodbye that lasts until the end of the drink/food.
To begin, the pacing is a little slow, and there was a little more ‘how to move up in the restaurant business’ play by play and too little emotional ghost reunions.
I also found it strange that the kid that begged his father to play a palate testing game took that long to try and recreate the tastes?? Where was his curiosity?
Still, I was interested enough in the idea, I was sticking with it.
Even when things started to get…weird
Just past the halfway point, there’s a twist that definitely turned things darker, unsettling.
I don’t want to say what exactly happens, because that spoils a major plot point. But from this point on the book wasn’t at all what I had thought at the beginning, which was a disappointment for me
Also - warnings for suicidal ideation/attempts
Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the arc
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail