Sophie, Standing There

by Meg Mason

“So smart, so funny, so moving. I absolutely loved it.”—Bonnie Garmus, New York Times bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry

The “brilliant” (Ann Patchett) and much beloved author of the critically acclaimed Sorrow and Bliss returns with a tender and hilarious novel about heartbreak and the journey from isolation and loneliness towards love.

Sophie Pattison loves books. And as well as a dream job at a local book festival, she has a husband she adores, a lifelong best friend, Emma, and a brother she’s always been close to. Which makes you wonder why since Christmas Sophie has been living alone, estranged from Emma, avoiding her brother, and about to be fired.

Now it feels like the only thing she has left is reading. When Sophie re-discovers an author she first read in her twenties, the words on the page reach her in a new way—becoming both solace and company. Devouring every one of her novels, Sophie begins to dream of meeting her, knowing she never will. But what if she did? What if, by then, the author feels like a friend? What if, for Sophie, it feels almost like love?

In this much anticipated novel, Meg Mason captures the heartache and dark humor of our relationships in all their complexity, giving us a story about the power of connection and an ode to the inexplicable nature of the human heart.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Books About Books, Novels, Mental Health, Audiobook

352 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication August 27, 2026

About the author

Meg Mason is the author of Sorrow and Bliss, which became an international bestseller after it was first published in Australia. Winner of the British Book Industry Book of the Year, and shortlisted for the Women’s Prize, it has since been translated into more than 30 languages. Her first career was in journalism, beginning at The Times of London, later writing for Vogue, ELLE, GQ, Sunday Style and The New Yorker’s Daily Shouts.
 
Born in New Zealand, she lives in Sydney with her husband and two daughters.
 
Her third novel, Sophie, Standing There, will be published worldwide in 2026.

Reviews

[Liz Hein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think readers will feel the exact same way about Sophie, Standing There as they did about Sorrow & Bliss.

[miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

sorrow and bliss is a perfect novel; this is not. but it has a lot of heart and such deep wells of empathy and attentiveness to feeling. meg mason’s attention to the mundane details of life combined with her infinitely layered character work remains my favourite thing about her writing. and any novel that makes me cry gets five stars

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adored this one. But it’s not out till august 😱.

[Sayari Debnath]

Nothing good can come from listening to podcasts 👍

[Sara Troup · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been waiting for this novel ever since reading Sorrow and Bliss for book club years ago, and I’m happy to report that *Sophie, Standing There* was absolutely worth the wait.

Meg Mason has such a gift for writing women in all their contradictions: the things they say, the things they swallow, and the things they barely admit to themselves. Sophie Pattison is described as warm, kind, and relentlessly positive, yet she can go an entire day without speaking and spends much of her life alone with books. Mason captures that loneliness with startling precision. At times the writing felt visceral… I could feel Sophie’s craving for connection and the ache of being unseen despite being loved by the people around her.

The literary festival backdrop was a delight for a book lover. Sophie’s work among authors, events, and readers gives the novel an irresistible bookish atmosphere and the storyline involving her growing attachment to a long-admired author is both unique and quietly tense. The parasocial relationship never feels gimmicky; instead, it becomes a thoughtful exploration of longing, companionship, and the stories we tell ourselves.

What I love most about Meg Mason is her ability to dig deep into the female psyche and bring to light feelings that many of us experience but rarely discuss. But for all its exploration of loneliness, this isn't a heavy or bleak read. Mason's wit shines throughout and there were several moments that had me laughing out loud. Sophie's ex-husband in particular is an absolute creation. The humor feels perfectly timed, providing a welcome counterbalance to the novel's more tender and heartbreaking moments.

If you're drawn to intelligent literary fiction, weird girl/sad girl stories, and beautifully crafted prose, this is an easy recommendation. Sophie, Standing There is a moving story about loneliness, love, and the unexpected ways we find connection. As someone who has always turned to books for comfort, I loved the way Meg Mason explores how stories can keep us company when we need them most, while reminding us that real connection can sometimes be found in the most unexpected places.

