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adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Bordering on cozy horror almost, Aftertaste was such a unique concept as a storyline because who wouldn't give anything to see your passed love ones again through food?
The author's way of describing the aftertastes that the MC experiences is so vivid and well written, I could almost taste them too! I really lved being able to see how people experience their grief and their closure through food, especailly since food is a very important thing in my household.
Despite this, I felt like there were too many plot threads bringing us to the ending, and it sometimes was really confusing to me as to where the story was going, and what was actually happening to the spirtis. I kind of wish the author would have streamlined the storyline vs including other POVs.
I also honestly was NOT a fan of the ending- for a book that's compared to TJ Klune's writing, I really feel like there needs to be more of a happy ending than what we got, even though it did make sense in the whole of the plot, i was left feeling really dissatisfied.
I will keep an eye on this author for sure, i really overall loved the story and it gave me the good fuzzy feelings inside!
Thank you Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for the ARC~
The author's way of describing the aftertastes that the MC experiences is so vivid and well written, I could almost taste them too! I really lved being able to see how people experience their grief and their closure through food, especailly since food is a very important thing in my household.
Despite this, I felt like there were too many plot threads bringing us to the ending, and it sometimes was really confusing to me as to where the story was going, and what was actually happening to the spirtis. I kind of wish the author would have streamlined the storyline vs including other POVs.
I will keep an eye on this author for sure, i really overall loved the story and it gave me the good fuzzy feelings inside!
Thank you Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for the ARC~
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death of parent
Minor: Child death
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
I have mixed feelings about this book. I thought the story was pretty slow for the first half but the pacing was much better the second half. I really enjoyed the who concept of tasting ghosts. I like how Kostya is an imperfect and flawed character. His success in the restaurant world is driven by grief and childhood trauma. And honestly the end was not quite how I expected it. It's refreshing to read a story every once in a while that isn't a neat perfect, fairy tale happy ending.
For the most part I enjoyed the author's writing style. The ghost interludes were confusing and hard to follow. It took me a few of them to figure out what was going on. That said, you can't help but picture the food or what to make it yourself the way the author describes it.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
For the most part I enjoyed the author's writing style. The ghost interludes were confusing and hard to follow. It took me a few of them to figure out what was going on. That said, you can't help but picture the food or what to make it yourself the way the author describes it.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide attempt
Minor: Blood
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book opened me up and fed me to myself: liver, lungs, heart... One bit at a time. This Valhalla was a place for all sorts of warriors, all searching for satiation, all looking for something like home, in one of the most visceral aspects of memory: our food. The heartbreaks and joys in so many flavors saturate this story. You will find love and family and all the anguishes and victories of each in the stories that cross these tables. Luxuriate in all of them. Let them break you open and fill you up, all at the same time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness, Violence, Suicide attempt
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Alcohol
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A truly unique concept and well executed. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with the one but it was well done!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol
Minor: Cannibalism