Eyes Like Stars (Théâtre Illuminata, #1) by Lisa Mantchev

Title: Eyes Like Stars

Series: 1st in series

Author: Lisa Mantchev

Published: July 2009 by Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 352

ISBN: 9780312380960 

Source: traded for ARC copy

Description: All her world's a stage. Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater. She is not an orphan, but she has no parents. She knows every part, but has no lines of her own. Until now. Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the characters of every place ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.

I Give This ...

 

I was very interested in this book because I love Shakespeare (yes I'm one of those), plus I love the theater.  I'm surprised it took me so long to read it.  I think you have to be in the right kind of book for it though because it's almost like the best of make believe in book form.  Imagine being able to converse with the characters from every play ever imaginable.  Your best friends are fairies, your love interest is an air spirit, and you've been raised by those who run the theater.  The author manages do this with such talent!  I had a little difficulty at first because the book is sort of written in play format.  But, soon I was so enthralled that by the end I was longing for more.  I loved the Shakespeare references, and the characters from his plays are an important part of this story.  I laughed out loud at some of the lines the fairies had, and held my breathe and some of the interactions between Bertie and Ariel.  The story was fantastic!  Enough, that I've decided I need to own a finished copy and I can't wait to read the sequel!