This book follows the classic Emily Austin formula that works for me every time- a mentally ill lesbian main character. The growing pains, complex sibling relationships, and unique narrative structure in We Could be Rats made me love this one even more.

Something I appreciate about all of Austin’s books is how she writes about even the most mundane topics in a way that makes you feel things so strongly. At times, this book felt like it could’ve been 20-year-old me’s own stream of consciousness if only I was more eloquent.

Thank you very much to Atria books for the ARC! The ARC was provided to me via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel for an honest review!

I'm a big Emily Austin fan, so when I saw she had a new book being published, there was no question in my mind that I wanted to read it, no matter what it was about. This one is somehow darker than both of her other novels, so I would recommend looking at the trigger warnings before you pick it up. I would list them out, but there are so many that I'm afraid I would miss one. The story also largely focuses on Sigrid's suicide attempt, even though the description of the novel doesn't mention that - this isn't a book you should read if you're not prepared for its heaviness. I'm not going to describe the plot, because it's much better if you just pick it up and learn about the story as you go. However, it's worth noting that the story is split into three parts. The first half consists of Sigrid's various suicide note drafts, the middle part shows you Magrit's reaction to her sister's suicide attempt, and the final section focuses back on Sigrid. This is a different format than the author's other books follow, but I found it to be effective.

The writing is exactly what I expected coming from Emily Austin, and it's certainly my favorite thing about this novel. It's so beautiful! The author has such a lovely way of stringing sentences together that are easy to read, but also leave you pondering them for long after you've finished the entire story. Had I been reading a physical book, I'm pretty sure I would have highlighted 75% of the first three chapters. Her writing is that incredible.

She also does a great job of establishing her themes and sticking to them throughout the story. We Could Be Rats is a thought-provoking exploration of childhood innocence, imagination, sisterhood and family bonds, and the difficulties that come with realizing the world isn't like you were taught as a kid. I read most of it in one sitting, because I was so drawn into Sigrid and Magrit's lives that I didn't even want to set the book down to grab dinner. As with Emily Austin's other books, I frequently went from laughing to tearing up to getting goose bumps all within the span of a few pages. It's such a wild ride!

The characters are another major strength here - Sigrid and Magrit both feel realistic and fully developed. It's fascinating to see their similarities and stark differences, despite growing up in the same household and being so close in age. I could relate more to Magrit and her struggles to appease everyone in her life, but I found both characters interesting to read about, even if they weren't always likable. I don't have any siblings, so I was intrigued by their dynamic as sisters. The side characters are very minor, even compared to Emily Austin's other two novels, but they still felt authentic and brought different things to the story, so I appreciated their inclusion.

I very much enjoyed this book, but it's probably my least favorite of the author's three novels. I wish the second half were longer and that we got more time reading from Magrit's perspective. The first half has so much build up, which I thought was paced well. The second half, though, throws a lot of reveals at you that feel almost too quickly paced, particularly at the end. I didn't get enough time to absorb them before the story was over. I would have liked more of a conclusion for both sisters, but especially Magrit. Nonetheless, it's still such a moving story that I can't take off more than one star from my rating. We Could Be Rats is one of those books that you could finish and then immediately start again at page 1 to get a whole new experience. I'm sure I'll read it again someday.

This story definitely won't be for everyone - it's sad, full of stream-of-consciousness prose, and doesn't leave you feeling extremely fulfilled by the end. However, it's also gorgeously written, funny in a quirky way (but not obnoxiously so), and I imagine will help many people feel less alone. I'd recommend it to anyone who is interested after reading a few reviews and the trigger warnings. If this is your first Emily Austin book, I might suggest that you start with one of her other novels first, though, because they share quite a few similarities but the others tell more straightforward stories. This one is tougher to read and less structured, so it could be more divisive.

4 stars out of 5 stars. I have a feeling I'll be thinking about how we could all just be rats feasting on treats at the fair for a long time.

