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The Waiting Place
The perfect girl. The teen delinquent. And the bland one. All dead and sharing an unlikely afterlife. Can they run from their demons while being chased by angels? 'The Good Place' meets a Tradwife TikTok account in this dizzyingly good YA novel about unlikely bonds, forbidden romance and trusting yourself when it really matters.
Sixteen-year-old Emily Woodward has lived her whole life in a tiny, high-control religious community. Some say it's a cult; Em was taught it's the only way to get to heaven on Halley's comet. She knows she'll be married off at eighteen, even if she secretly dreams of a life bigger than that.
Then the car crash happens.
In death, Emily is destined for the Good Line, but before she can be sorted, she sees her rebellious big sister sent to the Bad Line. Desperate to find a way to save her sister, Em agrees to run away from the angels with Jackson, the teen bank robber, and Xanthe, the most perfect girl in Em's community. But can she trust a clearly hell-bound bank robber? And is the perfect Xanthe just with them to snitch? The three teens find themselves in an afterlife that morphs into all the places they've waited in their lives, and for them to survive they need to take the actions they were too afraid to take when they were alive.
The Waiting Place is about judging people for what they do, not who they are, and it's for everyone who's ever been told they would not, could not, must not.
Sixteen-year-old Emily Woodward has lived her whole life in a tiny, high-control religious community. Some say it's a cult; Em was taught it's the only way to get to heaven on Halley's comet. She knows she'll be married off at eighteen, even if she secretly dreams of a life bigger than that.
Then the car crash happens.
In death, Emily is destined for the Good Line, but before she can be sorted, she sees her rebellious big sister sent to the Bad Line. Desperate to find a way to save her sister, Em agrees to run away from the angels with Jackson, the teen bank robber, and Xanthe, the most perfect girl in Em's community. But can she trust a clearly hell-bound bank robber? And is the perfect Xanthe just with them to snitch? The three teens find themselves in an afterlife that morphs into all the places they've waited in their lives, and for them to survive they need to take the actions they were too afraid to take when they were alive.
The Waiting Place is about judging people for what they do, not who they are, and it's for everyone who's ever been told they would not, could not, must not.
- GenresYoung Adult
233 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 25, 2026
About the author
Megan Jacobson
7 books85 followersMegan Jacobson grew up in Darwin and the far north coast of NSW but now lives in Brisbane with her family. Her short stories have been published in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Review of Australian Fiction, aired on ABC radio, and appeared in the UTS Writers Anthology. She has a degree in journalism and has also worked as an in-house script story-liner for several Australian television dramas.
Works:
Yellow (Penguin Random House Australia, 2016) Shortlisted, 2018 YABBA for Fiction Years 7-9, 2017 Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards, 2017 Davitt Award Best Young Adult Book, 2017 Davitt Award Best Debut.
The Build-up Season (Penguin Random House Australia, 2017) Joint Winner, 2018 Australian Family Therapists' Award for Children's Literature for Older Readers; Shortlisted, 2019 YABBA for Fiction Years 7-9, 2018 New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature.
Big Love illustrated by Beck Feiner (Walker Studio Australia, 2021)
Works:
Yellow (Penguin Random House Australia, 2016) Shortlisted, 2018 YABBA for Fiction Years 7-9, 2017 Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards, 2017 Davitt Award Best Young Adult Book, 2017 Davitt Award Best Debut.
The Build-up Season (Penguin Random House Australia, 2017) Joint Winner, 2018 Australian Family Therapists' Award for Children's Literature for Older Readers; Shortlisted, 2019 YABBA for Fiction Years 7-9, 2018 New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature.
Big Love illustrated by Beck Feiner (Walker Studio Australia, 2021)
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The YA novel THE WAITING PLACE (Hachette 2026) by Megan Jacobson is a compelling and imaginative read for both young people and adults alike. With a unique premise, a fast-paced plot, superb characterisations, and themes of connection, belonging, grief, loyalty, sacrifice, belief systems, unlikely friendships and blossoming love, this novel hits all the right beats for a pacy, immersive, funny, thought-provoking read.
