Trinkets

Gr 9 Up—Burnout Moe, Queen Bee Tabitha, and Nice Girl Elodie all have different reasons to shoplift. Besides all going to the same high school, their Shoplifters Anonymous meetings are the only thing they have in common. Initially, they get together to prove who is the best thief. Eventually, the girls bond on their stealing sprees and become friends. The narrative shifts among the girls' voices, each section only a few pages long. Moe speaks in short paragraphs, Tabitha in longer ones, Elodie in verse. Readers are shown why each teen steals, but the psychology behind kleptomania is not overexplained, and the author doesn't preach about its evils. In the end, none of the teens take their program seriously, but the friendship they forge acts as a type of group therapy, allowing them to come to peace with the things in their lives that drive their behavior and the need for the rush of excitement that comes with not getting caught. With different glimpses of high school life, some romance for each character, and family drama that doesn't overwhelm the plot, Trinkets is a quick and entertaining read.—Jennifer Rothschild, Arlington County Public Libraries, VA