I was so excited to be approved for this ARC as I loved Mary Jane by this author. I didn't connect with this story in the same way. The main character felt like an idea of a character not a person I could really empathize with or see their journey. Overall I still believe this author is talented but this isn't a book I'll be recommending to friends or family.

Shopgirls is a short and sweet coming-of-age story set in the 1980s in San Francisco. Zippy is 19 and works at I. Magnin, a now defunct luxury department store. She has never met her father, has never been kissed, and feels a little lonely since her mom spends most of her time with her zany boyfriend, Howard. Zippy learns about life and love through the I. Magnin ladies she works with and her more worldly roommate, Raquel. All of the details about life in the 80s are captured in this slice-of-life story, and it brought up many happy memories of "Must-See TV," Jessica McClintock dresses, and neon-glo fashion. Put your shoulder padded jacket on, cue up some Golden Girls for the ambiance, and settle in with Shopgirls to find out where Zippy's life takes her. Thank you to Netgalley, Mariner Books, and author Jessica Anya Blau for the librarian preview copy!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this uncorrected digital ARC of 'Shopgirls' by Jessica Anya Blau - expected release date 05/06/2025

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an easy book to read. Other than the many mentions of the AIDs outbreak, it was mostly about a sweet, naive retail sales girl trying to navigate her young adult life in the 80s. It wasn't really an especially deep storyline but it was fun to read and it all finished up perfectly, no loose ends. I'm happy things worked out for the FMC Zippy, she was always positive and I was rooting for her!

I loved Mary Jane, but this one missed the mark for me. It felt too formulaic - like trying to recreate a 1980s version of the same story. The characters in Mary Jane were interesting, complex, and endearing. The characters here were very flat in comparison. Zippy oddly felt more naive than Mary Jane, when she was not sheltered in the same way growing up. This was cute and nostalgic, but lacked the depth to make me invested in the story.

Girls love to shop and it brought back memories from the days of high-end fashion stores in downtown areas.

Zippy was 19 in 1985. She was working in a San Francisco petite dress department in sales and loving every minute. This was her dream job. However, it didn’t pay well and she needed to find a way of helping her mother with medical expenses.

It sent me into the past when I remembered walking into handsome buildings with gorgeous fashions, jewelry, shoes and cosmetics. The book made me imagine a world of luxury where $1,000 dresses were featured from top designers.

This story could be relished by young girls just out of high school and many who are faced with a complex world where money is tight. However, I doubt they would know what Tang is or Kmart’s collection with Jaclyn Smith. The story could also reach out to women who want to think back on some good times.

It wasn’t as absorbing as “Mary Jane” with a family-dynamic plot that so many of us could understand. Yet, it was charming and uplifting with high spiritual values, quirky in some parts, simple and quick. It wasn’t necessarily set up to be believable yet, it made me smile. It would make a fun movie.

My thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of May 6, 2025.

I normally don’t enjoy historical fiction or books about people’s daily lives but I really enjoyed this book. Zippy is so naive but what 19 year old girl isn’t? I loved the characters and their relationships with each other and with Zippy. Her friendship with Raquel was so pure and they were exactly what the other needed. Over all I enjoyed the book. It’s an easy read and not fast paced. It’s definitely a feel good book.

Shopgirls is kooky and warmhearted, and a love letter to naivety in the 1980s. Sometimes this is a good thing and sometimes not so much. Much like Blau’s previous novel, Mary Jane, the titular character in this novel, Zippy, is a sweet, nice teenager who is both smart and very naive, surrounded by some very unconventional people. Zippy has a job selling clothes at I. Magnin, which she loves and has a natural talent for. But a stepfather with a severe lack of common sense and a complaint card campaign against her at work have her wondering if she can continue on. Meanwhile, she’s surrounded by some very unconventional people and starts a relationship with the father she never knew. The exploration of workplace dynamics in the book is good. The paper dolls just feel immature and out of place. And a major opportunity is lost to explore in more detail how scary AIDS was for people in the mid-eighties, and how many misconceptions surrounded it. This ended up being a mixed bag for me. Every time I got to a point where I was getting into the story something dopey happened that broke up the rhythm I had gotten into. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau is a charming, nostalgic dive into 1980s San Francisco, following 19-year-old Zippy as she navigates life as a department store salesgirl. Blau crafts a vibrant, character-driven story filled with eccentric coworkers, wealthy clientele, and the complexities of young adulthood. While the novel captures the glamour and struggles of retail work, it sometimes skims over the deeper social issues of the era. Zippy’s journey of self-discovery is engaging, though the plot moves slowly at times. Overall, Shopgirls is a light, entertaining read with heart, perfect for fans of coming-of-age stories and retro settings.

