Thank you for the opportunities to read this book. I have attempted it on a number of occasions but unfortunately I haven’t been able to get into it.

My rating is a 2.5 / 5 stars.

The first thing that must be said is that the classification for this being a Young Adult book might be a little off. Although we can consider it to be for the young, young adults, it reads more like a middle-grade adventure.

I'm a big fan of magic and there was some rather unique and interesting magical elements. Karina finds a pair of magical shoes at a yard sale. An interesting and intriguing start. In the beginning, Karina has this sassy personality that is usually one of my favorite characteristics but as we went on, her immaturity started to make me like her less and less.

The plot is fast-paced which made this a fast read, but sometimes there were moments where this worked against the book because I couldn't grasp some of the information. Karina's life gets really chaotic and with it, so did the story. I had to go back and forth a few times to figure out what was happening and who was who. Especially when it came to the one character's family tree.

Even with the fast pace, it took me a while to get through this book. I don't think it was a bad book, it was just not for me. However, I can still appreciate that there were interesting ideas and aspects that came through in the story.

It was very original but I found it boring and a little slow.

Karina’s Silver Shoes is an interesting story about a girl who saw and fascinated to a silver shoes at some garage sale and took her in parallel dimension. It has big potential if the writing style could improve. There are loopholes like this is not a YA story but a MG story instead, there is no further information about the magic, technology and parallel dimension. Moreover, Karina annoys me most of the time and I couldn’t relate to her, also to other characters. I forced myself to finish this one because I was hoping for a development but I ended up disappointed.

Karina is at a yard sale when a pair of unusual-looking dress shoes catch her eye. She buys them, but soon finds out that these are no ordinary shoes, as evidenced when her normally unflappable best friend is driven by jealousy to steal them from her closet. When her friend suffers an unlucky accident after the theft, Karina is lead to wonder if these shoes are cursed. Surprise: they are. Soon after, Karina discovers that they belong to an evil fairy, and she is contacted by the fairy world to resolve the issue of the shoes...

And that's about where I stopped. I apologize, because normally I would finish a book before reviewing it, but in this instance? No. This reminded me too much of your ordinary run-of-the-mill self-published books that give independent publishing a bad name: flat storytelling, dull language, and lackluster characters. Not something I would recommend.

*thank you to Netgalley, Sparkly Wave and Weapenry Co-Op for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

2 stars.
DNF @ 51%

I hate to DNF (did not finish) a book but I just lost interest so much that it was painful to keep going. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this middle grade story. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy middle grade novels but this just dragged. It's an adventure story about a girl who is taken to a parallel dimension by two princesses, to destroy silver shoes that she brought at a garage sale. Turns out that they are magical and an evil lady wants them. Sounds pretty good! Unfortunately it just didn't work so well. It was good I think up until the 2 main girls in the story started on their journey. Then it just went downhill.

There are also similarities between this and 'The Wizard of OZ', especially in the title as in the original OZ novels, the shoes were silver, not red. So it's a stretch but this could also be classed as a retelling. But yeah, it's a pretty big stretch still. 

Also, I know that there is talk going around of this book being middle grade or young adult. If you read chapter 1 I don't think anybody can call it YA. It's not until further on that it starts to border on middle grade to YA territory. But only just. This is at least 85% middle grade so that's what I'm voting for it being. 

It was the cover that instantly grabbed my attention, it's gorgeous. Maybe I'll give this another try when I'm in a real mood for a middle grade story and see if my opinion changes.

Karina’s Silver Shoes was the story of Karina, 14, who runs into silver shoes at a garage sale and can’t help but buy them. Soon, she realizes that the shoes have power. That same night, she is visited by a strange being and also two girls claiming to be from another dimension. She then hurries to follow them to that other dimension and starts a dangerous and complicated quest.

I really wanted to like this… Sadly, I couldn’t…
Karina was really annoying, I couldn’t relate to her at all.
Everything went so fast, there was barely time to understand how things worked. I couldn’t connect with the side characters, their supposed allegiance kept changing every twenty pages.
The whole story just felt messy, from beginning to end.
I was mostly bored despite the never ending twists, and most of the characters were really annoying.
The writing also seemed pretty simple, almost childish to me...

This was a complete miss for me, but I think a younger audience might enjoy it.

As I started to format this review I realised this is a YA book. I thought it was middle grade? Not when I requested it, but I had forgotten about that. It read like a middle grade book to be honest.

As the title of this post already suggests: I’M VERY CONFUSED ABOUT THIS BOOK.

