A review by jamieruwen
I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Se-hee

fast-paced

2.0

Hate to say it, but this one was pretty meh for me. The therapist seems incompetent at best - doesn't hone in on why their client is so nervous they forget what was said in everyday conversation, doesn't communicate side effects of medication, chalks everything up to self-esteem issues, ignores her client's inkling that she may rely on alcohol too much to navigate social situations. I liked one therapeutic insight: Baek's propensity for extreme binary thinking - "if i can do x, that means i'm allowed to exist, and if i can't do x, that must mean i'm worthless". I wish the therapist would show more insights phrased as questions instead of dry statements, it is more helpful to lead someone to a conclusion than it is to just say what you think is true. 

All in all this book is just very Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and doesn't really think outside the boundaries of that. If you've already done CBT I highly doubt you will get much out of it. 

p.s. I think the translation might be a bit shit. it's very stilted and emotionless.