If you’re looking to experience the excess, glamor, and sex-obsessed times of the San Francisco singles scene, told through the eyes of a young woman, then pick up Jessica Anya Blau’s newest novel, Shopgirls. It is definitely rare for me to not have heard of a book before I pick it up to read it, but this was a selection from my awesome librarian who curates a monthly book box for patrons. (Ask your home library if it has such a program or would consider one — or ask for recommendations from the librarians themselves when you’re looking for something new to read.) I had heard of the author’s 2021 novel Mary Jane set in the 1970s, but hadn’t yet had a chance to pick it up, so this was my first book by Blau.
Zippy is a 19-year-old working at a fancy department store in San Francisco in Shopgirls. The story is narrated through her eyes, which gives readers the opportunity to remember what it’s like to be so insecure that you’ll try any diet and listen to anyone’s advice if you think it will help you succeed. She lives with Raquel, a young lawyer who has ideas about how to help Zippy lose some weight — as well as her virginity — while mentoring her in the ways of the world. The product of a one-night-stand in a stairwell, Zippy has never known her father, and while she has a close relationship with her mother, Zippy is unsure how to make goals for herself, much less achieve them. On top of all of this, her stepfather Howard has an accident that keeps him from working, which Zippy feels as additional financial pressure to make even more sales in her job in the petite dresses department.
With a cast of zany characters working at the department store, plus the family drama and men in the night club, it’s easy to lose track of who is who as you read. However, with the relatively short length (258 pages) and even pacing, I felt it really didn’t matter if I remembered since the book flew by. Shopgirls actually reminded me a lot of a movie set in and made in the 80s. It featured a lot of silly and unnecessary details, dealt with one or two heavy topics, and overall did not make much of a lasting impact. Having grown up in the 1980s, I’m not ready to think of a book set in 1985 as historical fiction. Whether or not it can be defined as such, I’ll leave for the experts. This is a coming-of-age story, a sort of St. Elmo’s Fire meets The Wedding Singer. I did not love this book and gave it 2.5 stars out of 5, rounded up to 3 because I liked some of the resolutions that occurred for Zippy. If you’re looking for an easy or light read, however, Shopgirls may be just what you need.
