I absolutely loved Jessica Anya Blau’s Mary Jane, so I was really excited to see she has a new book coming in 2025—and even more excited to get my hands on an early copy. (Thank you @netgalley and @marinerbooks!)

This one follows Zippy, a 19-year-old living in 1980s San Francisco with her roommate, Raquel. She working in the Petite dresses section at high-end department store I. Magnin, surrounded by wealthy shoppers and rotating three thrifted outfits of her own. She’s juggling work, life, and dreams she’s carefully written into her Day-Timer planner.

Zippy’s a character you can root for. She’s young, a little naive, but trying really hard to figure things out and support herself, ultimately learning to make her own decisions and go after what she wants. Like another reviewer said, Zippy’s growth is subtle, but it feels earned.

I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much as Mary Jane, but I liked Zippy and Shopgirls was a solid read.

Thank you to @netgalley and @MarinerBooks for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I was amused by the characters in this book, and I enjoyed the accuracy of the 80s details. I just wished that there had been a bit more of a plot. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Shopgirls follows Zippy, a 19 year old girl working on the 5th floor of I.Magnin, a luxury department store. She shares an apartment with her best friend Raquel and is on the path to establishing her life as a young woman in 1985 San Francisco. I. Magnin represents a more elegant life. As the daughter of a single mother who lived in an apartment above a liquor store, it represents a future Zippy hasn’t previously been exposed to. Just as Zippy is starting to find her footing, two events in her life threaten to take away the happiness she’s found and the sense of self she’s started to establish.

I really loved this author’s previous novel Mary Jane. I had a harder time connecting with this one. The plot felt a bit thinner than this author’s previous works and I had a hard time connecting with Zippy. I did like the cast of supporting characters, especially Raquel and Miss Lena. I think I just wish that more had happened with these characters and wanted a bit more from the ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and Mariner Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Coming of age story set in the 1980's and San Francisco's exclusive department store I. Magnin. The main character, 19y/o Zippy is extremely likable, and I enjoyed following her journey as
the youngest salesgirl in Ladies Dresses and the life lessons she learns from her fellow workers, and best friend. All the characters were well written and I could see them so clearly in my mind. Easy, quick read that had me rooting for Zippy the entire time!

I was a big fan of the author’s Mary Jane so I had really high hopes for this one. While it is a good book, it fell a bit short for me. It read more young adult.

Zippy was a really like-able and compelling character, but she was quirky and bright while being quite naive and childlike. She didn’t always read as a nineteen year old to me.

But I liked the setting of the story and seeing her so well suited for her role at the department store. I liked her roommate and the new relationship with her father. Really, there was a lot to like but it couldn’t quite get to a 4 star for me.

GAH! I wanted to love the latest by Jessica Anya Blau SO much. I ❤️❤️❤️ Mary Jane. It continues to be one of my favorite coming of age stories. I was so hopeful that Blau's latest was going to resonate the same, but this book fell short for me.

I kept having flashbacks to the movie Mannequin, which makes zero sense as the book has nothing to do with a mannequin. It was a story about a young girl who worked in a department store.

End scene.

I enjoyed the relationships between the MC and her colleagues, but the plot (at least for me) was essentially non-existent.

I did appreciate how things ended for the MC, but I needed more substance along the way.

Thank you Netgalley and Mariner Books for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!

What can I say more than I simply adore Jessica Anya Blau's effortless writing that, no matter the time period, perfectly encompasses what it feels like to be a young adult. One of my absolute favorite things is how throughout the entire narrative there is a core, simply silly, fear or obsession, or something that gets brought up in Zippy's inner monologue.

The book itself is fast paced, I read it all within a few days, however each of the characters do feel very silly. Very goofy, like they almost know they're in a book. I throughly enjoyed the coming of age aspect where Zippy has to figure out what she wants and where she goes from there. It's all slice of life without beating you over the head with a specific narrative. As a followup to her other work though, this one was did miss a little with me. There were aspects that were very much "for the plot" in my opinion. Her dad reappearing after it had been established she might want to know who he is, the touch on the AIDS issues of the 80s, some of it really did feel forced. Like, I didn't exactly need all of that for the book to feel complete.

All in all, I throughly enjoyed the book. For being one I was super excited for, I was not disappointed!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I read and enjoyed the author’s previous novel; this one just didn’t hit the mark at all for me. The characters were too weird, the story didn’t really go anywhere and I couldn’t relate to the protagonist at all. I liked reading about the department store and the 80s time period. Two stars.

Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau is about Zippy, a nineteen year old woman in 1985 in San Francisco. She is a clothing saleswomen in a prestigious department store, but behind the scenes the true story is about her trying to find herself in this world. I loved Zippy’s voice and her view of the world. I highly recommend to this who like coming of age stories. What a fun read!


A complementary copy was provided by publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Shopgirls is a wonderful coming of age story - it is so full of heart and humor!! It has all the elements I remembered loving from Blau’s Mary Jane, and it reminded me of The Tales Of the City by Armistead Maupin (I absolutely love historical fiction set in San Francisco!).

While it was much more character focused than plot focused (which is normally not my jam), it was a quick and fun read! The absurdity of the story enhances the realness of the emotions, and I would highly recommend if you enjoy:

🫶🏼 coming of age stories
🕗 80s settings
💋silliness and sweetness

I loved this book so much! Working in a store myself I was swept up into the story and the lives of the girls.

Shopgirls is a fun, breezy read with plenty of fashion and drama. Zippy is a young girl trying to make it in the world of high-end retail, and while her journey is entertaining, it’s also pretty predictable. The writing is sharp, and the characters are colorful, but the story didn’t totally hook me emotionally. It’s a solid pick if you’re in the mood for something light and stylish, just not super deep.

Shopgirls – Jessica Anya Blau
A delightful and heartwarming look at the lives of women working in retail. Blau infuses humor, charm, and genuine emotional depth into a novel that celebrates female friendships, ambition, and the unexpected joys of customer service. A feel-good read that’s perfect for fans of character-driven contemporary fiction.

4.5 stars rounded up! I loved Jessica Anya Blau's previous novel, MARY JANE, so I was extra excited to read her latest. Blau has already shown that she is a pro at the coming-of-age story, and this novel only cements that. Set in 1985 San Francisco, SHOPGIRLS follows 19-year-old Zippy, the newest and youngest salesgirl at I. Magnin, one of the city's most esteemed department stores. Growing up in a one-bedroom apartment with her mother and her mother's eccentric boyfriend, Zippy has always dreamed of breaking out of her comfort zone, and I. Magnin represents her chance at a life of luxury and excitement. With the help of her coworkers and her stylish, driven roommate Raquel, Zippy begins to navigate life, love, family, friendship, and finally become the person she's always wanted to be...but what will happen when some surprises have her questioning everything she thought she knew?

This was a true delight from start to finish! Once again, Jessica Anya Blau masterfully develops the setting and characters to create a story of a young woman figuring out where she belongs and who she wants to be. I love how this is just a slice-of-life story, where readers are fully absorbed into Zippy's world. All of the characters were such a blast to read about, but I especially loved seeing the camaraderie between Zippy and her fellow shopgirls and the scenes where they were at work together, as well as following Zippy's relationships with Raquel and with her parents. The 80s setting was equally well-developed—it never felt like references to the time period were just shoehorned in. All of the details felt so natural and immersive to include! Overall, I would highly recommend SHOPGIRLS for a lighthearted, comforting coming-of-age tale, and am so excited to see what Blau has in store next. Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC.

I was/am IN LOVE with Jessica Anya Blau's novel 'Mary Jane' a couple years ago, so I was so excited to see that not only was she releasing another book in 2025, but that I received an early digital arc for it!

Zippy is 19-years-old living in 1980s San Francisco with her roommate, Raquel. Zippy is the newest shopgirl at I. Magnin working in the Petite dresses section. I. Magnin is a high-end clothing store that of which many wealthy women frequent. Zippy, who rotates 3 outfits she either thrifted or borrows from Raquel for work, can't help but compare herself to the women who shop at I. Magnin and wonder what she needs to do to make her dreams (detailed in her Day-Timer, of course) come true.

I'll be honest, I was so confused what the plot of this book was for the first 30% or so. The first chapter definitely caught my attention as we followed Zippy throughout a typical day at work, meeting her coworkers and getting to know her routines, but before I knew it, I had reached chapter 4 with no idea where the book was headed. Was this supposed to be a coming of age novel? A romance? Literary fiction? However, once I moved on from trying to understand the "point" of the book, I found myself genuinely enjoying following Zippy around -- it felt like watching someone's 'Day in the Life' YouTube video. Nothing especially special, but still entertaining and mildly riveting. Chapters revolved around Zippy ~zipping~ around the store looking for dresses for customers, trying to make enough sales to support her mother and weird step-father; making and playing with paper dolls with her super-religious co-worker, who also taught Zippy how to pray (in the dressing rooms ?); and filling out her day-timer with Raquel, writing about their goals and dreams.

