I tried multiple times to read this and never made it past 44%. I enjoyed the writing and found the character quirky in a lovable way, but was unable to stay engaged without a clear plot line emerging.

This book was HARD to read- but in a way that ended up being deeply impactful. Like Austin’s other books, it’s so “in the mind” of the main character that it can almost feel intrusive. It was painful and thought provoking and hopeful all at once.

The shift in point of view turned the entire story on its head, and made the sisterhood component deeply heart-wrenching.

Would recommend being in a very good headspace before reading this, but it’s well worth reading.

We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin may be short, but wow, does it pack a punch! The story dives deep into the lives of two sisters, capturing their bond, their trauma, and their resilience in a way that feels both introspective and magical. It’s not easy to balance such a heavy subject matter with moments of connection and beauty, but this book does it so well.

What stood out to me the most was the raw and real perspectives of the characters. Their emotions and struggles felt so genuine that it was easy to empathize with them as they navigated the weight of their past while trying to make sense of their present. The dynamic between the sisters was incredibly moving—so much unsaid, yet so much love woven between the lines.

And then there’s the writing itself—what a powerful way to tell their story. Emily Austin has such a unique way of portraying experiences that feel deeply personal yet universally relatable. The prose is thoughtful and poignant, making the story hit all the harder.

If you’re looking for a short read that will leave a lasting impact, We Could Be Rats is a must. It’s a raw, emotional exploration of family, trauma, and the ties that hold us together, even when everything else feels like it’s falling apart.

Another fantastic book written by Emily Austin.
It starts out with an unreliable narrator, where you are just trying to figure out what is going on. There are complex sister relationships, great explanations on what it’s like to grow up in a small, white town and figure out how to not be like everyone else. It’s also about hope, about figuring out how to be good in a world that doesn’t want you to, and knowing that you aren’t alone.

may the year of weird girl literature commence! Emily Austin truly deserves a kiss on the forehead and a restraining order for writing characters that mimic my every though (looking at you Margit). I have found that her books are very much about trusting the process since they tend to start in a limbo state of "what is happening here and why" and by the end reveal the darkest but most human and vulnerable parts of people and they have so much unexpected depth to them, I could write essays breaking them all down

At times heavy, this latest from Canadian author Emily R. Austin focuses on childhood trauama, millennial malaise, suicidal ideation, nostalgia for childhood innocence, depression and sisterhood in a series of letters written in a darkly humorous vein. Great on audio read by new to be narrator, Candace Thaxton and with excellent queer and mental health rep, this was one of my most anticipated books of 2025 and it didn't disappoint! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review

I love Emily Austin. I highlighted too much of this book because it just resonated so deeply. It's not a book I really expected to like as much as I did because I'm not really a contemporary fiction girl, but I whole-heartedly recommend this and am so thankful to have been gifted an advance copy.

This book has drained me emotionally.

Books about sisters and family relationships always have a special place for me personally, but this was nothing like I expected.

Before I start, I think it is important to note that there are mentions of topics that might trigger a certain group of people, such as suicide, sexual abuse, and homophobia. It heavily revolves around a suicide attempt so please be aware if you are considering reading this book.

For what seems to be a short book, it takes me on such a dizzying emotional rollercoaster.

I'm not sure how to review this book without spoiling the story, so I would just say that I love every bit of it. I was immersed in Sigrid's notes; looking at the world from her point of view felt complicated and difficult but also colourful and interesting. I was also consumed by the love and grief that Margit felt from her chapters, feeling useless and clueless after such a tragedy.

The only thing I wish had been longer was the ending where the sisters found their way to each other. However, I also like to think that the very short ending was written that way so I could make up my own understanding of their relationship.

If you're interested in exploring the messy, complicated, heartwarming, and beautiful journeys of family members finding their way back to each other, this book is a wonderful choice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Emily Austin, and Atria Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I have a bunch of friends who are huge fans of Emily Austin. I read her book Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead last year and didn't quite enjoy it as much as I was expecting to, so I sat out her next release, Interesting Facts about Space. Now after reading her third and newest book, We Could Be Rats, I need to go back and revisit her two previous works because wow I get the hype! This was a lovely and sad and emotional and nostalgic read all wrapped up in a small package. Austin has a beautiful way with words and someone really captured the feelings of being a child and longing for that again in the story. This was a bit of a hard read due to events that occurred with my sibling last year because I could relate to Margit in lots of ways. I am rounding down because I think this book could have benefited by being a bit longer and getting more of a perspective of both of the girls. I wanted to see who they truly both were beyond the slice of life pictured in the pages. But what was shown was lovely and realistic and heartbreaking, and I'm already looking forward to rereading and seeing what I can discover again.

Emily Austin. GIRL. I would read your grocery list babe!!!

This book is WONDERFUL. So funny & I love a story that touches on sisterhood. Especially growing up in the Midwest middle class sisterhood…. Transported me right back into the early 2000s sharing a room with my big sis.

Definitely check the TW before reading- heavy focus on suicide and drug use.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by this author and I am so glad I read it. It is heart-wrenching, dark, and introspective. The primary relationship in the book is about two sisters who are distant but bonded, the way siblings can be. I think while the subject matter is heavy, a lot of the themes are really relatable, such as the journey from childhood to adulthood, family dynamics, politics, mental health. I also enjoyed that the entire book was written in short entries, like letters or diary entries. I also love an unreliable narrator, and was really invested in figuring out the truth of what I was reading.

