...I wasn't really sure what to expect of this book. It felt a little all over the place and was giving me Euphoria vibes at first, I mean, it really covers the topics in that show a bit!

Then, we get to Marg's side and I felt so bad.. What a wild ride for a novel. I am glad it ended the way it did, but it was interesting seeing things within the story from both sides that felt so every day. It was more interesting to see Marg in a worse "bad place" vs Sigird's "bad place". It didn't really conclude why Sigird felt the way she did..

But also, doesn't Marg have her phone?! lol

Painful. Like a tumblr post droning on and on. No like a livejournal post maybe. Just not for me I guess.

I was very sad to realize that this book was not for me. Although I liked the writing and thought it provided a lot of insight into the characters, I had a hard time getting into the story. I really liked Austin's other books, but this one was not my favorite.

Emily Austin is my favorite author because she is the only author I've read that has found the perfect "voice" for depressed/anxious characters. This book is no exception. It deals with heavy topics like suicide idealization, but then the character's attempts will be paused because of the thought of someone not getting their Secret Santa gift and other "trivial" things that to the average person is funny (in a dark way) but to people who suffer and think like the character, it's all too real. It's very comforting, in a dark way, but feeling represented is great. Her books always make you wonder if perhaps you're a bit crazy along with her characters, but then it reaffirms that there is hope in the darkness and if you open yourself up a little, good things can happen.
Another great read from Ms Austin.

Lit fic is not my usual genre (with a few exceptions), but I really loved this one! I didn’t totally get it at first, but it felt more and more meaningful as the book went on. It made my heart hurt at times. I don’t want to say too much about the plot or themes because I think it’s better to just experience it. If you liked the author’s other novels, you will most likely enjoy this too. I’d say it’s my second favorite after Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead. Highly recommend!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read - I cannot even explain how much I adored this book! Austin’s writing is stunning and her characters are painfully relatable. She creates an incredible atmosphere of nostalgia and I couldn’t put this book down. Cannot recommend enough!

Thank you to publisher/netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a tough read, but I'm glad I didn't DNF.
I think dealing with a suicide in September did mess with my judgement a bit as well... as well as I was already having a very tough go currently with depression…
But be prepared… 50% of this book is different variations of suicide letters as we get to know Sigrid, her upbringing, her family, her tumultuous relationship with her sister...
but... keep reading!
Finding out the twist, albeit small, was still good!

I'm so glad I stuck with it and finished this book.
While it won't be my favorite book of 2025, I enjoyed it for the most part. I almost gave up. I think I hoped this book would help me heal some of my own familial wounds, but alas, this book didn't do that...

Favorite quote:
Do you think the right thing to do is to live out your life, even when you feel like you're becoming a swamp-monster? Should I have stayed alive, been a grown-up, and tried to fix things? Do you think the reason most people with bad lives don't kill themselves is just because they're afraid of dying?

An ode to queer youth & the conservative small town experience.

While this book at face value is exceptionally dark, Emily Austin’s humor, wit, and quirky, reflective storytelling rounds this story out soooo perfectly!

Our plot centers around 2 sisters who could not be more different. We examine one’s attempt to take her own life while the other is left to grapple with the repercussions. Pretty bleak, I know.

Despite this being THE plot, this story is SO. MUCH. MORE. With our quirky cast of characters, this story is coming of age, an examination of complicated familial relations, and a surprisingly human reminder that even when living gets hard (and our own self destruction feels quite trivial) we deserve to live despite.

*TW/ Suicide Attempt*

first off, i cried... twice.

truthfully, i went into this book not expecting it to go the way it did at all, in fact, i was quite confused at first! nonetheless, i ended up resonating with it so intensely. you come across multiple examples of various relationships in this story and how they can alter your entire worldview as you grow and experience life, which i think was so admirable. there's the aspects of growing up in a toxic environment, feeling isolated because of your identity and the longing to remain young and carefree forever!

its also such a great depiction of how mental health and suicide can affect not only yourself, but those around you as well, and to have dived into that perspective made the story so much more delicate and heart wrenching. i am so thankful to have received this as my first ever arc and to have been able to enjoy it the way i did!

first: thank you SO much to netgalley , atria books and emily austin for this e arc.

as an older sister, this was so … tender. so much i’m still feeling and felt through out. this might be my favorite emily austin novel yet. i found myself relating so much to both sigrid and margit. the relationship with your sister is sooo complex (just like most relationships) so to capture the essence of sisterhood soooo beautifully, raw, and honest is * chef’s kiss * !!! i cried , i laughed , i resonated. navigating the relationship w your siblings in a toxic household is truly .. something. Sigrid is me in so many ways when it comes to how she views her familial relationships. plus the greta and Sigrid friendship … i can’t.. brb gonna go hug my sisters extra tight now.