This is exactly the book that we need in our current political climate. Beautifully written, heart wrenching, and so important, We Could Be Rats is a coming of age story, a musing on grief and loss, and a rage at societal issues.
At first as you're pulled into the story it feels almost like a fever dream,. You don't know what is real, but you feel so seen. As a young, queer person growing up in America, Sigrid's story felt so much like my own and my heart broke over and over for both of us. I fell truly in love with our characters, and mourned along with them. As more falls apart, and then falls into place I felt as if I was on the edge of my seat, about to plummet down a roller coaster track.
There is so much beauty in this story, as well as sadness. The beauty of rats at a fair, a cotton candy sky, finding that perfect toy at the store, a grandmother's hug, the love you feel even if you no longer like who someone has become. Of skinned knees and camping and a Hallmark main street. The love that Margit feels for Sigrid, even when she doesn't know how to show it. Community.
Everyone should read this book.

Emily Austen continues to find ways to surprise me with her stories. The first time I opened “Interesting Facts about Space,” I was sucked into her writing, but most especially her characters.

I greatly appreciate that her novels feature queer female leads where sexuality isn’t the main focus of the story, but the person themselves — the person inside the confines of the words on the page. “We Could Be Rats” is no different.

Sigrid and Margit’s story is one that I never would have expected to come from a book about attempted suicide. Much like how Coco Mellors astounded with the emotional depth and journey of sisterhood in the aftermath of familial loss, Emily Austen depicts a beautiful tale of sisterhood through Margit’s anticipatory grief for Sigrid.

The story, despite taking place in the present of adulthood, felt like a coming-of-age — learning all about Sigrid’s childhood and the big and small moments that made her entire person. I was, however, interested in seeing more of Sigrid and Greta’s friendship and how it came to such a ruinous end. I absolutely loved this story and wholeheartedly believe it is a five-star read, but I genuinely would read an entire novel set during Sigrid’s high school years.

I, too, would have liked more of Margit’s story and experiences separate from Sigrid’s tragedy; I feel like we gain so much knowledge of Sigrid and her life that led up to this point, but we do not learn much about Margit apart from her relation to Sigrid’s story.

Thank you, netgalley and Atria books for this arc. All opinions are my own.

I've been looking forward to this book since reading and loving Everyone in this Room Will Someday Be Dead last year. Despite the title of that one, this one is heavier in topic and tone. Trigger warnings do apply for this book (suicide, sexual assault, homophobia)

We start off reading drafts of Sigrid's suicide note, which introduces our main character and some of her struggles through various iterations of this letter. I did feel towards the midway point of the book that this structure began to get a little repetitive and strange, though some of that makes sense later on.

In the second half of the book we move out of the letter format to a more typical narrative style and I really liked the parts about Sigrid's family and the side characters in the story. The ending felt a little slow and didn't quite hit for me.

I do think that a lot of people will relate to this one especially as some of the themes and topics are very timely. I think the writing was really lovely and definitely captures Austin's style and voice. I highlighted a lot of sections. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an eARC for my honest review

Have you ever read a book that's so good that it actually makes you angry? That's this book for me. It was so good I got angry. I'm mad that I can't ever read it for the first time again. I'm angry that I'll never write anything as good. Mostly, I'm angry that it's over.

We Could Be Rats tells the story of two sisters, both with mental health struggles that mostly seem to come from the ways they each dealt with their not great home life growing up. The first 60% or so of the novel is told in epistolary form, as a series of drafted suicide notes the younger sister, Sigrid is writing. Right, trigger warning: this book talks a LOT about suicide so if that's something you're sensitive to… maybe give it a pass.

Anyway, the letters get progressively more confessional and more confusing. Every time you think you've really grabbed hold of exactly who Sigrid is, she starts a new letter and you have to try to reassemble the picture you've been creating in your mind. And then the letters end and everything changes.