Shopgirls was set in the nostalgic 80’s. I loved Mary Jane and was very excited for this new Anya Blau. I did not feel connected to the characters and found the topics to be stereotypical and lacking emotional depth. While I enjoyed parts of the book, it fell short for me overall.

I enjoyed reading this book so much. I love Mary Jane and looked forward to this one!

The characters are brilliant. Zippy!! I love Zippy. I also loved the department store setting. Raquel was so fun as well. I loved how the story unfolded and Zippy continued to grow throughout this whole book. The Berber Coffee guy being her dad was the best!! Air freshener Jesus. I loved literally everything start to finish and I will read this again and recommend to other readers. I cannot wait to buy a copy for my bookshelf! Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgally for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a very quick, slice of life read perfect for someone looking for a period piece that isn't too heavy. While there are plenty of mentions of real life events (such as the AIDS crisis), there's never any real conflict or drama related to the time period. Zippy is a likeable character readers can root for, surrounded by a cast of entertaining characters that inject a bit of zaniness into this read.

This was like reaching back into my past in the 1980’s! Such a heartwarming book about life as a single girl working in retail at one of the best stores there was. The designers, the night life, must see tv, and all the clothes are memories I carry with me from that time. I was the same age as Zippy during this period. I really enjoyed reading about her life and experiences. The 80’s were a singular time like no other. The political climate and the AIDS attitudes and misinformation were touched on briefly, but were right on the mark. This was a fun, sweet read with interesting characters.

Shopgirls is short and sweet. Set in the world of a glamorous high-end San Francisco department store, Zippy (yes, that’s her name) feels out of place as a salesgirl for I.Magnin. This story explores themes of class and wealth disparity; Zippy is surrounded by wealth on a day-to-day basis yet she can’t afford to buy more than three outfits and is struggling to support her family. The lives of her rich clients are always a huge culture shock to her and Blau describes this incredulity in a ridiculous yet starkly real way. She candidly captures the frivolous, ignorant, and carefree lives of the uber-wealthy through a lower middle class lens, a stark and harrowing reflection of today’s top 1%.
The characters in this book are dynamic and so entertaining to read about. Raquel, Howard, Yolanda, and Marie are very over the top to the point of caricature which I love. In comparison, Zippy, our heroine, falls a bit flat. Aside from being kind and passionate about fashion, Zippy doesn’t have any distinct flaws, ideology, or qualities. You could call her bland, but I would argue that she’s a semi-blank slate for a reason!
Zippy is supposed to be an embodiment of the tumultuous and topsy-turvy lives of adolescents in a budding, fast-paced society. She’s supposed to be someone that young adult readers can see themselves in. Her struggles with love, career, family, friends, and self-image are universal. Much of her arc centers around finding a sense of autonomy and being able to live the life that she herself wants which is a narrative that many can find common ground with. Although most of us aren’t salesgirls peddling designer dresses to bored rich ladies, Shopgirls takes the multitudes and the high-lows of being a young adult head-on.
I will say that I wish that Shopgirls had explored the setting of the novel a bit more. This is San Francisco in the 80s! Life is vibrant, ever-changing, and flashy. Especially for a book about designer clothes, huge department stores, and fashion, I really think that going more into the cultural climate at that time could’ve contributed to the overall tone and ambience of Zippy’s life.
Overall, Shopgirls is a nice book. It’s a quick and interesting read. It’s fun yet poignant. It touches on some serious themes whilst retaining a light and frilly quality. Zippy's story is an interesting one and her perspective is refreshing. Blau did a solid job here and I can't wait to read more of her work. :)

This is the first book I’ve read by Jessica Anya Blau, I have Mary Jane, but I haven’t read it yet. This was a slice of life, character-driven book, with a slow-burn plot. Maybe the plot was a little too slow-burn for my taste. Character-driven books aren’t my cup of tea, so I did struggle to engage with this book. The chapters were long and not much happened in each chapter, so I found my mind wandering and losing interest. When I did zero in, I could tell the writing was well done. The atmosphere and fashion industry were the real stars of this book.

I recommend this book if you like character-driven books with an awesome atmosphere. This book has its audience and I don’t think it was for me.

