Emily R. Austin is a talented author, especially at describing states of being and the deepest inner thoughts of people. Her imagery and prose are beautiful. I loved the way she describes the mental isolation of living in a small, conservative town where you feel crazy for thinking and believing so differently from everyone else around you. She illustrates the nostalgia of returning to childhood with depth and visceral yearning, even when that childhood was less than picture-perfect. She describes the disgust and frustration of watching someone you know to be a predator gain power. It is like she can stare directly into a soul and write your innermost thoughts and desires, and that is where she truly shines as an author, in my opinion.

Even though I had some minor issues with the plot, pacing, and being able to fully emotionally connect with the two sisters, that did not stop me from enjoying We Could Be Rats. I also didn’t find the book’s description accurate to the book I read, and I would encourage people to really heed the author’s note at the beginning.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If I had to describe this in one sentence: sad-girl Gone Girl without murder.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book! We Could Be Rats is the newest release from Emily Austin. I had really high hopes for this book, which isn’t always the best way to start a new book. I loved Emily Austin’s previous books, so I was over the moon to be able to read her newest release early!

We Could Be Rats follows two sisters, Sigrid and Margit. The first third of the book is Sigrid’s various suicide note attempts. The remainder of the book gets into the truth. I mentioned I had high hopes for this book, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead was my favorite book of 2023. However, as I was reading through the suicide note drafts I was starting to worry that maybe this book would not live up to my (really high) expectations. I was so wrong. Once we moved into the middle and end of the book, this story opened up to reveal a complicated family dynamic. Within it, two sisters who had grown apart, yet they knew each other better than anyone else could. It was a beautiful story and I actually wish we got to know more of Sigrid and Margit. This book is more complicated and emotional than Emily Austin’s previous books, and I highly suggest reviewing the trigger warnings prior to picking it up, but I would ultimately recommend this book. I can’t wait to read more from Emily Austin!

No other writer today (that I’ve read) is able to infuse so much love, joy, tenderness, and hope into their words, even when writing, outwardly, about sadness and despair, as Emily Austin.

I fell in love with Sigrid and Margit, and wanted to read this book forever so as to stay with them and their stories, forever. As usual Austin is so good at completely embodying a character, with all their little quirks and tendencies, so that they feel entirely known to the reader. She also experiments with form in this one, and I thought it was done so well, especially with these characters and their particular relationship as sisters.

I can hardly think about this book, especially certain quotes and passages, without genuinely bursting into tears. I ugly-sobbed through the last chapter. Loved, and can’t wait to read whatever Austin writes next.

We Could Be Rats perfectly encapsulated what it’s like to reckon with the loss of your childhood. It beautifully depicted the complicated dynamics of sisterhood as well as how scary it can feel to grow up, how trapped you can feel when you outgrow your hometown.

I loved the way Emily Austin played with narrative styles and formatting. It captivated me from start to finish. My only critique was that due to its style, I didn’t totally connect to Sigrid, and at times it felt a bit repetitive. Otherwise, another fabulous release from Austin that displayed humor working in tandem with the more emotional aspects of the novel.

We Could Be Rats is another weird, thought-provoking, deeply emotional read by Emily Austin. When Sigrid attempts to end her life, it leaves her and her sister, Margit, reeling. Each woman is forced to contend with how the way they were raised has impacted their view of the world, their views of themselves, and the way they view each other.

I think this is going to be one of those books you either love or you hate. I had to read a few chapters a day, unable to sit down and read the whole thing in one sitting, because of the feelings it brought up. I can absolutely see someone finding either one of the sisters insufferable or unlikable, but I personally appreciated how flawed they both were. No one makes it out of the type of home they were raised in as a totally well-adjusted adult. I loved the way that the story explores creativity as a coping mechanism and what to do with creativity as an adult without the outlets that you have in childhood. I finished this book and was left with so much to think about, which is one of the things I look for in a great book.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

4.5 stars rounded down

This is the kind of book that will sit with you for a while. It was sad and dark but also made me LOL multiple times. I loved the aspects of childhood and small towns and sisters. I absolutely need to bump Emily Austin’s other books to the top of my TBR.

Thank you Net Galley for this e arc.
TW: suicide, self harm, drug addiction, domestic violence
We Could Be Rats has to be the most heart wrenching and most personal novel Emily Austin has wrote. We Could Be Rats follows the journal entries of Sigrid. In these journal entries we follow Sigrid as she copes with loneliness, suicidal ideation, her friends opioid addiction, her past trauma through her imagination. Truly Austin perfectly illustrates the in between of self hate, wanting to be better, and feeling at lost. Austin's humor and care to her characters shine through. Please read this book with caution as it is very triggering.

This book had me sobbing at 3am. Emily Austin never fails at writing a story with rich characters and fun, heart-wrenching prose.

We Could Be Rats tells the story of two very different sisters - Sigrid and Marg. Margs seems to follow the direct path, the expected path while her sister is somewhat of an outsider. After a failed suicide attempt these two sisters work to understand each other and their differing childhoods.

