This is raw, real, and emotional. It takes you through the mind of a person struggling with their mental health as they seek out help. The ups and downs.

The layout is interesting as it alternates between lived experience and a transcript of sessions with their psychiatrist. It feels vulnerable, like a journal.

While I don’t relate to a lot of the lived experience of the author, I found her descriptions of depression to be so spot on. I also really enjoyed the nuggets of wisdom from the psychiatrist. There were some really thought provoking things said.

Strong TW: depictions and thoughts of self harm: suicidal thoughts and cutting. While this would probably be comforting to someone actively going through it, making them feel seen, I recommend reading this when you’re in a good place mentally.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

I like the premise, but the execution wasn't it for me. There were things that resonated - for example,

"Familiarity felt like safety to me. Which is why, whenever depression or emptiness came calling, I was all too eager to open the door of self-pity and god right inside."

- but mostly it was kind of like reading court transcripts, lots of filler and repetitive, unnatural speech (but that could also be translation). I appreciate the message, but the delivery didn't feel as impactful as it could have been.

Also, there's a bit about reviews on her first book, specifically how she rationalizes that a bad review might equate to the reviewer being an angry/bad person. While this could be true, it's also possible that her book wasn't that good or even that it isn't good for everyone. (Books are subjective, after all.) It made me feel apprehensive and guilty about leaving my own review, even if I felt justified about my reasoning.

I found the first book in this series to be very poignant so it’s unsurprising that I also enjoyed this. Above all I have to commend the author for how vulnerable and honest this book is. Even the aspects and struggles I couldn’t relate to still really hit me because they were just discussed so openly and truthfully to the author’s experience. And, still, there was a lot that resonated with my own experience and was fascinating to see explored — this book was definitely one with lots of highlighted lines for me.

I spent a great deal of time with this one, and I can be certain when I say that “I want to die and I still want to eat tteokbokki” is far deeper and more honest than its predecessor. While its candor could possibly be triggering for some, a book like this would not work without the author's vulnerability and benefits from not censoring her anxious and depressive thought processes. I can only speak for my personal preference but I found the repetitive nature of certain anxieties reassuring, one dosage change or therapy session does not suddenly solve a depression induced thought pattern. Set-backs and slip-ups are a part of the healing journey and recognizing this can be a comfort for a reader going through something similar. Overall this is a good follow-up to Baek Se-Hees’ first book and I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for an honest and reassuring perspective into depression.

unfortunately i do not this this one was for me.. i was so close to dnfing but i just pushed through. easy to read but im not sure it felt like it was missing something.

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.

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.