I was lucky enough to get an ARC for this book and I can’t say enough good things.

I absolutely adored this book! Emily Austin is one of my favourite authors when it comes to portraying mental health and queer women. I loved the layout of this book and the different perspectives. This is heavy and emotional, but in my opinion, written in a very beautiful, relatable, digestible way.

Emily Austin’s grasp on my psyche should be studied. Good God.
This book is comforting, confusing, a mirror for me to squint at. ‘We could be rats’ is really the only thing that’s engaged me emotionally since my cat died last month and I turned into this weird numb husk.
It was sadder than the other books I’ve loved by this author. It likely won’t be my favorite Emily Austin book in the long run, but it was effective and memorable for me. Missing the way the world was when you were young does hurt, but the sky is still pink sometimes. I’m grateful to have gotten the arc, thank you Atria Books.

Once again, Emily Austin has created a deeply relatable and sad novel about growing up, family relationships and mental health, while still managing to package witty humour into the pages.

In this book, our main character Sigrid has decided she wants to end her life so she is crafting her suicide note while reflecting on her complicated relationships with her family and friends, and reminiscing on her lost childhood.

I really enjoyed the emphasis on growing up and feeling like your childhood has escaped you, and not knowing where you stand now. I found myself relating to a lot of what Sigrid was saying. I also really enjoyed reading about the particular dynamic she has with her sister - Margit.

This book just felt so real and raw. It had me highlighting quotes that resonated with me, and I don’t normally do that. I will definitely continue to read from Emily Austin in the future.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC copy.

This book is not my usual style. It’s gay, but not super gay, and while relationships are mentioned, there’s no romance aspect to it. But oh my god, THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING I NEEDED RIGHT NOW. The book centers around a twenty year old woman looking back on her life as she tries to write her suicide note. I know that sounds morbid, but the book was a beautiful exploration of what makes us into the people we become. I resonated so much with the words in this book, especially right now as the country seems to be going on a fast downward spiral. The main character talks a lot about wanting to stay a kid, and I think a lot of us can relate to that. There’s a ton that I could say about this book, but I don’t want to go into more detail than that because I truly believe this book is better the less you know going into it. It’s like a puzzle you’re piecing together while the main character pieces together her life. It’s beautiful and deserves to be read by everyone, so get it now! Seriously.

We Could Be Rats is a full 5 ⭐️ from me, but of course.

Wow, what a beautiful little book. Truly existential and heartbreaking, challenging the reader to think about their own child self weighed against their adult self. I found myself relating so heavily to Sigrid, but also to Margit.

I just loved this but don’t know how to talk about it. Emily Austin at her best.

This is the first book l've read from Emily. When I originally requested this book the title and book cover caught my attention. I did not realise how much this book would capture me. The story of two very different sisters and growing up in a small town with "swamp monster" parents.
In the first part of the book we read about Sigrid trying to write a letter to make people in her life feel better after her death. We learn about Sigrid growing up, not wanting to conform to the society rules of her small town. But, in the second part we get to read how it was for Margit growing up in the same small town. By the end of the book I was questioning everything I had read as there's an unreliable narrator. Overall, I loved this book and definitely will be purchasing a copy for myself.

More content warnings would have been nice— the first chapter is a su*cide note. I love Emily Austin but I was not prepared for that and it was very hard to read/get past.

This is easily the worst book I’ve read in the last 2 years. The way it reads is a rambling train of thought made into suicide notes and diffused into sections written by the sisters.
I’m sorry maybe it is just too cool and intellectual for me but it felt like listening to someone who is drunk and high trying to tell a story. I am absolutely shocked by the good reviews.
I definitely should have just DNF’d this one and unfortunately cannot recommend it at all.

This is my third Emily Austin book and certainly won’t be my last! Emily never ceases to amaze me with how accurately she captures anxiety and overthinking . The characters in this story perceive themselves as being disconnected from one another, but they are more similar than they realize. A defining event brings them together and illuminates how much they love and need each other. It was a lovely depiction of sisterhood and a good reminder of what matters most in life.

4.5 rounded up

"I used to joke, 'I wish we were rats' because, if I could choose how the world worked, we would all be rats at the fair. We would all live well, sampling every possible ounce of happiness."