[Chelsea Knowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*

Sophie, Standing There follows Sophie Pattison who is a kind person who will help anyone out. She has a good relationship with her brother and a best friend who wants to spend more time with her. Sophie is a little lonely after her divorce and the time can pass slowly on her own. She is a big reader though and finds comfort in her books. One day she stumbles upon an author she hasn’t read in a long time. Sophie latches onto this author by re reading all the author’s books and watching interviews and podcasts of the author. In a way Sophie feels like she is in love with the author and would like to meet them. If she did meet the author, Sophie feels like it could change her whole life.

At first I wasn’t too sure about this book but the further I got into this, the more I came to understand Sophie. This book is focused on character over plot and Sophie is a nice person who has tried to do everything right but has ended up alone in her late thirties. It was easy to emphasise with Sophie and it made sense why she attached to the author. As this story is focused on Sophie, it is a little slow but I found it to be quite powerful. I think this is a good exploration of a parasocial relationship due to the way Sophie idealised the author, a person she didn’t know based on what she saw online and read. I will be recommending this book as I had a good time reading this. This book is also very bookish as Sophie works at book events, is a big reader and has friends at her local bookstore and I enjoyed that.

[Iz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Stephanie Bivens · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the first 30 pages or so of Sophie, Standing There, I assumed this would be a lovely, heartwarming tale of the impact of literature on our lives and how it can be a light during our darkest times. Suffice it to say, that is not the trajectory this book follows, and it is much the better for it. I was so impressed by Mason’s ability to relate Sophie’s grief, embarrassment, and pain in a way that felt deeply personal to me as a reader while still creating an extremely propulsive narrative. This ARC was such a fun read, and I can’t wait for everyone else to get their hands on it soon!

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this, and immediately downloaded a podcast I remember listening to back in November 2021 - an interview with Meg Mason, in conversation with Hattie Crisell. Once you’ve read Sophie, Standing There, you’ll understand this impulse! I wanted to hear the author’s voice again.
This novel will stay with me for a long time. It is gut-wrenchingly sad and hopeful and compassionate. It’s about a parasocial relationship, behind-the-scenes at a literary festival, and the realities of life as a tech crew member (my partner works in sound & lighting and can confirm that Mason’s portrayal of this type of work is very accurate!)
I would like to know Sophie in real life. I’d love to have a conversation with her about books.

[Helen Haythornthwaite · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an intense, yet very intriguing, character-driven novel which I found unsettling at times, but thoroughly enjoyed reading.

In this book, we meet Sophie who is recently separated from her husband and currently living alone in a flat which has seen better days. She’s a freelance tech worker, and joins backstage teams for big events; including literary festivals.

I had to push through the first few chapters as I questioned the way that authors in the book were being portrayed, and it took a while to become used to this author’s dark humour. Having said that, once I settled into the story, I could really appreciate the beautiful way it was told, and the depth of feeling it brought out in me as I read.

Sophie’s journey is a cathartic one. We see her living alone and isolated, anxious whenever she’s with other people - even those she knows - and always worried about doing or saying the wrong thing. She becomes infatuated with an author and thoughts of this author infiltrate every part of her life. She starts to see elements of her life through the author’s eyes, and ends up falling in love with her.

As the story develops, we find out what has made Sophie the person she is, and my heart really went out to her; especially with the way some people treated her. I was willing her to find her voice all the way through this narrative.

I loved the whole setting of this story which was around books: the literary festivals, well-known authors and their books, a bookshop and Sophie’s own love of books. This author has explored an alternative perspective to literary events, which is unlike any I’ve come across before but which is fascinating and intriguing regardless.

It’s a book I’d highly recommend to fans who love literary fiction with a deep character-driven focus. I feel like Sophie has shared part of her life with me, which is always a sign of a brilliantly written book.


I was sent a proof copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[em · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vivid and rich story about Sophie, who was a sad yet relatable character. I really enjoyed the writing, it was easy to get lost in and blend into the background of Sophie’s life. A compelling character driven story, this really explored what it means to be lonely and how desperate we can become for human affection and attention. I loved the thread of hope throughout this, no matter how sad or difficult Sophie’s life was, there was always a small glimmer of something better. Fantastic character building.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #SophieStandingThere #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Lauren Molyneux · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m trying to think of an author I love that could be my Lilac. I love whatever’s wrong with Sophie; there’s something about her obsession that I want to experience. But they do say you should never meet your idols…

“You could be sad in a bookshop, but you were never happier than when you were in a bookshop.”

