Sigrid and Margit are two very different sisters. Through letters and diary entries we hear about Sigrid's thoughts of suicide, struggles, relationships family dynamics, etc. It was a heavy book; however, I am not sure how to even pinpoint what really happened.

Positives:
Quick read as the book is rather short and told through letters and diary entries.
Sensitive issues such self-harm, suicidal thoughts, drug abuse, sexual abuse, small town life are tackled
There is a bit of wit and childhood imagination and play throughout


A somber read. This was not one of my favorites. I am sure it will appeal to someone but I am not the audience.

What I loved the most about We Could Be Rats is how the author played with formatting. I'm a huge sucker for epistolary novels, so I was immediately on board for the suicide notes, but when the narrative shifted halfway through, my mind was blown. This is such an interesting take on depression and a complicated sister relationship, and it demonstrates so well how perceptions can be skewed even of someone you should know better than anyone since you grew up together in the same dysfunctional household. Emily Austin characters feel so real to me, so I never have any trouble immersing myself in one of her stories and this new novel was no exception. My literal only complaint is how abrupt the end felt after finally getting into Sigrid's head... I needed more time there! But I can forgive it because it did clarify the situations with Greta and the politician. I will recommend this book cautiously because I do worry the content can be a little dark for some readers, but I loved my brief time with it.

"...if I could choose how the world worked, we would all be rats at a fair. We would all live well, sampling every possible ounce of happiness."

A single-sitting read. Prepare to cry.
The book begins with a series of drafts of suicide notes of Sigrid, our protagonist; notes that go into detail of Sigrid's friendships, families, inner thoughts and life experiences. Most of these notes are seemingly written to no one in particular, though they occasionally shift and speak directly to her sister Margit. Sigrid views her sister as the polar opposite of herself. Margit succeeded in school, matured early and conformed to societal norms, thriving to keep the peace at all times, while Sigrid has a wild imagination and wishes she could continue to play with toys and live life through the positive light of an innocent child. What we see throughout this novel is the different way in which people cope and survive in unsteady environments.

This book will make you laugh, cry, and keep you on your toes as you try to unravel the truth of what has driven Sigrid to her suicide attempt. In the latter half of the novel we are able to see things from Margit's perspective, who of course isn't as perfect as Sigrid imagines her to be. A beautiful novel about the unbreakable bond of sisters that transported me back into the memories of my childhood with my older sister; my Margit.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the first book I have read by Emily R. Austin, and after finishing it, I immediately added her previous books to my TBR. I’m not sure I can put into words how much I loved this book, but I will try.

I found this book to be incredibly moving, introspective, and profound. For me, Austin really captured the inner struggles of dealing with the complexities of the world we live in today.

By the end of the story, I was in tears. While the story explores some pretty difficult topics, I somehow finished the book with feelings of inner peace and hope.

‼️ Before reading, be aware that suicide is a major premise in this book. Read with care.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

*We Could Be Rats* by Emily Austin explores the relationship between sisters Sigrid, a high school dropout haunted by loss, and Margit, who struggles to understand her. Through shared childhood memories, they seek healing and connection amidst grief and societal pressures.

This was my first Emily Austin book, and I thought it was really well written! The story was heavier than I expected—it hit me harder than I’m used to—but everything came together so well in the second half.

𝗪𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗕𝗘 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗦 was not for me. I can't remember the last time it took me 5 days to read a book that's only 250 pages but I was so unmotivated to go back to this one. I found the writing frustratingly repetitive and there was no character development. I considered DNFing a few times but it has a 4.3 rating on Goodreads so I figured maybe the end would redeem it. It did not.

2.75 stars.

Thanks to Atria Books for the copy to review.

oh i loved this!!! emily austin does it AGAIN. this will be a book i go back to once a year, maybe more often than that honestly, just to experience it all over again and find something new i can take away.

WE COULD BE RATS

Contemporary fic — 4.5⭐️

@emilyraustinauthor — I love your mind and your heart.

RATS is an introspective and poignant exploration of sisterhood, highlighting the emotional distance between two sisters and their journey to reconnect. As with all of Austin’s work, this book hugged my heart. It’s a deeply moving look at the complexities of family, loneliness, and the struggle of not quite fitting in.

