Stumbling upon 'Trinkets' felt like nosing through a mysterious thrift-store jacket and finding a heartfelt note in the pocket — there's a little
grit and a lot of warmth.
The core plot follows three teen girls — Elodie, Tabitha, and Moe — who meet at Shoplifters Anonymous and, despite being from totally different worlds, form a fragile, fierce friendship. Elodie is wrapped up in grief and secrets after a family loss; Tabitha hides pressure and a polished exterior; Moe brings a prickly sense of survival. Their stealing isn’t glamorized so much as it’s a symptom: boredom, rebellion, loneliness, and the need to feel control.
Kirsten Smith uses humor and honesty to unpack
identity, guilt, and the messy ways people connect. The novel focuses less on a single big twist and more on small moments — awkward
confessions, midnight conversations, and acts of kindness that change the trajectory of each girl's life. Reading it felt like being let into a pact, messy and real, and I loved how quietly hopeful it is.