A review by whatjennyreadsinmontana
Jaya and Rasa. a Love Story by Sonia Patel
1.0
Here's the thing. This was a 4 star read for me until the end. We spend years with Jaya and Rasa. Rasa goes from a neglected child to a teenager turning tricks like her mother to put food in her siblings bellies. Jaya goes through recognizing who he truly is and coming out to his best friend.
Now comes the concerns & warnings⚠️
This book contains so much trauma. The triggers I wrote down while reading are sexual assault, prostitution, sex trafficking, eating disorder, homophobia, transphobia, suicidal ideation, infidelity, & drug use. The author fit as much awful stuff in here as she possibly could. But some of it was also SUPER problematic. ⚠️
Firstly, there is an extremely troubling depiction of foster care. Rasa's foster parents turn out to be directly involved in sex trafficking. Foster care doesn't need books depicting it as full of abusers. I know the system isn't perfect, but this image of foster care caused me concern.
On an even more important note, the book takes our trans character and turns him into a manipulative abuser himself at the end. When Rasa finally tells him she's a victim of sex trafficking, he accuses her of lying, accuses her of liking it, slut shames her and repeatedly tells her that she could have made a different choice. He also manipulates her emotions by attempting to shoot himself in front of her after saying all of this. When I tell you I almost set this book on fire. Mental illness is not a shock factor plot point. Suicide is not a bargaining tactic. I was repulsed by this. Especially because the resolution is Rasa apologizing to HIM and agreeing to go to the cops "like she should have all along". The story literally ends with the victim apologizing for being a victim (of child sex trafficking none the less) and Jaya saying "wow good thing that gun didn't work." I am a cis person so correct me if I'm wrong, but this doesn't feel like the rep trans people or mental illness needs. In YA nonetheless.
What the actual hell.
Now comes the concerns & warnings⚠️
This book contains so much trauma. The triggers I wrote down while reading are sexual assault, prostitution, sex trafficking, eating disorder, homophobia, transphobia, suicidal ideation, infidelity, & drug use. The author fit as much awful stuff in here as she possibly could. But some of it was also SUPER problematic. ⚠️
Firstly, there is an extremely troubling depiction of foster care. Rasa's foster parents turn out to be directly involved in sex trafficking. Foster care doesn't need books depicting it as full of abusers. I know the system isn't perfect, but this image of foster care caused me concern.
On an even more important note, the book takes our trans character and turns him into a manipulative abuser himself at the end. When Rasa finally tells him she's a victim of sex trafficking, he accuses her of lying, accuses her of liking it, slut shames her and repeatedly tells her that she could have made a different choice. He also manipulates her emotions by attempting to shoot himself in front of her after saying all of this. When I tell you I almost set this book on fire. Mental illness is not a shock factor plot point. Suicide is not a bargaining tactic. I was repulsed by this. Especially because the resolution is Rasa apologizing to HIM and agreeing to go to the cops "like she should have all along". The story literally ends with the victim apologizing for being a victim (of child sex trafficking none the less) and Jaya saying "wow good thing that gun didn't work." I am a cis person so correct me if I'm wrong, but this doesn't feel like the rep trans people or mental illness needs. In YA nonetheless.
What the actual hell.