Shopgirls is another charming read from Jessica Anya Blau (I enjoyed her novel Mary Jane back in 2021). This time it's set in San Francisco in the 1980s, when 19-year-old Zippy (yes, that’s her real name) has been hired to work in the Petite Dresses department of the celebrated luxury store, I. Magnin. She can't afford to buy any of the clothes sold there, but she is thrilled to spend her week learning about clothing sales and forming bonds with some of her coworkers--particularly Miss Lena, who enjoys sharing her long experience and her spirituality with Zippy. Of course, Zippy has some detractors, mostly from employees who are envious of her ever-growing success, and her personal life continues to be fraught as her stepfather loses his hardware store job after a careless accident. Zippy isn't sure whether she should keep her cherished but low-paying job when a position cutting lumber at the hardware store is much more lucrative.

I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely story, which sometimes veers into almost fairytale territory. Zippy is a character that touched my heart, and Miss Lena and Zippy's roommate, lawyer Raquel, are also delightful. Even Zippy's otherwise unpredictable mother and stepfather have their hearts in the right place where Zippy is concerned. Zippy has an encounter with someone unexpected from her family and there is a dollop of romance with someone she meets. It's a quick read with a satisfying ending. And although the author typically writes standalones, I'm harboring some hope there might be a sequel for this one.

My thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

In this 80s drenched coming of age we follow nineteen year old Zippy, recently moved out of her moms house and trying to make it in San Francisco.

Shopgirls reads like a “slice of life”- half engaging 80s atmosphere, half mundane detail, which at times took me out of the story. I did enjoy noticing how much has (and also has not) changed in the last forty years.

3.5 stars

The character Zippy brought me back to working at a clothing store as a teen. I enjoyed reading about the department store and the characters Zippy interacted with at work. This was a cute coming of age story and was fun for me to read.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC

I briefly worked at Macy's in the 2010s, so it was really interesting to read what that would have been like in the 80s. (Better clothes and customers still suck). At least no one asked me to fetch clothes for them while naked

This is a short book and the description doesn't lie. I do feel like certain instances were slightly too repetitive (like the journaling scenes), but it ended up working for this kind of story that relied on building off of familiar scenery. I think some of the revelations shown at the climax of the story are a little too silly / not believable enough for a full novel, but they were revealed in a way in this novella for it to be funny and to move the story along pretty well.

Zippy's coworkers were fun to read about. Even characters that were initially presented as mildly antagonistic were still humorous and not frustrating to read about. There is a good blend of "show and tell"- the way characters perceive and talk about Zippy matches up with her thoughts and actions, so I didn't feel myself getting annoyed with her. She acts how you would expect a 19 yr old semi-sheltered teen to act

If you like slice of life and coming of age genres, this is a good book to read

What a massive disappointment. Almost as if it was written by a high schooler. Even the cover annoys me.
While I enjoyed Mary Jane, I was SUPER excited to dive into Shopgirls, as it is set in the story of my youth - Union Square San Francisco (I.Magnin to be exact) in the 80s.
I grew up in the city in this time period. I was one of the first people to grace the nine-story Nordstrom mall when it was first built (recently since shuttered RIP). I remember the two story Sanrio store, FAO Schwarz, Woolworths, Blondies Pizza (which makes a brief appearance in the book), taking the L Taraval or N Judah during Christmas to see the tree lit up, you name it, I remember it.

So when I first heard that this book would be based during this memorable time, centered around Zippy (even the name annoys me), who works at I.Magnin as a shopgirl, hawking Donna Karen, Jessica Mcclintock dresses, I couldn't wait to dive in.

Unfortunately, this was a massive misfire. WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN?!! Instead, we are forced a generic, bland, and an uninspiring San Francisco. There was a 30-minute chapter on a busy day, selling orange dresses to a cult, sharing a commission with another employee, and none of it was fun to read about. This story could have taken place during anytime period.

