Monday, August 20, 2012

Review: Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Eyes Like Stars (Théâtre Illuminata #1)
By Lisa Mantchev
Publisher:
Feiwel and Friends

To Sum It Up: The Théâtre Illuminata is unlike any other theater. Its actors are not merely playing parts; they are the characters. For Beatrice “Bertie” Shakespeare Smith, the Théâtre is the only place that she’s ever called home. Bertie has no memory of her parents or how she came to the Théâtre. When one antic too many causes the Theater Manager to ask her to leave, Bertie must prove that she’s invaluable to the Théâtre or else face the unknown in the outside world.

Review: Eyes Like Stars came up as a Goodreads recommendation. When I read the synopsis, the idea of a theater in which the characters are real, living beings intrigued me. The main character’s name also caught my attention because it had “Shakespeare” in it. Once I saw that, I had to add this book to my TBR list. One day, I spotted Eyes Like Stars at the library and figured that I’d give it a try. This turned out to be one little gem of a book, and I probably never would have discovered it if it hadn’t been for Goodreads.

Mantchev is an amazing writer. Eyes Like Stars instantly pulled me in with a whimsy that reminded me a bit of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus. In the Théâtre Illuminata, someone merely has to call for a scene change, and voilà! The stage is all set for another production. What makes all of this possible is The Book, a magical tome that contains every play ever written. The Book also binds all of the actors to the Théâtre; they cannot venture outside of its walls. Mantchev vividly brings this setting to life; I absolutely believed that this world was possible.

The characters, or should I say cast, are as brilliant as the microcosm that they inhabit. Bertie, the cobalt blue-haired heroine, is smart, witty, and determined. She also possesses a knack for getting into mischief, and watching her wheedle her way out of it is highly amusing. Bertie’s frequent run-ins with her nemesis, the Stage Manager, have a lot to do with the company that she keeps. Her best friends happen to be the fairies from William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Although Peaseblossom, the only girl in the group, tries to keep the boys (Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed) in line, there always seems to be a scuffle breaking out among them. The fairies steal the show with both their shenanigans and their smart-aleck remarks. I loved the book’s dialogue in general; it crackled with wit.

My only quibble was with the ending. It felt kind of rushed and left me scratching my head a bit. I thought that some things were explained away a little too conveniently. I was also disappointed with the way in which one character’s fate was left hanging in the air. The rest of the novel, however, was just too good to let the ending affect the book’s overall rating. There’s also some good news: Eyes Like Stars is the first book in a trilogy, so I’m optimistic that I’ll eventually find out what happened to that character.

All in All: Eyes Like Stars is a delightful read. If the image of Lady Macbeth trading catty insults with Queen Gertrude from Hamlet makes you laugh, then you should pick up this book. Even if you’re not a fan of Shakespeare, I’d still recommend this because of its humor and winning charm.

8 comments:

  1. Great review, Lee! This sounds really interesting, and I am a fan of anything that can bring to mind The Night Circus, as I absolutely adored that book. Definitely adding this to my to-read list! :)

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    1. Glad to hear it! I just loved how enchanting the world of this theater was. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!

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  2. When I first saw this book I fell in love with the cover but I never knew what is was about until I read your review. I love the concept and I really enjoy books where the characters wind up in some kind of mischief. This sounds like a book I'd enjoy so I'm adding it to my list of books to get. :)

    Isa @ Chasing Quills

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    1. The concept really is unique, and the excellent writing makes it seem entirely plausible. If you like mischievous characters, Bertie and her friends will definitely make you smile. I hope you like reading this book, too. :)

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  3. Thanks for sharing,Lee. This isn't a book I've come across before, but it sounds exactly right for me.

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    1. I wasn't familiar with it, either, until it popped up in my Goodreads recommendations. It was just my kind of book; I hope you have the chance to read it soon, too. :)

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  4. I won this a long time ago, but I just totally forgot about it. Oops. I should def. read it now. Sounds super good. :)

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    1. That's so cool that you won a copy of this! You should definitely read it! :)

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