I can't go much more into it without getting too spoiler-y, but trust me, it's a good book. It's worth the read if you are into being sad and thoughtful. If you're up for staring off into space for a few hours (or days) and dealing with the mother of all book hangovers when you turn the last page, read this book.

Emily Austin continues to be one of my all time favorite authors because of how simply, yet beautifully she can capture the complications of the human experience. Her tragic yet hilarious characters feel so real and honest. This book really made me think about growing up and what you leave behind when you are forced to become an adult.

Though I did not like the format of this novel as much as her others (the letter drafts at the beginning felt a little confusing as to who the audience was and took me out of the story a bit) I still absolutely love her writing. Austin does an unreliable narrator so well, and somehow leaves you feeling hopeful even when her characters are hopeless. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy!

While I highlighted a ton of passages and found many of Sigrid's thoughts deeply relatable, I did not enjoy this nearly as much as I enjoyed Interesting Facts about Space. I wish there had been more interaction between characters; I started losing interest about halfway through the first section because of the stream of consciousness writing style Austin employed. I would recommend this book if you enjoy character driven stories, sibling dynamics, and discussions about mental health. Even though I found aspects of We Could Be Rats disappointing, I'm still looking forward to Emily Austin's future releases as I appreciate a lot of her commentary on queerness and mental illness.

“I was Simba; I wasn’t Scar. I thought everyone felt this way.”

I’m still reeling from this. This book had me googling the name of my own Kevin Fliner. It had me remembering my favorite childhood doll. It made me miss my grandma and yearn for my long-distance sister.

Sometimes the voices of the two sisters meshed a bit in my head, but when you consider the narrative format, that is to be expected. I’ve never really gotten into lit fic, but this sort of rambling, intimate style felt very intuitive for me as a reader.

This was such a gorgeous exploration of mental health and healing. I loved following Sigrid's journey, and there were so many amazing quotes from this book. This was my first Emily Austin book, and I will absolutely be picking up her other books.
The writing and characterizations especially stood out to me, as Austin masterfully weaves her narratives. I loved this book. (4.5/5)

**ARC Review***
Pub date: Jan 28th, 2025

I read this in one day, which for me is a rare thing to accomplish.
The description of this book was what drew me in.

Going into this, I knew that this story would hit differently than what I normally read (fantasy and romance). But hey, I’m trying to branch out, you know? Reading, “We Could Be Rats,” was like peeling back a curtain, only to be met with a punch in the gut.


Sigrid’s story is told in various letters or “attempts”. Weaving in and out throughout the book we are told of her childhood; how she coped with her parents and anxieties by warping her reality. And how it felt to be on the cusp of adolescence, becoming a teenager and fighting to stay in that innocence instead of growing up because growing up meant seeing the swamp monsters for what they were.

You’re told right off the bat what she plans to do, but the whole time you’re pulled into different directions as to the “why.” Each letter felt real and sometimes relatable. They had me laughing one moment and in tears the next. I believe there are stories in “We Could Be Rats” that are experienced by a good amount of people. Shared experiences from childhood toys coming to life, to family holiday dinners going haywire. Being queer in a small town. Mourning the loss of a friend who was still alive. etc.

I felt myself in Sigrid's shoes a lot. Maybe that’s something to unpack in therapy.
My therapist told me once that unpacking is like shining a light on a cute little rat. Acknowledging it, seeing what it's up to, and then letting it go on its way. That is what it felt like reading this book. Acknowledging all the things that felt icky in our past and bringing light to it. Trying to understand it and coming out in the end to see the pink clouds after a rainstorm.
In the end, we want to be happy. We want to be that happy rat at the county fair.

I recommend this book. It deals with heavy topics in a way that has changed my perspectives.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

This was such a beautifully messy and emotional book. I honestly don't have many words to explain it, because it was just so close to my heart. These characters felt like me, it felt like my thoughts were transcribed onto the page. This book absolutely tore my heart into pieces multiple times, but in the best of ways. Please read this! It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will tug at your heart strings like no other book has before.

