Eyes Like Stars: Theatre Illuminata, Act I

*4.5 maple leaves*

Originally posted at http://dazzlingreads.blogspot.com/


Open Curtain

Natalia (The blogger)

(sitting in her bed and moping some tears from her cheeks with a kleenex)
Beautiful!! So lovely!! (throughs the kleenex away)
My dear readers and fellow bloggers, I just finished reading Eyes Likes Stars by Lisa Mantchev! The ending of this book wasn't sad at all, but It was written in such a beautiful way that I feel overwhelmed! *sniff, sniff* Oh my! Specially he last few lines! They have such a strong feeling of adventure, freedom and the promise of a whole new world to discover that it moved me to tears. Can't help it. *sniff* *sigh*

(stands up from her bed and take a few steps towards the audience)
But I don't want to talk about the ending of the book or what the plot is about. I want to tell you how I feel about this book and why I want you to read it. (rising one arm and smiling) Yey!

(looking up into the light and gently rubbing her fingers on her chin)
Oh Lisa Mantchev... You did surprise me!

(looking to front into the audience's eyes and putting her hands on her hips)
Eyes Like Stars was a very peculiar fantasy. Honestly, I think this book is one of a kind. Very unique and magical. It is so different that, to be honest, it took me many pages to get familiar with the World Matchev created. It wasn't until page hundred-twenty-something that I really got used to the very singular place of the Théâtre Illuminata. I enjoyed all the hundred-twenty-something previous pages, but it did feel foreign to what I usually read. And I know that hundred-twenty-something is a lot but not that much compared to everything this book has to offers. Seriously, after I got familiar with this world, I was blown away with every single act that the wondrous Théâtre Illuminata, cast and crew offered me. I loved the story!

(taking a few more steps and sitting at the edge of the stage)
You know? I would really love to live in the Théâtre Illuminata. This theatre is filled with magic and it seems to have life by itself. This theatre magically changes from one setting to another bringing the entire world in this one place. Seriously, so many things happened in this one place that morphs into whatever you want it to be that it was...(looking beyond the audience with a lost gaze) it was... it was... marvelous and fascinating and...and.... Yeah! I am kinda lost of words but you know what I mean! It was such an delightful experience! *sighs* *smile*

(looking back to the audience, crossing a leg over the other and supporting her chin on her hand)
I really love the feeling that this book gave me. Seriously, I really felt like sitting on the front row of the theater! It was like watching a play even though this story is not written in play form. It is incredibly well done! And Oh my dear friends! I love the cast. There are hilarious, alluring, cute and mysterious characters that can easily steal your heart. I love Bertie! she is a very brave and smart the heroine! Nate is the cutest pirate ever and Ariel...Whoaaaa! Now I think that I definitely have a thing for airy spirits! There are many other wonderful characters but it would be so much better if you meet them by yourself. I also loved this innovative collision of classical and contemporary environment in this place. Sometimes you see jeans and blue hair or corsets and long dresses and other things here and there. I really like the visual variety I saw in the story. I have never read something like this before and I loved it!

(standing up)
I am really happy I read Eyes Like Stars. Such a magical story with such unique lovable characters is worth having on the shelf of every fantasy lover. Although this book might not be for everyone, I highly recommend to step out of the shell and pick up this book! Seriously, once you get entangled with this world, there is no way you want it to end!

(Taking a few steps back stopping right in front of her bed)
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev will certainly be a wonderful experience of self discovery, adventure, friendship, love and so much more! This is the kind of story that always takes a special place in readers' heart. Bertie, Nate, Ariel, four mischievous faeries and many other fascinating characters are waiting for you to sit in the front row and enjoy their play! I certainly did!

(getting back into bed covering herself and ready to sleep)
And that, my dear friends, is all I wanted to say.
Goodnight!

Closing Curtain

What first drew me to this book was the beautiful artwork on the cover. I would walk into Chapters every other week and always pick up this book read the excerpt and book it back. Unfortunately at the time I didn't have any extra money to spend on books so I had to wait. But the wait was worth it. Lisa knows how to take "boring" Shakespeare and make it interesting. I would have preferred to read her versions in high school.
My likes:
- New twists on famous theatre characters
- Bertie is a strong female type who doesn't let any of the boys push her around
- I LOVE the fairies. They had the best dialogue throughout the book. They are always talking about cupcakes and other delicious treats. (I wanted to go buy a cupcake every time they talked about sweets) My favourite scene in the entire book is as follows:

Bertie snatched Moth from midair. "How do you feel? Any more free than usual?"
He paused to Reflect. "Yeah, but only because I'm not wearing underwear today."
Cobweb and Mustardseed backed away from him. "You're going commando?'
Moth nodded. "I forget to five Mrs. Edith my hamper this week."
"Aw, man! I want to go commando, too!" Cobweb said as he reached for his trouser buttons.
Page 191 - 192

I was in tears laughing so hard at this scene it is my favourite
- Nate - I love me some pirate, and perfect for Bertie
- Ariel - Though I think I like him more for his gracefulness and looks. Don't think he is the one for Bertie. He is for me
Dislikes:
- My only complaint is trying to understand how the Theatre work was confusing at first but Lisa explained it near the end.
Overall this is a great book for someone wanting to read something happier than vampires, ghosts and werewolves and loves classical theatre productions.

The Results:
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Would I let my 15 year old sister read: You Betcha
No course language or inappropriate sexual references.


Check out my blog for more reviews. www.vampsweresandcassay.blogspot.com

Bertie Shakespeare Smith has lived her entire life in the Theatre Illuminata. But what's different about this theatre is that all the characters of every play ever written actually LIVE in this theatre. They are not only actors, but they are the people themselves.