“I don't miss people... I made that decision a long time ago. I'm not going to be depleted by another person's absence [...] If I can't see them, they don't exist. But it's a choice. Longing is not a good use of energy”

[Becca Moody · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve not read any of Meg Mason’s books before but, given how many times Sorrow and Bliss has been recommended to me, I jumped at the chance to read this ARC of Sophie, Standing There. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me!

Firstly, the protagonist was not one I was rooting for. Maybe I just have little patience for passivity, but Sophie, come on. I really wanted Sophie to just suck it up, say how she feels and make an active choice for once in her life. The purpose of the novel, perhaps. But where was the character development?

The story itself is quite uneventful really. The interesting elements are all in the form of meditations on Sophie’s past, which were included almost as afterthoughts. There were some revelations about Sophie’s past that felt like they were supposed to be plot twists or bombshells, but they were revealed in such a half-hearted way and with no breadcrumbs leading up to them, so much so that it just felt confusing.

I sadly found the book’s core story both pretentious and unbelievable. It read a little like how I imagine a boring fan fiction to be. It doesn’t help that the focus of the desire being an utterly intolerable, unkind and vacuous woman, and I don’t think that was thoroughly explored.

Overall, I'm really not sure what this book was trying to do.

Thanks NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for this ARC!

[Juliana Z]

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Publishing for the ARC.

This novel follows Sophie, a recently divorced woman trying to figure out who she is outside of being a wife. Lonely, well-read, and painfully nice, she drifts through a week working as a sound tech at an author symposium, surrounded by literary figures and readers. At times she feels like a caricature of Eleanor Oliphant though Sophie specifically insists otherwise.

The first half of the book is very focused on character development. For a while, it felt like little was happening beyond Sophie’s internal monologue as she navigates the week. By the midpoint, however, I felt like I understood her, but I didn't really like her.

The second half of the book is where the story really begins. While there isn’t much action, there are monumental changes in the character—she takes herself to the brink and back again. It captured my attention, and I read the entire second half in one go because I couldn’t put it down.

Overall, this was a solid four-star read for me. I especially enjoyed the insights into the literary world and the relationships between authors, booksellers, and devoted readers. There are also some genuinely funny moments. I think it would make a great book club pick, particularly for discussions around divorce, identity, loneliness, and the role literature plays in people’s lives.

[Taylor - taylorsreadsandreviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a deeply thoughtful and rare look into how it feels to love something (albeit parasocially) in such a messy and all-consuming way as a distraction from grief.I absolutely adored this. It is on my list of “soul books”

[Debumere · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m sorry to say I did not finish this one. It was quite slow and I didn’t care much for the main character. Sophie was newly separated, living in her ex’s rental flat and working for a literary festival organiser. Soph had a growing crush on an author and I got as far as them leaving the venue and then realised I no longer cared what happened next

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for this ARC.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 50% of this book was very strong for me, but I found the second half of this novel less compelling or believable. Still definitely worth the read and a book I enjoyed, but it could have been a new favourite if done just slightly differently.

Sophie was a very compelling character for me, and she was why I loved the first half of this book so much. Not only did I love seeing how she acted and reacted throughout her every-day life, but I felt like I was experiencing everything she felt and on the same level, even if it was something that I myself wouldn’t feel in that same situation. Sophie’s emotions were just so well portrayed, while still being very subtly conveyed in the writing. An author being able to evoke strong emotion/reaction to “ordinary” circumstances, without exaggerating or being on-the-nose with their writing, is a feature in all of my favourite books.
It was also really refreshing to read about a main character who is kind and patient, while still being flawed and having occasional “selfish” thoughts which she mostly doesn’t act on, even when she should. This was a nice change just because this sub-genre of “lonely female main character who is obsessed with another person” is, I feel, full of messier and unlikeable main characters (which I do also enjoy but it is nice to have something a bit different).

