I wanted to love this book based on the premise alone, however it turned out to be average at best. Not horrible, just okay.

While I loved the author’s previous novel, Mary Jane, Shopgirls failed to deliver.
What I liked: It was a quick read, I enjoyed MC Zippy’s self discovery, some of the quirky ‘shopgirls’, references to the 80’s
What didn’t quite work: Zippy and her co-workers making and playing with paper dolls (what?!), an excess of plot lines made the novel feel scattered and many were not fully explored or resolved
Grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for an early digital copy.

"Shopgirls" by Jessica Anya Blau is a light, easy read that captures the vibrancy of retail life and the complexities of personal relationships. The novel revolves around the lives of its main characters as they navigate their careers in a boutique while dealing with their own dilemmas and dreams. The prose is accessible, making it a quick pick for readers looking for something uncomplicated.

However, while the characters are relatable and the setting is lively, the plot itself tends to meander without a strong central conflict or resolution. This lack of depth may leave readers feeling that the story is ultimately forgettable, as it doesn't delve deeply enough into the characters’ growth or the challenges they face.

In summary, "Shopgirls" is an enjoyable, breezy read perfect for a leisurely afternoon, but those seeking a more intricate plot or profound character development might find it lacking. It’s a book you can enjoy in the moment, but it may not linger long in your memory afterward.

Zippy works in an upscale clothing store in San Francisco in the 1980's. She wants to kiss a man and find a career. This novel is full of memorable characters, surprisingly bold sex talk, and reads as a Young Adult/ coming of age story.

I really liked this offbeat novel. I loved her previous book, Mary Jane, so I was worried this one wouldn't be as good. I also really liked this one (with a few storyline exceptions), but it did have some elements I didn't love as much (the talk about sex was a little tone deaf, they changed the cover from a perfectly nice one to the current TERRIBLE one). Overall, I loved Zippy and her friends and family. This was a fun book, and just what I needed.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

From the author of the “delightful” (New York Times Book Review) Mary Jane, a new novel of found family, growing up, and the best and worst of the 1980s, revolving around San Francisco’s most exclusive department store, I. Magnin.

Nineteen-year-old Zippy can hardly believe she’s the newest and youngest salesgirl at I. Magnin, “San Francisco’s Finest Department Store.” Every week, she rotates her three spruced-up Salvation Army outfits and Vaseline-shined pumps; still, she’s thrilled to walk those pumps through the employee entrance five days a week as she saves to buy something new. For a girl who grew up in a one-bedroom apartment above a liquor store with her mother and her mother’s madcap boyfriend, Howard; a girl who wanted to go to college but had no help in figuring out how; I. Magnin represents a real chance for a better and more elegant life. Or, at the very least, a more interesting one.

Zippy may not be in school, but she’s about to get an education that will stick with her for decades. Her fellow salesgirls (lifetime professionals) run the gamut from mean and indifferent to caring and helpful. The cosmetics ladies on the first floor share both samples and advice (“only date a man with a Rolex”); and her new roommate, Raquel, an ambitious lawyer, tells Zippy she can lose ten pounds easy if she joins Raquel in eating only every other day. Just when Zippy thinks she’s getting a handle on how to be an adult woman in 1985, two surprises threaten both her sense of self and her coveted position at I. Magnin.

Set in the Day-Glo colors of 1980s San Francisco, Shopgirls is an intoxicating novel of self-discovery, outrageous fashion, and family both biological and found.

This is a coming of age book about a girl named Zippy working in a department store in the 80s. Zippy is 19 and this is her first job, her first time living on her own with a roommate. She feels a little naive, having never really even kissed a boy, writing down all the advice the older ladies at work give her, and worrying about lots of life things in general. Her mom and stepdad come off as a little harebrained, maybe hippies still in the 80s? Zippy doesn't know her real dad, not his name or what he looks like, and she wonders about him. When her coworker decides to pray in the dressing rooms for customers, Zippy also prays to meet her father, even though she thinks it's a little silly. But then he calls her at the store! And that's not the only big surprise Zippy gets.

It is so easy to cheer for Zippy and want everything to work out for her. You want her to sell all the dresses and shoes, you want her to find a guy to kiss, you want her to just love herself and not worry about the diet culture of the time. This book is like Valley Of The Dolls lite. No drugs, not spanning years and lifetimes, just a young lady stumbling through becoming a grown up. Zippy and all the characters have such big personalities. I was worried when the ladies at the store were introduced that I couldn't keep them straight, but their personalities shine too bright not to. Her roommate Raquel and her mom are big supporters, even if they push a little hard or act a little rough sometimes.

I really enjoyed this book. The 80s vibe gives it a nice, warm feel and I was sad when it ended and I couldn't hang out with Zippy anymore.

