CW: suicide, grief, addiction, substance abuse, sexual assault, emotional manipulation

I have veryyy mixed feelings about this. This was very heavy most of the time. It was reminiscent of Gone Girl and Long Bright River. Honestly, I'm not totally quite sure what the truth is. I appreciated the content warning at the beginning, I think that prepared me (somewhat) for the story. My heart aches for Sigrid, Margit, and Greta. I think this story depicts another very real connection between sisters. There is a special relationship between sisters that is both contentious, protective, competitive and misunderstood at all times... If you don't have a sister, it's a REALLY hard thing to describe. The pov's of how each sister interpreted their childhoods and the way they treated one another is so real. It's not a Disney-fied, Frozen-like perfect bff sisterhood, it's honest. This was a weird story, but I think it was an alternative perspective on death, dying, living, suicide, being at rock bottom, and how it looks to rebuild your life. A quick and weird, yet impactful read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Atria Books and Emily Austin for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own :)

I would read Emily Austin's to-do list and do so happily. She has such a brilliant way of writing devastatingly moving novels while still injecting so much humor in them.

We Could Be Rats is no different. In it, we follow two sisters, Sigrid and Margit, who are not very alike at all. The first part of the novel is told through a series of letters as Sigrid attempts to write her suicide note. In the second half, we see how Sigrid's attempted suicide impacts Margit's life and the relationship between the two sisters.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for a review copy. I look forward to reading Austin's next novel.

Never got around to reading this title. Maybe I will in the future. What drew me to this book was the hype for the author on YouTube. Thank you so much for the opportunity to preview and review this title.

Annnddddd we're back!

Back meaning that Emily Austin really delivered in We Could Be Rats as opposed to her last novel, Interesting Facts about Space which I felt fell short of my expectations.

This novel! It was exactly what I want from an Emily Austin novel: weirdness, funniness, sadness, and meaningfulness! I devoured this one, but will say that some may struggle with the content as the novel begins with a collection of suicide note drafts. Even with my triggers with suicide, I found this to be really worth the read (writing this review makes me want to read it again).

I was reminded to write this review when I saw a preview for her next release - off to count down the days until it's out.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance reading copy. It was a true gem!

I loved Emily Austin’s Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead and wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but was really happy to read it! I love stories about families and especially sisters and this one has it all! The writing style is unique and fun and I loved everything about it! I did think some parts dragged on a bit, but overall, a fantastic read.

A moving story about two very different sisters, and a love letter to childhood, growing up, and the power of imagination—from the bestselling author of Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead and Interesting Facts About Space.

Five stars. No notes.

Lily Austin can do no wrong and this novel is no exception. Her writing is so cutting and shape, I ate this book up and was asking for seconds.

I don’t think I like this as much as I enjoyed her other books, but it was still solid. This one was more about sisters. I had an interesting format. I think I like the more of a solo protagonist by this author than this. I did think that it was funny. She experimented a bit with form this book which I think largely worked but again but her earlier work just sort of connected more for me.

Two sisters, one childhood, complete opposites. I've always been fascinated at the fact that some people who come from the same household, the same traumatic experiences, could grow up to have completely different outlooks on life and lead very different lives, sometimes, more often than not, isolating. I have a sister and yet, I feel as though our childhood made us into different people, where she used it as fuel for life and going after what she wants, I let it make me a shell of a person for the longest time- quiet, too nice, too agreeing, a pushover.

I truly felt for both Sigrid and Magrit. I think it was hard not to. Emily Austin, you've made a fan out of me. I don't know the right words to describe all that this book did to me. All I can say right now is I cried and felt so seen as someone who's had her fair of mental health issues. This was my first Emily book but it definitely won't be my last.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

This novel is about two sisters; Sigrid and Margit. Sigrid is a lesbian, works at the Dollar Pal, and wishes she could have been a kid forever. Margit is a college student who doesn't understand her sister and prefers to pretend that everything is okay. When Sigrid decides she's going to commit suicide, we learn through attempts at writing final letters what their childhood was like with their parents, Sigrid's best friend throughout high school and more.

