Cinderella's Shoes

About This Audiobook

Shonna Slayton’s *Cinderella’s Shoes* isn’t your average retelling—it’s a dark, glittering puzzle where history and myth tangle around a modern girl’s obsession with glass slippers. Kate Allen’s discovery of her family’s hidden ties to the real Cinderella isn’t just a thrill; it’s a curse. The Kolodenkos, a Russian emigre clan, guard the truth like a relic, and Kate’s fixation on reclaiming the magical shoes could unravel everything. Slayton’s writing crackles with the tension of a family at war with its own legends, blending the grit of immigrant struggles with the shimmer of fairy-tale enchantment. This isn’t a story about happily ever after—it’s about the cost of chasing one.

The audiobook’s greatest strength is narrator Catherine Gaffney, whose voice shifts effortlessly between Kate’s determined adolescence and the Kolodenkos’ gnarled, old-world gravitas. Gaffney’s Russian-accented deliveries are especially delicious, lending the story a folkloric authenticity that pulls listeners into the Kolodenkos’ paranoia and Kate’s reckless quest. The pacing is relentless, balancing historical flashbacks with Kate’s modern-day sleuthing, though some transitions feel abrupt, like pages torn from a journal mid-thought. Still, the immersive atmosphere and sharp dialogue make this a standout for fans of atmospheric YA with bite.