The afternoon before 16-year-old Emily Woodward dies, she is – hand on heart – trying to be good. After all, not only is she a member of the local religious cult, but she will be one of The Selected when she dies, heading off to heaven in a spaceship on Halley’s Comet. The community of Townies (who all consider Emily and her clan a little weird) are all destined for hell. That’s just how it is. Between now and death, her plans involve only being married off to another cult member at 18 and living the quiet, subdued life of her trad-wife mother.
But it’s complicated. With their conservative views and clothing and minimal learning (especially for girls and women), their avoidance of outside interference (like pesky science and medicine) and their strict adherence to a code of societal conduct, Emily and her family and friends seem like the perfect do-gooders. However, should one of their number transgress in any way (and there are oh so many ways to transgress!) they and their children and their children’s children will be condemned forever. Doesn’t seem fair or remotely right or just to Emily but it’s what she’s always known.
Not like Jackson, the boy she used to innocently meet at the creek years earlier and borrow his phone to increase her insatiable knowledge about insects and biology. And not like Xanthe, the posterchild for their community who never sets a foot wrong.
Two major incidents in the early pages of the novel set the scene: Emily’s disgraced (pregnant) older sister Sarah arrives home (Why? How?) causing much to-do and disruption, and then a bunch of people – including Emily, Sarah, her unborn baby, Jackson and Xanthe, all die from different causes on the same day.
To say too much more would be a spoiler, but Emily, Xanthe and Jackson each evade the ‘angels’ and escape from the sorting that appears to be going on (sending some people to The Good Line and some to The Bad Line), resulting in them spending an extended period in The Waiting Place. What is this place? Why does it manifest as different things to different people? Was Emily’s cult right all along? If so, where is the spaceship? Something has rent a tear in the fabric of the universe of space and time, with shimmering potholes / portholes / portals revealing their secrets.
The three adolescents are a motley crew: the perfect girl, the teen delinquent and the bland one. But circumstances force them to band together if they are to survive this otherworldly place and what must come afterwards. They forge unlikely bonds and circle forbidden romance. In the end, each must trust their own instincts as to what is right.
What follows is an incredible adventure full of danger and evil but also humour and revelation. Thinks Emily: ‘I realise that I’ve had more fun this past hour in death than I ever had while living. Isn’t that ridiculous?’
Jacobson’s ear for the teenage voice is unerring and authentic, full of spiky humour, droll wit and snarky comments.
But despite their temporary bonding, each is mistrustful of the others. Why is Xanthe, who definitely should be on The Good Line by now, still hanging around with Jackson and Emily? What on earth prompted Jackson to commit the crime that resulted in his death? And why does he care so much about who he has left behind? Is Emily willing to risk eternal damnation to save her rebellious older sister, who she feels abandoned her years earlier to the fate of the cult?
Full of memories and premonitions, and with a not-so-subtle touch of magical realism, THE WAITING PLACE explores what life should be, the importance of not judging others, the secrets hidden behind normal facades, what it means to live a good life, how to bend or break the rules, and what ‘heaven’ might look like, from the perspectives of all religions and even atheists. The three teenagers use their skills, experience and ingenuity to figure out the system in which they’ve found themselves, dead but not yet gone. Not alive but also not ready to let go of those they’ve left behind. Determined, in fact, to change things for those they love if at all possible.
And Jacobson’s book shows us that indeed, anything is possible, if you only want it badly enough and are prepared to make sacrifices, be vulnerable and honest, and defy authority.
Funny, quirky, page-turning, thought-provoking, generous, big-hearted, unruly, compassionate, moving, warm, imaginative and comforting, THE WAITING PLACE is a compelling read, full of all the feelings. A portal to another world.
The afternoon before 16-year-old Emily Woodward dies, she is – hand on heart – trying to be good. After all, not only is she a member of the local religious cult, but she will be one of The Selected when she dies, heading off to heaven in a spaceship on Halley’s Comet. The community of Townies (who all consider Emily and her clan a little weird) are all destined for hell. That’s just how it is. Between now and death, her plans involve only being married off to another cult member at 18 and living the quiet, subdued life of her trad-wife mother.
But it’s complicated. With their conservative views and clothing and minimal learning (especially for girls and women), their avoidance of outside interference (like pesky science and medicine) and their strict adherence to a code of societal conduct, Emily and her family and friends seem like the perfect do-gooders. However, should one of their number transgress in any way (and there are oh so many ways to transgress!) they and their children and their children’s children will be condemned forever. Doesn’t seem fair or remotely right or just to Emily but it’s what she’s always known.