The magical Book is what keeps these players alive. This book contains all their plays and is the only thing that keeps the players from leaving the Theatre. Bertie has grown up with all of them, including Hamlet, Macbeth, Ophelia, Oberon and more. But the two most important ones are Nate and Ariel.

Ariel is a seductive air spirit that has a few tricks up his sleeve. Nate is a pirate from Peter Pan who only has one line in the whole play, but he would do anything to protect Bertie, especially from Ariel.

But when things go amiss and her home is threatened, Bertie and her faerie sidekicks must find a way to direct the greatest play ever, or else she'll be saying goodbye to the Theatre forever.


What I liked about Eyes Like Stars is how Mantchev decided to make all these make-believe characters real people. The idea that they actually lived together in a little theatre was creative and interesting.

But it was unbelievably hard to finish this novel. The story was good, yes, but I absolutely hated Bertie. She was selfish, obnoxious and bipolar. Every little thought she had revolved around herself. Yes, some parts she thought about others, but if you got down to the littlest detail, her thoughts about those other people went back to her. It was just so annoying! I wanted to just reach into the book and slap some sense into her.

**SPOILER**
And it wasn't just Bertie either. I got constantly frustrated at other characters too, like Ariel. He played the seductive part right, but then he would turn all evil, then back to happy seductive guy again.

I just ended up speeding through the ending because I wanted it to end. I was excited about reading the sequel at first, but now, I don't really want to anymore.

I'll give this book a 1.3 ish or 1.5, but that's only because I liked the concept, and SOME of the characters were well written enough to have a personality they stuck to.

This is defiantly one of those books that is one of a kind, and truly unique. I finished reading it in one sitting; the plot is so captivating, and I became hooked on the characters, and the magical setting. This story was beautifully written, and each page was as if you were seeing it before your eyes. I love the whole idea of this book, because it's out of the ordinary, and very different..

Beatrice Shakespeare Smith, known as Bertie, is our main character in this story. She's not an actress yet she lives on a stage, she has no parents but she's not an orphan, and she knows every part of the plays, but never had lines of her own. Her bedroom is on the very stage of which The Players perform, when there's a scene change her furniture lowers and the new scene comes in. The Players are the characters from every play ever written, they are bound to the Theater by The Book, and they cannot leave the stage, and are forever apart of this Theater. Bertie can leave, but this is her home ever since she was little, but, when the Theater Manager calls a all The Players to the stage, he has news. What he says, shocks Bertie, he says that she is to leave the Theater as soon as possible. She doesn't know how this could happen, but she has a chance to stay, if she can show the Theater Manager that she can contribute to the Theater in any way, than she can stay. Bertie comes up with an idea, and she will need the help of her friends; Her four fairy sidekicks, Moth, Cobweb, Mustardseed and PeaseBlossom cause trouble, annoy, but help Beatrice along the way. Nate, the protective pirate from the play The Little Mermaid, will do whatever he can to protect Bertie...
Bertie comes up with an idea, but has little time to follow through with it. Trouble comes up along the way, as Ariel, the airy spirit from the play The Tempest, tries to convince Bertie to leave and take him with her. All Ariel wants to do is leave, and his motive drives him trying to find a way to leave the Theater. Bertie has to stop him, while coming through with her idea to stay.
The plot thickens and Ariel causes much more trouble that could lead to a disaster, Bertie must show that she contributes to the Theater, and decide whom she loves; Nate, the protective pirate, or Ariel, the seductive spirit. This story has magic, excitement, adventure and romance.

I really liked this book, the characters were great, and the plot is brilliant. The Fairies bring great humor to this book, which made this book that much better. Nate was a great character, he was one of my favourites, Bertie was also a great character, she had courage and determination. The ending was a major cliffhanger, this is the first book in the series, and I cannot wait until the next comes out!!!


2010-010

Let me begin this review by making something very, very clear: Eyes Like Stars is the novel all young adult authors should aspire to.

As an aspiring author, I know it has certainly influenced how I view such novels and what I should be aiming for. Not that I am about to copy anything Lisa Mantchev has written! I can only hope to write such a beautiful, elegant, fun, cute, and entrancing story.

In an industry saturated to egregious amounts with vampires and werewolves and fairies, Lisa Mantchev has brought something very unique and delicious to the table: the lavish setting of the Theatre Illuminata, where flashbacks are told in screenplay format, pirates roam free (in more ways than one), and men are not afraid to hang out with butterflies.

Okay, it's got fairies, but they're much more Froudian - wee, mischievous, and cake-wrecking - than you can find in many novels these days. They add much of the comic relief to the novel - not that such an enjoyable, free-wheeling book needs such a thing. Not a depressing moment to be had in this novel. Plot twists and tension, yes. Misery for the sake of misery, no.

This novel is one of the best summer reads you will find this year. Or autumn reads. Or winter reads. Really, it's the type of novel that is like the most satisfying milkshake: sweet, a bit luxurious, addictive, and altogether easy to swallow.

Also, it will make you crave either sweets or hot buttered toast.

Also, it will make you want to dye your hair blue.

Also, my mother read and liked this book. (She hasn't read young adult fiction since the fourth Harry Potter book. Just sayin'.)

This is a wonderful first novel by Lisa Mantchev that both teens and adults would enjoy. The writing was supurb, the characters fun, and the magic juuuuuuust enough to add some spice and truly bring the Theatre Illuminata to life! I fell in love with Bertie and you will too...just be sure to watch out for her fairy friends, straight from the pages of Shakespeare.