We Could Be Rats opens with the many, many versions of
Sigrid's suicide letter. Sigrid is a young adult living in a town that
is too small and too closed-minded for her non-conforming
personality. Through her attempts to explain why she has ended
her life, we learn about Sigrid's childhood and adulthood, her
relationships with her family and friends, and what has spurred
her to her last actions. At the halfway mark, we hear from
Margit, Sigrid's sister, who takes over the narrative and gives us
a different perspective.


This book was such a disappointment after having completely
loved Austin's two previous novels. I barely made it through and
really only persevered because other reviews mentioned things
heating up with the twist. The first half of this novel was more
like a series of vignettes about Sigrid's life, and 1 just couldn't
get invested. I did love the third section of the novel, so l'm glad
I pushed through to get there. Overall, though, if you haven't read
Emily Austin yet, do NOT start with this one. Grab one of her
other two novels instead; they are both delightful.

4 stars!

Emily R. Austin never disappoints, her books are always funny and real, making me look up from time to time as I read, staring at the wall because what I feel so deeply is written on a page before me.

In this book we have sisters, Margit and Sigrid, two sisters who couldn’t be more opposites. We Could Be Rats is a story about family, and childhood magic, and the death of that magic as we grow up. The whole time I was reading this book, a quote from Adventure Time, a tv show, played on my head in a loop “But does growing up just change your body? Or does it change your soul?” And I feel like this book is 100+ pages of that quote.

This book will make you laugh, it will certainly make you cry, and probably both at the same time in a way only Emily R. Austin can do.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for an ARC of this book. I am not being paid to read this book or leave a review, I am doing both voluntarily.

I cried and literally laughed out loud many times during this book. I really appreciated the fresh format of this book. At first I wasn’t entirely sure what I was reading. The writing and prose is parsed down to feel like your inner monologue. I thought this book was a good exploration of sisterhood and mental illness. I think this book being so current is so significant. I thoroughly enjoyed its musings on confronting your feelings dealing with a conservative family when you are liberal. I thought the rat metaphor worked and had me crying a few times. Really fresh book and I would read another book by this author. Thanks to Netgalley for my ARC.

This book was absolutely fantastic! I felt so seen and understood by both Sigrid and Margit as their experiences are very relatable to my life. I love how Emily Austin is able to imbue humor into her stories even when so much of the story is focusing on grief and PTSD.

First I want to thank the publisher for the advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was heavy! I can't say I enjoyed it because the story is to heavy to enjoy, but I am glad I read it! I think the author did an amazing job developing the characters and giving them their own voice. But make sure you are in the right headspace before reading this book. It is an intense delve into some really heavy topics including suicide, depression, identity, family relationships, SA, and bigotry. If you can handle it, it's a wonderfully written story that really made me think.

Is Emily Austin going to show up in my favorite books list every single year? Looks like it!

She just has this way of writing totally fragile characters that are devastatingly relatable. There is always this feeling of treading water- of sinking lower and lower, but not wanting to inconvenience anyone by asking for a hand. But help is there- this book, like her others, is ultimately a cathartic journey for the characters AND the reader who is sharing the ride. The book is written with overwhelming anxiety and sadness... but you can trust Emily Austin to create a moment of connection and a network of healing.

CW: suicide (ideation, attempt)

I initially thought this subject matter would be too hard to read, but I ultimately found it so I trifling and different. There was such a unique voice in this story and I found myself so compelled to understand these characters in a deeper way.

This story begins with entries from one sister, Sigrid, as she prepares her suicide note. She is critiquing her writing and you can’t tell if what she is sharing is truth or if it’s an exaggeration to appear more interesting. It’s a combination of humor and extremely depressing thoughts that make you question whether Sigrid is going to actually kill herself or if she regrets her past decisions and just wants to restart. The older sister, Margit, has a vastly different view of the world and how one should act in social situations. Both sisters recount their childhood memories and share their disturbing thoughts about the point of their life. It’s tragically relatable.

We Could be Rats follows Sigrid, a young woman who has struggled her whole life with feeling like she doesn’t fit with her family and doesn’t fit with society. As her life spirals, she takes drastic measures that force her and her sister, Margit, back into each others lives, and they must confront the ways their turbulent childhood impacted them and their relationship. At its heart this is a story of two sisters who love each other very much and have never been good at showing it but ultimately are trying to be better. This is beautiful and heartfelt and showcase just how good Emily Austin is at balancing humour and darkness in her work. Her characters are strange and quirky, and yet have depth and feel real. Margit and Sigrid are flawed, but sympathetic. The format of this is different to her other books, but it serves the story so well. Basically, I hope Emily Austin keeps writing books about weird, depressed lesbians, because I eat them up every time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-arc!

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. I enjoyed it and I would recommend reading it. I would rate this book a 4 stars.