---- there will be MINOR spoilers in the review. nothing huge, but there is vague mention of the direction of the plot.---

I just truly don't even know where to begin with how lovely this story was. If you take away the fact that the first half is drafts of a suicide note, it's genuinely so funny. I love when a book can combine such beautiful truths about the world with a certain level of brevity where you're just like "wow, that's hilarious" and then you read that line over and over because it just hits in such a deep place in your heart. I loved seeing the world from the optimistic and imaginative mind of Sigrid. there were just so many nuggets of wisdom sprinkled throughout her note. I think this would easily be my most highlighted book in a long time.

Then we get to see Margit and understand the world from her viewpoint. See the way that she navigates the emotional turmoil of finding her sister and sitting at her hospital bedside begging her to live. the aftermath of finally seeing the hurt that your love ones have been hiding was conveyed in such a raw and honest way. I felt so much empathy for both Sigrid and Margit. They are such different people (one of my favorite things about humans, specifically siblings, is how we can experience the same parents and childhood and come out on the other side with such different manifestations of what we've experienced). Seeing all of the small moments of kindness that Margit allowed to gently guide her into seeking help was really touching as well.

This story was just so lovely. There really isn't much more to it than that.

Please check the TW <3 take care of your hearts and your brains, friends.

Thank you to Atria for an early copy of this book! I came for the title, i stayed for the bird in a monkey costume. and jo, of course.

I want to start with thanking NetGalley, Atria Books, Simon & Schuster Canada, and Emily Austin for the eARC for <i>We Could Be Rats</i> in exchange for an honest review. I was surprised and absolutely delighted when I received the eARC. <i>We Could Be Rats</i> is my most anticipated book for 2025 and let me tell you, it is well worth the wait! <i>We Could Be Rats</i> releases in the United States on January 28, 2025.

Anyone who has either 1) spent any time with me or 2) has seen any of my reviews, will know Emily Austin very quickly became one of my favorite authors after I read Interesting Facts about Space as an early release from BOTM last February. Austin has a talent for representing lesbian and autistic voices incredibly well. Once again, I sobbed.

Emily Austin continues to amaze with her latest release <i>We Could Be Rats</i> . <i>We Could Be Rats</i> deals with some incredibly heavy topics such as suicidal thoughts, suicide, and homophobia. Austin handles each of these tactfully and artistically. The first half of this book is told through a series of suicide notes that our primary narrator Sigrid is attempting to write before killing herself. From the beginning, Sigrid is an unreliable narrator who is stuck in life- whether due to her own actions or the small town. Sigrid is now determined that the only way to move on from this stuck-ness is to kill herself.

Each of the letters in the first half of the book is riddled with lies and half-truths. However, Emily Austin does an amazing job portraying the type of person Sigrid is. Austin has a true talent in creating characters that feel real. Her characters are messy and human and tangible. You love to hate them and love to love them. I don't think I will ever despise an Emily Austin character. I think they all need a good hug and some (read: lots of) therapy.

Austin plays a lot with the form in <i>We Could Be Rats</i>. When I opened the book for the first time, I was wary of the letter format. Yet, it was such a poignant way to showcase Sigrid's desire to not be a disappointment. Sigrid spends her letters, that should showcase her truth, creating a reality that would be more bearable for those she is leaving behind. It is a rambling mess as she searches for the truth she wants to leave behind. Austin does a great job capturing the rambling in a cohesive and not overdone manner. Sigrid is a selfless liar. She wants to downplay her own death to spare others.

Sigrid's sister, Margit, is the one who has to pick of the pieces. Margit is a typical older sister with older sister syndrome. On the surface, she is put together and does her best to stay out of the way and not make trouble. Sigrid makes enough trouble for both of them. Margit, through Sigrid's perspective, seems uncaring and unbothered. Yet, as we reach the second half of <We Could Be Rats</i> it is clear who she actually is. To spare from major spoilers, I will make one quick spoiler comment before moving on. Slight Spoiler: <spoiler>Margit's perspective is an incredible reflection on how a family member's suicide / suicide attempt affects them. Margit is tasked with keeping it together. Her life begins to unravel.</spoiler>

Emily Austin has done it again. I believe I have said this in my other reviews of her novels (and poetry!); Emily Austin's prose is an acquired taste. Everything has to be poignant and real. She succeeds at this, continuously. I feel like if you don't walk away sobbing or at the very least misty-eyed, you may not have read her works properly. Emily Austin writes about human connection from a notably queer, neurodivergent (autistic) lens that leaves me rattled every time as an autistic lesbian. Human connection is always difficult and even more so when you aren't the default. Austin's characters always find that connection on their own and they end the story ultimately stronger than they were at the start.

