This is the kind of graphic novel I love to devour in one sitting. Stars in Their Eyes follows Maisie, who has always dreamed of meeting her hero, an amputee actor named Kara who plays a fierce, take-no-shit character in her favourite TV show. Having survived cancer but losing her leg in the battle, Maisie is all about the disability rep in her favourite show. So when she gets the chance to go to Fancon with her mother and meet her idol, Maisie can’t believe it. But, Fancon, as fun and exciting as it is, also turns out to be exhausting and way too big. Those downsides become background noise though when she meets Ollie, a cute volunteer who, like her, is all about diverse representation and inclusivity. They only have one day to spend together, but with the amount of sparks flying between them, it’s shaping up to be one of the best days of their lives.
Stars in Their Eyes was a quick, delightful read. There is so much representation in this short story: we have Maisie, who’s bisexual and disabled, and Ollie, who’s nonbinary. I loved their cute little romance that developed because of their shared interests and their support of each other’s identity and belief system. There were some very much appreciated discussions around chronic pain that I applaud. Maisie has to deal with a lot of commentary about her amputated leg as well, especially when she goes swimming in her hotel’s pool. People come up to her, telling her how brave she is and it throws Maisie for a loop. It really showed how a few words can impact the way you see yourself and make you feel self-conscious about simply living your life.
Maisie and Ollie’s respective parental figures also were quite entertaining. Ollie’s looks adorably confused for most of the story whereas Maisie’s mother is a firecracker that would do anything for her daughter—including spending a month’s worth of rent on little pancakes (which, by the way, you haven’t lived until you tried). They added a lot of colour and depth to the story without overwhelming the romance arc of Ollie and Maisie.
It was also wonderful to experience Maisie’s first time at a fan convention. To not only see the epicness that such an event holds, but also the way it can overwhelm you to be surrounded by loads of strangers in increasingly smaller spaces felt so authentic. Stars in Their Eyes didn’t shy away from showing both the good and the bad about Maisie’s health situation and its impact on the way she approaches and is approached by people and I think that we can all learn something from that.
All in all, Stars in Their Eyes is a captivating graphic novel with a beautiful art style, a diverse and inclusive cast and a fluffy like-at-first-sight romance that will have fans miss conventions and meet cutes to boot.
Stars in Their Eyes is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 28th 2021.
Will you be picking up Stars in Their Eyes? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Maisie has always dreamed of meeting her hero, Kara Bufano, an amputee actor who plays a kick-arse amputee character in her favourite show. Fancon is big and exciting and exhausting. Then she meets Ollie, a cute volunteer who she has a lot in common with. Could this be the start of something, or will her mum, who doesn’t seem to know what boundaries are, embarrass her before she and Ollie have a chance?