As for why I struggled more in the later half of the book, I just felt that the plot-line that this half centred on (which doesn’t come out of nowhere by any means, but is definitely a shift in what is happening, for lack of a better spoiler-free descriptor) was prolonged to the point that I lost belief in it. The first half of this book felt so real to me that this shift made me lose a fair bit of my interest, or at least my investment, in the book. I will be vague to avoid spoilers in my description below, so do read on if you haven’t picked up this book yet.
I liked the start of this second half as I found the first few interactions to be tense and electric, but then the interactions seemed to over-stay their welcome. This meant that what Sophie was feeling became out of step with how I felt because I could no longer believe what was happening and didn’t feel the impact of it, which was very much not the case for the first half of this book. Also, while I liked a lot of what was uncovered about Sophie’s backstory, particularly with respect to her relationship with her ex-husband, I found the other big “reveal” about Sophie’s past (surrounding her childhood) out of place and not something that made a lot of sense for me. I can definitely see how it would have led to Sophie being how she is, and is in some ways interesting and fits with her character, but it just felt out of place to me in the narrative and thus I feel it could have been left out and the book could have been stronger for it. Without this explanation about Sophie’s past, I still think her character makes sense (particularly as someone who relates a lot to Sophie without having had a childhood like her’s) and thus I personally don’t feel like the way that this plot point was worth including.

My disappointment with the second half of this book definitely won’t be the case for many other readers though, so don’t let that put you off if you like the sound of this book!

Another thing to note is that this book is full of references to the literary world, particularly to authors themselves. The author Sophie is obsessed with doesn’t exist in real life, but many of the other authors who appear do and, as someone who loves to read a lot and happens to have read from and know of most of the authors who appeared in this book, I found this very fun. I can see how some people may find this annoying though. It is definitely heaviest at the start of the book, so I wouldn’t let you put it off.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

[ria · Rating 3 out of 5]

"sophie, standing there" is a complicated book, packing a lot more than you'd expect. as a result, my feelings for it are also quite complicated.

sophie is a sound tech, working book festivals. as she goes through a brutal divorce from her husband, paul, sophie turns to an author she'd forgotten about, but whose books she'd loved. she becomes infatuated and obsessed with this author, consuming every book, interview, podcast that she'd done, to the point that the author becomes a companion to sophie, in her mind. that is, until the author is announced to appear at one of the book festivals sophie works on.

this is a character-driven book, so the pace is quite slow, especially in the first half, which i can't say i struggled through, because i found this to be a very immersive read, but it also feels like it meanders a lot in the first 100 pages or so. that being said, i really enjoyed the narration style. it takes a bit to get used to, but once you do, it flows very nicely, despite the fact that it's very disjointed, kind of how it feels to sometimes space in and out of yourself - having your own internal thoughts, then coming back to trying to focus on what's happening around you, in real life.

i also think this does an incredible job at portraying sophie's parasocial relationship with this author she's never met, and the kind of maladaptive daydreaming she resorts to in her loneliness and unhappiness. it fluctuates back and forth between sophie's feelings of ease and happiness in hanging onto this imaginary world she's created in her mind, and complete shame, knowing that it isn't real, in a way that feels suffocating.

sophie's character comes undone and a lot of her action (or inaction?) makes a lot more sense in the second half of this, but i also don't know how i feel about all of that's revealed in this part, which is why i'm really on the fence about it. all the other characters, too, felt a bit unfinished to me, i couldn't really place them that well, so they all kind of blurred in the background.

overall, i think this is an emotional and honest portrayal of someone trying really hard to come back to themselves, or find some new version of themselves, after having spent an entire life trying to make space for others/make everyone else feel good. it is also an interesting exploration of the way we cope in unpleasant situations of grief and sadness. there is also some threads here about authors, and how much an author, through their work, belongs to us as avid fans and readers, but i found this to be a little flimsier than the rest of the book, personally. still, i think this is certainly a unique read, and hard to put down once you pick it up!

thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! all opinions are my own

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman who compares herself to Eleanor Oliphant early doors, Sophie works as a freelance tech for events. As a devoted reader, Sophie’s favourite events to work are the literary festivals. Even when the talent can get snobby, and mic-ing up certain authors brings more trouble than it’s worth, Sophie enjoys listening in on the talks just as much as she does engaging in backstage banter with her fellow techs.

When she gets home from a show, Sophie does little more than eat, sleep and repeat. Newly separated from her partner, it’s all she can do now that she’s living alone, her beloved brother has moved away, and she’s distancing herself from her best friend. Sophie is in survival mode. She’s worried that the ‘sad girl’ fiction that she loves so dearly will soon resemble her own reality. That is, until author Lilac Dunne walks into her life.