Not like Jackson, the boy she used to innocently meet at the creek years earlier and borrow his phone to increase her insatiable knowledge about insects and biology. And not like Xanthe, the posterchild for their community who never sets a foot wrong.
Two major incidents in the early pages of the novel set the scene: Emily’s disgraced (pregnant) older sister Sarah arrives home (Why? How?) causing much to-do and disruption, and then a bunch of people – including Emily, Sarah, her unborn baby, Jackson and Xanthe, all die from different causes on the same day.
To say too much more would be a spoiler, but Emily, Xanthe and Jackson each evade the ‘angels’ and escape from the sorting that appears to be going on (sending some people to The Good Line and some to The Bad Line), resulting in them spending an extended period in The Waiting Place. What is this place? Why does it manifest as different things to different people? Was Emily’s cult right all along? If so, where is the spaceship? Something has rent a tear in the fabric of the universe of space and time, with shimmering potholes / portholes / portals revealing their secrets.
The three adolescents are a motley crew: the perfect girl, the teen delinquent and the bland one. But circumstances force them to band together if they are to survive this otherworldly place and what must come afterwards. They forge unlikely bonds and circle forbidden romance. In the end, each must trust their own instincts as to what is right.
What follows is an incredible adventure full of danger and evil but also humour and revelation. Thinks Emily: ‘I realise that I’ve had more fun this past hour in death than I ever had while living. Isn’t that ridiculous?’
Jacobson’s ear for the teenage voice is unerring and authentic, full of spiky humour, droll wit and snarky comments.
But despite their temporary bonding, each is mistrustful of the others. Why is Xanthe, who definitely should be on The Good Line by now, still hanging around with Jackson and Emily? What on earth prompted Jackson to commit the crime that resulted in his death? And why does he care so much about who he has left behind? Is Emily willing to risk eternal damnation to save her rebellious older sister, who she feels abandoned her years earlier to the fate of the cult?
Full of memories and premonitions, and with a not-so-subtle touch of magical realism, THE WAITING PLACE explores what life should be, the importance of not judging others, the secrets hidden behind normal facades, what it means to live a good life, how to bend or break the rules, and what ‘heaven’ might look like, from the perspectives of all religions and even atheists. The three teenagers use their skills, experience and ingenuity to figure out the system in which they’ve found themselves, dead but not yet gone. Not alive but also not ready to let go of those they’ve left behind. Determined, in fact, to change things for those they love if at all possible.
And Jacobson’s book shows us that indeed, anything is possible, if you only want it badly enough and are prepared to make sacrifices, be vulnerable and honest, and defy authority.
Funny, quirky, page-turning, thought-provoking, generous, big-hearted, unruly, compassionate, moving, warm, imaginative and comforting, THE WAITING PLACE is a compelling read, full of all the feelings. A portal to another world.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Okay, now that I have dried my eyes and changed my drenched shirt I can write this review.
Yes, I was kindly sent this book by Hachette Australia, but these are my own thoughts and opinions. I rated it 4.5 rounding up for Goodreads.
It took me some time to read this one, I got it in the middle of losing one of my fur babies. Unfortunately she has moved onto the good place. I thought perhaps finishing a book I started prior would help a little with the grief I am experiencing. It actually did help me a little. The way Jacobson talks about the afterlife and even the waiting place and the good place, did bring me a little comfort. I could imagine what my sweet girl's waiting it good place would be like. The last couple chapters made me cry in a nice way and made me think what if things like that were possible.
Now, about the book itself. We follow the MFC, who happens to be a cult follower on her last day alive, then into her time spent in limbo (The Waiting Place) before being sorted to the Good or the Bad place. While on our journey we team up with a boy named Jackson, and our ex bestie Xanthe. All of which have reasons for not wanting to be sorted yet. Em, our MFC her ultimate goal is to make sure her sister Sarah and her baby get to go to the Good place, she wants to save her from damnation.
The story is filled with love, loss, joy, sadness, anger, denial, bargaining, forgiveness and acceptance. The author does it in a way that fits the narrative and adds to the story beautifully. The reason it got a lower rating is just because there were a few things I was able to predict. I wish I hadn't been able to as then it would have made it more I think impactful or meaningful for me anyway. It could also be the mood I have been reading it in. The things I was able to predict or spider senses with minimal to no spoilers: Xanthe, Locket contents, the Bad, Roman outcome, Carl and Sara in the last chapter (I thought something slightly different but had a feeling.)
