1. As Kostya discovers, aftertastes are food memories so potent and special that they form a tether between the Dead and the Living who love them. What would your aftertaste be? Who would it connect you to?

2. Share an early memory of food or cooking, and the “flavor” that memory has for you. (Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, savory, spicy, etc.)

3. Kostya keeps his clairgustance a secret for most of his life. If you had the power to taste the Dead, would you keep it hidden?

4. Vera’s fear and inability to cope after Sergei’s death is one of the things haunting Kostya into adulthood. How do her actions and their relationship impact Kostya’s decision-making?

5. Which of Kostya’s restaurant experiences did you like best? Library of Spirits, Saveur Fare, Hell’s Kitchen or DUH? What did he learn about his gift at each one?

6. Kostya goes to extreme lengths to see his dad again. How far might you go to see someone you loved one more time?

7. Who (or what) is the villain or antagonizing force in AFTERTASTE? What causes the conflicts in the living world? What causes the issues arising in the Afterlife?

8. Maura’s confession at DUH sends Konstantin reeling. What might have happened if she had chosen to be honest sooner? Why do you think she kept her hunger and her visits to the Afterlife hidden, and did those reasons change during the story?

9. The characters in AFTERTASTE keep many secrets throughout the book. Which were the most surprising to you and why?

10. The book is structured with chapters that alternate between narratives from the living world (Kostya’s story) and the Afterlife (Frankie’s tour, Everleigh’s experience, Maura’s trips), meaning that the reader always knows more than Konstantin does about the effect his food is having. How would your perspective change if you only had access to Kostya’s narrative?