Shopgirls is the story of the unusually-named Zippy who is working her dream job on the I Magnin sales floor in San Francisco. Most of the action takes place between her job where she naively accepts all the advice of the other shopgirls, regardless of how ridiculous it may be, and the apartment she shares with Raquel, a young lawyer Zippy eagerly emulates in everything from a bizarre crash diet to writing up their future hopes for husbands and children in matching Day-Timers. Initially, I found all of it just a bit vacuous. Zippy, Raquel, and many of the supporting characters seem much younger than their ages in a way that is downright distracting. On the other hand, Shopgirls is a book with heart.

Zippy‘s sweet, quirky point of view grew on me, and the legion of supporting characters are very vivid and might remind you of some of the kooky people you worked your first jobs with. Zippy‘s naivety might be overdone but ultimately it plays to a satisfying coming of age arc when she starts learning to listen a little less to the crowd of voices telling her who she should be and starts to learn how to be herself.

A delightful story of a young girl, getting an education in becoming a professional "shop girl" in San Francisco in the 1980's. From the helpful and caring to the mean and demeaning. I enjoyed this book and navigating life from her experiences.

Her last book, Mary Jane, is one of my all time favorites, so I had high hopes for this one! Again, an amazing cast of characters, well written, and nostalgic in all of the best ways!

When it comes to historical fiction, one of my favorite eras to read about is the 1980s (and if you’re going to come for me that the 80s doesn’t quite yet fit the historical fiction bill, there are books set in 2000 that are marked historical on Goodreads now!!). Blame it on my love for all things John Hughes and the Brat Pack—when there’s an 80s-set coming of age story, odds are I’m going to love it.

As such, I devoured SHOPGIRLS, the follow-up to Jessica Anya Blau’s delightful novel MARY JANE, which takes place in 1970s Baltimore. Now, Blau is taking on the world of ritzy department stores and much like its predecessor, this book is an utter delight.

SHOPGIRLS follows 19-year-old Zippy, who is working in the dress department at I. Mangin, one of San Francisco’s nicest department stores. As the youngest girl on the floor, Zippy has a lot to learn, getting an education that will stick with her through the rest of her life through her experiences with her customers, her fellow shopgirls, and her roommate Raquel, a lawyer who is six years older. Whether she’s trying to lose weight or her virginity, Zippy takes to her newfound friends to guide her through—even when a shocking surprise threatens to rock her world.

If I’m being honest, I don’t think this is a book that’ll be universally beloved—although I largely dug it. It’s very character-centric and feels like a true slice of life novel—some chapters revolve around busy days at the store, which I honestly thought were fun to read—although I wasn’t as keen on the antics with her coworkers (the paper dolls and the praying in the dressing rooms!). Zippy is easy to root for and I adored the touches of found family and self-discovery. Sure, she’s a little naive, but she’s charming nonetheless. Plus, the novel is peppered with a lot of fun 80s references.

While I didn’t love this one as much as MARY JANE, it’s worth a read if you like 80s-set stories.

Jessica Anya Blau has a special gift for writing coming-of-age novels with evocative "vintage" settings that truly come alive. I loved the descriptions of working in a department store in the 80s, especially all the interesting people the main character worked with and met there during the workday. I really felt for Zippy as she grappled her way through being a fish-out-of-water in a fancy department store during its elegant heyday. After reading this book and Mary Jane, I'd happily check out whatever this author publishes next.

This book was so character driven that if you don’t like Zippy, I don’t think you’ll enjoy this book. We follow her through work and a coming of age that I really enjoyed. Zippy can be young and dumb, but I felt for her and it kept me reading. This story was good and I liked it, but it did often feel like I was struggling to get myself excited to read it or pick up my Kindle for this one.

This was..fine? It was too slow to be plot-driven, and not enough depth to be character-driven. I felt like once things finally started happening, the book just… ended. Although I enjoyed a lot of the characters in the story, I still felt a lack of connection to anyone except for the MC.

What I liked: A fun “Coming of Age” and “Found Family” story, set in a fancy department store in 1980s San Francisco

What I disliked: I was looking forward for this book, having enjoyed Mary Jane. But this time the author had too many plot holes and annoying characters

Thank you @marinerbooks for my gifted copy of Shopgirls! This book is out now.

This month, the #literarylovelies read Shopgirls! We have previously read another by this same author, Mary Jane. This was fun for the nostalgia of the mall. I’m from New Jersey and we LOVE malls.

Zippy works at a high end department store in San Francisco. She is the youngest employee of the women’s dress department and she’s still learning life. She recently moved in with a friend in her own apartment and she needs to pinch pennies to make sure her bills are paid. It’s 1985 and she’s experiencing a lot working along side different people.