Overall, I felt like the book flowed well, was written well and I absolutely loved the imagery that Jacobson painted with each scene.
Thank you to the author for putting thoughts to paper and Hachette Australia for sending me the book.
Yes, I was kindly sent this book by Hachette Australia, but these are my own thoughts and opinions. I rated it 4.5 rounding up for Goodreads.
It took me some time to read this one, I got it in the middle of losing one of my fur babies. Unfortunately she has moved onto the good place. I thought perhaps finishing a book I started prior would help a little with the grief I am experiencing. It actually did help me a little. The way Jacobson talks about the afterlife and even the waiting place and the good place, did bring me a little comfort. I could imagine what my sweet girl's waiting it good place would be like. The last couple chapters made me cry in a nice way and made me think what if things like that were possible.
Now, about the book itself. We follow the MFC, who happens to be a cult follower on her last day alive, then into her time spent in limbo (The Waiting Place) before being sorted to the Good or the Bad place. While on our journey we team up with a boy named Jackson, and our ex bestie Xanthe. All of which have reasons for not wanting to be sorted yet. Em, our MFC her ultimate goal is to make sure her sister Sarah and her baby get to go to the Good place, she wants to save her from damnation.
The story is filled with love, loss, joy, sadness, anger, denial, bargaining, forgiveness and acceptance. The author does it in a way that fits the narrative and adds to the story beautifully. The reason it got a lower rating is just because there were a few things I was able to predict. I wish I hadn't been able to as then it would have made it more I think impactful or meaningful for me anyway. It could also be the mood I have been reading it in. The things I was able to predict or spider senses with minimal to no spoilers: Xanthe, Locket contents, the Bad, Roman outcome, Carl and Sara in the last chapter (I thought something slightly different but had a feeling.)
Overall, I felt like the book flowed well, was written well and I absolutely loved the imagery that Jacobson painted with each scene.
Thank you to the author for putting thoughts to paper and Hachette Australia for sending me the book.
August 27, 2026
‘Sixteen-year-old Emily Woodward has lived her whole life in a tiny, high-control religious community. Some say it’s a cult; Em was taught it’s the only way to get to heaven on Halley’s comet. She knows she’ll be married off at eighteen, even if she secretly dreams of a life bigger than that.
Then the car crash happens.
In death, Emily is destined for the Good Line, but before she can be sorted, she sees her rebellious big sister sent to the Bad Line. Desperate to find a way to save her sister, Em agrees to run away from the angels with Jackson, the teen bank robber, and Xanthe, the most perfect girl in Em’s community. But can she trust a clearly hell-bound bank robber? And is the perfect Xanthe just with them to snitch? The three teens find themselves in an afterlife that morphs into all the places they’ve waited in their lives, and for them to survive, they need to take the actions they were too afraid to take when they were alive.’
I adored this book.
I knew nothing about this book before picking it up; now that I have read it, I am very happy that I decided to read it.
This is one of those books that really started strong with only a limited amount of background information given, which I liked, as we got to learn more about the characters and their lives as the story progressed. Not only did the readers learn about the characters as the story unfolded, but the characters learned about each other at the same time.
One of the things I loved most about this book was the fact that, as the story unfolds, you realise that there is more to the individual stories and to the characters than we first learned and getting to see the truth come to light as the story reaches its climax made for a really compelling reading experience.
Megan Jacobson did a wonderful job with this book. The characters were flawed, which made them completely relatable; the story was interesting, the setting was eerie and perfectly described, and the writing was emotional, with a beautiful cinematic quality to it.
The Waiting Place by Megan Jacobson takes you on an emotional journey that you will not want to end.
Geramie Kate Barker
Gemsbooknook.wordpress.com
Then the car crash happens.
In death, Emily is destined for the Good Line, but before she can be sorted, she sees her rebellious big sister sent to the Bad Line. Desperate to find a way to save her sister, Em agrees to run away from the angels with Jackson, the teen bank robber, and Xanthe, the most perfect girl in Em’s community. But can she trust a clearly hell-bound bank robber? And is the perfect Xanthe just with them to snitch? The three teens find themselves in an afterlife that morphs into all the places they’ve waited in their lives, and for them to survive, they need to take the actions they were too afraid to take when they were alive.’