Sophie rediscovers her love for Lilac’s writing through a gifted ARC from her friends who run the local bookshop. It was quite trippy reading an ARC about someone reading an ARC! As Sophie reads, her obsession with the author grows and grows, until Sophie can think of nothing else…

I’ve not read Meg Mason’s work before, and so I’m not used to her style, but I really enjoyed its stop-and-start nature. I absolutely felt like I was there with Sophie, experiencing all her interweaving moments of embarrassment, obsession and growth right alongside her. There’s a perfect balance of funny, unsettling and heartwarming in this book, just like in Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

Also, I loved the inclusion of a barrage of real-life authors in this book. It must have been a rights & permissions nightmare, but it’s worth it for such amazing one-liners as: ‘treating the fact that he was also gay and Scottish like an automatic ticket to dinner with Douglas Stuart’.

On a more literary note, the author name-dropping also adds a realistic layer to the book, making Sophie relatable, as well as making it all the more hard-hitting that for a large chunk of the book, Sophie calls Lilac Dunne ‘the author’ and not her actual name. The author’s ghostly presence haunts the narrative and Sophie’s thoughts in equal measure.

And now, to avoid spoiling a wonderful and page-turning read, I will say no more! (Except that the ending is perfect.) Read this book if you enjoy a female protagonist with ample quirks, dry wit, and who knows who she is but not yet what she deserves.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bloomsbury and Meg Mason for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

[Bonny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason expecting something sharp, funny, and emotionally insightful, and to be fair, it does deliver on some of that. Sophie is an immediately sympathetic character: gentle, withdrawn, and quietly struggling in ways that feel recognizable and real. Mason has a gift for capturing the interior life of loneliness, and there are moments of genuine wit and poignancy scattered throughout.

One of my favorite aspects of the novel was its deep immersion in the literary world. I loved all the references to books, publishing, and especially to authors themselves. They loom large in Sophie’s life, not just as creators but as emotional anchors. The portrayal of a reader’s relationship to a beloved writer felt incredibly authentic, capturing that peculiar blend of admiration, intimacy, and dependence that can form across the page. Those elements added a richness and specificity that really elevated the reading experience for me.

That said, I found myself increasingly frustrated with the pacing. I enjoyed the story, but it felt like it took forever to get anywhere. Much of the novel lingers in Sophie’s inner world without enough forward momentum, and while that may be intentional, mirroring her stagnation, it sometimes makes the reading experience feel stuck rather than immersive. I kept waiting for a shift, a spark, or a deeper development that would push things forward in a meaningful way.

The premise, especially Sophie’s attachment to the author who becomes a kind of emotional lifeline, is compelling and full of potential. When the book focuseson that idea, it’s at its strongest, exploring the strange intimacy between reader and writer in a thoughtful, almost tender way. But those moments are somewhat buried beneath repetition and a narrative that circles more than it progresses.

Overall, this is a thoughtful and occasionally moving novel with a strong central character, and a love letter of sorts to the literary world, but one that might have benefited from a tighter structure and a bit more narrative drive. I’m glad I read it, but I can’t help feeling it didn’t quite live up to what it could have been. (But Meg Mason is the author and I am clearly not!)

Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on September 8, 2026.

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Meg Mason really knows how to get inside the heads of women having very particular kinds of breakdowns. I'm not sure I've ever read a book about a parasocial relationship with a celebrity (well, author, in this case), which is surprising because I'm sure it's more common than the average person thinks.

Really, this is a book of two halves. The first half follows Sophie as she spirals, consumed by a grief that is in one instant devastating and the next sedating. The only thing that gets her through is revisiting the work of an author she has read before but is only now finding a deeper meaning in. The words feel different this time; they speak to Sophie in this moment of her life and offer comfort like nothing else can.

I think this really speaks to how having someone articulate what you are going through is so extremely powerful and important. At first, these books and this author are a lifesaver for Sophie, but it eventually becomes a dependency that Sophie cannot extricate herself from. She is so far inside her own head that she is living a separate reality.

The second half I won't spoil as I enjoyed being surprised by the directions it took. I will just say that Sophie's job is working at a local book festival and all her sadness and self-sabotage come to a head in the aftermath of that.

Mason has this fantastic way of writing intimate details that add richness to her characters and stories. Here, the story of the IKEA chairs, and the celebratory pizza which turns sour at thoughts of Paul. These elements brought Sophie to life and gave me so much sympathy for her.

