Konstantin Duhovny is a haunted man. His father died when he was ten, and ghosts have been hovering around him ever since. Kostya can’t exactly see the ghosts, but he can taste their favorite foods. Flavors of meals he’s never eaten will flood his mouth, a sign that a spirit is present. Kostya has kept these aftertastes a secret for most of his life, but one night, he decides to act on what he’s tasting. And everything changes.
Daria Lavelle’s debut is an amalgamation of hypermodern satire, slushy romance and savvy cultural allusion that is as vigorously brought together as its lead character’s recipes ... Lavelle excels in conjuring the scenes behind the swinging doors, where head chefs hassle, sous chefs hustle and sweating waitstaff barrel in and out ... The novel is seasoned with plenty of imagination, pathos and novelty ... Aftertaste pulls together familiar elements of romance and the supernatural, adding a dash of Anthony Bourdain-style bullishness and a pinch of Davelle’s own authorial smarts. I’ll bet there’s a run on fleur de sel right after publication day.
A deliciously silly novel ... A fun romp through New York’s restaurant scene and the world of the undead—albeit sillier than the traditional haunting ... The best thing about this book is the extraordinarily detailed food descriptions.
This is an extraordinary book that seems jumbled at times, but in the end, all comes together to make perfect sense. For foodies, for lovers, for those who like a side of the supernatural.