3.5 stars, rounded up. I wanted to love this book - and I DID really, really like this book. I have seen different versions of myself in both of these sisters. Austin is a talented author tackling real life issues in a relatable way. Unfortunately I found the pacing of this book very difficult to work through. Sigrid 'attempts' nearly made me give up before the book really felt like it even began.

i've read (and loved) all of Emily Austin's books, and We Could Be Rats is my new favorite.

this is an unforgettable, moving story about two very different sisters who discover that they have a shared, unwavering bond as they continue to grow up and reflect on their childhood.

the format of this novel was so unique and kept me very entertained. at points I was moved to tears, and others I was laughing out loud. i adored Sigrid and i was rooting for her the whole time. i absolutely love Austin's writing style, and i will read anything she writes.

thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Title: We Could Be Rats
Author: Emily R. Austin
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: January 28, 2024

I received a complimentary eARC from Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Peculiar • Complex • Nostalgic

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Sigrid hates working at the Dollar Pal but having always resisted the idea of growing up into the trappings of adulthood, she did not graduate high school, preferring to roam the streets of her small town with her best friend Greta, the only person in the world who ever understood her. Her older sister Margit is baffled and frustrated by Sigrid’s inability to conform to the expectations of polite society.
But Sigrid’s detachment veils a deeper turmoil and sensitivity. She’s haunted by the pains of her past—from pretending her parents were swamp monsters when they shook the floorboards with their violent arguments to grappling with losing Greta’s friendship to the opioid epidemic ravaging their town. As Margit sets out to understand Sigrid and the secrets she has hidden, both sisters, in their own time and way, discover that reigniting their shared childhood imagination is the only way forward.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Interesting Facts About Space was one of my most unexpected and surprising reads in 2024, so I could not help but add Emily Austin's 2025 release, We Could Be Rats, to my list of most anticipated tiles.

With humour and great care, Emily Austin delivers another deeply raw and emotional story featuring two sisters who have lost touch, and which explores the power of imagination, childhood trauma, regret, and reconciliation. She manages to capture the vast realm of human emotion in such a haunting fashion. The social commentary sprinkled throughout adds an extra layer, yet it never overtakes the underlying story.

There's an entirely unique structure and point-of-view to this story, while Austin's writing style itself is so distinctive. It's one of those books that I wasn't sure what I had just read when I finished, yet I knew it affected me on a deeper level. Somehow she takes rats and manages to incorporate the metaphor flawlessly within the narrative. The book itself is on the shorter side, yet the characters are complex and highly relatable.

We Could Be Rats wasn't what I was expecting, yet it was so much more. The way in which Austin handles mental illness really speaks to me. A story of anyone who has ever felt unseen, alone in the world, and that life is a constant battle. There are certainly days, I, too wish I could be that rat gouging on sugary food at the fair without a care in the world. I definitely need to go back and read Everyone in the Room Will Someday Be Dead now.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• stream of consciousness
• sister stories
• up and coming Canadian authors

⚠️ CW: mental illness, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, suicide, depression, medical trauma, drug use, drug abuse, addiction, sexual violence, sexual assault, rape, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, homophobia, lesobophobia, biphobia, death, death of parent, grief, cursing, alcohol, cancer, terminal illness

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"There are only so many days in a year, and a lifetime. There aren't enough carefree days like the ones I had with Greta, I guess. I think of those times as scarce and precious now. I didn't appreciate them then. I do today."

"It occurred to me that everyone needs someone who understand them and believes in them. Having even one person who really gets you, and likes you, feels sort of vital for survival."

"I'm not sure there is a way to be alive without upsetting people. We're all in this web together, aren't we? Everything we do tangles everybody else together."

"I think part of why losing Greta feels so catastrophic is because she was the only person who I felt understood me, and who I understood. I felt alone without her."

✨Book Review✨
We Could Be Rats - Emily Austin 🇨🇦

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonshusterca for providing an e-arc of one of my most anticipated 2025 titles for review!! This one releases January 28th.

This book follows two sisters who are very different, Sigrid likes to push the status quo and ruffle feathers while Margit just wants to keep the peace. Sigrid didn’t finish her highschool diploma while Margit has gone off to university away from their small minded town. We witness their bond in flashbacks and understand what’s made them so distant.

A tragic event forces Margit to try to understand Sigrid and her secrets. The result of this is an exploration of the unshakable bond of sisterhood and shared childhood as both sisters confront and heal parts of themselves.

If I’m being honest this is probably my least favourite Emily Austin book I’ve read to date, but I still love me some Emily Austin. I enjoy her voice as a writer and will pick up anything she writes in future. I enjoyed the sisterhood aspect of this book and laughed several times throughout at the humour in the darkness of this book. I appreciate her choosing a different format than you would typically see in a novel to tell this story.

3.75/5 ⭐️ for those who enjoy a more unserious approach to very serious topics in fiction, quirky characters, small towns, and reading about sibling dynamics.

P.S. Check trigger warnings before hopping into this one.

Emily Austin’s books continue to speak to me! The amount of highlights I have in this book…..