This was written so beautifully, as I continue to expect from Emily Austin. The way she describes Sigrid's vivid imagination and her fighting adulthood hit me in a way I wasn't expecting. When we change perspectives later on in the book, I was blown away by how cleverly planned out this novel was. With that, I will leave you with this quote that I can't stop thinking about:

“If I could have picked what I was born to be, I would be a fat little rat at a fair. I would ride the Ferris wheel all night. All the carnival lights would reflect in my happy, beady eyes. I would feast on candy apple cores, discarded peanuts, and melon rinds. I would spook the ladies and carnival workers for kicks. When the lights went out, and the gates were shut, I would scurry around on the ground, rummage through the trash cans, and squeak happily with my rat pals. I would live to be about two years old, which is as long as most rats live. I would get my money’s worth out of my little rat lifespan, and I would leave the earth happy to have been there.”

Emily Austin never disappoints! After reading Everyone in this room will someday be dead, I jumped at the chance to read this one. Great read and the writing style is different and unique.

"We Could Be Rats" is a compelling and thought-provoking novel that follows the lives of two very sisters in their late teens and early twenties. Margit is a high-achieving academic, while Sigrid is a high school dropout who views herself as a failure. The story explores Sigrid’s suicide attempt and its impact on both sisters. It is a powerful exploration of identity, mental health, and the complexities of sibling relationships.

I don’t normally go for literary fiction but this was so so good. It had me spending way too much time wondering which sister I am and I will continue thinking about that for too long as well

Middle school and high school me would have been enamored with this book. It fits right in with my other favorite books during that period. It was really good but it close to home in the way that used to make me feel seen, and now just sort of makes me feel sad and powerless and question if I'm even real.

Please read the author’s note, this book could be triggering for some.

Part one is the note, part two is the truth, and part three is what follows. Emily Austin is able to weave humor into a very unfunny topic. She does not make light of the topic, she just shows that life is messy and sometimes we have to laugh at the absurdity of it all. The author has a very unique voice that I identify with. Everyone will take something different from this book.

This is my second Emily Austin book and I think she is going to be an auto-read author for me.

We Could Be Rats is weird in the best way. Emily Austin has such a unique voice—funny, offbeat, and sneakily profound. The book dives into themes like loneliness, identity, and self-worth, but with this dry humor and vulnerability that just works. I found myself laughing at one line and then suddenly hit with something unexpectedly deep the next.

The main character is wonderfully awkward and relatable in that "I have no idea what I'm doing but I'm trying my best" kind of way. The writing style is sharp and clever, and the pacing keeps things moving, even in the more introspective moments.

Why 4 stars instead of 5? A few parts meandered a little, and some side characters could’ve used more development—but overall, it’s original, heartfelt, and left me thinking about it long after I finished.

If you’re into offbeat, character-driven stories with a lot of heart and humor, this one’s definitely worth the read.

This was my first Emily Austin read and it will not be my last. While this book fell a bit flat for me at the end I enjoyed my time reading it and sped through within a 24 hour period.

Through this book you follow to sisters through one sisters mental health struggles and get to really observe the effect on both parties.

This book depicts mental health and acceptance so well that it really hits you in a place you didn't even know you needed.

Trigger warnings for suicide.

This book hits so deep while also having so much fun humor. Emily Austin has yet to write a bad book. She is able to pick up on such unique feelings that make you feel seen and heard in ways you maybe don't like but need the validation from. This is a heavy hitter for sure but so worth the read.

Not bad, but I didn't connect with this the way I did Interesting Facts About Space last year. I don't know if it was the format of this or the stream of consciousness/journal entry sort of style, but something just fell flat. I like Emily Austin's characterization and I thought all the family and friendship bits were great, but it wasn't enough to fully get me into this. Personally, not for me.

Despite really enjoying Interesting Facts about Space, one of Emily Austin's previous books, I struggled to get into this book. Something about Sigrid annoyed me, making it difficult to be invested in this book. I DNF'd it early on as the prose was rambly. I'm unsure if Sigrid is meant to be unlikable or if it's just me.