Wow wow WOW this book?!??! heart wrenching, funny, relatable all at once. sisterhood is depicted in a fresh and creative way with the narrative choices. My absolute favorite author 🩷

Masterclass writing--Emily is able to touch on heavy themes in a funny and clever way. This work is different than her others, I liked seeing her do something new and fresh with the POV. I don't want to give too much away, I truly think this would be an excellent book to go in blind too (trigger warnings checked out before due to suicide notes being used) due to the book going unexpected directions with the writing style/ POV. The letter format and playing with the narration was a huge highlight of the novel.

Easy 5 star read, I will always read anything Emily puts out. Sibling relationships are so special and hard to write and I'm so delighted to find an author who does it so accurately.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, one of my favorite books I read in 2024 and can't wait for others to read in 2025. 🐀

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Atria for providing me with this ARC!!

I don't want to go too much into the exact plot of this book because the blurb does a great job at keeping the story very vague, which is clearly intentional. This is really a book that is best to go into blind, but I am going to include some trigger warnings at the end of this review just for reference! To put it simply, "We Could Be Rats" follows two sisters, Sigrid and Margit, and their journey coming back into each others lives following a tragedy. It is emotional and honest and raw and everything I have come to expect and love out of Austins work.

As always, I felt incredibly seen by Austin's characters. She writes characters that I can always find myself in and allows them the grace of accepting their flaws. Really the experiences of both Sigrid and Margit spoke to my soul in a way I only ever find in Austin's work. I cannot get enough of the beautiful but realistic prose. I need everyone to read this book NOW!

I would recommend this book to Noah Kahan lovers, people with tumultuous sibling relationships, people feeling trapped in conservative small towns, lesbians, and depressed English majors.

Here is my message to Emily Austin: I would literally do anything for you. I love you. Please never ever stop writing. I would read you grocery list.

TRIGGER WARNINGS!!!! suicide ideation, suicidal thoughts, death, sexual assault, homophobia, drug use, domestic violence

Wow did I love this book! I read Interesting Facts About Space earlier this year and was obsessed, so I'm not totally surprised that this was another hit for me from Emily Austin. I really love the tone that this book was written in. It covered some seriously heavy topics, but somehow I found myself laughing. Don't get me wrong, I teared up a few times too, but I was ultimately left feeling very hopeful. It explored the sister relationship in a way that I haven't seen before, and I really appreciated the unique take. I 100% recommend this to sad girl lit-fit lovers, and can't wait to see what Emily Austin gives us next!

3.75 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc<3
This book was quite different than the previous Emily Austin’s I’ve read. We Could Be Rats is definitely more serious and less comedic. I think the writing nailed the feeling of experiencing life as a child/teen and losing your childlike wonder against your will as you get older. It was also extremely relatable when it came to family dynamics and how often as we grow older, we realize that the people we looked up to as a child aren’t really that great of people (sometimes they’re actually really shitty.) The format of this book was interesting. We are introduced to our MC Sigrid through attempted suicide letters and as the novel progresses, we end up seeing a different perspective through the MC’s sister, Margit. Both sisters have much to grapple with and I enjoyed seeing them come to terms with how life was growing up and how maturing means realizing the extent of which you were failed by adults. I very much missed the classic Emily Austin absurdism humor- that is my favorite part of her books, but I do think this was a beautiful and heartbreaking ode to growing up. The way Austin ends books is also a favorite of mine, and this one did not disappoint.
Obviously huge TW for suicide, as this book pretty much centers around it, but also for domestic violence, abuse, sexual assault, drug use, probably more but that’s all I can think of right now.

WE COULD BE RATS by Emily Austin was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025! Austin is an auto-read author for me now, after loving literally everything else she has written. This book veers a bit off the normal course for her, but it is still so distinctly Austin with her unique and singular voice.

The story is a bit of a mind-bender, with the rug getting pulled out from the reader a few times in unexpected but not uninviting ways. It is about two sisters at its core - the sisterly bonds, and ultimately heartbreaks, when one attempts suicide. This is not a light book by any means, despite the fun cover. It's about being queer in a small town, feeling disaffected by your own family, and what it means to be the author of your own life.

Austin has surprised and delighted me once again. While this may not be my most favorite of hers, I still really loved it and am so glad we keep getting incredible books from her. Can't wait for the next one.

TW: Discussions of suicide

This book was a beautiful portrayal of a person who feels like they are a misfit, forgotten by society. Explores difficult family relationships. The main character joins the ranks of Austin’s main characters who are anxious lesbians who just want to be seen and loved by those closest to them. The structure was interesting and allowed for a shocking twist. However, this structure also made it a bit repetitive by the end.

ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"-there were parts of me I could never change, I was assembled with the bones I came with."

