I so enjoyed this coming-of-age story about the protagonist finding her way in the world. The setting of a department store in the city during the 80s reminded me of shopping in my younger years. Thanks to the
author for the experience! A delightful read!!

I found this book to be light, fun and quirky just like its main character Zippy. It’s a day in the life story about self discovery with some 80’s references thrown in. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader’s copy.

It'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 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 her comfort zone. In her new job, she discovers that she has a flair for fashion and is successful at helping customers find the right outfits. She meets supportive sales associates who take her under their wing, as well as some associates who are snarky and competitive. After work, Rachel introduces Zippy to a fun nightlife, with 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. During the likable Zippy's journey, it is nice to be reminded of the fun and fear when starting 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 with engaging conversations and advice on life. When Zippy 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.

A coming of age found family novel that looks back fondly on 1980s San Francisco. Zippy is 19 and works at I Magnin (I loved that store) and lives with Raquel who is a few years older. The best scenes are in the store as Zippy deals with her customers and her coworkers. Her relationship with Raquel at times feels a bit of forced fun but it's got heart. While this moves quickly and feels light for the most part Blau does introduce a more serious element with Zippy's father. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. An easy read.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book about 40% in because there was one too many mentions of praying. Not knocking prayer, but it was very repetitive and religion isn’t my favorite thing to read about.
I thought the FMC was likeable enough, but I also felt the story wasn’t quite progressing at a pace that kept me engaged or excited to know what would happen next.
I’m sure it’ll work for some folks, it just wasn’t for me.

What I did read (aside from the prayer stuff) was about 2 stars.

A slice of life book set in 1980’s high end San Francisco department store. We meet with sheltered Zippy who is figuring out her new job, new roommate and family situations. Endearing characters and good atmosphere a cozy and quirky read. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Thank you Mariner Books for this arc.

The truth is that I wanted to read this book due to the time frame. Yep, the 1980s are my own coming of age so I remember all the big hair, shoulder pads, and vivid fabrics. This is absolutely more light-weight fiction with no romance. I’ve seen it described as historical fiction. Anyway, I will be honest and say that apart from some window dressing, I really didn’t get much of an 80s vibe from it.

Zippy is sweet and good-hearted and not much of a match for some of the tigresses who work with her on the fifth floor (Petite Dresses) but she makes some friends who look after her, give her make-up tips, pray with her (in one of the changing rooms with the large mirror), and believe in her when Something happens. The paper dolls stuff was goofy though.

She also loves her strong mother even if mom married Howard who is a bit of a mess. Zippy tries to be generous to her coworkers even as she outsells most of them with a smile on her face even for the rich snots who drop unwanted clothes on the changing room floor. She gets flirting tips from her roommate who urges Zippy to be the chooser of her own life. The friendship between the two was nice.

“Shopgirls” took a while to grow on me and, truth, I had to power through about three chapters before realizing it’s kind of more slice-of-life for a while. I both liked and at times disliked the shop floor stuff. There are cliques as well as those co-workers with whom you will never get along. I can’t imagine working with customers so closely but not all the rich people are terrible – just a lot of them. Zippy and her mother are close which shows in how Zippy responds to a financial need in the family. There is a sort of strange reunion as well which is nice but I also wanted to snap at This Person that they could have done this years earlier.

When we reach the end, Zippy is in a good place with some of her dreams coming true (though after reading up about the fate of the store in real life, I hope she was able to shift with the tide). She’s got gumption and integrity and makes an impression on the right people. Once I got settled into Zippy’s life, I enjoyed watching her grow and mature. B-

I loved this book - it was so fun to follow Zippy and the people in her life. The 80s references were great. This was a heartwarming and easy read - perfect for the summer. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

A highly anticipated book for me, that let me down pretty quickly. I loved the concept of the "shopgirls" that worked in retail in making sales. They dressed up. made sales, competed, it all sounds fun. But what I found was a book that was slow and dragged on and really didn't keep my attention. I could have used more culture and life within San Francisco, but I think it was a missed opportunity in this book.

Overall, it was fine, but not a favorite like her previous book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the gifted e-ARC.

Thank you NetGalley, Mariner Books and Jessica Anya Blau for the opportunity to read and review Shopgirls.
This is an interesting story of growing up and found family in the 80’s. I enjoyed learning about the exclusive department store, I. Magnin. I remember shopping trips with my mom to this store in Chicago. It was beyond classy.
The main character, Zippy, is from a single parent home with little extra money. She is employed at I. Magnin and thrilled with her position. The story continues with her money issues, lack of self esteem and finally gaining confidence to succeed on her terms.
The writing is basic, geared to YA and many parts are a bit unbelievable. Especially how she obtained her job and the sudden appearance of her dad after nineteen years. The plot is slow paced with minimal action. I remember the 80’s and there is a lot more drama that could have been incorporated into the story. I enjoyed this but wanted more.

