the first two sections were 3 stars, but the final section was 5 stars all the way. so meeting in the middle!

• adrift & alone, sigrid, a queer high school dropout who works at dollar pal, attempts many times to write her own suicide note to little success
• through sigrid & her sister margit’s perspectives, the reader has to piece together the events that got us to the present, and the implications it has on them both
• i found this darkly comical, and very easy to read. austin’s writing style really shines in the 3 distinct sections to this book, but it was the final section that really stood out

Thank you, Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for this electronic 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.

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 but 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.

As a huge fan of Emily Austin, I was ecstatic to receive an ARC of her newest novel, We Could Be Rats, through NetGalley. Having read her first two novels multiple times—especially Interesting Facts About Space, which is among my all-time favourites—my expectations were high.

We Could Be Rats offers a realistic depiction of sisterhood, exploring the complexities of relationships influenced by toxic family dynamics. Austin captures the intricacies of growing up with siblings, showcasing how love and conflict coexist. The nostalgic immersion into Sigrid’s childhood imagination was a delight, and I appreciated the portrayal of queer identity in a small, conservative town.

The creative structure of the novel, told through letters and journal entries, added a unique flair to the storytelling. However, I found myself wishing for more depth. At times, the narrative felt a bit short to fully explore its complex themes, especially through the lens of an unreliable narrator. Some plot points could have used additional nuance and connection.

While my high expectations may have influenced my feelings, I found this to be my least favourite of Austin’s works so far—though that’s a testament to the excellence of her previous novels. Despite its shortcomings, We Could Be Rats is still worth a read for its heartfelt exploration of sisterhood, difficult family dynamics, childhood trauma, and community.

Incredible. I got this from NetGalley and was incredibly excited then put off reading it for two months; I knew I would love it considering Interesting Facts About Space, yet also knew it would be “an experience”. I was right.

I don’t even know what to say. This was simply incredible. It was so well written and original, emotional, captivating, devastating, and impactful. The narrative choice on how it was written was unexpected and really clever. Just go read this but be ready for an experience. There will likely be emotions. I will be reading everything this author writes forever.

Highlights:
-What a love letter to childhood, and a great discussion of growing up.
-The structure of this novel was genius. I love it when the writing itself adds to a novel, and not just the content that is written about (if that makes sense).
-Love an unreliable narrator. Especially when its dialed up to 11.
-What complex and nuanced characters. Perfection.
-My emotions! I don’t often cry during books, but this one got me a few times.
-Talk about mental health representation! Also, a brutally honest commentary on the opioid crisis.
-The ending was a little lackluster and yet I didn’t care. Props to the author, that’s actually something I’m billing as a positive achievement. I 100% believe this was an intentional choice by the author and it was a good one.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This review was left voluntarily and is entirely honest.