This book was such a joy to read. It was so well written and engaging that I read the first 8 chapters in one sitting. It's not perfect, Zippy is a ridiculous name, and she is verging on unbelievably naive but the 80s setting and the department store locale were enough to keep me going. When they got to the Berber Coffee guy that all the salesgirls love, I laughed out loud, reminded of a series of coffee ads that featured Anthony Head (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame). Those ads were viral before the internet was even a thing.

Zippy had a lower income upbringing, with a loving but eccentric mother and her equally odd husband but she is STILL a bit too unbelievable as a 19yr old. Her endless submission to the louder/stronger personalities around her, her desperate collecting of advice and her exaggerated fears surrounding relationships and AIDS would be more realistic in a younger character. Just because someone hasn't gone to college, doesn't mean that they are completely clueless.

But Zippy loves I Magnin, the department store where she works, and she loves fashion and clothing so much that she will risk ending up covered in sawdust to still wear her stylish best. And that joy and that eye, along with a memory for what her customers buy, lead to a chance at advancement . I could have read another 14 chapters on how Zippy Jane navigates going from selling to buying; her coffee dad; and Just John the college boy. As it was, I finished this book in one day.

I enjoyed Zippy and the characters in this book along with the setting, but overall was left wishing there was a bit more plot as not much happened throughout the book.

“People were more or less the same, I decided. They were just hanging out in different surroundings. Some of them had more money; some were dressed better; some were a little crazy; some were a little mean; some had pure hearts; and some loved me purely. Still, they were all simple humans”

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. This is a special one for me because I haven’t stopped thinking about Jessica Anya Blau’s book “Mary Jane” since I read it a couple years ago. It remains one of the books I recommend to people the most. She understands how to make a setting/time period its own character and she writes so poignantly the human experience.

Shopgirls is no different.

Set in San Francisco during the 1980’s, we follow Zippy, a 19 year old girl, trying to find her place in the world & learns to come into her own. As she navigates complex family dynamics, her first career, & relationships, we get a glimpse into her inner thoughts, questions, & how she problem solves along the way.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

Oh nostalgia. Thou art mine. A good, sensual trip into my past. When I read that this book centered around ladies working at the up-up scale department store, I knew it was a must-read for me. This novel was set in the 80's, around the time I also worked in a high-end department store, so it took me back to those days.

In the beginning we find 19-year-old Zippy beginning her job at I. Magnin's in San Francisco, as a salesgirl in dresses. She'd never bought anything there; in fact, her wardrobe consisted of three spiffed up Salvation Army outfits and shoes polished with Vaseline. She was the polar reverse of her customers, I. Magnin shoppers. Yet she loved her job.

i would call this book a slice of life, not really a coming of age, but who am I to argue with the publisher.

Zippy's new roommate, Raquel, is a lawyer. She talks Zippy into following her diet - where you only eat every other day.

Humor was beleaguering among the customers and Zippy's coworkers. Anyone who worked retail in the 80's will recognize their fellow salespeople.

I loved this book, gave it five stars and encourage anyone woman to read it.

I loved Mary Jane, and I was excited to read Shopgirls. I couldn’t put this book down! I honestly couldn’t believe how entertaining Zippy’s job in a department store, and enjoyed hearing about her adventures with her roommate Raquel, and her relationship with her mother and her husband. Despite this being a highly entertaining fast read, it could have been perfect if for two things: this could have taken place in NYC, or another major city in the country— I wanted to learn more about San Francisco in the 80’s but we really learned nothing about what its like to grow up and come of age in this city specifically at this time. I feel like the story line with the father majorly lacked depth, and I wanted to know more about him, and see how Zippy’s relationship with him developed. I feel like those were two huge missed opportunities. But still a really fun read, just not as thorough as Mary Jane.

SHOPGIRLS is a heartwarming coming of age story about 19 year-old Zippy, an endearing character you will want to root for to succeed at her new job and in life. Zippy had an unconventional upbringing with her single mom and now has started a job at San Francisco's most prestigious department store. There are plenty of funny, charming moments in the story - the paper dolls, when Zippy meets her dad for the first time - all set against the backdrop of 1980s San Francisco. There is also a parade of secondary characters - the other ladies who work in the store, crazy customers, her mother's friends - all who impart various words of wisdom to young Zippy to help her succeed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Mariner Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up. This is a breezy, charming story. It’s a coming-of-age for nineteen year old Zippy, a salesgirl at I. Magnin in San Francisco. Zippy, guileless and naive, is navigating her first steps into adulthood with a job she loves, a roommate that acts as a big sister, her quirky mother and stepfather, and burgeoning relationship with her father. There are a few serious topics, but you really only see anything through Zippy’s wide-eyed innocence. The story is refreshing and uncomplicated. If you like Fiona Davis books, I think you’d like this.