Barely anything was explained, and if they did explain things, I was still left confused. I don’t get what the point of the silver shoes was, because apparently what we’re first told about the shoes wasn’t true? But now I don’t know what the shoes do? And what the point of them was?

Also there was some kind of revolution/coup sub plot going on, which kind of came out of nowhere and didn’t feel built up at all to me. We’re told that the king is apparently a tyrant, but we’re only briefly told this and never really shown. It was barely even touched upon. That’s another big problem of this book: lot’s of telling instead of showing.

But let’s get back to the fact that this book is incredibly confusing. The entire book felt incredibly rushed to me, so that didn’t help me understand what was going on either. I also didn’t understand who was on which side. The fact that they all seemed to constantly switch sides and pretend to be on one side but actually be on the other didn’t help. Especially one character constantly switched: first they’re good, then they’re evil, then good again, then evil, then good – AND THEY NEVER EXPLAIN THINGS.

Towards the end of the book we find out the king has locked someone up for years, but either I missed it because I was so bored or it was never explained why? I did consider that maybe the king was afraid that this person was going to try and overthrow him, as he fears his daughters would in the present, but if I was supposed to make that out myself… Then that’s really bad writing. In this case we should’ve been told, not very very subtly shown.

All the characters were really flat. They could’ve easily been replaced by each other. Karina could’ve been an interesting, complex character, as she wants to wish for world peace and is upset at the idea that people wouldn’t know that she was responsible for it:

''because she would like to have statues made for her and win prizes.''

This would’ve made a more unique, interesting kind of hero, since a lot of the time in YA and middle grade we see heroes who are heroes because they want to do the right thing. Unfortunately this is never really touched upon. Karina was too two-dimensional to even stand out.

Apart from the characters, I also didn’t have a clue about the world this was set in. It’s set in an alternative fantasy world, but I don’t know anything about it, nor really what it looks like.

Basically this book kind of read like a first draft. There’s too much missing, there are plot holes and it was incredibly confusing. I really wanted to like this one, but alas.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*


I unfortunately DNF'ed this book 43% of the way through it-I tried to push it until the 50% mark as I really dislike not finishing a book unless it is definitely not my type of book, but by this stage I was so disinterested in the plot and the characters.


The book focuses on Karina's and the magical world she is thrown into after finding a pair of magical silver shoes at a garage sale. And while this book seems to be categorised as YA Fantasy, the writing style and storyline felt very Middle School to me, probably adding to why I just felt so disconnected from the characters and plot. There were hints of an interesting dynamic between the Kingdoms, the Rebels and the mysterious Lylah, but nothing was fleshed out for anything to have any meaning.


Nearly half way in there is little world development or character development and I was so confused about what is happening, what is at stake and why everyone is so terrified of these seemingly harmless silver shoes! The two princesses that visit Karina and whisk her away to their home (it is not even established whether this is on Earth, another planet or a parallel universe) are so one dimensional and even though Karina is the main character we know little to nothing about her and as a protagonist, she is forgettable.


I am little bit disappointed that I had such a negative experience with this book, but it wasn't as interesting as the synopsis painted it to be and probably would be suited to a younger audience then myself, more Middle School then YA.

I was hesitant about requesting this book, because the protag was so young... however, the netgalley reviews assured me that the story was good and it was "not like other ya books" netgalley - you have failed me !!!!!! Perhaps this was not "like other ya books" BECAUSE IT IS A CHILDRENS BOOK, honestly, the fairy boarding school books i used to read when i was 10 were more mature than this.

Aside from the childish nature of the protag and the other main characters (2 more children, a witch, a king - who is in it for like 2 minutes - the step-mum and king's advisor), this didn't make sense!!!!!! Literally, it was like the kid was like "hmm that sounded fishy, i don't trust that woman" when she didn't say anything weird or untrustworthy, which was just poor writing. The characters were strange and detatched, even the protag saying how they spoke roboticly and without emotion, and there's no real reason explained for this. The storyline was boring with a witch fighting against a kingdom - who is good? Who is evil? Idk, the characters and world building weren't interesting enough for me to care.

Sorry for the terribly negative review, its my fault for requesting it but i truly wouldn't categorise it as YA.

// Thanks to netgalley for providing me with a copy of this in exhange for an honest review //

The book starts off with Karina buying silver shoes in a yard sale (how did those shoes get there???). The shoes seem to possess some kind of power and she ends up going with two sisters that show up in her house at night, who told her they needed the shoes to save their kingdom in an alternative universe. If that doesn’t sound crazy to you, this is only the start. I didn’t understand Karina’s motivations for anything, really, she’s a follower and does pretty much whatever people tell her to. She believes everyone she meets without much doubt (especially in the beginning). I don’t know, I just didn’t get it.