I adored this book.
I knew nothing about this book before picking it up; now that I have read it, I am very happy that I decided to read it.
This is one of those books that really started strong with only a limited amount of background information given, which I liked, as we got to learn more about the characters and their lives as the story progressed. Not only did the readers learn about the characters as the story unfolded, but the characters learned about each other at the same time.
One of the things I loved most about this book was the fact that, as the story unfolds, you realise that there is more to the individual stories and to the characters than we first learned and getting to see the truth come to light as the story reaches its climax made for a really compelling reading experience.
Megan Jacobson did a wonderful job with this book. The characters were flawed, which made them completely relatable; the story was interesting, the setting was eerie and perfectly described, and the writing was emotional, with a beautiful cinematic quality to it.
The Waiting Place by Megan Jacobson takes you on an emotional journey that you will not want to end.
Geramie Kate Barker
Gemsbooknook.wordpress.com
October 12, 2026
This book has a very interesting idea about life after death.
Emily has grown up in a strict religious community where she is told how to live her life. After a car crash, she finds herself in the afterlife. When she sees her older sister sent to the Bad Line, Emily decides to do everything she can to save her. She joins Jackson, a teenage bank robber, and Xanthe, a girl who seems to be perfect.
I enjoyed the unusual idea behind this story. The three teenagers are very different, and they each have their own struggles.
This book also makes us think about how quickly we judge people without knowing their stories. I liked the message that we should look at what people do, not just who they are or what others say about them.
The Waiting Place is an interesting read with an important message about being brave enough to be yourself.
Emily has grown up in a strict religious community where she is told how to live her life. After a car crash, she finds herself in the afterlife. When she sees her older sister sent to the Bad Line, Emily decides to do everything she can to save her. She joins Jackson, a teenage bank robber, and Xanthe, a girl who seems to be perfect.
I enjoyed the unusual idea behind this story. The three teenagers are very different, and they each have their own struggles.
This book also makes us think about how quickly we judge people without knowing their stories. I liked the message that we should look at what people do, not just who they are or what others say about them.
The Waiting Place is an interesting read with an important message about being brave enough to be yourself.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
When Emily Woodward finds herself in the afterlife - with her teenage crush and ex-best friend - she finds herself in race against time to save her sister and unborn nephew from hell. With Prophet Nigel and her father together entering the spaceship to take them heaven bound, Emily must make sure that her sister's papers are switched.
But not all is what it seems, and Emily soon finds herself questioning what 'good' really means.
I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and engaging, but it wasn't until the last 30 or so pages when I really thought it picked up. The end redeemed it, in my eyes.
But not all is what it seems, and Emily soon finds herself questioning what 'good' really means.
I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and engaging, but it wasn't until the last 30 or so pages when I really thought it picked up. The end redeemed it, in my eyes.
October 2, 2026
With thanks to ‘Good Reading Magazine’ (Australia) for the ARC and the opportunity to review.
Emily, Xanthe and Jackson are the three main protagonists in this unconventional, swiftly-paced Young Adult coming-of-age story.
See full review here: https://goodreadingmagazine.com.au/fi...
Emily, Xanthe and Jackson are the three main protagonists in this unconventional, swiftly-paced Young Adult coming-of-age story.
See full review here: https://goodreadingmagazine.com.au/fi...
September 11, 2026
A fantastic story which focuses on three teenagers who die and end up in the waiting place between the good place and the bad.
They have the chance to reflect on their lives and they choose to save others not themselves.
A beautiful story.
They have the chance to reflect on their lives and they choose to save others not themselves.
A beautiful story.
September 19, 2026
*3.5 stars
October 9, 2026
one of the best fantasy/ afterlife stories ive read. i love reading about the dynamics of cults and the romance was really cute!!
September 16, 2026
4.5🌟
I went into this book blind and I was so pleasantly surprised! It was a great YA that someone of any age would enjoy and the end had me surprisingly emotional.
I went into this book blind and I was so pleasantly surprised! It was a great YA that someone of any age would enjoy and the end had me surprisingly emotional.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews