Shopgirls

Shopgirls / Jessica Anya Blau
NY: Mariner, c2025.
272 p.

I'm not sure how I heard about this book, but it's a shop novel, and it's set in the 80s. I do love both of those things! So I gave it a try. I thought it was a good read, but not especially striking as a whole. It had the atmosphere of an earnest after-school special in some ways, particularly the conclusion. Maybe that was the 80s influence. But the emotional depth of this novel does feel more YAish to me. 

Zippy is a young woman who wants to go to college but has no guidance as to how to do that. So she gets a job at the San Francisco department store I. Magnin instead. She's in the dress department and has to learn everything on the fly; she's a very young person with little experience of this world (she rotates between her 3 thrift store outfits, saving to buy something from the store eventually). She turns out to be a good salesperson, succeeding wildly which of course stirs up jealousy and someone tries to  sabotage her work. She is cast out for a while, but everything comes out perfectly in the end. That is one of the reasons I felt this was more of a nostalgic fairytale than realism.  

What did I like? The setting was interesting, the time period was my jam - even though some of the cultural references were tucked in a bit clumsily, just to get them in there. I loved the discussion of the actual clothes and the designers, and in parts this reminded me of one of my favourite store reads, Women in Black by Madeleine St John. But. 

What didn't I like? Zippy's name, for starters, it feels so heavy handedly quirky. Her new roommate Rachel, who is older and really into dieting culture, which is just presented as Rachel saying things that are never challenged, like her suggestion to only eat every second day. What? The ridiculousness of some of the things Zippy does at work -- making paper dolls of all her coworkers, for example. And the story arc disappointed me, the easiness of the plot conclusion felt unsatisfying and led to that after-school-special vibe. 

I didn't hate it but I felt it really wasn't as exciting or 80s drenched as I was hoping for. I'd say okay for a quick read when you don't want to be too challenged by anything dark or hopeless.