Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau

Narrated by Caitlin Kinnunen

Standalone 1980s Coming of Age Women’s Fiction

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau is one of my all-time favorite books, so I couldn’t wait to dive into Shopgirls, her first release since then. I even got my son’s girlfriend and her mom hooked on Mary Jane, and it became their favorite too. They both loved Shopgirls, which made me even more excited to read it.

While I hated her name, I really loved Zippy. At 19, she’s working in petite dresses at I Magnin, an upscale San Francisco department store in the 1980s. She reminded me a lot of 14-year-old Beanie in Mary Jane—naive, innocent, sweet, and good. Raised by a single mom who worked in a hardware store, Zippy always had a love for fancy clothes and a dream of something more.

The plot in Shopgirls is light. I kept waiting for a bigger climax, and while there was a small one near the end, most of the story felt more like a slice-of-life narrative. The book is full of colorful women working at the store—some snobby, some kind, some sneaky, and some just plain mean. I especially loved Zippy’s roommate, Raquel.

Having worked in a clothing store in the 80s myself, I loved revisiting that retro atmosphere. From the mix of customers to the cattiness among coworkers, it all felt familiar. The references to music, TV shows, and fashion from the decade were so much fun, and I thought the way the AIDS crisis was woven into the story was handled really well.

Overall, Shopgirls is more about everyday life as a young woman working retail in the 1980s than it is about a strong, dramatic storyline. It never pretended to be anything else, but I was hoping for a little more.

Likes:

I loved Zippy. She was just so good-hearted and naive.
The 1980s retro memories for me.
The quirky cast of characters.
The daily slices of life in a department store.
I enjoyed watching Zippy learn and grow.

Dislikes:

What is with Jessica Anya Blau and names? Zippy?
There wasn’t much of a plot.
Playing paper dolls with an older associate. Wtf was that?
I was hoping for some San Francisco 80s flavor, but the story never really left the store.

The Narration:

Caitlin Kinnunen was the perfect choice for Zippy. She captured her innocence, sweetness, and naivety so well that she made the book even more enjoyable.

The Down & Dirty:

Since Mary Jane is one of my all-time favorite books, I had really high hopes for Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau. The 1980s setting was fun, and I loved meeting all the women who work in womenswear at I Magnin, but nothing really happened through most of the book. It was more of a slice of life type of narrative, highlighting different days in the store, from rich snooty customers to catty, mean co-workers, I enjoyed reading all about their escapades, but I needed more of a climax or something. I felt like the story never fully materialized and grabbed me, it was almost all like a setup for a climax that never came.