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(3.60/5)49 days in the Gumiho Restaurant
This is the first in a series. A teenage boy finds himself at the River Styx, about to cross to over the other side. A sly Gumiho offers him and another soul 49 extra days in the world of the living if they give the Gumiho a taste of their blood in return.
The boy and the man take the deal, but realise the Gumiho didn't tell them the whole story when they find themselves running a magic restaurant for the next 49 days.
The first chapter of this novel was quite dense and the story starts so abruptly that it was a little difficult at first. However after the first chapter the story follows a small set of characters in the running of the restaurant and their inter-personal relationships and is quite straight-forward.
If you enjoy it there's an audio drama version by KBS 라디오 극장 https://m.podbbang.com/channels/8800/episodes/24612033
크림말랑 먹고 싶다.
A teenager and a middle aged man meet after their sudden deaths. They make a deal to give up a taste of their warm blood for 49 days back to their world. Once there, they operate “구미호 식당“ and try to compete the unfinished business they have left.
This was a little complicated at first due to the fantasy elements. Once I got some chapters in, it became much easier. It was interesting to hear about their stories and their lives when they were alive. It also had interesting themes of family, love, and how we choose to remember or interpret events. The book shows us how we can choose to hold onto unhappiness and die with bitter regret, or choose another path. We cannot change the past, but maybe we can shift our view of it.
I didn’t really love the story as I was more invested in the teen’s story than the chef’s (whose story didn’t make much sense to me tbh). But I was glad we got to see the kid grow, as he did feel pretty apathetic about his death and didn’t even feel the need to wrap up anything or say goodbye lol. The book sounds dark, but it is written for a YA audience so it is actually light and comfortable to read (while still having a message).