Thank you, NetGalley and Mariner Books for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

This story is set in 1985 in all its glory. I was the same age as the main character that year and I loved all the references to style, music and the bar scene. I also worked in retail and could relate to all the insecurity and pressure Zippy felt working as a salesperson at an exclusive department store. I found myself routing for her and I loved how she found new family and friends as she figures out how to believe in herself.
Light, cute story that improved as it went on.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Zippy is a shopgirl, 19 years old and recently moved into her first apartment with a roommate, working at glamourous I. Magnin in mid 1980s San Francisco. Zippy is struggling to find her own identity after moving away from home and collects bits of advice and bon mots from the other ladies who work at I. Magnin with her. From her perspective we learn about the various women she works with as well as getting a slice of her life as a sales associate, working on commission to sell wealthy women dresses.
I very much enjoyed the author's previous book, Mary Jane, and as a result was eager to grab this one from NetGalley. For me this book had a lot of potential, similar to the potential that Zippy exhibits. It was fun and enjoyable to witness as Zippy grows up and comes to understand herself and find her own happiness. That said, it was lacking in the overall execution, especially the use of the setting of mid 1980s San Francisco, when the gay scene and AIDS were a huge factor of the time period. There are brief moments in the book where these things are mentioned, but it felt glossed over, and at only 272 pages, I do feel there was room to expand upon the concepts and do a better service to the time period and setting. This is why I've decided to rate it at 3.5 stars rounded up. It just didn't quite live up to the potential that it had for me.
Thank you to Mariner Book and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

I really enjoyed Mary Jane and was extremely excited to read Shopgirls, especially since it takes place in the 1980s which is my favorite decade and I spent a huge chunk of it shopping in malls and department stories.

Unfortunately this book was a huge disappointment for me. The chapters are long with very little taking place. I did not bond with Zippy or any of the other characters. Too much praying going on. I kept checking to see how much I had read and at Chapter 5 I decided to read other reviews to see if I was in the minority. There was a 2 star review by someone who grew up in San Francisco which showed me that my feelings were valid and sadly this book would probably not get much better.

This book was one of my highly anticipated reads of 2025 and I’m absolutely delighted to report that I LOVED it, I loved it so so much.

This book was the story of a girl called Zippy who worked in a fancy department store called I. Magnin. It was mainly about her job, her relationship with fellow workmates and of course the customers (or rats as Miss Yolanda would call them)

Along with being at I. Magnin we got to see snippets of her home life with her flatmate and her relationship with her mother.

I thought this book was very unique and I really adored Zippy a lot, she was a special lady with the kindest of hearts. I loved seeing her confidence grow throughout the storyline and that last paragraph just made my heart so happy.

I really enjoyed all of the characters and loved how they were each very different to each other, yet they made up such a bunch of ladies that somehow worked.

I love that the author wrote this book having worked in the very same department store, I love getting those little snippets into their lives.

This book was unputdownable and I loved it. I laughed, I smiled and I was just so happy from start to finish. It’s the kind of book that just sucks you in until it’s over.

I absolutely loved Mary Jane by this author, I recommend it to everyone and have read it myself multiple times. When you love a book that much, it’s always a worry that the other will not live up to it but this did, in so many ways. Though I should not compare as they are both definitely different books, however both have wonderful strong women.

Great read, add to your TBR for sure.

Thank you for the advanced reader copy. ShopGirls, by Jessica Anya Blau is a coming of age story that takes place in 1980's California.
Zippy, living with her lawyer room-mate, has dropped out of high school and is working in a department store.
We get to know the other sale associates and the hierarchy of department store culture. If you have ever wondered what is might have been like to work at Macys or Barney's in 1985- this is the book for you. It is Zippy's voice that I enjoyed most about Shopgirl.. She is serious and sincere yet funny. Readers will love the 1980's scenery that comes alive here- landlines, neon clothing and diet culture to name a few. I would have liked to have a few more chapters to follow Zippy and see where her life takes her. Overall, I enjoyed this short, heart-felt book.

This novel is a delightful and poignant look at a young woman’s journey into adulthood, set against the glamorous yet cutthroat world of 1980s retail. Zippy is an instantly lovable protagonist—earnest, scrappy, and full of ambition, despite coming from a background that offered little guidance on how to build the life she dreams of. Through her job at I. Magnin, she steps into a world of elegance and opportunity but soon realizes that survival in both work and life requires far more than just polished shoes and charm.

The supporting cast is just as engaging, from seasoned salesgirls and wisecracking cosmetics ladies to her intense, diet-obsessed roommate. The novel balances humor and heart beautifully, capturing the highs and lows of navigating early adulthood with wit and warmth. As Zippy faces unexpected challenges that shake her confidence and test her resilience, her journey becomes a deeply relatable reflection on self-discovery, ambition, and the small but significant moments that shape us.

With its vibrant 1980s setting, sharp social commentary, and a protagonist you can’t help but root for, this book is an absolute joy to read.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.