WOW. I went into this book with really high hopes as the original I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki is one of my favorite and most highly recommended books, and Baek Sehee's follow-up lived up to all my expectations. The raw emotion and bravery shown throughout the therapy excerpts and reflective essays moved me to tears, laughter, and reflection. I think anyone struggling with their mental health should read both books to feel seen and understood, and those who are not struggling should read these books as well to understand what many of their loved ones may be experiencing. I absolutely love this book and cannot wait to buy the hardcover version to sit alongside my hardcover of I Want to Die, but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki on my bookshelf.

I really liked the first book and enjoyed this one too. I liked the thematic work covered and I'm excited to see what Sehee does next.

I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki is a book that discusses the author, Baek Sehee’s, battle with depression, her past, and her fear of judgment. Typically, I struggle to get into self-help books, but I loved this one particularly because it differed from the traditional “I was sad but did this and now I’m perfectly happy” type of self-help book. It showed the realness of depression being a lifelong battle that fluctuates with time which I liked about this piece of writing. It allowed the reader to be reminded that we are all human; we all struggle; and we aren’t alone in our sorrows.
Concerning the writing, I would like to start by admiring the piece in its origin. This book was initially written in Korean, and coming from a household that spoke Korean to an extent, I want to preface this by saying that the book had an artful way of presenting ideas and topics. However, I was disappointed with the execution of the English translation. At times, I noticed that many sentences were choppy and appeared to show little effort, on the translator’s side, to produce a linear flow in the writing. Furthermore, the book was very populated with transcripts, offering only short reflections beyond that. I wish it had a heavier focus on the reflections because I felt that that was where I saw the most of Sehee. The reflections truly showed her experiences and why she felt the way she did, and it made her all the more human.
This book was very short, barely exceeding 200 pages, but it’s still a slow read. I suspect this is the case because I found myself having to take a lot of breaks due to the weight of the topics. With this in mind, I’d like to say that if I do recommend this book, you get forewarned about its contents; self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders are a leading topic in this book. As much as it is insightful and many conversations entail the therapy that took place regarding these events, I understand that the topics themselves can be very triggering for a reader, so I would say to proceed with caution if you decide to read this book.
But overall, I truly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it!

A former student recommended the first book, I Want To Die..., to me, but I didn't get around to reading it. This didn't ruin my experience with this book. Some of these tales hit a little too close to the heart. But hey, people need to see themselves reflected in what they read in order to feel seen and validated. Twenty-five-year-old me needed to read this book.

This book was not what I expected. I most enjoyed the opening essays to each chapter and found the transcript style bulk of the book to be quite slow and not full of many insights. Some beautiful moments.

Solid continuation of book 1, really demonstrating that mental health is a marathon, not a sprint.

Like with the first book, I really appreciated the author's frankness and vulnerability in what was shared. At times, it was uncomfortable to read some of the author's struggles, but the overall experience was cathartic.

Note that this does cover some hard topics that could be triggering for some.

A fascinating aspect of this book is that the covered therapy sessions took place after the success of the first book. A small portion of the author's conversations and struggles are related to the first book, and though these parts were a little bit less relatable to those of us who haven't written runaway bestsellers, it was still a fascinating component.

This also makes me curious about how the success of the first book impacts how the author's psychiatrist frames things in their recorded conversations, since I'm sure they were criticized for some of what they said in the first book, just given the nature of how the internet analyzes and criticizes. Knowing that everything they say is being recorded and may be shared more broadly is different than knowing everything they say is being recorded and will definitely be shared more broadly. Not that I think they said anything particularly problematic, but they definitely open themselves up for criticism, so it's interesting to think about.

Overall, would recommend if you liked reading the first book and want another aspect of the author's continued mental health journey.

I love the title and cover for this book and the synopsis is intriguing. However, it was hard to stay engaged as it seemed repetitive and without interesting scenarios or insights. Perhaps that is what makes depression and therapy the kind of self-focused activities that don't bode well for readers who are looking for plot or character development. The book is honest. I think some people would benefit from reading. The title is still what I appreciate most, because it is true that one can survive depression better with something to look forward to, like a spicy rice cake. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki: Further Conversations with My Psychiatrist by Baek Sehee and translated by Anton Hur is a poignant journey through the complexities of mental health and the simple joys of life.

I don't particularly appreciate when reviews reference other books by the same author, but I'm going to do so now. I debated reading I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki again before reading this sequel, but I ultimately and quickly decided against it. It was important to me that this book stand on its own in my mind for me to best appreciate it as a unique work.

The author's raw and honest portrayal of depression is both heartbreaking and hopeful. Each "session" with the psychiatrist perfectly outlines how quickly life can spiral. The protagonist's struggle to find solace in the midst of darkness resonates with my own life deeply. From triggering topics such as self-harm and disordered eating to parasocial relationships, pets, self-pity and narcissism, it is validating to see one person brave enough to seek treatment and share what many, such as myself, hold in or speak aloud into the actual void daily.

This book allows for celebration of the small pleasures to illuminate even the darkest of days. I could continue with the personal parallels, but much like the protagonist, I'd rather lean away from sounding narcissitic and dwelling in self-pity.

"Life goes on" really is the best possible message for readers to take from this book.