A few months ago, I visited Bloomingdales’ going-out-of-business sale in San Francisco. Remnants of its glory days remained—racks of tights, lacquered checkerboard floors, overly watchful saleswomen—but it was clear that the era of the department store was coming to an end. Jessica Anya Blau, author of Mary Jane, doesn’t want us to forget it, though. In her newest novel, Shopgirls, nineteen-year-old Zippy works at I. Magnin, a renowned department store once situated in San Francisco’s Union Square. Despite living with her best friend Raquel, Zippy feels obligated to help her mom pay the bills, a factor that frequently threatens her beloved (albeit not high-paying) position. When she’s at work and not acting on Raquel’s questionable advice at a bar, a wide array of customers come and go, the most memorable immortalized as paper dolls made by Zippy—a testament to her state of adolescent limbo.

After my experience walking through Bloomingdale’s as a quasi-abandoned ‘80s time capsule of the city, I was especially excited to immerse myself in a book that illustrates a similar store at its peak and showcases the one-and-done nature of a personalized shopping experience. I appreciate the cast of characters Blau introduces early on that begin to make the setting feel alive: Pablo–the shoe guy, who is always offering to clean Zippy’s flats, Miss Lena–Zippy’s devout coworker who prays for customers, and stereotypical customers such as “Sorority Girl,” whom Zippy envies. My favorite parts of the novel often revolved around the customer vignettes, as I enjoyed witnessing Zippy’s expertise in selecting outfits for a particular event, style, or personality.

Just like the I. Magnin experience itself, Shopgirls covers a lot of ground, traversing a number of departments in Zippy’s life. In just 272 pages, Blau attempts to chart Zippy’s story in the work, friend, and parent departments, while simultaneously setting out to tackle a variety of serious topics, such as eating disorders and the AIDS epidemic. In works of fiction that call back to a particular time period, there is often a fine line between the representation of a sensitive/graphic topic as a tool of awareness and as a set of unsupervised triggers for prospective readers. However, the sheer amount of language and unresolved plot referencing Zippy and Raquel’s “day-on, day-off” eating schedule made it feel more like the latter. It’s undeniable that these topics shaped the ‘80s, and as a young girl working in fashion, it makes sense that Zippy would be influenced by supermodels and diet culture, but perhaps Blau’s approach within a rather short novel is overly ambitious.

Around the halfway point, I found myself waiting for something to happen. In a more nuanced, suburban-centered coming-of-age story, that anticipatory feeling could be written off as purposeful. But here, the eventual “twists” felt like less impactful payoffs. In some ways, Shopgirls evokes a similar coming-of-age experience to that of The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi. Kureishi’s protagonist, seventeen-year-old Karim, lives in ‘70s London with his dubious father. The novel is divided into two parts and covers a lot of ground, but in a way that provides each side character with adequate time for development. Raquel, for example, felt one-dimensional in her plot development despite being a central character and having several interesting details only briefly mentioned. Both Zippy and Karim are at odds with their childish parental figures as they navigate their own set of issues. Kureishi, however, presents Karim’s story with a layered account of immersive collage and a unique set of vibrant, multi-dimensional characters, something Shopgirls ultimately lacks.

Even in the post-apocalyptic vacancy of Bloomingdale’s, I could picture the store booming with patrons. It was easy to imagine the now-faded and scuffed mannequins as once outfitted by the very clothes Zippy would have been in charge of selling, but Blau’s novel doesn’t immerse readers in I. Magnin’s legendary luxury in the same way as even a desolate store could aid my visual reference. I appreciate the Bay Area name drops and fashion nostalgia, namely Jessica McClintock and Betsey Johnson, but Blau’s attempt to summarize the ‘80s extends far beyond her references. In the present day, it’s evident that the department store, an artifact of the 80s, is on its way out, and despite the nostalgia it may provoke, it’s okay to leave some things in the past.

Author Jessica Anya Blau’s 2021 novel, Mary Jane, is one of my all-time favorite coming-of-age stories — a five-star summer read that offers a nostalgic journey back to adolescence and the 1970s. So you can bet I was eagerly awaiting the release of her new novel, Shopgirls, which is set in the day-glo colors of 1980s San Francisco.

Shopgirls is the story of 19-year-old Zippy, who works in petite dresses at I. Magnin, a legendary high-fashion department store. Zippy doesn’t have the money to buy any of the designer dresses she sells, but she rules the floor in her Salvation Army outfits and Vaseline-shined pumps and quickly becomes one of the store’s highest-selling employees. She dreams of becoming a buyer for the store, but in the meantime she chats with other salesgirls or with Pablo in the shoe department, and gets quick makeovers from the gals in cosmetics. If she and her colleague Miss Lena aren’t literally on their knees praying for customers in the dressing room, they’re playing with paper dolls that Zippy crafts out of hold tags.

