Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

June 9, 2009

Enter Stage Right
All her world's a stage...Beatrice 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. Until now. Welcome to the Theatre Illuminata, where the characters of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Theatre by The Book- an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, buth they are her family - she is about to loose them all and the only home she has ever known.

This is just a phenomonal book! It is so unique, so well written and so wonderfully visual. By my account, one of the first signs of a great book is when I barely have to try and visualize the story. With great writing the story simply "appears" with little effort as I'm reading. Oh that's just heaven for me the reader!

I also simply adored all the central characters in this story! Even the "bad" guys have their own appeal! Bertie (Beatrice) our heroine, is an eaisly likeable lead and lets just say her ever-present sidekicks, the fairies from A Midsummer Night's Dream, will keep you rolling. I was laughing so much even my non-reader of a husband kept asking me what was so funny!

I don't want to give you too much info but...we follow Bertie as she desperatly seeks a way not to loose her beloved theatre (it would seem some people do not apprectiate her oft lively shenanigans.) Along the way Bertie finds herself in a love triangle (oh that always makes things so much more spicier!) and clues to her mysterious past. Maybe Bertie will finally find out exactly how she found her way to the Theatre Illuminata.

This book will do great in middle school on up. Even kids who aren't familiar with the multiple play characters will still enjoy the story, but having the prior knowledge just makes it that much better. Available July 7, 2009...Read this book!!!
Score: 5 points