silver3wings 's review for:

Case File Compendium: Bing An Ben (Novel) Vol. 3 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou

3.0

---

I rated this one lower than the previous two simply for the absence of plot. There was maybe 20% plot, and the other 80% was repeating the same thing over and over in different settings. Much like Xie Qingcheng, I became desensitized to it, which would actually be interesting if I thought it were intentional. On the good side, the plot that was there was excellent. I also continue to appreciate how differently the two characters view what is happening. The level of delusion He Yu portrays is off the charts. The author perfectly illustrates the way people can sabotage themselves so completely, especially when they are desperate for something they don’t fully comprehend themselves. I keep reminding myself how young He Yu is. His brain hasn’t even fully developed yet, and he has a mental illness that is currently raging. Of course, he is going to make bad decisions, but every bad decision is the absolute worst he could make in the moment. He just gets farther from his goal. The reveal (and hint of more) at the end promises to shake things up in the next volume. Here’s hoping for more plot in the next one.