Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Pages: 352

Copyright: 2009

Rating:

Michievious, strong willed Bertie Shakespeare Smith has lived in the Theatre Illuminata for as long as she can remember. Her friends and family are the cast and crew of the stage. After one in a long run of miscreant doings, Bertie is asked to leave the Theatre. Now Bertie must prove that she belongs in the Theatre with the rest of them. But with only four days to "make an invaluable contribution", can Bertie do it?

I fell in love with this book so fast, it's magic. It was hard to put down this book, and I found myself reading it as slowly as possible so as to absorb every nuance and emotion written. It's THAT captivating. Beautifully written, Eyes Like Stars is witty and light hearted. It was delightful, candid and just so much fun to read.

It's written in third person view, which might seem distant to the reader, but that's the beauty of the story! It's just like watching a play: You're so close, yet so far away. You want so much to be a part of it, yet you're content to just sit there and watch as it goes on.

Bertie's best friends, the four faeries from A Midsummer Night's Dream, are just too adorable. They complement Bertie well, supporting her without fail in everything she does and lifting her spirits up whenever she was down. I liked both Nate and Ariel, but I have to say I prefer Ariel much more.

Ariel is totally droolworthy to me, more so after Lisa Mantchev said that he's the likeness of Daniel Henney. While I love the chemistry between him and Bertie, I think Nate is much better for Bertie. He's steadfast and reliable, the island to Bertie's ocean.

It was intersesting to see different perceptions of Shakespeare's characters. As a Theatre noob, my only Shakespeare experience is the summarised version of Hamlet. Reading Eyes Like Stars seemed like a crash course, filled with just the right amount of theatre lingo and plays such that I didn't feel a bit lost when reading it.