I loved the coming of age story 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝗲 by Jessica Anya Blau. I think 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 is supposed to have a similar coming of age vibe but it just doesn’t work. The whole time I wondered what was the point of the story and who was the intended audience. It reads quite YA. I felt like she picked a random time period (the 80s) and threw in a few fashion brands popular at the time and a controversial topic - AIDS. There was nothing else that supported the time and place. Zippy’s family story made no sense to me (I’ll avoid spoilers but the mom’s questionable memory is ridiculous). This was a bummer. I had high hopes. I should have judged this one by the cover.

Super sweet story with a super sweet main character who is genuinely trying to be a good person to her friends, co-workers and family. Definitely not a deep read, but if you want something quick and light-hearted, this is a good choice.

This review is specifically for the audioversion. Overall, the story was fun look at a time when people still shopped mostly in department stores, told through the eyes of a likable young woman. My problem, though, was with the audio -- I really did not enjoy the narrator -- her intonation failed to keep my interest, and many of the voices she put on bordered on caricature.

Admittedly, I am mostly certain I picked this read up for the wrong reasons. It was a bit of an impulse pick, based on the promise of the 1980s and following the life of a shopgirl. While I fully read in the synopsis that our main character, Zippy, is 19-years-old, I was already committed. Sadly, I didn't connect at all with Zippy, but it is a coming of age story and Zippy does mature through the experiences in the book. It's not quite a Young Adult book, but it's not quite an Adult book, either. It does read a little more like a YA book, maybe, though?

Shopgirls is a coming of age story set in the 1980s, so there is plenty of reminiscing for us Gen-Xers. It was a fun read, but lacked... something... for me. I did enjoy the world of the department store, and maybe I just wanted more of that. However, the pop culture references -- which showed up in Zippy's life away from work and even at work (hello, 1980's fashion!) -- were a large part of the draw of the book and truly kept me going. Jessica Anya Blau throws all the 1980s references at us, but it really, really works. It is not heavy handed at all and the 1980s flowed easily throughout the story. Truly -- A fun read.

This was a very quick listen on audio and the narrator, Caitlin Kinnunen, voices Zippy quite well.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the audio ARC copy of Shopgirls, in exchange for my honest review.

First, I love this cover! Does this not bring you back to the shopping malls of 1985?


The book is a light, breezy jaunt with Zippy, a sweet but naive nineteen-year-old who lands a job in a fancy, upscale department store.
It’s all about Zippy trying to find her way. She’s trying her best to compete with the other sales ladies and make the wealthy clientele happy. She tries to please her mother and her odd stepfather, and then her biological dad shows up.
You can’t help but root for Zippy. Her kindness, matched with her naivety, makes you want to protect her and hug her as she navigates a volatile work environment, jumps on the latest diet trends, to her first kiss.
Set in the 1980s, the nostalgic references were fun with the fashions, TV shows, and mixtapes full of hit songs. The topic that took this book up a notch was the discussion of AIDs.
The story stays fairly surface-level, but Zippy was definitely learning some lessons along the way - about work, sex, and people! Overall, this was a fun, easy read.


🎧 Caitlin Kinnunen’s narration embodied Zippy! It really endeared me to her even more.



Thank you @harperAudio and @harpercollins for the gifted audiobook via #NetGalley.

"Shopgirls" by Jessica Anya Blau is a fun fast read. It's a light coming of age story that feels somewhat half-baked at times.

If you love a coming of age story and historical fiction set in the 1980s (yes, I did just call the 1980s “historical”), Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau is the book for you. I’m so grateful to Harper Audio (@harpercollins) for an ALC of this quirky, poignant story. It comes out May 6!

Naïve (or maybe I should say trusting?) and incredibly sweet nineteen-year-old Zippy is thrilled to be the newest salesgirl at San Francisco’s most exclusive department store, I. Magnin. She wanted to go to college, but after struggling to make ends meet growing up with her single mom and her husband in a one-bedroom apartment, Zippy is just happy to have this amazing opportunity. She keeps a notebook of advice she receives from the other, older and more experienced women on the floor and her roommate, ambitious lawyer Raquel. Everything from sex tips to what kind of men to date to how to lose ten pounds. Zippy is happy to soak it all in and is trying to do the best job she can selling clothes she could never afford (her three rotating outfits are all from the Salvation Army) to women who can be hard to please. But then two things happen that threaten to push off her the path she’s on.

I know I already said it, but it bears repeating. Zippy is such a sweet character. Throughout the book she’s trying so hard to do the right thing, and she has a lot of great people around her trying to help but sometimes it was hard to see her sacrificing so much of herself. The book’s themes revolve around family, life path, the divide between the wealthy and the working class, and the growing AIDS epidemic. Ultimately this was a pretty uplifting story about the power of believing in your dreams, but while reading, there were many times I feared we were headed for a disaster.

Caitlin Kinnunen perfectly captures Zippy on the audiobook. She plays her with a perfect combination of longing and caring and regret. I thoroughly enjoyed listening and would definitely recommend the audiobook.

Shopgirls is a wonderful coming of age story about 19 year old Zippy who works as a salesperson at I. Magnin in San Francisco in the mid 1980s. Zippy is sweet, caring and a bit naive. She has a great roommate and some caring coworkers all of whom help her find her footing in the world as a new adult.

I love the interaction with coworkers and enjoyed Zippy’s emotional growth to a more self assured, confident young woman. I would have liked to read a bit more about her burgeoning relationship with her father.

This book seems to be geared more towards YA than Adult fiction but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the delightful story.

This is a perfect beach read! Light and sweet with interesting characters, especially the delightful Zippy.

Caitlin Kinnunen (who also narrated the fantastic MaryJane) is perfect as Zippy. The narration really added to the story.

I loved Jessica Anya Blau’s previous novel MaryJane and look forward to more from this author.

Jessica Anya Blau has a knack for writing adorable, lovable characters. You'll be rooting for this one the entire time!
19 year-old Zippy is working at I. Magnin, the premier department store in San Francisco in the 80s. She's just learning the ropes of life, but has a gift for her job. Her co-workers are quite the mix, and not always on her side, but for the most part, Zippy is ecstatic with her life.
Unfortunately, her stepfather has a terrible accident at work and Zippy feels the need to help out with the bills. She is pressured to take Howard's job at the Lumber Depot, thus ruining her dreams of being a buyer. But fortunately, things work out in the end and along the way, Zippy learns important life lessons about family and friendship. Extremely enjoyable story!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for this digital audio e-arc.*

A 1980s coming of age story that follows 19 year old 'Zippy' and her adventures as the newest salesgirl at one of San Francisco's finest department stores. While I liked the author's debut that had some similar coming of age vibes but set in the 70s, this was a little too dramatic and the FMC was a bit too naive for me to truly get invested. Okay on audio and worth a listen if you're feeling nostalgic. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I was so excited for this book and it was extremely disappointing. The plot and character development completely fell flat and I felt like I was reading a middle school diary entry - not a story of a working 19 year old in the 80's.