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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was so unique and had the potential to be a 5 star for me. I enjoyed the first half of this book way more than the second. It got a bit too crazy for me but the story is still different to anything I‘ve read before which I loved! I loved the way it was told, with the different parts, the tour guide in between (iykyk), loved Kostya and his connection to his father and Frankie. The way food was used to build a connection between living and dead was so interesting and I loved that he was able to let people see their loved ones one more time. It got crazy and weird in the end but it was still a great story! Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc!
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
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
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-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
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I truly enjoyed Aftertaste. It was a moving and surprising story that felt both fresh and full of emotion.
From the start, the book’s idea grabbed me - connecting ghosts and the afterlife through the lens of the preparation and enjoyment of meals. The central character, Kostya, can taste the favorite meals of people who have died, and those dishes carry memories and emotions.
What really stood out was how food and memories are connected. Meals in this novel carry so much meaning - for the ghost, for the person cooking, and for the person eating. The author, Daria Lavelle, weaves food into the story like a thread: every dish is described in beautiful, detailed ways, almost as a character on its own. Her prose is wonderfully sensory, and you can almost taste the pierogi, salt, or pâté she writes about. The food descriptions deepen the emotional impact of the story and showcase the diversity that exists in cultures and relationships.
The ending was heartbreaking but beautiful, and surprising and satisfying in equal parts, pulling together grief and closure within the complicated and also simple reality of what connects people.
The story builds carefully. At first it’s quiet and personal: Kostya grieving, struggling, discovering his unusual gift. Then it grows into something bigger - restaurant kitchens, secret supper clubs, and ultimately a risky venture with real consequences.
Aftertaste is an emotionally rich, beautifully written novel that blends ghosts and gastronomy in a memorable way. The idea of sharing meals with the departed, and how those meals carry love, loss, and memory ... it’s beautifully done. The ending hits hard and stays with you.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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:
No