Eyes Like Stars: Theatre Illuminata, Act I

by Lisa Mantchev

Book Overview

All her world's a stage.Bertie Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.She's not an orphan, but she has no parents.She knows every part, but she has no lines of her own.That is, until now.Enter Stage Right NATE. Dashing pirate. Will do anything to protect Bertie. COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARD SEED, and PEASEBLOSSOM. Four tiny and incredibly annoying fairies. BERTIE'S sidekicks. ARIEL. Seductive air spirit and Bertie's weakness. The...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312380968
• ISBN13: 9780312380960
• Release Date: July 2009
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 12 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 7 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

12 hours, 42 minutes, BRILLIANT!

I bought this books as a casual read. I bought the trilogy without reading anything about them. I got the book in the mail today, started reading this after I got home from physical therepy. 12 hours and 42 minutes later I finished it and just closed the pages and watching the world turn from dark to gray cloudy morning skies with birds chirping. I have the other two ready to start and I will start the next one as soon as I wake up. This book is a great casual read. I saw the cover and expected the same old YA/romance trope, and got a new world of adventure, one that I won't be leaving until I finish the final book. My appetite has grown and my mind and imagination, and my emotions will not be sated until I finish the very last page of the series. BUY THIS BOOK.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Beatrice Shakespeare Smith lives in a theater. She's not an actress, but she knows every part. The Theatre Illuminata is the only home Bertie has ever know. But one mishap too many has the Theater Director determined to send Bertie on her way -unless she can prove that she is a valuable part of the Theater. Now, Bertie must fight for her home while unlocking the secrets of her past... Ok, I'll try to control my gushing and fan-girliness over this book, but EYES LIKE STARS is amazing!!! This has to be one of the most creative, imaginative, beautiful novels I have read. I loved the setting of the Theatre Illuminata and the idea that all the players of every play lived in the theater and were able to be called upon whenever they are needed (and sometimes when they're not needed!). Lisa Mantchev has managed to capture the magic of the theater in this stunningly written novel. I honestly can't believe this is her debut. All the characters are so richly drawn and detailed and I could hear various voices for everyone as I was reading. Everything was so vividly written, I could actually see the see the story unfolding as a play in front of me. The fairies offer fun comic relief, whereas the tension between Ariel and Bertie provides plenty of drama. The dialog is witty and snappy and lots of fun. This was a book that I literally had to tear myself away from and force myself to go to work and sleep - I never wanted to stop reading. Shakespeare does play heavily into the novel, but you don't need to be a Shakespearean scholar to follow along and recognize the characters. Also, Lisa Mantchev does an excellent job filling the reader in on the important details of each part, without it losing the flow of the story. There are several plays and characters that make appearances throughout and discovering each one is part of the joy of reading this novel. As someone who has been heavily involved in theater, I loved the subtle details about theater life that only theater people really and truly understand - the arguments over props vs. sets, the actor's egos. But even if you've never had any experience in a theater, there is sure to be something you'll love in EYES LIKE STARS. I highly recommend this to all readers, even readers who typically shy away from fantasy. This didn't feel like a typical fantasy to me, so I'm sure it will attract even those who don't usually read that genre. I'm excited to see this will be a trilogy - I'm looking forward to reading more from this fabulous debut author! Reviewed by: Sarah Bean the Green Bean Teen Queen

To Review or Not to Review, That is the Question

Let's start with THE mother or all disclaimers: I am actually related to the author. Nepotism is an interesting thing; it's most likely what got me cast in two of my sister's plays growing up (considering I can't act my way out of a hat box) but it's not what's led me to review her debut novel: "Eyes Like Stars." Reading "Eyes Like Stars" is a bit like seeing my sister's head explode on the page...only with caffeine and sugar infused fairies. I've had the benefit of reading several incarnations of "Eyes Like Stars" and the inevitable wailing began with me lamenting: "you cut the bit I liked!" That said the end result is one of the most imaginative, thoughtful and well, just plain amazing books that I've read in a really long time. I explain to my friends and colleagues that the book is about Bertie, an orphan growing up in a theatre surrounded by the most famous and notorious characters in every play ever written. When Bertie is told she must leave the theatre she is set on a path of proving her worth, not only to the Management, but herself and through the process learns the secrets of her past and the person she is going to become. Far more than a simple story though, Lisa creates a world that is visually acute. When I read the book I feel like I'm watching a play or movie; that I am Bertie in the thick of things, surrounded by miscreant fairies and caught between two very charismatic men. The story's vibrancy practically leaps from the page and using a device such as formatting flashbacks like a stage play is brilliant, not to mention completely original. "Eyes Like Stars" is a smart read and is everything I enjoyed reading growing up (and to be perfectly honest, is still what I enjoy reading): vibrant characters, witty banter with a generous splash of sarcasm, a dash of romance and lots of sugar. The perfect recipe for a great read. If you enjoy reading books by Neil Gaiman, Frank Beddor, Tamora Pierce, and Diana Wynne Jones and love plays and acting, it's a good bet that you'll love this book! Bring on the next book, Sis!