It's been a few years since I read Sorrow and Bliss, but this is the great character work I remember. Sophie, Standing There is sad, moving, and occasionally funny, and it is also a wonderful celebration of many female authors (it is quite an amusing coincidence that I am reading this at the same time as Olive Kitteridge).

I will read whatever the author writes next.

[Nailya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meg Mason writes very compelling commercial women's fiction. Sorrow and Bliss suffered a bit from the hot mess millennial woman syndrome, but also managed to deliver a sympathetic portrayal of mental health struggles. In Sophie, Standing There, Mason revisits some of these themes telling the story of Sophie, a recently divorced woman in her late 30s who works in the book industry as an event technician and who is struggling to navigate her life. She becomes obsessed with a (female) author's writing, and soon this parasocial relationship develops into something different...

Mason writers her worlds very convincingly. Although there is little sense of specificity to the cultural and geographical context of this story (it could be set in any Anglophone city with a middling book scene), the world of literary events and the people who run them comes to life. The characters, though sometimes infuriating, also feel real. Mason's writing could easily descend into some sort of a middling class IKEA kitchen sink, but her warmth and kindness to her own creations makes her work more interesting than that. I was (standing) right there with Sophie, really feeling her emotions and sympathising with her issues. The epilogue and presence of Emma the friend, who we are told about but don't meet until the very end, reframes many of the things that happened to Sophie.

And yet, something about this book felt underdeveloped. The relationship with the Author was hinted to be deliberately meta, and I kept expecting some sort of a twist, just something a little bit less deliberately artificial (although I would have been very disappointed by a 'it was all a dream' resolution). Alas, Meg Mason is no Katie Kitamura, so the narrative is supposed to be taken at face value, and I did not find it particularly realistic. The big revelation about Sophie feels tacked on, and although it explains some of her behaviour, the core theme needed more space to be explored respectfully.

This book really reminded me of Death of a Bookseller, as focuses on a complex obsessive relationship of two women in the book world. It is a better book, and I enjoyed reading it, but it could have been more.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is so different in character, almost defiantly so, to Sorrow and Bliss. Sophie is the nice, kind, almost self-effacing counterpart to Sorrow and Bliss' sardonic and spiteful Martha. This time, told in a third person voice, we are slightly at a distance from Sophie, and even the close reflections of what's in her head are mediated through the narrative voice which is itself kindly and sympathetic towards Sophie. Because Sophie is navigating a difficult break-up, is keeping a distance from her best friend, and whose loneliness is only alleviated through her brother, who is also lovely and kind.

It's quite hard to make all this niceness not feel saccharine, but Mason does manage that, not least through Sophie's job as a freelance tech support at book festivals. And this is a novel steeped in literature: some of the humour, albeit much less dark, that we've come to expect, emerges from the festivals where all manner of things go hilariously wrong. But it's also the case that Sophie's emotional prop turns out to be an obsession with a writer whose books she has loved.

In lots of ways this is a feel-good book that made me smile and go 'awwww' at the end. Not all 'sad girl' books have to be dark, sharp and spiky - and this one proves it. I especially love Mason's cheekiness in telling stories in the novel of real-life authors: Mick Herron, Richard Osman, Zadie Smith all get name-checked, and it's intriguing thinking about who the original of Lilac might have been in Mason's head, if anyone real.

So lovers of Sorrow and Bliss might have to make an emotional adjustment with this book - but in the end, in its quiet, nice, kind way, it won me over: 3.5 stars

Many thanks to Bloomsbury for an ARC via NetGalley

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This felt like a deconstructed literary novel.

There is constantly a distance created to stop you suspending disbelief and remind you that you are reading someone’s creation.

Sophie works as a tech at a literary festival so we keep hearing about what fictionalised versions of real authors are like which pushes against the way you want to get immersed in the world of the book.

Then she gets a galley of a new book which leads to a mania to read all the authors previous work and consume every bit of media she can find about the author. I thought this was a great portrayal of limerence and how sometimes the source of attraction can lie within the beholder and not the object.

We see everything through Sophie’s eyes but we don’t know much about her as if she is just standing rather than someone’s whose actions will propel the story forward. Rachel Cusks work is name checked to help evoke this post modern device.