Thank you, Emily Austin, for once again making me a blubbering mess. I did finish this before my girlfriend and had to sob quietly in bed to 1) not wake her and 2) not spoil the book for her.

*5 stars*

This book is exactly what you’d expect after reading Austin’s other books; it’s queer, messy, genuine, and heart wrenching. It had me sobbing throughout. I just find Austin’s books to be so incredibly relatable and raw, but they always leave you with an incredible sense of hope.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

austin continues to get better with each release. she is truly shaping to be an auto-buy author for me!! i love the exploration of not only romantic and queer relationships but those of familial and societal as well. her writing makes you think in ways i personally don’t in my personal life, and i appreciate that!!

I really love Emily Austin. I came off of a reading high having just read Interesting Facts about Space. Side note — that book made me laugh so hard while simultaneously made me want to give the main character a giant hug. Austin’s niche is making her characters inner dialogue borderline between worrisome and humorous with their dark thoughts. She gets you comfy with funny antidotes but then turns a corner and the character becomes earnest and sincere in their fears. She personifies inner dialogue in a way I feel I can’t for myself. It always feeels like a hand reaching out saying “do you get it”? Talking about a topic like suicide is tricky. You don’t want to idealize it yet, it is something that’s happening more often than we want to notice. At first, I was worried because immediately you’re thrown into Sigrid blankly stating that this is her suicide note, technically one of 21, and you think the worst is to come. (It does and doesn’t but I’m not going to spoil it). This book deserved a more in depth review from myself as well as all the praise.

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the book “I was getting older and losing my capacity to imagine. My dress rehearsal was ending, and I was just going to have to be who I was.”

Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Austin, and Atria Books.

💌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘

We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, and I must say it did live up to my expectations. It’s relentlessly relatable and laugh-out-loud funny, and it’s brimming with heart, and tackles heavy topics with deft compassion and sharp wit.

In this book, we follow Sigrid- a blunt, queer young adult from a small town who never managed to leave her hometown. She’s tired of watching everyone around her move on with their lives while she’s still working at the Dollar Pal store with constant bomb threats being made. She never wished to grow up, and her older sister Margit is constantly on her ass about it- nudging her to conform to polite society and its expectations. So the book starts with Sigrid writing her su*cide note.

This book felt like a warm hug (for those of you who’s always feeling a little lost in their 20s). Austin writes about navigating the chaos of 20s and the ache of feeling adrift in this world so well. Her books are therapy for me. She clearly verbalizes the growing pains of realizing the stark disconnect between fairy tales and reality; realizing life doesn’t deliver on childhood dreams is captured with such raw honesty that it’s both comforting and devastating. I also adore her ability to write such complex sibling relationships with so much heart.

She also addresses so many heavy themes(check tw) like addiction and dysfunctional, abusive home with so much empathy. She strikes a delicate balance, blending humor with the gravity of these issues in a way that feels authentic and never dismissive. While I did find myself wishing she’d explored some of these topics in greater depth rather than trying to address so many broad array of sociopolitical issues, I still adored this book.

Her books always work for me, and this confirmed that I will absolutely be picking up anything she writes.

4.5/5⭐️

🤍 Read this if you like:
- witty, queer narrators
- reading about complex sibling relationships
- feeling lost in 20s books
- quirky books that feel like a warm hug
- weird and/or sad girl books

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for the arc. We Could Be Rats comes out next Tuesday on 1/28!

Two sisters who have grown apart unite in this great Emily Austin book - with style, finesse and emotions that only she could deliver. The book starts with drafts of suicide notes (please check your trigger warnings before jumping into this!) and twists and turns from there. I never knew what was coming next, but was always ready for the words that went straight to the heart.

I’m still getting used to the aura of Emily Austin books, with their unique voice and twisty plots through lit-fic-esque novels. The book took some unexpected plot twists, and visited some topics I didn’t think it would. While not necessarily off putting, I’m not sure that it added to the novel to me that it dove into some political and adjacent topics. This book will stick with me for awhile, and I think if you’re into literary fiction novels, or other uniquely formatted and topic novels, you should give this one a try.

Thank you to the publisher for a free copy in exchange for my honest review!

I absolutely loved this book, and I also found it really fruitful for my own writing and reflection. Sigrid’s and Margit’s stories were so impactful to read. I think, as an older sister, I learned a bit more from Sigrid, but was then able to find myself in Margit. I absolutely adore Interesting Facts About Space, and Emily Austin’s newest book is just as wonderful.

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.