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A review by thebooknerdscorner
Ros Demir Is Not the One by Leyla Brittan
4.0
Rosaline Demir wants to find love in this Turkish-American "Romeo & Juliet" remix, but she's not meant to be the main character in this story.
Ros Demir is looking to accomplish two things her junior year of high school: find the man of her dreams and be crowned homecoming princess. For now, she is ready to have the summer of a lifetime with her best friend, Eleanor. While on vacation, Ros meets Aydın, a charming new classmate who may just be the man she is looking for. Unfortunately, in her efforts to pursue Aydın she ends up upsetting Eleanor, which puts a bit of a wrench in her summer. But does it really matter as long as she gets the guy? In a pursuit to find her own happily ever after, she seems to be messing up everyone else's along the way. How much is Ros willing to sacrifice for her own happiness?
This one was definitely a mixed bag for me, but I'd say I liked it way more than I disliked it. The summery vibes, the references to Shakespeare, the segments that focused on acting, and the cultural discussions were all highlights for me. However, Ros couldn't make an intelligent decision the entire time and I found her to be so frustrating! More on that later.
I know that many people didn't really get the "Romeo & Juliet" vibes of this story, but I loved all the small things that alluded to Shakespeare's classic. From Ros being Rosaline, Romeo's scorned lover, to Aydın and Chloe being the Romeo and Juliet, and the masquerade scene where they all mingle with one another, I found these things to be so comical. Also, Ros tries to fight for Aydın's attention, but in the end, we all know that Romeo is destined for his Juliet. I found this to be so endearing that Ros eventually learns to accept this.
I also love how this presents Ros as a side character in Aydın and Chloe's romance. I thought that this was a really neat prospect to explore. After all, even Rosaline, Romeo's scorned lover, has her own story to tell. Getting to ride along with a side character and seeing her get her MC moments is quite entertaining and this really appeals to me as someone who often feels like an NPC in someone else's story.
Ros is half-Turkish and Aydın is full Turkish, so this book dives into many aspects of Turkish culture. Along with the cultural elements, also came the prejudice. There was this one kid named Franklin who is a bit of a racist jerk. I'm glad that Ros didn't let his racially charged remarks stand, but she really could have handled it in a better way. Ros also deals with living on the border of her two cultures, and trying to hide the pieces of herself that make her different, which many people can certainly relate to.
Once school starts up, we get to see Ros in one of her acting classes, which was something I enjoyed immensely. As a theatre girl myself, I love seeing scenes in which characters are learning about the art of theatre and experiencing the rush of channeling one's emotions to bring characters to life.
Now let's talk characters. Ros is hot-headed, arrogant, rash, narcassistic, and unwilling to back down about literally anything. She is invasive of people's privacy, never thinks about other's feelings, and wrecks all of her personal relationships by doing dumb stuff. Every decision that she made had me rolling my eyes and smacking my forehead. Luckily, she does have a bit of a redemption arc in the end, but if this book wouldn't have been such a quick read, I would have been immensely angered by Ros as a person.
The supporting characters on the other hand? They are all awesome. Aydın is so charming and kind, yet he's also extremely nervous and holds his secrets close to his chest. Eleanor is a little bit of a nerd and just wants to have fun in her own, not-Ros ways. Chloe is definitely cooler than Juliet because she loves art, cares deeply about her family, and adores her Korean culture. Lydia may be Ros' ex-best friend, but she seems like a pretty cool gal. Yeah, she is a bit self-centered too, but she loves theatre and tries hard to make up for her past grievances. These four are people I could get behind and I could see myself being friends with all of them.
Also, before I finish this, I just have to throw out there that Ros is a bit of a film buff and she watched "The Princess Bride" with Aydın, so. . . I give her a W for that one, at least.
Overall, "Ros Demir is Not the One" is a funny, not-quite-rom-com that has a great crew of characters, awesome summer vibes, and even a dash of Shakespeare thrown in. I didn't love Ros as a main character, but I can truly appreciate all of the growth that she goes through. I found myself flying through these pages to see how Ros would get herself out of the mess that she made for herself. If one wants a funny, lighthearted read that explores the value of friendship, what it means to live on the border that also pushes how far one will go to find their happily ever after, I would recommend you none other than Ros Demir!