Positively sparkling!

The Théâtre Illuminata is the only home Bertie has ever known. It's a magical place where The Book, which contains every script written, resides along with countless players who are not born, but written into their parts. Bertie is an outsider, a human orphan, left at the mercy of the Theater Manager and raised by the players. But when her endless tricks and tomfoolery drive some at the Theatre Illuminata to the end of their ropes, Bertie is given an ultimatum: become uniquely useful, or get out. But there is much more at stake than Bertie ever realized... One word comes to mind when it comes to Eyes Like Stars, and that is scintillating. Lisa Mantchev's debut novel positively sparkles. It is overflowing with all the elements that make up great reads: fabulous humor, a spunky, clever, and lovable heroine, four mischievous and amusing fairies, a dashing pirate, a pernicious villain, and a deep secret that could change everything. Mantchev structures the novel in an interesting and enjoyable fashion, using prose and drama styles to create a "play within a play" effect that keeps things interesting. Because the novel starts out briskly and doesn't really slow down, some readers may feel a bit confused at the very beginning of the novel, but its not long before things click into place perfectly. And even though Eyes Like Stars alludes heavily to Shakespeare's work, knowledge of Shakespeare and his works aren't required in order to enjoy this extremely clever, lively, and glittering read. As each page goes by, readers learn something new and delightful about the Théâtre Illuminata, until at the very end it is impossible to let go of Bertie and her cast. This hilarious and quirky debut demands an encore! Cover Comments: Stunning. This cover captures the eye! The fairies and are a really great touch, and the colors just perfect. I also really like the font both the title and the author's name and tagline are in. This cover is quirky, dramatic, and exciting, just like the book!

Pure Imagination

Lisa Mantchev's Eyes Like Stars is about a young lady, Bertie, who is forced to make herself invaluable after she was asked to leave the Theatre Illuminata after a few mishaps on her part. Seen as a waste and as useless Bertie has to find a way to be truly important and therefore decides to become the Director for Hamlet redone in a new way. She is however warned that changes she invokes might not be the best idea and might tip the balance of the Theatre but alas Bertie is determined to stay and gets to work reworking Hamlet. When things start going wrong Bertie realizes just how much she values the Theatre and how much the Theatre values her. Bertie with the help of her trusted fairy friends learns the magic of the theatre Illuminata and the truth about herself. Lisa Mantchev's characters are vibrant and full of life, funny and sticky sweet. They are not only clever, witty and funny but above all else they are truly unique. You spend page after page rolling iwht laughter or playing around with Mustardseed, Moth, Cobwed and Peaseblossom. I couldn't get enough of their hilarity. The setting -the Theatre Illuminta -is fantastic. A theatre is a place where real magic happens and true imagination lives and breathes, where anything CAN happen; and that is how the Theatre works. I am finding I am at a lack for words to describe Mantchev's literary brilliance. Mantchev writes with real creative brilliance and each page is filled with wittiness, cleverness and just plain old fun. The characters dance to life with magic and wit; containing life unseen before in any book. This is imagination and creativity at its best. It IS imagination. A world so rich and magnificent that it sparkles out of the pages and fills me with smiles, laughter and utter intrigue. I give this book a 98/100 A+ Characters- 20 Plot- 19 Writing- 19 Originality- 20 Re-Readability- 20

Best. Fun. Evar.

I wasn't looking forward to writing this review, because it would be hard to tamp down my enthusiasm. This was exactly the book I wanted to read. The word that kept coming back to me as I read it was effortless. The humor works perfectly, and the dialogue rivals Gilmore Girls--only it's a lot more genuine. The cast--and it is a large cast, since, you know, every character from every play lives in the Theater--was handled deftly, and even the minor characters shine. I was worried when I started, afraid that worldbuilding could have weighted the manuscript down. That's the problem with coming up with something so unique, so fresh--most writers don't know how to make it work. I'm always terribly interested in the workings of the world in which characters I like live, but oftentimes it gets in the way of plot. Again, the word effortless pops up. Mantchev tells the reader just what they need to know to make the story viable--no more--and leaves the rest up to the imagination...or perhaps the next books in the series. And the voice? Oh wow, the voice rocks my socks. Glib but tinted with mystery, new but old, curious and straightforward, the contradictions only add depth and flavor to an already solid plot. As for the characters, I fear saying much because their stories are so tightly woven that I might give spoilers. Trust me, you don't want spoilers. You just want to experience the magic that is this book. And I think that's what's been missing from a lot of fantasy stories: real magic. But Eyes Like Stars has magic and so much more. Can't wait for the next installment to get here!