“And you believe everything you hear?
Karina scratched her head. “I really have to stop that, like when two girls came to my room and told me I needed to help them save the world and defeat an evil witch. Believing what people tell me, what nonsense.”
The “main” side-character Cayla is very annoying and should just keep her mouth shut. I really didn’t like Cayla for a few reasons. First, she acts like every question Karina asks, is utter nonsense and that Karina should know better. Karina just came from an entirely different world, so cut her some slack. Second, there is this love-interest and Cayla is into him but she really acts stupid about it. Sometimes she says he’s like a brother to her and other times she’s obsessively jealous of some other girl he works with. It does not make sense.

Beside this one side-character, I could not understand the family dynamics in this story. This might just be because I haven’t been paying enough attention to it, but I just couldn’t make out who was who. Who the parents of the sisters (Cayla and whatever the other girl was called) were, I still have no clue. Also, I feel like everyone was constantly switching sides between good and evil and, honestly, after finishing the book I still don’t know who the antagonist really was.

“There are many things anyone could do. Each person is faced with infinite possibilities. It doesn’t matter why you choose one or the other, or why life draws you one way or another. What matters is not why, or what exactly, but your choices along the way. Perhaps any girl could have done it. But not all of them would have done it.”
To be completely honest, I have not read this entire book. I have skimmed a couple of chapters at about 2/3 of the book. I didn’t feel like it was worth my time and the storyline was just not interesting enough for me to continue reading everything. If I could summarize the storyline very shortly it would be something like this: girl goes to foreign land, travels from one castle to an evil witches’ castle, and back, and then back again, and then back again to save the land!

I am giving this book 2 stars (perhaps 2.5), simply because after a few days, the only things I really remember from reading this book are how annoying I thought Cayla was, how confusing everything was and how uninteresting the story-line was. I also had hoped to see a bit more about Brazilian culture, since the author is part Brazilian, but there was nothing about it in the book. I don’t know whether I would really recommend this book, it wasn’t really bad, it might just have been not to my taste.

From the moment, Karina lay eyes on a pair of silver shoes, she knew she had to have them. The shoes' unnatural pull has made her covet them in a way that often puts herself and those around her in unexpected circumstances. Her life is soon turned upside down when she is catapulted into the chaotic realm of Whyland. It is there that she soon becomes privy to a plan several of its residents have concocted in order to restore balance to the realm itself. Despite her misgivings, she dives head-first into what has been asked of her, never once thinking about the consequences of her actions.

A wonderfully put-together tale, Karina's Silver Shoes throws the reader smack-dab in the middle of Karina's tumultuous life. This is a girl whose attention has been piqued by a pair of silver shoes. A girl who knows nothing about the parallel dimension that exists alongside her world. She's innocent and quite naive, though she's headstrong and decisive when she needs to be. She often finds herself in situations that test her mettle, those of which also make her question what she must do in order to survive.

The author has created such a complex world. One that mimics the real world, to some extent. She vividly paints the environments the characters find themselves in, allowing the reader to further imagine everything they see, touch, and feel along the way. Though the quest the characters embark on is full of so much adversity, the characters are willing to see things through to the very end. Their desire to set all wrongs to right drives them do what they think is best for themselves and those they love. A truly immersive read, this is a book that stays on your mind long after you've read it.

Overall I didn’t enjoy reading this book. If I hadn’t received this from Netgalley, I would have DNF’ed it at 30% because I have been in a reading slump and this wasn’t helping. The characters and the world felt flat to me, underdeveloped. And the plot was all over the place. I can see the potential of the promise of this novel, but it wasn’t that was executed.

It's about a girl, Karina, finding these silver shoes and she became possessive over them. This was obvious when she was furious that her friend had borrowed them without asking. Things didn't end well for her friend...she didn't die if that's what you're thinking. Afterwards, she is visited by two separate parties who both want the shoes. They come from this other dimension which seems like a fantasy, futuristic world called Whyland. Apparently, these shoes are evil and owned by an evil witch. The only way to get rid of them is by going to the said witch's territory and throwing them into a volcano. Does this remind you of another story? It felt like Karina's Silver Shoes was inspired by Lord of the Rings. But a younger readers version and has many twists so this story turns out original.