I really loved the sharp critique of small-town mentalities and the narrow worldviews that resonate in today’s political and social climate.

There are several trigger warnings, particularly around suic*de ideation. While I always appreciate Austin’s dark humor, the portrayal of suic*de hit close to home for me as my family was affected by it this past August. That made humors parts land a little more flat and the only reason I didn’t give the book five stars. Nonetheless, another win by Austin.

Dysfunctional family, observant, nuanced.

Emily Austin is now an auto-buy author for me. We Could Be Rats took me a little bit to get into, but once I was in I was fully committed. I loved these sisters so much and was rooting for them the entire book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Now, I was not in the best place when I started reading this book. Mentally, I was unwell and dealing with a lot of changes and in a huge reading slump. I am so glad I went back to this book because it was exactly what I needed.

We Could Be Rats is definitely not a book you want to read when you are mentally unwell, unless you are a person who likes to feel like you aren’t alone in mental unwellness. Fortunately, I am sometimes the latter, and I found Sigrid’s and Margit’s struggles familiar and oddly cathartic. This is usually the case for me with Emily Austin’s writing.

I loved the way this book was laid out. I felt my sanity slipping a little in the beginning, basically a perfect parallel to the characters on page. It was so creative and I appreciated the effect it had on reading the story.

It was a solid book with solid characters and phenomenal writing. Emily Austin has done it again!

I’m a little rat at a fair and this book was a juicy, discarded candy apple.

Rounded up from 4.5 stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Emily R. Austin for the ARC!

Growing up is hard. When you're a child, your imagination is limitless. You can build entire cities and stories from the toys and items in your basement. And then you grow up, and you realize the world isn't that magical, and in fact life can be very, very hard.

We Could Be Rats explores these themes through two sisters who could not be more different. Sigrid dropped out of high school and is stuck working at the Dollar Pal in her small town. Margit is continuously frustrated by her sister's inability to strive for more, and she is working towards her college degree. This book isn't long, but it really packs an emotional punch. Through Austin's writing, we can really see Sigrid and Margit as whole people with a complex and difficult family dynamic. When reading this book I do wish that Sigrid and Margit had more of a unique voice to each of their characters, I think that would have made this book hit even harder for me! If you like deep explorations of personal relationships, I think you'll like this book.

BIG content warning for suicide - I am surprised this is not mentioned in the book summary on Goodreads (there is a note in the beginning of the book), but suicide is a large theme throughout this novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for a review!

I know two things to be true about any book that Emily Austin writes: first, I’m going to read it; and second, it’s going to make me cry. The writing style is a bit different than her previous works, but We Could Be Rats affirmed these truths. The book is, for the most part, a series of writings. You won’t find a lot of character interactions outside a few retellings, but you will find a lot of exploration of mental health and internal struggles, and it is a gut punch. Fair warning: We Could Be Rats deals heavily with suicide and suicidal ideation, as well as strained familial relationships and addiction.

The story is broken into three parts. The first (and the bulk of the book) is a series of attempts at Sigrid’s suicide note. Sigrid is a small-town lesbian working at a dollar store who never graduated from high school. The letters vary in length and tone, and detail her relationships with her parents, sister Margit, her childhood best friend Greta, and ramblings on just about everything in between. They’re irreverent and funny, but also melancholy, and show a version of Sigrid that tries to appease while also providing exposition about her life and decisions.

Part two is Margit’s writing, recounting experiences and exploring family and relationships, and learning to open up to others. This section felt much heavier than the first (I was crying on the first page and did so repeatedly throughout if that’s any indication), but it was so moving.

In part three we get a look into Sigrid’s journal, which is more reflection on family, feelings, and reconnection from her perspective. There are some jaw-dropping revelations in this section, and although there’s a lot of sadness it also left me feeling hopeful.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley, but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily.

this book was on a whole other level. this story just brought me to tear but also had me laughing. this is my first emily austin novel and wow what a way with words she has. she made me feel seen and relate to these characters and feel so strongly attached to them. she dives deep into emotional and raw moments, thoughts, and emotions that one goes through and does not hold back which makes her stories so much better.
this was a story about being queer in an unforgiving world, a true and raw look at depression and suicidal thoughts.
i will definitely be reading more stories from this author!