But then she starts to tell her life story to an author and it turns out she has a very eventful life, enough to drive several conventional novels. But the author she is talking to is bored by this and often wanders off while the story is being told. This doesn’t stop the telling though to remind us that the story is being told to the reader and not the characters.

It is all brought together in a meaningful way but the ending is told in an almost hypothetical way to leave you with the experience of reading something created and not real.

Elizabeth Stout is an often mentioned but absent author as she cancels her appearance due to covid. The festival local book stores have ordered lots of copies of her breakout novel Olive Kitteridge that they don’t know what to do with as a result. These were two neat ways of showing how readers can freeze authors in the past. I particularly enjoyed that Elizabeth Strout has written possibly the best Covid novel (Lucy by the sea) which ties these two together but that is left as an exercise to the reader.

Overall I really enjoyed this and I think it will be one of my favourite books of 2026.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the arc

[whatzoreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

When your life orbits that of an addict, you eventually understand that love doesn’t stretch; it empties, and there will be casualties.

Sophie, Standing There holds so many kinds of loneliness at once. Sophie lives a quiet, interior life, finding connection where she can – in books, in a myriad of small moments, in a job she loves, in an extremely close relationship with a sibling, and in a secret obsessive parasocial relationship – but the novel deepens and starts to make sense when her former love story enters the room. Her husband is gone. Their marriage was eclipsed by the constant presence of her addict brother-in-law. What remains is absence, and an ache that never settles. And perhaps her marriage makes sense when her complicated childhood enters the room.

This book understands imbalance and the profoundly lonely experience of families shaped and sacrificed by addiction and co-dependency. If you have ever shared that space, carried that worry, that responsibility, the fear of what might happen, this will land deeply. If you’re drawn to contemporary literary fiction that explores the quiet, complicated realities of love shaped by absence, dependency, and emotional displacement, this will stay with you. It doesn’t resolve the ache. It just names it, cleanly and honestly, and that’s what makes it impossible to forget. This one is definitely for the sad girls; it wounds as much as it heals.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this in exchange for my honest thoughts. I absolutely loved this; it's one of the most emotionally intelligent literary fiction books I've read so far in 2026. I am already planning the reread with tabs and highlighters for when I get hold of my physical copy in August.

[J P · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of books about writers, fewer about readers.

Sophie is separated and lonely, and her job at a festival hall gives her free time in between events. Sad and depressed, Sophie takes solace in reading, becoming obsessed with 'the Author', reading her books and memorising podcasts and interviews at the expense of real friendships. It's a deliberately inert and passive beginning act (and even a writer of Mason's qualities struggles to make it fully engaging), but it makes the rest of the novel richer.

Once the Author is confirmed at the event, Sophie is given more responsibility and begins to flourish, before a combination of setbacks ends in farce with Sophie wearing ill-fitting clothes, creeping on stage mortified with embarrassment.

A (not entirely convincing for me at least) interlude follows where Sophie and the author get to know each other. The Author has 'the splinter of ice in the heart' that Greene wrote about, and over a few awkward meetings extracts Sophie's life story which is more than enough for a novel on its own, but background texture in this one, putting Sophie's struggles in context and making her a more sympathetic character. Then the festival ends, the Author leaves, the pretence of friendship between the two dissolves, and Sophie is left with her colleagues and family and the best friend she's avoided for most of the novel.

Sophie, Standing There is a story of resilience. A warning against the parasocial. A story about the limits of kindness, of what we owe to ourselves, and an ode to the joy and value of close and lasting friendships. Reading helps us escape, it helps us understand, but we have to do the living ourselves to be truly happy.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Sophie, Standing There’ is strange reading. A woman awkward, lonely and bereft, I found myself gradually warming to her and feeling sad that she had so little faith in herself.

Sophie is a freelance sound techie and general dogsbody, involved primarily in the smooth running of book festivals. She’s part of a team but they don’t mean much to her. Whilst most of the behind-the-scenes characters merge into a portrayal of twenty-something cheap labour, Sophie enjoys working with Fraser – but then he disappears. Apart from her recently married devoted brother, Laurie, and her friend, Emma, whom she can’t bear to see, Sophie feels as if she has no one. Separation from her really unpleasant husband, Paul, has reinforced her feelings that she is worthless. Why would anyone want to be friends with her?

