I want to acknowledge that I am a devoted Emily Austin fan. I've read both of her other books several times over, and own multiple editions of each. I've covered the margins of Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead (2022) in ink and sticky tabs. I once drove three hours to secure a signed copy of Interesting Facts About Space (2024). Clearly, I'm committed to inhaling anything she writes - which is unfortunately probably the only reason I made it through the first 60% of this book.

Let me backtrack for a sec and start with what I loved:
- I love the premise. Creative and fresh, as expected of Emily Austin. Not something you're likely to have seen before.
- Very real, very imperfectly human characters whose inner monologues make you want to hug them and root for them (and maybe even befriend them)....even though you also want to hit them over the head with a hammer and send them to a psychiatrist.
- Incredibly astute commentary on difficult experiences, like growing up queer in a small town and living uner the roof of volatile but not-quite-abusive parents. (Check the trigger warnings, though).
- I highlighted so many passages in which Emily Austin made ME feel like book character whose inner anxieties were pressed on a page and being read for filth by an audience.
-Unique twist on <spoiler>the unreliable narrator</spoiler> trope. I've never seen it done this way in a novel before. I hope I see it again in the future!

All of this, in the last 40% or so of the book, was chefs kiss. SO well done. I flew through it. But that first 60% was a struggle. I like that Emily Austin is playing with form, but Sigrid's 21 suicide note drafts were a drag to get through, and they got very repetitive, very fast. I could hardly tell one chapter from the next, and by the time I got to Margit's set of letters, of the only reason I kept going was my aforementioned love for this specific author. I think the slow, very slow, pace will work for some people, and I'm okay with not being one of them. (But, if i were only rating the final third of the novel, it would be an easy 4 stars for me).

Let me preface this with saying what an absolute fan I am of Emily Austin’s previous books, she writes with such heart and a level of quirkiness I adore and this book had both these things and for that I enjoyed it.

The issue I did find was it was not very fluid, the book felt more like short stories than a cohesive novel and without giving anything away I was really let down by the surprise at the end and felt a bit tricked and not at all endeared by it, IYKYK.

This book doesn’t come out for some time yet so I’m hoping there are still some revisions in the works.

Two sisters are close in age, raised in the same house and as different as can be. Sigrid is just so different. She cannot conform to societal or family expectations. Life is filled with imaginary friends. Toys and animals keep her company and she just loves to play. Margit is a high achiever. She studies hard, obeys rules and seems to be success in all she does. The sisters see each other through a skewed lens. As opposites of each other. Once close playmates, their lives drift in different directions. Sigrid is friendless until she meets Greta The two become inseparable best friends until life throws a bombshell and everything changes.

What seems to be a dark story has so many surprise twists and turns that Sigrid and Margit too are constantly being reinvented. Serious themes saturate the story:
Conformity, expectations for others, family relationships, parental discord, the meaning of life, friendship, the search for happiness , life vs death and so much more. Lots to think about an d discuss Each theme is woven into a story filled with the the joys and disappointment of life. Ultimately it’s the tale of two sisters having drifted apart who strove to reconnect under difficult circumstances.

I absolutely loved this book . Austin’s writing is filled with expressive detail so acutely expressed that I was able to see and feel what was happening. This was my first Emily Austin experience and I will have my antenna up for her old and upcoming works. Five glorious stars for a book that had me turning pages from beginning to end. My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my review. This book will be published on January 28, 2025. You will want to read it.

I loved this book so, so much. Austin has such a fantastic grip on character writing, bringing you into their heads and their hearts with so much care and love. I found this so engaging and it was so interesting to see her handle the dual narration that we haven't seen from her in the past. This was a hotly anticipated read for me, and so glad to say it lived up to every bit of hope.

I loved the previous two Emily Austin books I read. This one didn't work as well for me. It reads a lot more like YA than her others. And I didn't like the format. It is written completely as letters and diary entries. There is a major unreliable narrator and the way things are revealed more than halfway through the book made it have less impact than it should have for such a serious topic.
This won't be published until January, so there is still hope that there could be some revisions to make it work better. I think that a section in the beginning with both sisters might help to gel the whole thing together.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have really enjoyed all of Emily Austin’s books, so I had high expectations for We Could Be Rats and I was not disappointed. We Could Be Rats focuses primarily on mental health and family and sisterhood. This book was equal parts funny and devastating, I can’t recommend it enough!