This was an…interesting read. It was one of those books where nothing happened yet a lot was happening.
Our main character, Zippy, is a young woman trying to make her way in the world and she relies on co-workers and an unusually amazing roommate to get through life.
I think I might have enjoyed this more on a different day or a different frame of mind. It’s well written, it pulls you in, but it just didn’t wow me.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Mariner Books and NetGalley for the ARC. I had high expectations for the book and was very excited about the premise but unfortunately it feel short. The writing was entertaining and light, which kept me reading but I think the book lacked character development and depth in the storytelling. There were several aspects of the novel that seemed superfluous to the point that I had to skip whole pages (why does Zippy and Miss Lena keep playing with paper dolls?). Zippy and honestly all characters lacked depth and I ended the book knowing absolutely nothing substantial about any of them. The book tried to explore identity, coming of age, sex and even AIDS in such a superficial way that it made me wonder many times what was the author really trying to convey to the readers. I think it's definitely one of those books that it's more "no plot, just vibes".

I love the way this author writes. Her books feel fun and light but have something deep to say and great characters. This is the perfect hybrid of beach read and intense fiction that I love. Will be recommending this to lots of readers!

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Let me start by saying I absolutely adored Jessica Anya Blau’s last novel, Mary Jane. What the two novels have in common is a naive and charming protagonist as well as an intimate style of narrative where the reader gets lots of little details that make the story seem really personal. I loved the all the side characters in Shopgirl and the way Zippy’s relationship with each of them was unique. I was excited to read about her growth and finding her place in the world, but unfortunately the novel really took a long time to build up to anything, and all the good stuff was sort of stuffed into the last 50 pages or so. This book could have benefited from some restructuring and re-prioritizing. For instance, why so much with Miss Lena and their paper dolls but only a little bit of time spent exploring her relationship with her parents, her love interest, and her career path? This book also had a real opportunity to do more to develop a sense of time and place but it doesn’t seem like the author made much of an effort to do that beyond the bare minimum, unlike in her previous novel Mary Jane. I will certainly still seek out Blau’s next new book because I see a lot of potential in this author’s writing.

Shopgirls is a fun, breezy read that follows a young woman coming of age while working at an upscale department store, soaking in the glamour, drama, and life lessons tucked between the racks. Jessica Anya Blau brings a real love of fashion to the page, showing how what we wear can shape who we become. It’s a lighthearted story about self-discovery, agency, and the sometimes sparkly, sometimes messy road to adulthood.

That said, the novel often reads more like YA than adult fiction, and the characters—while entertaining—don’t always feel fully fleshed out. Still, if you're in the mood for something playful and stylish with a touch of heart, Shopgirls might just do the trick.

Shopgirls follows young Zippy and the cast of characters that work at an upscale boutique in 80's San Franscico. My dream job growing up was to work in a department store so the setting was perfect for me. Zippy is kind and honest, if not a bit naive and her coworkers were hilarious.
That said, the stakes are low and you really are just reading about a nice girl who things work out for. This book is a cozy read about found family that I enjoyed diving into.

I wanted to love this book so much. Mary Jane is probably my favorite coming of age novel of all time. So of course it’s impossible to not compare Shopgirls to Mary Jane.

Zippy is an interesting character and I enjoyed the department store setting in the 1980s. She’s naive and ready for experimenting. The obsession with dieting (eating days and not eating days) was a strange detail.

However the writing felt juvenile, there was a general lack of plot, and I didn’t connect with any of the myriad characters. I felt like the entire thing needed to be stronger, tighter.

I think it will be enjoyed by some, especially if you grew up working in a department store with ladies older than you, but for me, it didn’t live up to expectations.

Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau is a novel about a 19-year old in 1985 finding herself and learning to make her own choices about her life. I liked the setting of her workplace at a fancy department store and the found family storyline. There was a heavier plot point that added to the emotional family story as well. (No spoilers!) Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

19-year-old Zippy is a new salesgirl at the ritzy I. Magnin department store in 1985 San Francisco. She loves her job, and after a tumultuous childhood she is trying to figure out who she is and how she wants her life to be. This new adult novel was a quick, enjoyable read with some entertaining twists and turns. There is a large cast of supporting characters and at times felt like more of an ensemble piece. Heavy focus is on her workplace dynamics and the office politics that happen on the fifth floor of the department store. It was fun watching Zippy's introduction into, and navigation through, a larger world than she's known in her short life, and I enjoyed watching her come into her own. Although there were universal themes of growing up and discovering one's identity, this was a mid-80s time capsule with plenty of pop culture and fashion references, along with references to the early and uncertain days of the AIDS epidemic. While I thought this was a sweet story, one thing I didn't fully enjoy was the heavy focus on the superficial, especially body-wise. It's era-appropriate for the 80s, but felt anachronistic and shallow for a book written in today's body-positive climate. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. This review was based on a complimentary copy of the book, all opinions are my own. Publishes May 6, 2025.