Ros Demir is looking to accomplish two things her junior year of high school: find the man of her dreams and be crowned homecoming princess. For now, she is ready to have the summer of a lifetime with her best friend, Eleanor. While on vacation, Ros meets Aydın, a charming new classmate who may just be the man she is looking for. Unfortunately, in her efforts to pursue Aydın she ends up upsetting Eleanor, which puts a bit of a wrench in her summer. But does it really matter as long as she gets the guy? In a pursuit to find her own happily ever after, she seems to be messing up everyone else's along the way. How much is Ros willing to sacrifice for her own happiness?
This one was definitely a mixed bag for me, but I'd say I liked it way more than I disliked it. The summery vibes, the references to Shakespeare, the segments that focused on acting, and the cultural discussions were all highlights for me. However, Ros couldn't make an intelligent decision the entire time and I found her to be so frustrating! More on that later.
I know that many people didn't really get the "Romeo & Juliet" vibes of this story, but I loved all the small things that alluded to Shakespeare's classic. From Ros being Rosaline, Romeo's scorned lover, to Aydın and Chloe being the Romeo and Juliet, and the masquerade scene where they all mingle with one another, I found these things to be so comical. Also, Ros tries to fight for Aydın's attention, but in the end, we all know that Romeo is destined for his Juliet. I found this to be so endearing that Ros eventually learns to accept this.
I also love how this presents Ros as a side character in Aydın and Chloe's romance. I thought that this was a really neat prospect to explore. After all, even Rosaline, Romeo's scorned lover, has her own story to tell. Getting to ride along with a side character and seeing her get her MC moments is quite entertaining and this really appeals to me as someone who often feels like an NPC in someone else's story.
Ros is half-Turkish and Aydın is full Turkish, so this book dives into many aspects of Turkish culture. Along with the cultural elements, also came the prejudice. There was this one kid named Franklin who is a bit of a racist jerk. I'm glad that Ros didn't let his racially charged remarks stand, but she really could have handled it in a better way. Ros also deals with living on the border of her two cultures, and trying to hide the pieces of herself that make her different, which many people can certainly relate to.
Once school starts up, we get to see Ros in one of her acting classes, which was something I enjoyed immensely. As a theatre girl myself, I love seeing scenes in which characters are learning about the art of theatre and experiencing the rush of channeling one's emotions to bring characters to life.
Now let's talk characters. Ros is hot-headed, arrogant, rash, narcassistic, and unwilling to back down about literally anything. She is invasive of people's privacy, never thinks about other's feelings, and wrecks all of her personal relationships by doing dumb stuff. Every decision that she made had me rolling my eyes and smacking my forehead. Luckily, she does have a bit of a redemption arc in the end, but if this book wouldn't have been such a quick read, I would have been immensely angered by Ros as a person.
The supporting characters on the other hand? They are all awesome. Aydın is so charming and kind, yet he's also extremely nervous and holds his secrets close to his chest. Eleanor is a little bit of a nerd and just wants to have fun in her own, not-Ros ways. Chloe is definitely cooler than Juliet because she loves art, cares deeply about her family, and adores her Korean culture. Lydia may be Ros' ex-best friend, but she seems like a pretty cool gal. Yeah, she is a bit self-centered too, but she loves theatre and tries hard to make up for her past grievances. These four are people I could get behind and I could see myself being friends with all of them.
Also, before I finish this, I just have to throw out there that Ros is a bit of a film buff and she watched "The Princess Bride" with Aydın, so. . . I give her a W for that one, at least.
Overall, "Ros Demir is Not the One" is a funny, not-quite-rom-com that has a great crew of characters, awesome summer vibes, and even a dash of Shakespeare thrown in. I didn't love Ros as a main character, but I can truly appreciate all of the growth that she goes through. I found myself flying through these pages to see how Ros would get herself out of the mess that she made for herself. If one wants a funny, lighthearted read that explores the value of friendship, what it means to live on the border that also pushes how far one will go to find their happily ever after, I would recommend you none other than Ros Demir!