Emily Austin has some of the most hilarious writing ever! I loved her other two novels, so I knew I needed to read this one as well. I will be revisiting her work for years to come! She writes weird sapphic characters that are also charming. I loved the sisterhood element in this one.

I have loved both of Emily Austin’s previous books and so I had very high hopes for this one. While this one is probably my least favorite it’s still a four star read, which should be testament to how much I enjoy her writing.

We could be rats follows two sisters Margit and Sigrid who could not be more different. Margit goes to college and is getting her degree in English. Sigrid works at the Dollar Pal after failing out of high school for not completing her final English assignment on Hamlet. These two sisters grew up in a Catholic household with parents who probably should have gotten divorced years ago.

This book has three parts with the first being suicide letter drafts Sigrid writes as she is planning to end life. The second part is titled “The Truth” in which the reader learns what the letters are truly about and the last part brings the story and the sisters back together. As much as I liked the two sisters I wish there were more scenes with them together. I highly recommend this book and will definitely be grabbing a physical copy once it comes out.

Emily Austin is my new fav. Actually, she’s been a favourite for a while now but We Could Be Rats just solidified it:)
The relatability of her characters is astonishing. Even though this story revolves around sisterhood and I myself was an only child, I connected with every mood, vibe and emotion portrayed. I loved it!

Social media post to come closer to pub day:)

I fell in like with Emily Austin after reading Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead (4⭐). It was laugh out loud funny and a truly entertaining read.

Her second book I read, Interesting Facts About Space (4⭐), was another good book, so I was ready, set, go when @netgalley and @atriabooks offered me an ARC of her latest release!

The Author's Note lets the reader know this book is about suicide. It's also about mental illness, addiction, sexual assault and represents the queer community.

The first half + of this book (60%) is told from the POV of Sigrid and written in the form of her attempted suicide notes.

The second half is told from the POV of Margrit, her sister, and how she reacted to her sister trying to take her own life.

Although certainly an important topic that should never be taken lightly, the format of this book made it read a little slow for me. I wanted to feel more of a connection between the sisters (as that was one of the premises behind the book).

Austin always writes interesting characters, but these characters didn't jump off the page for me.

So, this was not my favorite Emily Austin book, but I'm still grateful for the ARC and will continue to keep an eye out for what she releases next.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This book was written so well but it seemed like it could be cut in half. A lot of the things written were written like 3 times.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I've read one of Emily Austin's books before and she does wonderfully with writing a relatable, honest voice that hooks me in immediately. I didn't know anything about this book going into this and the hook pulled me in and kept me reading. I don't want to spoil much of the story, and honestly, this story is best read without any knowledge going in.

This is a story about two sisters who learn more about each other and how they grew from shared childhood trauma. This story has dark humor, interesting observations, and immense heart. I laughed and cried and did not see the twist coming. I appreciate the excellent examination of two completely different personalities that were both written so well, which was necessary to create such a tender story. I loved all the characters and loved the concept of this story.

Trigger warnings: suicide, opioid use, sexual assault, anti-LGBTQ sentiments

**SPOILERS ahead**

We could be rats is a story of two sisters who coped with their chaotic upbringing in a small town with vastly different approaches. They don’t agree on most things but are forced to reckon with their differences when Sigrid reaches her breaking point.

This story is told in Emily Austin’s typical sarcastic, blunt sometimes off putting style. Her approach is not for everyone but I think she writes with an honesty that allows her to tackle topics some authors may avoid. I thought the story started off strong and despite the heaviness and slightly dark material I appreciated the intent. I was surprised when it turned out that it was Margit writing the notes. Once that was revealed though and we started to hear Margit’s perspective I felt the story turned and I was less invested. As a whole I think some of the messaging that seemed to be woven into the story early on, got lost through the middle and somehow was pulled back in the end in a forced way.

We Could be Rats is novel about two sisters. One sister dropped out of high school and is struggling with mental illness, grief and relationships. The other sister is trying to get through college and is having a hard time finding her place. When one sister attempts suicide, they begin to rebuild their own relationship.

Quirky believable characters, the book was full of ups and downs and ultimately interesting. It took me a while to get into this story and want to go back to it. The suicide letter approach sometimes felt repetitive and a little lagging. Overall a well written story and gives those of us that don’t mind reading about hard things a winner.

Thank you to the publisher and author as well NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc and provide my opinion of the book. It was a solid win for me and I will be reading more from this author! 4/5 stars

This was so good!! I absolutely love Emily Austin’s writing and I’m so glad I got to read this as an ARC!

