Utterly shocked, Bertie convinces the Theater Manager that if she can move Hamlet into the setting of Egypt, sell out the performance and get a standing ovation, she can stay.
Throughout the story, The Book that binds the Players to the Théâtre is captured by Ariel, an air spirit from The Tempest, who desperately wants freedom.
Nate, a pirate from The Little Mermaid, is kidnapped by Sedna, the Sea Goddess, in an attempt to save Bertie from her.
At the very end, the two, along with the four fairies from A Midsummer Night's Dream, head out into the real world to rescue Nate from Sedna.
The Seattle Times described the book as "about a girl growing up in a family that's part of "the enchanted Théâtre Illuminata," thanks to which she learns about every play ever written — and gradually discovers her own unusual writing powers.
[5] School Library Journal included Eyes Like Stars in an article about Young Adult books that feature fairies in 2010.