Read Trinkets by Kirsten Smith

Trinkets

Kirsten Smith

March, 2013

Trinkets was a fast easy read perfect for middle school through high school students.  I loved the alternating characters between the three girls all from different backgrounds but quite similar in their attitudes.  All three want something different, something bigger than what is happening in their life right now as high school students.  They try to create their own thrill by shoplifting at the mall.  Serious shoplifting-not just a tube of lipstick from the drugstore-but designer dresses, jewelry, gadgets, and books.

There's Elodie who writes like a poet and feels like she doesn't belong.  Maureen who's just Moe who lost both her parents in a car crash leaving her and her brother to live with their aunt.  She teeters on the fringe with the burnouts but she is far from burned out.  Tabitha has everything that comes with money; friends, buying power, and a handsome boyfriend but she feels alone almost always.  All three, busted 
separately for shoplifting, end up in a Shoplifters Anonymous program to heal themselves and end up finding each other.  While this is a wonderful book about friendship and high school and could be just another book about how hard it is to be in school with all the set cliques this book sets itself apart through its unique characters and ability to sound real and right on.   We don't want anyone to go out a steal just to make a friend but this book speaks volumes on how important it is to be yourself, to step away from the bullies, the bitches, the drama queens to stand alone until you rise to the top.

It's a hard task to do but Elodie, Tabitha, and Moe learn that it is better to have one (or two) good friends than to have a roomful of people who know your name.  Told in alternating chapters between all three young women you get an excellent feel for each one's motivation.  This would make a great movie if they did it well which doesn't come as a surprise since the author has written a few screenplays, including one of my favorite Heath Ledger movies, 10 Things I hate about you.

A quote from Moe:

April 8

Aunt B says to not judge a book by the cover, but I guess everybody does.  Elodie was surprised when I told her I'd already read Broken Soup.  Tabitha said she hadn't read it,  so Elodie gave her the copy.  Hanging out at the Roxy with them was more fun than listening to Alex lay out a plan to TP some nerd's house, but it wasn't like super buddy-buddy or anything.  Obviously, I didn't tell them about Noah or even that I like to read while taking a bath.  It's none of their business.  I guess if I were a book, my cover would be different from what's on the inside too. (104)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan to keep it on my shelf for Groovy Girl to read in a few years. She knows all about standing outside the circle trying to feel confident.

My review copy from Little, Brown & Co in no way altered my high opinion of this title.  Thank you to Zoe for my review copy.  s