What would you give for just a few more precious minutes with a loved one who has passed away?
I expected this book to be a little bit like The Kamogawa Food Detectives … people going to a restaurant for a pleasant reconnection with a loved one who has crossed over. But Aftertaste is anything but gentle, and even compulsively readable, especially in the first half.
Kostya lost his father young and fondly remembers time spent in the kitchen with him, blind taste-testing ingredients. After his father’s death, he occasionally relives those tastes and unfamiliar tastes overwhelm his palate randomly.
One night when Kostya is at a bar, a patron comes in to toast his deceased wife. Kostya makes the drink in his mind and it summons the spirit of the customer’s wife. He discovers his ‘aftertastes’ can raise the dead briefly – and this might give him a few more precious minutes with his father.
Beginning as a dishwasher in a restaurant and gradually working up to the kitchens, Kostya’s talent and passion allow for fast progression. He begins to experiment, but soon finds that his process is fraught with danger.
The first half of the book is completely absorbing. Daria Lavelle’s writing style is readable and compelling. The second half is more ominous in tone and the ending feels a bit forced as Lavelle finds herself having to work to resolve this unique situation she has created.
A little uneven – but Lavelle is a writer I would definitely pick up again.
Reviewed by Lauren Cook
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daria Lavelle writes fiction, most of which features some pretty impossible things. Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and raised in the New York metro area, her work explores themes of identity and belonging through magic and the uncanny.
Her debut novel, Aftertaste was published in May 2025.
She holds a degree in Comparative Literature and Creative Writing from Princeton University, and an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College, with a focus on Speculative Fiction. When she’s not inventing worlds or distorting this one, she enjoys opera, escape rooms, and One Night Ultimate Werewolf. She lives in the Garden State with her husband, their hyperactive golden doodle, and their three magical children, who are in training to learn how to make stuff up, too.
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