Incredibly moving and insightful this book had it all. I thoroughly recommend it to all. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

While I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Se-hee is technically a sequel of sorts, this collection of essays and therapy transcripts does not require you to have read the first collection. This collection does seem to offer a more in-depth insight into Se-hee's journey with medication, therapy and self-worth though. With that in mind, please be aware that this collection does describe self-harm and while I applaud Se-hee openly talking about this, it could be triggering for some. Taking breaks while reading this is definitely helpful.

The collection itself is both moving and fascinating - it is the first time I've read a book about mental health which includes transcripts of therapy sessions, with the patient's inner voice appearing throughout too. The therapist's office is a place we rarely enter for someone else so it was quite affirming and validating to truly share in someone else's experience, particularly if you are someone in therapy currently. Se-hee's approach is a beautiful way of reminding people they are not alone.

However, I read I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki in the English translation and this was incredibly disappointing. The translator's approach felt lazy and rendered Se-hee's insights into often badly expressed, long-winded passages. The translation read as unconcise, juvenile and, at times, boring. Yet there were glimmers of better writing which I'd argue are the glimpses of how this collection probably reads in Korean. Thus, I feel Se-hee's writing has been done a disservice by the translator's choices which lets it down overall.

The follow up to the similarly named hit, this book continues baring the authors mind, soul and heart in a startling open, honest and raw account of her struggles with mental health, depression, body image and stress through deeply authentic recollections and transcripts from her appointments with her psychiatrist.

Like the first, the transcripts aren’t the most stimulating parts to read as they are just a record of a conversation; but stay with it because it’s so worth it to not only see the authors own progression through relapse and recovery but to find an oddly comforting catharsis in knowing that it's not just you - someone else has gone through it and survived.

Much like it's predecessor, this isn't the most lighthearted of reads but Sehee's voice makes it so much easier, offering comfort and understanding throughout and always being a hopeful voice even in the darkest moments. This book is a testament to the fact that healing and recovery aren't linear, easy things but they are possible.

This book encapsulates sound advice on navigating life and different obstacles that come your way.
I felt like I related to some of the things in the book and they resonated with me, be it the positives or the negatives.
I love the layout of the sessions as well as little prologues before each session. This is beautifully done and I'm so so glad you are on your way in your mental health journey. What a book 🥰
I will say there is a mistake on page 181, where it is "Me:" talking but it says "Psychiatrist:" - just incase you are able to fix it in any way and wanted to be told.

I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki is the follow-up to Baek Sehee's hit book I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki, and follows the same formula: her conversations with her therapist, split into chapters that have short reflective beginnings and ends. As in the first book, this focuses on her depression and anxiety, but it also explores disordered eating, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts, and it is important that people are aware of this going in, given that a lot of the book is her narrating these experiences to her therapist.

Personally, I like the bitesized format of the chapters, and though the first book didn't quite live up to the hype (or the brilliant cover) for me, I found this second book to feel a bit more complex. This book is very much a continuation of the first one, though it delves perhaps a bit deeper into the challenges of mental health treatment. Because of this, it is ideal for fans of the first book, especially people who found it powerful to see one woman's experiences with therapy laid out this way, and once again, it does not suggest that there is a simple or easy route to healing, but instead looks at the complex process through one person's life.

The first book was very well received an I enjoyed that too, so not surprised the author wrote another book. Just like the first book, there are wise advice from the phychiatrist I could learn from. At this point, I feel like the psychiatrist should publish their own book! But I do think that this book is written from the POV of the patient/author who is going through mental health struggles is what makes this book relatable to so many.

I just wish that this second book was slightly different in structure and style to be refreshing and differentiate from the first book. I cannot tell the difference between the two books, but some readers might prefer that they are very similar. I defintely recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the first book!

I really enjoyed, if that is the right word, this book - it was interesting to pick up the story from the first book and see how success isn't always a good thing.
I think the thing that impressed me the most however was the complete openness shown as it becomes clear that recovery is not a linear process and that often we are own worst enemies

This book is honestly so refreshing. I felt seen when reading — especially when talking about the workplace. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in the things I feel, and that Baek Sehee is right there with me feeling all the things too. Definitely a 10/10, I would recommend this far and wide.

This second book felt more or less like an extension of book 1: more therapy sessions, more reflections. I really like how accessibly these books portray therapy sessions, and I like how much awareness this creates. I've seen some mixed reviews but I think it's really interesting to see such an honest portrayal of depression.

This is the second book in this series, the author talks more about her mental health and her struggle with her dysthymia. As a psychology major, reading books which talk about mental health from the perspective of people who struggle and live through it, so these two books were quite insightful. So I would recommend it to people who wanna know more and people who have dysthymia or any depression.

I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki was my absolute favourite non-fic read of 2023. It resonated with me so much on a personal level, and I loved how honest and open and raw Sehee was when discussing her own mental health. This book dives into more conversations with her therapist and they are just as important and necessary and bold as the stories in the original book. I know that this book will help others as much as the original, and honestly as long as Sehee feels comfortable sharing these conversations then I will continue to read them for as long as they are published.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC!

When I first saw this I wondered if a second book was necessary: maybe?

Baek Sehee is nothing if not honest. This is a really challenging mental read because of how dark the conversations get. The first 150 pages I had to take breaks from reading because of the heavy content. I would honestly encourage a very serious look at trigger warnings for this, especially as it is a lot more intense than the first.

That being said, I really liked the introspective / context intermissions between the transcriptions - the same format from the first book makes a call back. It was really interesting to see how her life had changed, how that affected her and what she did with those changes or boredom from lack of.

The later part of the book was my favourite, and the topics really relatable and helpful to hear spoken about and explored. In all, I took a lot away from the last section, and liked it even more than the entirety of the first book.

I will look out for Baek Sehee's next book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

I remember reading the first book and feeling such a wave of relatability and that feeling is still very strong with this second book. The rawness and honesty coupled with this journey of healing is something many of us need right now.

It's not often that you can so clearly see someone improve not only at their craft, but in a sense ... at life.
I WANT TO DIE BUT I STILL WANT TO EAT TTEOKBOKKI is a stellar follow-up to Baek's first book. It manages to maintain the kind of vulnerability and transparency that the author has accustomed her readers to, which also feeling both deeper and lighter (to me at least). There is something so fulfilling in witnessing our author's growth and healing and watching her be able to look back at herself and her experiences with the different kind of clarity brought on by that.
It's an honour and a privilege to walk alongside Baek Sehee and hold one another's hands on the wild journey that is the human experience.

I loved the first edition of this series, and was so excited when I saw this second edition on NetGalley! I loved hearing the raw and honest experiences with the psychiatrist, and found comfort in her introspective recounts.