This was another lovely read from Emily Austin who really is able to piece together a story that is both incredibly sad but also hopeful and very funny as well. This is an epistolary novel, and focuses on two sisters growing up vastly different in a small town. That's all I'll say to avoid spoilers but this was great!! Sisters are the best!!!

Emily Austin’s Interesting Facts About Space was one of my favorites, so I was excited to jump into my ARC of We Could Be Rats! I think this book is a 'right book, wrong time' situation for me. There are so many people who will love this literary story, especially because the writing is excellent, but with a MAJOR TRIGGER WARNING for suicide, it's not going to be a book for everyone.

I’m honestly not sure how to rate this story. It’s broken into 3 parts: Sigrid’s suicide letter attempts, her sister Margit’s view of the events, & then Sigrid’s POV. Without getting incredibly deep into the sections, each highlights various aspects of both Sigrid's and Margit's life. Austin does a great job of highlighting familial and societal expectation so many of us have felt growing up and maybe still feel as adults. Also it's a great in-depth view into two sisters' less than stellar relationship and I love the way Austin covered both our own intrinsic expectations and view of ourselves while highlighting that the way others see us can be vastly different.

We Could Be Rats is definitely a moving story. It's a largely character driven story about the impacts of suicide & family dynamics. It’s sad, a bit slow, and very much an exemplary example of Austin’s ability to capture our inner monologues & the human experience.

So, while I didn’t love it as much as Interesting Facts About Space, I don't think I disliked it either. However, being four months post-partum, I think it was just too much/sad for me at this time. Too many pieces of the story made me feel vulnerable, especially looking back at my teenage self, and I'm just not in a place to absorb stories like this right now. Then again, maybe because of that this should be a five-star read? Depends on how you define a 'good' book. Regardless, I now know that if I was a rat, I'd want to be at a fair, 'sampling every possible ounce of happiness'.

We Could Be Rats comes out January 28, 2025. Thank you to Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy in exchange for my review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting
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Emily Austin continues to be a writer full of surprises you cannot see coming. WE COULD BE RATS continues that trend, centering on the relationship of two radically different sisters who through their collective trauma have a bond like no other. While some may start to read this book and think it makes fun at suicide and depression, Austin turns what we think of a frivolous commentary on these dark topics, into something that mirrors a lot of peoples lived experience of the world and the dark thoughts we keep to ourselves.

I immediately fell for Sigrid and Margrit, not because they were lovable (and they are, in their own weird way) but because they felt so real and ugly and stunning all at the same time.

And honestly, I would like to be a rat at a carnival.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC for this wonderful new book.

I LOVED this. Austin has a way of charming your pants off even in the uncomfy parts of life. The way she handled suicide ideation and how trauma affects children was wonderful and poignant. I loved Sigrid and Margit differently but in equal amounts. Austin captured eldest daughter and second child *perfectly.* I loved the unique way she told this story thought it was handled with such care. My only gripe is that some of the outside characters felt too on the nose but it also kind of worked with the story as a whole? Overall, highly, highly recommend. Austin remains an autobuy author for me!9

I love emily austin's work and this was no exception - we could be rats was simultaneously heavy and tender and still filled with austin's signature wit and dark humor. this was beautifully-written and I loved the style so much, there was so much thought and care that was put into this story and these characters. and to no surprise, there is no one who loves a story about sisters more than me - I loved sigrid and margit and how different they are from each other, and how that didn't stop them from showing how much they care in their own ways. my heart ached for them both as we got to read from each of their stories. this was such a lovely and tender-hearted yet fun read that genuinely only emily austin could pull off.

thank you so much to the publishers for an arc!

Thank you so much to Atria for providing this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! I was absolutely stoked to receive this ARC because Emily Austin is my queen<3 If you have read other Emily Austin books, you will definitely recognize the writing style and themes dealt with in the book which was great for me because both are right up my alley! One thing I love about Austin's writing is her ability to remain sensitive about the often heavy mental health topics of her books but somehow still leave the reader chuckling through the story when appropriate. I will say I am glad I stuck through the first part of the novel because I thought it was getting a little disjointed and repetitive. Of course, that made sense for the story but I still caught myself wondering if I should trust the process there. Glad I did! Charming, complex characters that I came to love really rounded out the story. Love!