There are hardly any mentions of San Francisco, Boz Scaggs gets forced into it, Zippy's father reappears (she can't afford to call him long distance, cause yes that was an issue back in the day), Vanna White's dresses are mentioned, and if you're not familiar with this era, you will find some of the mentions unmemorable. Must see Thursday night TV was a real thing: Cheers, The Cosby Show, Night Court. However, it was all just tossed in there just because. There are mentions of AIDS, and if you know anything about AIDS in the City during. this period, it affected everyone. But, it's as if everything was just glossed over, even though a major plot point revolves around it.
There are a lot of Zippy's coworkers in as side characters. Blau calls them all by Misses Miss Lena, Miss Yolanda), as that is what they were referred to back then, at least we think? All of them were forgettable. Not sure how much historical references she actually went by because it's a snooze.

Ended up skimming through to the end and tossed my kindle to the couch (not ground, cause that's rude), as this book was a major disappointment.

Following up on her breakout hit Mary Jane, Jessica Anya Blau knocks it out of the park once more with a lovingly told coming of age story. In Shopgirls, we meet Zippy a smart, ambitious 19-year old, who lands her ideal job at i.Magnin, an iconic San Francisco department store. Zippy was raised by her loving but unconventional single mother. High-end stores with expensive designer fashions were simply not part of their lives. But hard-working Zippy sees an opportunity at i.Magnin and seizes it with pragmatism and warmth as she begins to create her own future.

Shopgirls is a gentle story focusing on life experiences, friendships and hard work as the best tools to help us guide our way. This character-driven novel will have children of the 80’s yearning for their cassette tapes, wayfarers, and Thursday night sit-coms. It was a delightful read for this child of the 80's, who to this day says everything I know about business, I learned as the front-door greeter of my then favorite retail store.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jessica Anya Blau and Mariner Books for an advanced reader copy.

this book was so good! I feel like it can be made into a tv series and would do so well! I love the themes of family, and man-made family, growth, self discovery, and the lessons that tie this whole book together, and throw in some humor and there is the perfect book! It was very entertaining!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

If you want a quick, easy read that is still well written, this is the book for you. While it may lack the nuance and depth of Blau’s previous Mary Jane, this makes up for it with fun, likeable characters and prose that is easy to read without sacrificing quality. There were a few other plot points that felt a little predictable but that didn’t keep me from enjoying this. I will definitely keep an eye out for what Blau writes next.

ARC provided by NetGalley

Magnificent setting and time period! I got lost in the pages of this story. It was interesting and enjoyable to see how the main character came to life and self-realization throughout the book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A fun read, though I discovered fairly early that this is not a subject I can either identify with nor have any interest in! So not for me, but if you are interested in fashion and wacky characters, this will probably work for you.

Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau

Mariner Books
Pub Date: 5-6-25

Thank you @netgalley, @marinerbooks, and @jessicaanyablau for this eARC.

“The only thing you should do is dictate your own life. You be the chooser for where you go or what you do or who gets the money you earn.”

"It had never before occurred to me that I was not the chooser in my life but, obviously, that was so."

I loved going back to the 80s with Zippy. At 19, she’s navigating life with her roommate Raquel and a group of women working with her at I. Magnin, a high-end department store in San Francisco.

While most of the story takes place at the store, we also get glimpses of Zippy and Raquel out on the town, as well as Zippy’s first visit to see her birth father—a moment that brings more surprises than she expects.

With references to Jessica McClintock, Wham, and Whitney Houston I was transported back in time - and I learned that you can manifest your dreams by writing them in a Day-Timer!

This book is an absolute disappointment! I lived in San Francisco in the '80s. I had friends who worked at I. Magnin. This book does nothing to capture the vibrancy of the city or the store at that particular period of time. There was a zeitgeist happening in the city and in fashion in the '80s and you would NEVER know it by reading this book (about San Francisco and fashion). Too, if you are going to write an homage to the past make it come alive (and do deep research, which doesn't exist on these pages). This book is as dead as SF's Union Square in the post-pandemic era.

In the world of 1980s fashion, I Magnin is king, which is why nineteen year old Zippy is so excited to work there. Zippy loves her job and as the youngest saleswoman employed, she is eager to learn all about life from her coworkers and her roommate Rachel, a successful attorney.

Zippy comes across as an innocent, naive young woman that seems very interested in learning the ways of the world. She takes advice from everyone and writes it down as if it is fact, keeping everything organized in her Day Timer planner. Sometimes her gullibility is frustrating, and I found myself wanting to yell at her, but she is certainly a believable character that really only wants to be good and has and a desire to always help others.