Another beautifully-written, existential, thought-provoking masterpiece by Emily Austin. I adore her ability to write such raw, touching characters that verbalize the hardships and questions we all have but are too afraid to voice. I will read anything Emily Austin writes at this point. Thank you very much to NetGalley and Atria for the arc.

3.75 ⭐️

I don’t usually include trigger warnings in my reviews, but I’m starting off my review with a warning (and there is also a warning in the novel). Emily Austin’s WE COULD BE RATS, publishing January 28, 2025, features suicidal “sad girl” Sigrid. Sigrid writes about twenty different drafts of her suicide note in the first 60% of the book. This can be tough on a reader, and even I (who is not usually affected by triggers) felt a bit worn out by Sigrid’s repetition and wallowing.

However, Part 2 changes perspectives, and I wholeheartedly appreciated this change. And Part 3 had a more traditional narrative structure. So I think if a reader can make it through the first part, then it will be smooth sailing.

Sigrid can be a bit much to take, but she’s suffering. I just wanted to take her to the doctor and get her on a good antidepressant. I also liked the second and third parts because Sigrid had more interaction with others, including her sister Margit. As an only child, I really like stories that feature sibling relationships.

A minor quibble is that the novel discusses a local mayoral election, which I thought happened in early November, but occurred sometime after Christmas in this novel.

I did like this one, particularly the back half.

I love Emily Austin's previous novels, but her upcoming release, "We Could Be Rats" left me feeling cold. The tone of this book is all over the place, which is probably intentional given the subject matter. There is an author's note at the beginning of this book warning the reader of the content matter, but I still didn't care for the overall tone. The first half was pretty rough to get through. I had a hard time connecting with Sigrid. There's a tone shift at the halfway mark which I enjoyed much better. That is when the subject matter becomes serious and poignant. To be honest, if this book didn't have a stronger second half, I might have DNF'd this book. The vibe felt off, and by the time we learn more about Sigrid's best friend, Greta, the book is pretty much over. This was a frustrating read because I know this author can write a decent and moving story. Austin is usually so good at balancing humor and heart in her stories, but this book just felt wrong to me. It left a bad taste in my mouth. I will continue to read from Emily Austin in the future, but "We Could be Rats" is definitely her weakest novel yet.

Thank you, Netgalley and Atria for the digital ARC.

This was a hard one to read. While incredibly moving and simple in its execution, I was waiting for some big event. However, the switch to the second part and the reveal of what happened punched me in the stomach in the best way. I would have liked a more grounded ending where Sigrid and Margit talk through their shared trauma.

This would be an amazing a24 indie with the best soundtrack, that’s for sure.

This felt fairly unfocused compared to Emily Austin's other novels. In some ways the book fails to differentiate itself from those novels (there's not much of a difference in character and voice) and the ways in which it does depart are a little underbaked, namely in the case of the unconventional structure of the novel. It's written in roughly three major sections, the first of which is framed as a meandering suicide note and the next two are the direct voices of two different characters (for all intents and purposes). That first part is good, but I think the novel shines the most in the second part and I sort of wish the novel had just stayed with Marg's voice (sister of the ostensible main character, Sigrid) through to the end. With what's revealed about the first section, I think it's a little strange to end with Sigrid when there's not much else to tell.

That final section really lacks momentum because it's largely used to explain the contents of the previous two sections rather than push forward with its own plot or even character development (we seem to learn more about people who don't exist in previous sections than about people who do in the final section). Austin's two previous novels had their fair share of revelation-upon-revelation plot development, but it wasn't overdone to the point of grating on me too much. This novel didn't do as well at smoothing out the rough edges of those revelations, which meant I kept getting the distinct sense that the author was telling me to be surprised and scrutinizing my reaction.

Austin's novels tend to be really strong on character (even if those characters feel roughly the same between the three) and building relationships, but with the way the plots are handled you'd think the only way a book can keep us hooked is by continuously throwing in clever reveals about things set up earlier or by ramping the plottiness up every now and then.

I overall liked this novel, and everything I'm intrigued by and frustrated by in Austin's work is here to some degree. The interactions between the sisters (which were few and far between) and with the family as a whole were realistic, empathetic, and often touching. Random small characters were treated with plenty of complexity and compassion. The concept of a suicidal epistolary novel is great and I think that portion largely lived up to its potential. This novel as a whole feels like a too-early draft of something that could be great but instead is just fine with plenty to still love. I don't see my soft spot for Austin's novels fading, which is interesting considering she writes in a subgenre that can often go so wrong for me.