We Could Be Rats was my first Emily Austin read, but it certainly won't be my last. Austin was able to take serious subject matter and add just enough humor and levity to make it realistic- neither so serious it became admonishing nor so lighthearted it became meaningless. I appreciated that Austin was able to surprise me with changes in direction each time I thought, "This must be the truth," but didn't go so over-the-top with it that I lost interest. I loved getting to see this story from both Sigrid's and Margit's sides. Additionally, I highlighted many quotes from this book that I found poignant in regard to life, growing up, being different, and trying to understand the world and your place in it.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

This book was moving, haunting, and funny. It deals with moving on from childhood, difficult family dynamics, a sense of disillusionment with the world, and more. This book didn’t follow a linear storyline. The first half consists of a series of suicide notes where we learn about Sigrid’s childhood, her views of the world, and her view of her self. The second half of the book consists of both sigrid and her sister Margit’s points of view where you learn the truth and what’s really happening.
This book was a little hard to follow in the beginning but I was so engrossed in the second half of the book. The relationship between the sisters felt so realistic and the way the characters thought was really relatable and I felt like I could really understand them. This book really embraces the mundanity of life and the struggle with dealing with the loss of your childhood. I found it really relatable and moving and would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

Emily Austin has a beautiful way of bridging humor into not so humorous moments in her stories. Despite the heavy contents of this book I found myself huffing in laughter several times.

Sigrid and Margit are such layered characters that play important roles in one another’s lives — even though they do not know it. I ended up relating to them both in their own ways. Sigrid - chasing that childlike whimsy. Margit - grounding oneself in reality, bearing the brunt.
It was kind of sad to see those dynamics play out during family time and how it affected them into adulthood.

We Could Be Rats was incredibly introspective but also did not take itself super seriously. Another great read by Emily Austin.

Thank you Net galley and Atria Books for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review.

This book changed me fundamentally as a person.

Once again, I am convinced that Emily Austin has been inside my brain.

Her depiction of coming of age, especially as a queer canadian is so raw and real I felt like I was watching this story through a VHS tape.

Her writing is both poetic yet accessible. She truly masterfully balances humor and gravity, capturing reality with both wit and emotional depth.

Absolutely phenomenal. I loved the structure of this book.

*Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!*

*4.5 stars!*

I absolutely adored *Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead* by Austin, so when I found out that she had a new book coming out I jumped at the chance to read it as soon as I could and I’m so glad I did. *We Could Be Rats* feels very topical, especially given recent events (cough couch election cough cough). This book touches on some very heavy subject matter (some examples being suicide, addiction, grief, and so on) without ever feeling as though it was romanticizing said subject matter but rather approaches it from a very relatable and realistic angle that I think was masterfully done. You can’t help but want to root for these characters in my opinion, even with their flaws.

I also found the format of this book very interesting and quite a new take on the idea of having an unreliable narrator, and how that all takes shape. With the first half of the book being predominantly comprised of drafted suicide notes, we get a glimpse into Sigrid’s childhood and how her life got to the point where we meet her. I think her inner dialogue and story is one that many people will be able to find something in that speaks to them. We also eventually see Margit’s POV for a time, and I loved how this added context the things we learn from Sigrid, but from a new angle. Two girls who grew up in the same family with the same background and yet have such different perspectives on them and different feelings, which is another thing that I think anyone with siblings will find very relatable.

My one complaint is that at times, compared to *EITRWSBD,* it felt like this book lacked a bit of focus. Sometimes it was hard for me to understand where exactly we were headed and what the point of some things were, though it never lasted long enough that I considered not finishing. I am also personally not someone who tends to read a lot of literary fiction, mostly because I find a lot of times the stories feel directionless compared to genre fiction, so if you’re someone who prefers litfic, you may not agree with this point (and that’s ok)!

All in all, *We Could Be Rat* is a beautiful book focused on a story of sisterhood, family struggles, suicide and addition, and growing up in a hostile world, and I cannot wait for it to release so I cant recommend it so everyone I know.

I love Emily Austin’s writing. Definitely one of my favorite authors. However, this book was lacking some of what her others had. Less character development and less of an overall story. Her writing was good as ever and it was a unique story. I just didn’t connect with it as much as her others.

with every emily austin book release, i love her writing more and more. this was such a lovely, touching novel that really makes you feel all the feels. i absolutely adore novels that center relationships between sisters, so i thoroughly enjoyed that dynamic.

austin writes such weird, wacky, yet relatable characters in a way i’ve seen few others succeed in. she has found the fine line between the absurdly unbelievable and the wildly optimistic.

(full goodreads review will be posted closer to the publication date)

Emily Austin tugging at heart strings again! Man, what a beautiful punch to the gut! Everything about this book was perfect!

thank you to netgalley and atria books for this arc and the ability to meet sigrid and margit early. emily austin has an incredible gift for writing characters that are deeply (and often painfully) relatable but also completely distinct. this book is definitely sadder than austin’s others, and it deals with more serious topics like suicide, substance abuse and domestic abuse, but it never felt too heavy or triggering in my opinion. at its core it is a story about the love two sisters share for each other, and that kind of anchors the story and keeps it from spiraling into too depressing territory. this is truly another banger from emily austin, but at this point thats what we expect! she is singlehandedly feeding an entire generation of mentally ill queer women the representation we’ve been craving and this book is no different. thank you again to the publisher for the arc!!