My only little qualm is that I don't necessarily feel like the synopsis is accurate? Or maybe I was just expecting something different when I read the blurb on Goodreads. I'm not sure, but once I got passed the confusion, I loved what I read!!

Plsss read the trigger warnings before picking this one up- it certainly doesn't ease into the heavy stuff.

Thank you Artria Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!!

“I used to joke, ‘I wish we were rats’ because, 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. We would roll around in garbage and suck on sour keys.”

This is the first book I have read by the lovely author Emily Austin, and boy oh boy I can’t wait to read more of her work! While this book took me some time to read, it’s simply because I couldn’t handle with the fact that it was going to have to end. I didn’t want it to end, I wanted to have this story keep going for as long as I am on this Earth..but of course that’s not how books work and eventually it was time. Reading characters like Sigrid are the ones that really stick with me for such a long time…reading her attempts of suicide and her suicide notes were so comforting yet heartbreaking all at once. It’s like talking to a best friend that knows exactly what you’re going through…you feel less alone, and man I wished that Sigrid was my friend in this real life to be each others balance. Her having a hard time being accepted socially and academically hit so hard for me and felt I was connecting with her on such a deeper level than I connect with most. Life is unpredictable, difficult, messy, and full of twists and turns…and Emily Austin has done an astounding job at demonstrating that in “We Could be Rats.” Please read the trigger warnings as there is heavy topics of suicide and witnessing suicide notes feeling as if you’re reading the real deal. I really do recommend anyone who is able, to read this book..it won’t disappoint. Thank you NetGalley, Emily Austin, and Atria Books for blessing me with a book that is easily in my top 5 of the year. 🩷

I really wanted to like this one, but it wasn't for me. I didn't expect the twist, but again it didn't do it for me.

We could be rats, one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and I’m so grateful I got to read an early copy of this. I think Emily Austin is the writer for me because something about her writing just does it for me and like makes my brain happy even though many of the topics being discussed are not necessarily happy. In we could be rats we are introduced to Sigrid who has dropped out of high school and is now working at the Dollar Pal. She claims to be happy but also resists the idea of growing up and being trapped in adulthood. She’s haunted by her past with her childhood and getting out of touch with her best friend, the person she felt understood her the most. This is also about Sigrid finding her way back and connecting to her sister Margit. I saw myself in so many different ways in this story and that’s exactly how I felt while reading interesting facts about space by the author. I think there is heavy trigger warnings for this book mainly suicide and other smaller ones. I don’t want to give too much away for this book as I feel like this is all you need to know. I highly recommend this!

Beautiful beautiful beautiful - different than Emily Austin's previous books but the format worked so well & the characters are very dear to me!

This was very unique story as it was written like diary submissions and the reader is reading the characters diary entries. I will say based on the description this was not at all what I was expecting but I did enjoy it. The first 60% of the book we learn about Sigril and why she has made the choices she has and more about the life she’s lived. Later we learn about Margrit and how her sisters actions have effected her and then in conclusion how it all brings them together again. I suppose the description is similar to what I just noted and that’s probably because it would give away too much of the book to write it another way. Read the trigger warnings because this book is definitely dark, bizarre, morbid, and touches on a lot of serious topics but I think a lot of people will be able to relate in some way or another!

Sigrid hates her job and the trappings of adulthood. She’s never been close with her sister despite them both being haunted by the same childhood traumas.

Another great one from Austin. She can really just write the human experience from unique perspectives. Major trigger warning for suicide and self-harm as the entire story is pretty much drafts of suicide notes. I felt for Sigrid and empathized with her living in a small, conservative town with a family. While she had family support, it wasn’t a support of understanding and comfort.

“I used to joke, ‘I wish we were rats’ because, 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. We would roll around in garbage and suck on sour keys.”

We Could Be Rats comes out 1/28.

Sigrid is going to commit suicide, not may, will, but she wants to leave a meaningful note behind to explain her passing to those who knew her.

The first half of this book is letters from Sigrid trying to come up with the perfect suicide note, she makes excuses, tries to be cheerful, tries to explain the reason for doing what she is doing, but she can not settle on the perfect letter, the perfect tone, or even really explain her reasoning.

Then, major plot twist- and I mean MAJOR.

Enter Margrit, Sigrid’s “perfect” sister- they use to be close, but aren’t anymore, and maybe Margrit’s perfect life isn’t so perfect after all.

This book is so perfectly written, heartbreakingly honest, and very emotional.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves more emotional stories that focuses on the human experience and how past trauma can affect people in different ways.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a must read for 2025.

We Could Be Rats captures the same anxiety and sadness of Austin's other works, while continuing to mature as the author finds their footing and their voice. As with Austin's other works, it handled themes of suicidal ideation with a gentle, but unflinching touch that allows for the reader to fully grasp the mind space of the narrator, and immerses you in both her dispair and nostalgia for the hot summer days of the past. I'd recommend to fans of Mac Crane's I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself.

Emily Austin sure knows how to sing the song of my heart with her writing. This is by far my favorite out of the books I’ve read of hers. You spiral into the suicidal mind of Sigrid, someone who doesn’t quite fit into the story she was dealt called life, and it takes you on a roller coaster from there. Many twists I did not expect at all. (Which normally I’m pretty good at predicting) I dove hard into this book until I hit the end, wanting more, more, MORE. If Emily Austin is writing it, I’m reading it. She has ranked one of my favorite authors of 2024 with this book! THANK YOU so much NetGalley & publishers for the ARC & thank YOU Emily Austin for always slanging out good reading material. 💖