Overall, I found that Zippy was a character who was easy to root for, despite her 19-year-old naivety. Although I was 19 myself only 4 years ago, it's such a young age to be fully independent. She has these hopes and dreams that seem unrealistic to her, given her current financial situation and career, but she holds on to those hopes and dreams despite that. The female characters in the book felt realistic -- sometimes they made Zippy's life more difficult, but other times they are exactly what she needs. Something that really resonated with me was a character telling Zippy she needed to be "the chooser" in her life. Too many of her decisions had been made for her, and to be the best version of herself, Zippy needed to gain the confidence to go after what she wanted. As another reviewer stated in their review, "Zippy's growth is subtle but gratifying," and I couldn't agree more.

Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for the early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

This is a very cute little story about a young high school graduate in the 1980s working at I. Magnin and trying to figure out her life. It's not great literature, and there's really not a lot of there there, but it is well written and entertaining and doesn't get too deep about anything. A fun, lighthearted read.

t's 1985 and nineteen-year-old Zippy Tremblay has just started working in sales at I. Magnin, a high-fashion luxury department store in San Francisco. She's moved out on her own, sharing a place with the beautiful and more worldly, Rachel. Raised by a single mother, Zippy is ready to face her insecurities and step outside comfort zone. In her new job, she discovers that she has a flair for fashion and is a success at helping customers find the right outfits. She meets supportive sales associates who take her under their wing, as well as some who are snarky and competitive. After work, Rachel introduces Zippy to a fun night life, including the possibility of getting her first kiss. When Zippy's biological father contacts her for the first time, she hopes it will fill the void of never having known anything about him. Amidst all the excitement, Zippy faces some bumps in the road as she strives to make it on her own.

Jessica Anya Blau's last novel Mary Jane was a sweet book set in 1975. With Shopgirls, Blau has written another enjoyable coming-of-age story, again with nostalgic touches. With no major surprises in the likeable Zibby's journey, it is nice to be reminded of the fun and fear when starting out on your dream job with everything feeling fresh and new. I loved how the now-defunct retailer I. Magnin was brought back to life, with Blau referencing some of the fashion labels of the day including the flattering style of Donna Karan, along with Adrienne Vittadini, Jessica McClintock and the workwear staple Anne Klein. The book has a lively cast of characters and engaging conversations and advice on life. When Libby eagerly awaits visiting the Blue Light, a club owned by Boz Scaggs, she fantasizes that he'll notice her, and it will lead to losing her virginity to him. If this reference makes you smile, you'll enjoy being transported back to the 80s.

God I need more Jessica Anya Blau books. I read Mary Jane years ago, and I loved it so much. The way in which Blau writes young women in coming-of-age stories is just something magical. There are feelings and emotions placed onto these characters that I didn't even know I could feel. This will definitely be a title that I will sell the crap out of. I loved it so much.

I’m so happy to have discovered Jessica Anya Blau. When I received an ARC for Mary Jane I instantly fell in love with the writing style, characters and story. She once again knocked it out of the park with Shopgirls. The story takes place in the 70’s San Francisco scene and follows 19 year old Zippy as she ventures out on her own. New apartment, new roommate/best friend, new job at a high end department store and a new relationship with her birth father that she never knew. Shopgirls made me laugh out loud and cheer for Zippy the whole way through! If you enjoyed Mary Jane you’ll definitely enjoy Shopgirls and if you haven’t read either of them yet then what are you even doing with your life!! You’re missing out!

Thank you #Netgalley #jessicaanyablau and #marinerbooks for the ARC and opportunity to read and review this book.

Dear Ms. Blau, You have done a lovely thing by writing and publishing this book . About this reader - When I was a young girl, I loved the writing of Lee Wyndham. She was the author of books about young girls who were the heroines of stories about how "nice" American girls faced a world inhabited by both motherly female mentors and jealously competitive mean girls. (See the Susie series published by Scholastic Books, among other books she wrote ). These books showed me what it was to be a young girl with a moral compass who was also not an ideologue. In my opinion, you have written a novel about a y0ung woman, 19 years old, with a similar moral compass who is living in mid-1980's San Francisco, with absolute authenticity of tjme and place (I was there too - as a young urban professional woman, I wore the Adrienne Vittadini outfits you sold!) On top of that - I had a close female relative who worked as a sales clerk in what was then called a "better women's clothing store" like I. Magnin. I recognized your descriptions of the interpersonal dynamics among those women. While reading the first 100 pages, I thought I was reading a memoir. Congratulations of writing a novel that is both true to time and place and showed us older "nice girls" that we can still be proud of our values and be fully inclusive in a new world.