Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Published: 7th July 2009
Pages: 352
Main Characters: Beatrice, Nate, Ariel, Peaseblossom, Moth, Cobweb and Mustardseed
Date Started: 18th September 2011
Date Finished: 25th September 2011
Rating Given: ***
Goodreads:
All her world’s a stage.
Bertie 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. That is, until now.
Enter Stage Right
NATE. Dashing pirate. Will do anything to protect Bertie.
COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARD SEED, and PEASEBLOSSOM. Four tiny and incredibly annoying fairies. BERTIE’S sidekicks.
ARIEL. Seductive air spirit and Bertie’s weakness. The symbol of impending doom.
BERTIE. Our heroine.
Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the actors of every play 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.
Lisa Mantchev has written a debut novel that is dramatic, romantic, and witty, with an irresistible and irreverent cast of characters who are sure to enchant the audience.
Open Curtain
I wanted to read this awhile ago now but was put off by all the negative comments that it was given, but then I found I didn't any books to read with the letter E for some of my challenges on Goodreads so I thought I would give it a try.
To start with I was agreeing with the negative comments and was going to give it a low rating as it was slow and very confusing. I found that I didn't know what was going on as none of it seemed to make sense. Once I got a bit further into the story and things was starting to get explained I found I was starting to enjoy it as it was different to other books that I have read before. Although it was different to any books I have read I did find it similar to a couple of Charmed episodes but I wasn't too upset by this as I did enjoy both the Charmed episodes and this version of the story from the book.
Beatrice did annoy me to start with but by the end she grew on me and I loved the way she didn't let anyone boss her around like some other main female characters do in other books it was rather refreshing. With Ariel I got confused to start with as I thought it was a female character like from The Little Mermaid so I was surprised to find he was a male character. However I still didn't warm to his character until maybe the last chapter but who knows what he will be like in the next book. I kind of liked Nate's character although I couldn't understand some of his dialogue but I guess that was the point as he was pirate. As for the four little faeries I loved them they was very funny characters and always stood up for Bertie definitely made the book!
The other thing that I didn't really like was that I could guess what was going to happen and who Bertie's mum was, which annoyed me a bit as I like to be kept guessing.
I didn't like the ending either as it was left with loads of questions but I would like to hope they would be answered in the books to follow.
I did find it a charming read in the end though and will read the next books but maybe next year.