As is the case with many of her books, this read as a stream of consciousness type of writing. I was thoroughly invested in sisters Sigrid and Margit and their small town. This book even had a sort of “plot twist” so to speak.

This book is undeniably for sisters. I felt very seen in Margit’s POV as an older sister. I even felt a little called out.

This book is for people who sometimes feel a little uncomfortable in life and sometimes want to throw pie across the room. These characters will help you to feel ~seen~

I found out pretty quickly that this book was not for me. I have decided to up my rating to two stars instead of one after reading some of the rave reviews on the book. Sadly, it has not resonated with me in that way. After about two chapters, I felt myself already checking out of the book - which is already horrible sign so early on. I dnf’d at chapter 13, the 30% mark.

The concept of this book is really interesting but the description did not elude to the actual content of the book, which I didn’t find out until I got to the trigger warnings page.. After the first few chapters I was like…. ok…. what’s next? Instead of moving forward in the story, we just keep sort of repeating the same themes over and over. Around the chapter 7 (attempt 7) mark in this book, I was found myself a bit aggravated about the constant repetition. Then at chapter 13, I had to stop. I read another review where someone said it felt like a long tumblr post and honestly, I agree (negative connotation). I don’t know what comes next or when the book picks up. Maybe Sigrid’s part would have been more compelling but I don’t have the mental fortitude to continue on.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Atria books for a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐

250 pages later and I've cried my way towards dehydration and have done nothing but think about my own life and childhood.

Both characters were so relatable. It's interesting to think about how the same trauma can shape us differently, but the goal is still surviving.

I hope to pause more often in life to appreciate the small things and to dream more.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for access to this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.


My first 5 star of the year!! 🐀💘

This made me so emotional !

This an ode to childhood, to not fitting in -in your small conservative town, to sisterhood and wanting more for yourself and those you love.
I don't have the proper words to express how much this meant to me but this has cemented Emily Austin as a new favorite author.

read this book!
But check trigger warnings!!

This book was absolutely beautifully written. I do not usually like books that are super poetic and meaningful, but the way this was full of life and story and actually legitimate twists i didn’t see coming. There were all these powerful metaphors that were also slightly humorous (like the quote in the photo) but also told the story of family, addiction, friendship and life in SUCH a unique way! I was so surprised by this. Please get this when it comes out!

This is one of the most brutally honest books I’ve ever read—it felt like stepping into the main character’s diary. Austin captures the raw, unfiltered complexity of human thought and emotion, shining a light on the parts of ourselves we often hide. We all have secrets, make mistakes, and sometimes don’t fully understand why we do what we do. Through vivid storytelling, this book portrays the struggles and pain of navigating life’s challenges with remarkable authenticity. It’s a poignant reminder of how complicated people can be. I highly recommend it to anyone searching for a story that feels real, especially if you’re facing struggles of your own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.

This book.... there is so much complexity, pain, and tough subjects tackled in these pages. It was not what I expected by any means, and I really am overall unsure of my full feelings on the book. But, the characters felt so real and honest. It reminded me of how relationships are never what you fully think they are.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on January 20th, 2025. Links provided.

We Could Be Rats is a heartfelt novel that tells the story of two sisters navigating the complexities of life, family, and the enduring power of imagination. Sigrid, restless and disillusioned, drifts through her small-town existence working at the Dollar Pal, having abandoned traditional expectations of adulthood after high school. Her refusal to conform baffles her older sister Margit, who struggles to bridge the growing gap between them. Beneath Sigrid’s rebellious exterior lies a deep sensitivity shaped by a turbulent past, from the violent storms of their parents’ fights to the heartbreak of losing her best friend Greta to addiction. After Sigrid endures a suicide attempt, Margit seeks to unravel the mysteries of her sister’s pain. In the process, the two rediscover the magic of their childhood imagination, rekindling the bond that can guide them both toward healing and hope. This moving story is a poignant tribute to the resilience of sisterhood and the journey of growing up.

All in all, while I found Sigrid and Margit’s story very emotional and moving, it still was not quite what I expected. Told in multiple parts from the perspectives of both Sigrid and Margit, this book felt like reading each of their individual journals/diaries. Their story was moving with its raw emotion and complex portrayal of sisterhood. Sigrid’s struggle with her past and her deep inner turmoil felt heartbreakingly real, and her story of pain, detachment, and the longing to escape was relatable. It captured the complicated, often painful journey of truly understanding someone you love well. Sigrid and Margit’s relationship felt authentic, filled with tension, frustration, and moments of tenderness. I was especially drawn to how Margit’s efforts to comprehend her sister’s resistance to the world around her revealed so much about both of them - the unspoken hurt from their childhood, the weight of lost friendships, and the invisible scars that shaped their choices. Their story reminded me how easy it is to misjudge those closest to us and how difficult it can be to reconnect when life pulls us apart. What made this book stand out was how it showed that healing isn’t about fixing everything but about reconnecting, as well as understanding the healing power of love and the enduring strength of sisterhood.

CW: Suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts, sexual assault, rape, addiction

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of We Could Be Rats in return for my honest review.