So, Sophie falls in love with an author. She reads her obsessively; she listens to her podcasts and she has internal conversations with her. Knowing that this is ridiculous, imagine her horror when she has to look after the author at a festival. Will this woman prove herself to be as wonderful as Sophie’s fantasy?

‘Sophie, Standing There’ falls down a little when compared to Mason’s first novel, ‘Sorrow and Bliss’; there’s a little too much of Sophie alone in her vile flat. However, there is some very sensitively wrought depiction of life in a sect and the ongoing ramifications of such an experience. And I loved the ending – beautifully composed and perfectly accomplished.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

[Sarah Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this novel that follows the story of Sophie who works back stage organising literary festivals .She is not as far in her promotion as she wishes to be and is often left with the menial tasks of enduring the authors have their radio mikes fitted and water on the stage for their presentations and meet the author events .Wheb her immediate superior is suddenly off sick Sophie steps up to the role .
Early on we learn she has a favourite author a woman and this live has developed into a bit of an obsession not only has she read all her novels but she has also stalked her on social media and knows all about her private life .
When she gets her greatest wish granted to meet her idol you know it is destined to end in disaster .You read as if watching Dr Who as A kid from behind the sofa knowing it won’t end well
I had read this authors novel Sorrow and bliss and enjoyed it therefore I requested it immediately on NetGalley uk and it went to the top of my to be read list quickly Right from the start when I release the book is about a woman working in publishing and in particular literary festivals I began to hope that I’ve actually read or at least heard of the novels that were going to be mentioned in this book the first one Lincoln in the Bardo I had heard of it was on the booker prize Long list one year phew at least I’ve heard of the first one .It turned out that I had read the vast majority of the modern novels discussed .I loved the bookish inside comments I think other readers will also really enjoy the talk about modern novels
The author has a straightforward clean writing style the book is easy to get into and is an enjoyable read
I would recommend this novel for book lovers anyone who has secretly wished to know more about their favourite novelist will enjoy the book .likewise if you are a lover of character based novels this book would tick those boxes

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Sophie, standing there' is such a beautiful depiction of a young woman at a huge turning point in her life and yet she is so stationary. Sophie is going through the motions following so much grief and loss and its heartbreaking in the most eloquent way. Mason really captures that gut wrenching feeling of loneliness in a world that moves on so fast without you and it felt refreshing to read a novel where the MC isn't instantly snapped out of it by a new love interest or epic solo adventure. Instead we watch as Sophie puts one step in front of the other and slowly finds herself instead of fitting a space someone has given her.
The relationship between Sophie and Lilac had its moments for me, for flashes I saw a real poignancy and it was those moments that Sophie lit up. However I, as a reader, wanted to shake her because I was invested and could see where this might be going. (No spoilers)
I really got into this novel because I raced through it, there is a real skill in writing the ordinary and making it into a page turner and Mason has that in spades. If you love a character driven novel then this one is for you but I also really enjoyed the almost fable arc of this story. Sophie fixates on an idol and it becomes this outlet for her to move forward in her life, but when that fantasy meets reality it isn't what she is expecting and yet, she grows even more from it.
For me, Sophie symbolises the power of self and is definitely one of the more unique stories that will stay on my mind for a long time to come.

[Diana Stefancu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this before the launch! I am more than grateful for the opportunity.

I've read Sorrow and Bliss a few years ago, after a friend recommended it. I am known among friends to be the one who enjoys the sad and painful stories best. A little masochist I suppose. While this may be true of my reading taste, I didn't fall head over heels for Sorrow and Bliss. That being said, I wasn't entirely sure of what this new Meg Mason would do to me, but I really needed to try again.

My favourite part about Sophie, Standing There was the main character being an avid reader at 39 (to which I relate immensely) and all the author and book name drops sprinkled in most of the story. I did viscerally hate certain paragraphs where she was put down by other characters and wanted to break my kindle into pieces. While I wish I could say that was the author's great writing taking effect, I'm afraid it was also having these secondary characters be over the top, exaggerated and caricatured in terms of their behaviour. In a lot of chapters I had this feeling that it was all in her imagination, ALL of it. The entire book.

I didn't enjoy the "talking to the Talent/author" before meeting her.. having the author as a secondary character, basically an imaginary friend could have easily been removed from this story and not affected the plot. Sophie's obsession was still clear, still present, no need for this whole ghost-like creature.

This could possibly be too depressing even for me. Just a never-ending pit of despair.