Like all books, please read trigger warnings before reading.

emily austin creates a comforting reading experience in each of her books—I would say despite the darker themes that absorb her characters, but upon reflection, this is especially what makes it so comforting. everyone is going through something, aren’t they? the author’s focus on death in particular may seem morbid, but find me anyone who hasn’t been affected by it in some way, small or large—whether thinking about oneself or the knowledge of a friend/family/acquaintance/celebrity/musician/public figure going through it. it is a topic so easily accessible and so often avoided.

by the end of the book I was conflicted between being satisfied and wanting more. as in, more attempts from the narrator to work through life and death and all of the questions in between. this is one of those books that I almost felt like I inserted myself in, having an existential crisis alongside the main character in the rationalization of it all.

This book looks at depression and suicide in a really interesting way. It uses the suicide attempt of one sister to really explore family bonds and the various traumas of growing up. This book is so incredibly thoughtful and very frank in its discussions of mental health. The organization and narration are unique and really add to the story. I genuinely loved this book and I could not put it down.

We Could Be Rats (publication date January 28, 2025) by Emily R. Austin (Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead) is a uniquely-told literary novel about two sisters, Sigrid and Margit, who still both have significant trauma and mental health issues from growing up in a conflict-ridden home.

The title comes from a story told in the beginning of the novel, that Sigrid heard about a rat at a fair, gorging himself on the tons of leftover food he could find (sounds a lot like Templeton from Charlotte’s Web) and how he found so much joy in that, and that we humans should do the same thing–find days where we can be so joyful and “eat up the world” as well.

Unfortunately, both Sigrid and Margit are far from joyful, despite their different circumstances. Sigrid didn’t finish high school and is working at a “dollar” store, while Margit is in college studying literature. Although they were close as kids because of their shared trauma, they haven’t been close in a long time.

The uniqueness is that the first part of the book consists of suicide notes written by Sigrid, titled “Attempt 1” and so on. The second part of the book is from Margit’s perspective, as she found Sigrid unconscious and spent time with her in the hospital after her suicide attempt. There is a bit of a twist that I’ll leave for you to discover.

Austin’s writing is beautiful, and it’s one of my favorite kind of books–full of wise quotes from the characters as they are ruminating about their lives–from the nature of childhood and imagination to dealing with people who disagree with you on fundamental matters. Sigrid is a lesbian, and she has struggled with continuing to live in her conservative small town, dealing with her conservative family, and the opioid addiction of her best friend. And, though neither have to live with the conflict between their parents any more, Sigrid, at least, continues to feel like no one in their family understands her.

Austin acknowledges anti-fatness and diet culture, and notes that at least Margit is concerned about her weight. In another passage, Austin acknowledges individual’s differences in perspective, specifically about weight and dieting. I can’t say it’s fat positive, because there’s no clear description of a character’s size as fat, but it is definitely weight neutral, and I appreciate a direct acknowledgement of diet culture and different perspectives when it comes to body size.

If you’re up to a novel about suicide and mental health, growing up in a high-conflict family, and sisterhood, I highly recommend it!

[ARC review - thank you to Atria Books for the ARC via NetGalley!]

Like all Emily Austin’s books, We Could Be Rats will make you laugh and cry and think about life from new perspectives. She understands that we are all a bit odd and deal with life’s challenges in ways that are sometimes strange and impossible to explain to other people. If you connect with the feeling of needing to escape your childhood small town this may be the book for you.

I will happily read every book Emily Austin publishes! We Could Be Rats has many of the elements I loved about Interesting Facts About Space and Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead – quirky, hilarious conversational writing and endearing characters who end up in bizarre situations while dealing with serious life and mental health challenges.

Note you may want to read the trigger warnings before reading.