There’s a lot about Zippy’s childhood- she grew up without her father and her mom recently married Howard, a loser who manages to cut off all his fingers. Zippy didn’t have a lot so she’s used to a minimal lifestyle. She has three outfits from goodwill she keeps in tiptop shape. She doesn’t have much experience dating and her roommate Raquel helps with this as her wingwoman.

This book was very character driven and I don’t usually mind that, but I found this book quite slow. I liked the mall life and the rivalry with different departments was entertaining. I also really loved the 1980s time period.

This book was a lot more character driven than my usual preference, but was so well done that I found myself reading in every spare moment I could find. I loved the richness of the setting and characters. It was set in a department store in San Francisco in the eighties, and the descriptions of clothing and style were just wonderful.

The lead character, Zippy, was naive, curious, and refreshingly likable. I was rooting for her the entire time. The supporting characters were well thought out, and their actions and motivations made sense.

While the book touched on some incredibly heavy topics at times, the writing left me with a sense of hope. I wanted to know what happened to Zippy in the future, because she was such a great character.

4.5 stars rounded up

I really like prices of this book, however some parts felt rushed. I would love more about Zippy’s dad. More about Just John and maybe an epilogue of Zippy in the future.

I really regret requesting this book. I’ve been holding off on reading and reviewing it. And sure enough, my gut was right, there was a lot going on and yet nothing happening with this book all at the same time.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This one sadly was a miss for me - I made it 60% before putting it down due to not being able to handle feeling triggered so often. The mean girl attitudes, the indifference, the insane and asinine "advice" (seriously? Only date a man with a rolex? Is that really advice that is given...?).

The one thing that I truly loved dearly was the setting - the 1980's in San Francisco? It sounds amazing! It was set before I was born but I have an extreme love for the 80's and really enjoyed learning more about it and the culture there!

I am just not sure what to make of this book. On one hand, i read it all in about a day so it kept my interest enough but also I dont know why I kept reading it because there wasnt much of a plot. Zippy was a tough characters for me, she was so childish and odd but also sympathetic in some ways with her weird parents and her latching on to coworkers and friends that are all older. I just wanted her to grow up a little and be her own person. There are a lot of side characters to keep track of, random new characters arriving in her life and no real central conflict. I didnt hate it but I also didnt love it.

This was such a unique book. Zippy is an interesting protagonist, she doesn't really feel real. Her life has a sort of sitcom quality to it that I didn't really care for. It was a fun read, but ultimately I don't think I got much from it. Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for this ARC!

Thank you to Mariner Books and Bookclubgirl for my #gifted copy of Shopgirls along with the NetGalley ebook in exchange for my honest opinion. I don’t know why I procrastinated reading this book because I really loved it! I borrowed the audiobook from my library and listened to that for the first third of the book, but I decided to switch to reading it with my eyes (no offense to the narrator - I was just more focused this way!). I’ve had Mary Jane by the author on my TBR for a long time, but I’m going to boost that one up the list after devouring Shopgirls.
Set in the 80s in San Francisco, Shopgirls is a lovely coming of age story with all the fashion, family, and friends you could want. Zippy is the youngest salesgirl at I. Magnin and her youthful energy is contagious. Having been raised by her single mother who got pregnant on a one-night stand, Zippy is obsessed with family and finding out who her dad is. And, as luck would have it, her father is trying to find her! Their reunion was so sweet, and I loved how it fit into the story. I also loved Zippy’s relationship with her roommate, Raquel. And how fun that the author worked at this store in the 80s as the youngest salesgirl. I definitely recommend this book and will be passing on my copy to my mom.

I definitely had a soft spot for Zippy, the main character. She’s 19, innocent, naive, and working at a high-end department store in San Francisco. The majority of novel revolves around her experience working at the store, and her interactions with her co-workers and customers. If you ever worked in retail, this book will surely be a hit for you.

In a nutshell, this novel showcases a young woman coming into her own, having fun, dating, clubbing, experimenting, trying to make a living, and enjoying life in an exciting city. It was definitely a fun read.

At first I wasn't sure about this book, but it was enjoyable once I got farther along! A nice quick read about a young girl working in a department store and how she makes her way

I loved Mary Jane, and I loved Shopgirls. Zippy is such an unforgettable character, and I absolutely loved her story.

The best part of this book was book was the time. It was set in 1985. I had a lot of good moments reliving the era of the 80s.
Zippy was just trying to make it but struggled when hardship plagued her family.
Her coworkers were an interesting lot.
The book moved rather slow and at times my interest waned.