And that brings me to the issue I have with Shopgirls: There’s a fine line between naive and childish, and Blau’s protagonist — and the novel in general — leans toward the latter. In less than 300 pages, we encounter Zippy’s work, friends, family and dating life, as well as serious topics like AIDS, but it feels like a short story dolled up with powder-blue eyeshadow. I never really connected to the characters, and by the time Zippy and her roommate ponder the back-lot behavior of Bill Cosby, it’s hard not to cringe at the incongruous wink-wink.

I had high hopes for Shopgirls. Unfortunately, it’s no Mary Jane.

I absolutely adored Jessica Anya Blau's first book and I was so excited that I was approved for an ARC of this book. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting going into it but it wasn't what I thought it was. Her books are very character driven which is what I was expecting but this one fell flat. I feel as though the first half of the book was very mundane with NO character development whatsoever. I almost DNF'd the book but figured I would keep reading it and see if it got better. The second half did get better but the ending was so fast and I feel as though I would have liked that to happen half way through the book and follow our main character after that. If you love slow paced, character driven books, with very very little plot, this book will be for you. Unfortunately, it just didn't do it for me. 2.75 stars

👗Shopgirls is a coming-of-age historical fiction novel set in the 1980s, centered around 19-year-old Zippy as she learns to navigate the complexities of adulthood. Working at a luxury department store surrounded by designer makeup and clothes, Zippy is the daughter of a single mom and has never known her father. As she grows, she discovers friendship, both biological and found family, and a deeper understanding of herself.

This novel was such a fun read. Zippy and her coworkers are each unique in their own way, and some parts of the story were delightfully quirky. While the book touches on some difficult topics, the author handles them with both compassion and insight.👗

🎶A story of self-discovery, growing up, and embracing the unexpected, Shopgirls is a charming and slightly quirky read that’s both engaging and heartfelt.🎶

Thank you to Mariner books , William Morrow books , and Harper collins for the opportunity to read this book.

Zippy is the newest and youngest sales girl at I Magnin. To her the shop represents glamor and elegancy. She is learning every day from her fellow salesgirls on fashion and life as a woman in 1985.

This story vibrates with the time period of the 80’s and what it was like to be a single woman then. You could see the conservatism, but also how society is progressing and changing. If you enjoy fashion, you’ll like this, as a lot takes place in the shop. You’ll get to know the shopgirls and their clientele, but it can be repetitive at times. It is a short and sweet read.

“Putting on a dress was like many other things, an effort to create the ideal self; it was aspirational.”

Shopgirls comes out 5/6.

I really enjoyed Zippy’s journey as an I.Mangin shop girl.

Zippy is a young and inexperienced adult living in San Francisco with her slightly older roommate, Raquel. Zippy learns from Raquel and becomes bolder throughout her journey at I.Magnin. The relationships Zippy forms at work are endearing and there is the ever present feeling of negotiating the many personalities of one’s coworkers.

While this book wasn’t particularly long (the book could have gone on longer IMO), I really appreciated the feel and sweetness of Zippy and the telling of her story.

I absolutely adored this author's book, Mary Jane, so I was thrilled to read this one. Sadly, it was only okay. I was a little bored. It felt a little too YA-y to me. I found myself skimming parts, especially when the main character Zippy and her roommate Raquel would talk about what they were journaling about. The story just didn't felt very cohesive to me. Zippy was a fun character, though. I 'll keep reading more from this author.

3.75 This was such a nostalgic slice of life story that I just could not put down. This book follows Zippy a young woman who works at a major retail store in the 80’s. We watch as her and her best friend become adults deal with family drama and just every day life in retail. This book does not have much going on but was an atmospheric read that was so easy to relate to. Overall I loved the writing and the characters the pacing was a tad slow since nothing really happens but it was still a good time. This is my first book by this author but really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

📚: Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau
⭐️: 3.5/5 (rounding up on #goodreads)

Zippy is 19 years old in 1985. A new salesgirl at I. Magnin, Shopgirls tells the story of her found family in San Francisco as she comes of age and starts to find herself and what she truly wants.

This was a fun, quick read that I truly enjoyed. A not-quite full 4 star rating for a few plot points that happened and then disappeared when more explanation would have been warranted (orange dress customers? IYKYK.) and for a major plot that felt could have been the core of the story not being introduced until 80% of the way in.

Thank you to Mariner Books via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Shopgirls is out now.

Thank you to Mariner Books for my copy of SHOPGIRLS.