I found this sweet gem of a book an absolutely engaging and delightful. The eighties setting is alive and thriving on every page and the characters are quirky and fun. This story of one young woman’s life is lovely little coming of age story that you won’t want to miss. Five stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Pull out your power dresses, ladies ... Jessica Anya Blau is taking us back to the 80s! The 1970's-centric Mary Jane author returns with another nostalgic story, this time revolving around the 1985 San Francisco shopping scene. Anyone dreaming of the mall's heyday and simpler times needs to pick up Shopgirls!

Shopgirls follows narrator Zippy - yes, that's her real name - as she suffers from imposter syndrome on the set of her job as a Petite Dresses salesgirl at the high-end San Francisco department store, I. Magnin. Zippy loves her job and has a knack for finding the right dress for every woman, but she can't help but compare herself to the other salesgirls, and even the affluent ladies who shop I. Magnin's racks. Zippy was the product of a one-night-stand, and grew up with a single mother who could only ever dream of donning one of the dresses that I. Magnin carries, and now here Zippy is selling them to fashionable ladies nothing like herself.

Rotating the same three outfits and trying not to step on any toes, all while not showing too much of her humble roots, Zippy still somehow manages to outsell all of the other girls at I. Magnin. Does Zippy dare to fancifully dream of a more comfortable and elegant life than the one she has always known? Equipped with the knowledge and advice of her worldly coworkers and her fun and fashionable roommate Raquel, Zippy feels like she's finally getting a grip on her life. That is, until she is delivered two blows that will either make or break her. Just how she handles these surprises may just set the course of her life, in one way or another ...

Jessica Anya Blau writes with heart, creating endearing narrators that you can't forget! Her stories are fairly simple without overcomplicated plots, and feature a colorful cast of characters that make her period pieces vibrant and nostalgic. Shopgirls is no exception. Having grown-up in shopping malls and department stores before everyone transitioned over to online shopping, I was so excited to read a career-focused novel about a young woman making a living by way of 1980's consumerism. I didn't know before heading into this book that I. Magnin was an actual luxury department store, and discovering that this novel was rooted in reality made it all the more enthralling.

I fell in love with main character Zippy right away, and wanted to see her prevail through all of the trials and tribulations. I found her work as a salesgirl fascinating, and was impressed time and time again by her ability to not only make herself of service to the elegant I. Magnin shoppers, but to do it with poise, grace, and efficiency. The parts of this story set at I. Magnin are where this novel shines, and I just loved enveloping myself in the luxe vibes this book gives off.

Some parts of Zippy's life outside of I. Magnin, were unfortunately not as enthralling, despite being a necessary and important part of the book. Primarily Zippy's relationship with her roommate Raquel, who I found to be written as quite immature and flighty for a professional woman in her late 20s. She felt more like a caricature than a real person, and I just couldn't get behind her and her offbeat personality. It was difficult to imagine Raquel and Zippy living together, much less being friends, which took away from the authenticity of this book.

However, I quite enjoyed Zippy's coworkers, and loved the ardor and atmosphere that they added to the I. Magnin scene. This is most certainly a book of found family, as much as it is about a young woman finding her way (and people) amidst a rapidly changing world. Recommended to readers who love a book with a plucky narrator and nostalgic vibes!

Wow - this was a really fun read! I thought it was really well written and had a nice arc throughout the story. I will definitely be recommending this to my patrons. The only negative is the cover! It does not reflect the fun 1980s San Francisco vibes of the story to me.

A charming coming of age story during the 80’s in San Francisco. Zippy gets her dream job working as a
salesgirl at I. Magnin in the dress dept., with all it’s entitled shoppers and “saleswomen for life” coworkers.
This is a charming book about found family, making compromises and ambition. A lovely book.

Shopgirls is a vibrant and sharp look at the coming-of-age story we didn’t know we needed. It’s a mix of glamour, grit, and hilarious missteps as Zippy learns from her fellow salesgirls and the colorful characters around her, all while trying to reinvent herself in a world that’s far from perfect. What I loved most was the blend of humor and depth, the absurdities of 80s fashion and beauty standards paired with a poignant exploration of self-discovery and friendship. Zippy’s evolution from a naïve girl to someone finding her place in the world, with all the twists and messiness along the way, makes for an engaging and heartfelt read. It’s funny, raw, and ultimately a love letter to those found family moments we all need.