Book Review: Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Eyes Like Stars is the story of Bertie, a girl who just doesn't quite know her place in a world full of fairies, wind spirits, pirates, and other characters.  She lives in the Theatre Illuminata, but not as an actress or as a stage hand.  In fact, her entrance into this place is rather a mystery.  But, when she is forced to prove her worth in order to stay in the only place she's ever known, all kinds of secrets start coming to light.

Things I Liked:
The humor is very good and I loved the quirky characters, each with a different and unique personality, even if they were based off characters from plays.  The story is also fairly interesting and I'd say one of a kind.  Here's a taste of the humor:

"Bertie would rather drink gasoline and shove a lit match up her nose than applaud..."p41

"And Peaseblossom - decorous, proper Peaseblossom - dropped her trousers to waggle her naked, pale bottom at the STage Manager. Bertie laughed involuntarily, chocked on her coffee, and nearly died as it came out her nose, but it was worth the searing pain in her nostrils to see the look on the Stage manager's face." p123

Things I Didn't Like:
I think there was not enough information about the mystery in the plot.  It left me feeling unsatisfied, particularly at the ending which was very open for the sequel.  The book will definitely appeal more to theater buffs.  And I hated Ariel with a passion.  Sometimes the writing or the style would feel like MG book, but then they'd smoke or drink or carouse and that would throw me off.

Read-alikes:
It's kind of a stretch, but it felt a bit like Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
maybe one or two

mrg-factor: X
some implied stuff

v-factor: ->
mostly talk

Overall rating: ***

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