Thank you, NetGalley for this E ARC!!

I am not sure how it is possible, but I was already crying within the first couple pages. Austin has this way of writing extremely relatable characters. Although the subject matter is nothing to laugh about, there is also a sense of lightness to it as well. It has a perfect balance between enjoying the little things in life and finding connections yet also coming to terms with how horrendous the world can be at times.

The first half of the book follows Sigrid. To be very frank, it opens up with suicide notes (trigger warnings are on the first page). She explains how she never finished high school, she hates her job at the Dollar Pal, and has always hated the idea of growing up. The only person in the world that understands her was her best friend, Greta, who she has grown apart with.

These notes also recount her traumatic childhood past. Her parents were constantly fighting and rather than try and put up with it (like her sister Margit), Sigrid would either a) pretend she was in another world completely or b) lash out.

We start to see the differences between Sigrid and Margit because we also eventually get Margit’s, POV. I liked the aspect of living in both of their heads. You can tell that they are opposite but also the same. I don’t know how to describe it. They both grew up similarly, so they had that aspect in common, but it was interesting to see how different they became. You could argue that this style of multiple POVs might jump around too much but in the end it all made sense to me
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This book explores a lot of dark yet important themes. There was a political aspect that surprised me, but I thought was very poignant for the times we are living in.

This book may not be for everyone however, it completely and utterly worked for me.

Emily Austin remains to be one of my favourite authors. I hope she never stops writing. I don’t think I am allowed to share quotes yet since it is an ARC but I have never highlighted more passages before. NEED the physical copy now.

i don't know what it is about emily austin, but every book that she writes ends up one-upping the last for me.

WE COULD BE RATS is for those of us queerdos living in teeny tiny conservative towns, feeling trapped within the confines of our own circumstances. we work shitty jobs, we can't trust our family to love us because we're gay or we're women, before we realize we need to recover from the various abuses that our parents subjected us to we realize we're trapped by the diminishing possibilities of life that come along with aging.

this book is for people that very clearly see all the ways the world has failed us, the way this world continues to empower and reward violent politicians as long as they're white men and the way it forgets people that use any means of escape necessary, even when those escapes mean living a fake life with our heads in the clouds as we disassociate, a half life fraught with addiction and sadness, or simply opting out of life altogether.

like, i don't know. emily austin, you don't know me - how the hell did you write this book about me?

every book rating system is a failure, this book is 64 million stars out of 5.

Thank you to both NetGalley for the ARC of We Could Be Rats, and Goodreads for winning the giveaway for a physical ARC!

I feel grateful to exist at the same time at Emily Austin so I can consume what she creates, as I always seem to relate to her characters. Sigrid the character I relate to the least, but we relate on her most basic level: I also don’t think I would pick myself up to play with if I were a doll.

I love stories about sisters and this was no different. I share a lot of parallels with Margit and Sigrid’s relationship/childhood with my own sister, and We Could Be Rats made me grateful we both made it out alive.

Another one that meets the mark by Emily Austin!!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me early access to this book in exchange for review.

I really wanted to sit and process this book before leaving a review.
The best advice I can give is to go into this book blindly. If you plan on reading it, try not to look up too much or watch too many videos about it. However, if you are sensitive to content surrounding mental illness, you may possibly want to look up TWs before diving in, though I think going headfirst is the best way to approach this story (if you are able).

I am a big Emily Austin fan. I absolutely love her other novels. This one is very different, but I think this was very needed and shows her range as a writer. I was expecting the classic Emily Austin linear story about a quirky, probably neurodivergent, socially unequipped young woman making questionable decisions. And to be fair, we do get a quirky, funny female main character, but We Could Be Rats is much more lyrical, much more unexpectedly experimental. And there was a twist in there that I truly was not expecting that changed the entire trajectory of the book.

It is also much more heartbreaking than her other novels. It’s a story of sisterhood (which I always love), how our upbringing affects us as adults, and how we are all still just children at the end of the day. Emily so honestly and masterfully taps into the magic of being a child- even a child growing up in a difficult household. Some parts are very playful and whimsical, while other parts are very real and will punch you right in the gut. This book will hit very (maybe even uncomfortably) close to home for a lot of people. However, it did still me with a sense of hope in the end.

This is a great addition to the Emily Austin collection, and I think we needed this from her. I can’t wait to see what she does next, as reading We Could Be Rats was definitely a unique experience. Just make sure you are in the right headspace before picking it up.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

this was my first emily r. austin and i can see why she is so loved. the beginning of the novel immediately sucks you in and the way the narrative structure unfolds from there is masterful and already has me thinking of details that could be picked up on with a re-read. the examination of the sister dynamic is what made this a real stand-out for me. the empathy that austin evokes for both sigrid and margrit, and the discussion on how we internalize different familial traumas differently and the loss of childhood was especially powerful. at times i wished there was more direct interactions between the sisters, but i do think it was intentional and i still felt really satisfied with the ending (but also heartbroken and melancholy but also kind of weirdly hopeful?)