My only wish? I was hoping for more 1980s nostalgia. Asides from a few references to tv shows and some songs, this could have been set in any era and almost skewed more towards a 1960s vibe.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced e-copy of this book. Mary Jane by this author is one of my all time favorite books so when I saw that she was coming out with a new book I got so excited. Then when I was granted the advanced copy I was elated and honored. Unfortunately, this book did not live up to Mary Jane and it was just okay for me. I enjoyed the descriptions of all the dresses that the Zippy sold but the characters and story were just not very compelling to me in comparison to Mary Jane. It felt like this was not even written by the same author! :(

Let me start by saying that I ADORE Jessica Anya Blau's "Mary Jane," in fact it's one of my top reads, so I had huge expectations for this book. As a kid who grew up shopping with my mom at 1970s department stores like I. Magnin and Robinson's, where we'd dress up to go shopping and then lunch at the store's tony restaurant, the setting of this story was hugely atmospheric for me. However, I feel like this book could have benefitted from a bit more editing. I found the midpoint of the book sort of uneventful and rambling. I wasn't sure where this story was going, and the characters seemed sort of strange and unknowable. And at about 70% I actually thought I might abandon the book (which is highly unusual for me.) HOWEVER, at that 71%-ish point, the story blasted off! Everything I love about Blau's storytelling came to the forefront, and I was captivated by the place that "Shopgirls" took my heart. Suddenly the characters sang and the journey felt important. I'm really glad that I stuck with this one.

I found this difficult to get into. I’ve never read a book by this author but it won’t be at the top of my list. Thanks NetGalley for an ARC. I can approve the main character is flawed but the storyline with her father could be more developed, as well as her new romance. To be 19 and never really have a relationship seems far fetched. Iwamtex to like this book but can’t recommend.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for my ARC copy and thank you to a new favorite author of mine - Jessica Anya Blau for once again giving me a flashback to my youth and a great read!

What I love most about this book is probably what a lot of others have disliked about it, the simplicity. It reads so easily and yeah some of it could be really far fetched and you think oh come on, Berber coffee anyone? But those off the wall times actually add a bit of humor to it all.

Mary Jane was one of my favorite reads of 2023 and I'm an 80s girl all the way, so I knew I was going to love this one too and I did! I loved all of Zippy's relationships - her best friend, her mom, her step-dad, her boss and coworkers and even when the story got a little deep it still was told in a way that wasn't too heavy but you got the point of it. The characters are real and so relatable.

If you want a deep, intense book, this probably is not the one for you. That's usually my style, give me a psych thriller any day but sometimes, you have to clear your head and read something light and fun and this did exactly that for me. It was so much fun! I have to go and find me some more of this author because if all her books are as good as the two I've already read I need to read the others and I'm expecting more to come please!!

Fun story of Zippy and her roommate, Racquel, as they learn to “adult” in 1980’s San Francisco. Zippy’s days at I.Magnin were my favorite to read about….the days of beautiful department stores and fashion before online shopping. The sales and cosmetics clerks at the store were entertaining, and I loved reading about the clothes and the shoppers.

Zippy’s life with Raquel was amusing, too. I liked their friendship and I was glad Raquel was trustworthy and kind to Zippy. Their escapades through San Francisco looking for parking spaces (always a shortage) or jumping on the back of street cars (“only the tourists buy tickets”) were playful and lively. The 80’s references to TV shows the girls made sure to watch; “Cheers” and “The Cosby Show” brought back memories, as well as their shared pair of skin tight Jordache jeans.

The introduction to Zippy’s father brought a more serious tone to the book. At the same time, Zippy was faced with some difficult job decisions and wondered why the glamorous jobs paid the least. Life advice came from a variety of sources; her mom, the various shop girls and Raquel, but Zippy had to decide what life SHE chose for herself.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

*Shop Girls* is the coming-of-age story of nineteen-year-old Zippy, who’s living in San Francisco with her roommate, Raquel, and working in the petite dresses department at I. Magnin. Zippy is the product of a one-night stand, and while she deeply loves her mom and the life they built together, she’s always been curious about the father she’s never known.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the cast of characters Zippy meets while working at I. Magnin — each one so vivid and memorable. The author’s descriptions were so detailed and visual, I could practically *see* the dresses right along with Zippy.

As Zippy faces the stress of needing to help her mom financially and the unexpected experience of meeting her dad, she finds herself no longer fully in control — no longer “the chooser” in her life. I loved how Jessica Anya Blau wrote about that idea of being the chooser — it really stuck with me.

And as always, I loved her references to pop culture throughout the story. The 80s TV references were so fun and added so much to the setting and feel of the book.

I was so excited to receive an ARC of Shopgirls, as I absolutely loved Mary Jane, Jessica Anya Blau’s debut novel. Shopgirls is just as immersive as Mary Jane’s again following a young and somewhat naive lead through an incredibly well drawn time and place. As much as I loved Zippy and the people around her. As well as the setting in a high end department store in the 80s, there wasn’t much of a story. Pretty much everyone was nice and nothing happened. Which can be great! But I was hoping for a bit more momentum to hang onto. I’ll still be watching Blau for more though!