At first, it was really slow, confusing and getting nowhere. I was so confused because I knew what was happening or was going to happen but I don't know why it is happening. Furthermore, the author threw in so many new elements to this story without explanation so really you have to read along to eventually grasp where this story is going. So yes the beginning was truly hard to move forward in but I managed to get through then I started to enjoy Karina's adventures in Whyland.

It turned out that this story was about more than the silver shoes. You found out about the lost family connections, rebellions and magic. Whyland is a very interesting kingdom and seems to have a rich history that I wouldn't mind reading about.

I started to care for the characters(which, again, took me a while for me to understand relationships and their characteristics). Karina was nice, smart and a little too accepting. I mean, who just travels to a strange land without knowing anything about itso quickly. Despite that, I like her. She tries to do her best to make everyone safe and happy. Another thing I loved was that Karina is adventurous and knows that Whyland won't be the last exciting place she'll visit.

Denise Marques Leitao wrote this story very dreamlike and with full of adventure. She wrote about friendship, bravery and badass women. Loved it all.

Overall, this story of the Silver Shoes was just a intro for readers to an even more interesting story about the kingdom. There was a really good lesson that we will always have adventures and just because one ends, it just means that our next adventure will begin.

It isn’t often I struggle with a book, but with Karina’s Silver Shoes I’m torn in two. On one side I love the idea. Imagine a pair of shoes at a yard sale drawing you to them. A beautiful woman shows up in your room offering you wishes in exchange for the shoes. Then two girls whisk you away on an adventure in another dimension. What isn’t there to love?

So, here is the thing. It misses the mark. The descriptions are repetitive. There are pages of dialogue to cut. Characters we didn’t know exist arrive from nowhere as an instrumental part of the ending. And the magic, the reason we all read books like this, well it wasn’t there. Ok, it’s referred to, but our main character is never around when it takes place (Nia’s fighting scenes, for example).

I should clarify. I love self-published books and this is readable. The cover for this book is beautiful, the title is great and the blurb is interesting. A world is built with a perfect mix of fantasy and interesting sci-fi. Yet, there are parts where the writing isn’t developed. For example, feelings are told to us.

“I’m tired, confused and imagining things.” Karina says.

Why not have the character yawn, rub her eyes, look dazed, daydream about something? It would make us more connected to the characters. Any publisher or editor would scrap pages of the repetition and stiff dialogue making a huge difference.

To me, this book feels like a draft. The plot is great. The author has talent, but, the book would benefit from sections covered in red pen.

The description of this made it sound like a wonderful, witty and promising young adult book. The first chapter made me wonder if I was reading middle grade by accident.
I don't like leaving stories unfinished, especially if I have to give an honest review. It's not fair if I stop at 30% and give it a two star rating. That said, at 100%, my recommendation didn't change. I have never rolled my eyes so much while reading a book. I was under the impression this was meant to be a satirical take, but it missed the mark entirely. Karina, the main character, is sadly one of the most annoying and naive MCs I have ever come across. So many times throughout the book, my eye rolls were prompted by her internal thoughts. At times, she said so many ... stupid things. It's been a while since I was fourteen, but I'm pretty sure I was making the connections she was making at age 8.
The story itself was so lacking. The numerous spelling mistakes and grammar issues throughout were highly distracting. About a hundred pages could have been lopped off, and then we wouldn't have been treated to the conversations, "You should go." "No, you should." "Wait, you stay here. I'll go instead." "I trust him." "I don't." "Well, I do." "Can we trust him though?" Over and over and over. I actually skipped several pages, just to get to the part where they reach a decision, and I missed nothing in between. The events that unfold are quite slow, boring and without much detail. I was often confused over who people were and who was on what side because it either wasn't explained well at all, or I glossed over it while reading and couldn't bother to go back.
That's not to say there wasn't great promise with this book. There is! But every time it started to get good, someone *cough* Karina usually *cough* would say something so naive or unbelievably obvious that I was ripped right out of it.

I loved the tagline on this one enough that I decided to request Karina’s Silver Shoes after reading only two lines of the blurb on NetGalley. I didn’t know how someone could have the fate of the world in their shoes, but I wanted to know!?

This ended up being such an enjoyable read that had at least a little of all of my favorite fantasy elements, woven together in a narrative that was never lacking for strong female characters. I loved watching Karina try and navigate Whyland (fun name!) and make sense of everything going on around her.

I hope to read more from Denise Marques Leitao in the future!

Writing style took a bit to get used to, otherwise fun read for a young YA audience with an interest in fairytales and fairytale parodies.