Going into this book I had no expectations - I saw Emily Austen and thought what the heck sure let's request that. Even so, if I had remembered the blurb, this book still would hav subverted my expectations. The use of unreliable narration was also so cleverly done. I love unreliable narrators but this paritcular implementation might take the cake as my favorite. This book takes Austen's strengths - namely a unique sense of dark, morbid humor - and balances it with beautifully moving themes and messages about family, connection, childhood joy and imagination, and what it means to live. I've enjoyed the other book I've read by this author, but this one moved me in a way I won't forget for some time.

There were a number of elements of this book that I adored, but the two that meant the most to me was the depiction of suicidal ideation and imaginative play in childhood. For some context, I myself have experienced severe suicidal ideation, enough that I was hospitalized briefly, and have received suicide intervention training and implemented that training when I worked at a crisis line. In short, I have a fairly vast understanding of the nuances that come with being suicidal in its many forms. The biggest commonality I've seen in my personal experience as well as at the crisis line is that suicidality is often more mundane than it's commonly portrayed. The thing that can tip one over the edge isn't always a huge catastrophic, life altering event. It can be the small things, like a tiff with your friend, or the store being out of your favorite beverage. In turn, turning points and deciding to not act on suicidality can be just as mundane, like your favorite show airing an episode later that week, or finishing the leftovers in your fridge. This is all to say, the depiction of Sigrid's suicidality captured this nuance so beautifully. For Sigrid, it wasn't a big terrible event, but rather the slow deterioration of her mental health, and a realization brought on by her dolls. The discussion about the mudane struggles of living and what it means to live in between were so poignant and thought provoking.

I also loved the portrayal and discussion of imaginative play in childhood, and the struggle that can come with peers looking down on that type of behavior in middle school. I really related to Sigrid's experience being a very imaginative child myself, who similarly to her stopped this kind of play because of my peers looking down on it. There can be such a grief that comes with losing that activity from the perspective of an adult, and I thought this novel portrayed that well.

If it wasn't already clear, this book really moved me. There is so much more I could say about the themes of living in a small conservative town, neurodiversity, grief, and the ups and downs of life, but instead I will suggest you read it and experience it for yourself. I will be thinking about Sigrid, Margit, Greta, all of Sigrid's toys, and their family dynamics for some time. If you enjoy books with lesbians who are kind of a chaotic mess, stories about childhood, plot that revolves around the mundanity of life, discussion about family dynamics and sibling relationships, or realistic depictions of mental health struggles, you should give this one a try

Never once did I know in the first part of this book what was going to happen in the second or if I even liked it (by the end I knew loved it). The book is about these two young (college aged) sisters and their relationship with one another. They are sifting through their childhood memories, how they became who they are now, and where they will go from here. The first half is from one sisters point of view, and it's suicide letter attempts. You learn a lot about their childhood from those letters. The second half is from the other sister's point of view and the aftermath. It's fantastic & quirky, as I have come to expect from Emily Austin. Loved it so much and can't wait to hold my copy in my hands and hug it.

**ARC Review
Pub date: Jan 28th, 2025

Emily Austin's We Could Be Rats is a profoundly moving and deeply realistic novel that captures the raw complexities of living with depression and navigating toxic family dynamics. The story resonates on a personal level for anyone who has experienced these challenges, offering moments of painful honesty alongside glimmers of hope.

Austin's characters are intricately crafted, their struggles and emotions so vivid that they feel like reflections of real-life experiences. If you've ever felt weighed down by personal struggles or familial tension, this book will feel like a quiet understanding friend.

Highly recommended for its authenticity, emotional depth, and ability to connect with readers on such a personal level.

Thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley for letting me read another fantastic book from @emilyraustinauthor 🥰 Interesting Facts about Space was my first read from Emily and it had such a unique voice. We Could Be Rats had this same energy - it was witty, poignant, and engaging. Highly recommend! It’s out this Tuesday the 28th 💗