I really enjoyed Jessica Anya Blau's previous book, MARY JANE, so I was excited when this new one showed up. SHOPGIRLS didn't really do it for me. I liked the characters and I kept hoping something would click and I'd be super interested, but I got to the end and that never happened. It was just okay for me and I don't recommend it.

I loved Mary Jane, so it saddens me to only give this book 2 stars. The story didn’t really hold my interest and the protagonist read a bit too YA.

This was just not for me. Honestly it felt too young and YA for me to really get into. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters especially the FMC. I wonder if I tried it not as audio my experience would have been different not have felt as whiny?? I know others will enjoy this though.

After thoroughly enjoying Jessica Anya Blau's previous novel "Mary Jane," I was eager to dive into "Shopgirls." Set in 1980s San Francisco, this coming-of-age story follows Zippy, a young woman working in the Petite dresses section of I. Magnin, a high-end department store. While the book has its charms, it ultimately falls short of the depth and resonance of Blau's previous work.

Zippy's character is earnestly portrayed—a young woman trying to find herself while navigating early adulthood without much guidance. The daughter of a single mother who conceived her during a one-night stand, Zippy has never met her biological father. She shares an apartment with her best friend Raquel, and together they dream about their ideal futures, writing down goals for careers and relationships, and even following diets together.

The most engaging parts of the novel center around the bustling atmosphere of the department store, with Zippy literally "zipping" between floors to retrieve items for her clients—shoes, underwear, different sizes and colors. These scenes capture the energy and chaos of retail work with authenticity and humor. However, other elements of the story, like employees making paper dolls of coworkers during downtime or kneeling to pray in changing rooms with an eccentric colleague, felt contrived and pulled me out of the narrative.

While Blau creates some interesting characters and writes dialogue that feels authentic, the novel reads more like YA fiction or a rom-com than the nuanced literary fiction I was expecting. The book lacks the depth needed to make Zippy's journey of self-discovery truly compelling. Despite my age, I can certainly appreciate stories about young people finding their way, but this particular tale seemed to skim the surface rather than diving deeper into its themes.

That said, Blau's writing remains readable and engaging enough that I was interested in finishing the book. There are moments of warmth and insight scattered throughout, particularly in Zippy's growing confidence at work and her evolving understanding of what she wants from life.
"Shopgirls" is a quick, easy read that offers some nostalgic charm and light entertainment. However, readers looking for the same depth and impact as "Mary Jane" may find themselves wanting more. While it didn't quite meet my expectations, I can see how others—particularly those who enjoy lighter coming-of-age stories—might find more to love in Zippy's journey.

Zippy is a 19-year-old salesgirl at a large department store. A slice of life in 1985 San Francisco, as quirky Zippy navigates dating, family life, including connecting with her long-last father and work drama. For me, Zippy was hard to relate to and the story seemed a bit manic at times.

I really loved this book! Jessica Anya Blau has a magical quality in her writing that transports the reader to a different time and place (in this case a shopping mall in the 1980’s)
Zippy was a truly loveable character and this was such a fun read!

I grew up in the Bay Area and remember shopping days at Macys and I Magnin well. This brought back a flood of memories. So well written I felt as if I was with the author in every scenario. I’m so happy she believed in herself. You find yourself cheering her on hoping she will and the proof lies in the very pages you are turning. Bravo!!

Thank you to Jessica Anya Blau, Mariner Books, and Net galley for the ARC. My review is voluntary. All opinions are my own.

The book follows Zippy a young woman working a job at a fine clothing store. It allows insights into her co-workers. Her friend and roommate Raquel who seemed quite flaky for a lawyer. Overall the book was an interesting read. It did have some areas where the story lagged.

The story follows 19-year-old Zippy, described as naive, who chooses to pursue a career rather than college. I enjoyed the book for its sweet and quirky cast of characters rather than its plot, which is minimal.
The meeting with her father feels rushed and the writing style seems geared toward middle school readers despite the mature content. The book successfully captures the 1980s setting through elements like the early AIDS crisis and fad diets. The protagonist's journey as a "shopgirl" forms the core narrative as she navigates early adulthood.

This was fun! I did prefer MARY JANE, but I loved the period and the setting. It's very nostalgic and comforting. Thank you, Netgalley.

Shopgirls is a very nostalgic novel. The setting was in the 1980s and so the language, the clothing styles, TV shows brought back so many memories. Because of this I felt personally connected to the story.

There were some parts of the story I felt that could have been explored more like her relationship with her parents and her career journey. I’ve heard positive feedback about the author’s previous novel “Mary Jane” so I want to check that one out.

It’s pitched as Adult Fiction but it reads like Young Adult. It’s a solid read.

Three stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, Jessica Anya Blau and Mariner Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review