Eyes Like Stars (Theatre Illuminata, #1)

by Lisa Mantchev

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

I had an incredibly difficult time putting this one down. I want to say I didn’t love it because lets face it… the plot kept pulling me in, then pushing me out, and I found the resolution sadly unfulfilling. However, I loved every bit of the characters and while I had issues with Nate and Ariel being romantic interests (as they felt so old and far away from Bertie) I also know that I wanted so badly for everything to work out with Nate at the end of the book (no further spoilers here!)

The writing at the very end was magnificent. While I didn’t care for Bertie’s overall decision, the way she “saved the day” was perfectly written and felt magical to me even as I read it.

I’m finding it difficult to write this review without spoilers, so bear with me.

The publisher and the cover struck me immediately on this book, and although it is something I won’t normally comment on, I did want to just mention how visually perfect the cover was. A lot of YA fantasy these days uses photography on the cover, but the artistry used to create the cover of Eyes Like Stars and the rest of the series is just absolutely beautiful.

I think the one important thing to keep in mind with this series is that the characters within may have been created in a certain way within certain stories… but Mantchev does not necessarily use them as such. The Shakespearean (etc.) characters have much of their own personalities that become visible offstage, something I both loved and hated (character dependent). One should not expect the heroes of beloved plays to be quite as heroic. This is, after all, but one person’s interpretation.

That being said, for anyone who gets excited by the idea of allusions, or is familiar with the workings of the theatre world, this book is a must-read. It is very unique, and utterly captivating.