Oh, this book stabbed me in the heart in the best way. I love Emily Austin's books because they're about girls and women I can relate to--they're about weird, sad gals who look at the world differently than most. They're awkward and depressed and are afraid of bald men or are worried about getting period blood all over the dress they're buried in. WE COULD BE RATS is an epistolary novel about sisters, suicide, and grappling with childhood trauma. Sigrid and Margrit are such good characters and I'm sure you will like them as much as I did. I am so grateful to have Emily Austin's voice in the literary world. I will always be first in line for an Emily Austin book! Let's all be fat rats at the fair, eh?

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this much-needed book.

TYSM to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. This was my first Emily Austin book and holy shit, what a unique book and style. Now that I’ve finished it, I immediately want to reread it and get a better understanding of the up is down, down is up of the story. The first section was jarring and unlike anything I’ve ever read, and I had such empathy for both Sigrid and Margit. The small, bigoted life surrounding Sigrid broke my heart but felt so unbelievably familiar. What a memorable read.

If you are in the “weird books for weird girls” camp, pick this book up when it comes out in January.

We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin is a deeply emotional and intricately written novel about the complex bond between two sisters, Sigrid and Margit. Sigrid, who has struggled with her mental health and a series of failed relationships, narrates the first part of the story through diary entries, framed as draft suicide notes. The novel shifts perspectives as Margit, the "golden child" of the family, grapples with the aftermath of Sigrid's failed suicide attempt. Austin blends sharp humor with poignant insights, offering a unique exploration of troubled familial bonds and mental health.

While the book's structure and emotional depth resonate with many readers, some found it difficult to engage with Sigrid's narrative, which can feel rambling at times. Nonetheless, the novel's emotional complexity and its unexpected plot twists make it an unforgettable read for those drawn to literary fiction about personal struggles. Austin's ability to capture the universal experience of being lost and found within relationships is what makes We Could Be Rats a standout.

I really enjoy this authors work. As someone who enjoys character driven quirky novels this hit the mark. The characters were flawed and real and the writing is very precise. I cared about what was happening to these two sisters, the trumpian politician as a side story as well as the letter like writing. This won’t be for everyone but for those that like quirky little books this will be a hit.
4.25 stars

the twists and turns in we could be rats continued to surprise me. it was full of so much love and heartbreak. different from her other books, but the same feelings portrayed. emily austin is brilliant

Thank you, Atria, for the review copy and for championing a voice like Emily Austin's. Her writing delves into complex themes of mental health and neurodiversity with remarkable compassion, vulnerability, and powerful prose. Voices like Austin's are crucial for representation and connection, providing readers seeking understanding the opportunity to feel seen. This book resonates deeply with those of us who appreciate narratives that spotlight often overlooked or misunderstood experiences.
Content Warning
It's important to note that this novel addresses heavy themes, including suicidal ideation and childhood trauma. Readers should approach it with care or skip it as needed.
Austin's writing is both literary and achingly vulnerable, blending poignancy with humor. She skillfully employs language, character development, and nuanced phrasing to convey a rich tapestry of emotions that reflect the raw integrity of neurodiverse experiences. I particularly appreciated the dual sibling narratives: one sibling grappling with the shadows of their past while the other seeks new ways to navigate the present. Their distinct voices and intertwined stories add both humor and depth to the narrative.

Nobody writes mental health and neurodivergence like Emily Austin, and her newest book "We Could Be Rats" is another triumphant example of how important her voice is in the literary space.

Before jumping in, it's critical that prospective readers take the trigger warning page seriously. While there is humor and light all throughout this book, it is very heavy. Consider what headspace you're in before reading. I'd even implore you to consider your headspace before continuing to read this review.

"We Could Be Rats" is a character driven piece that centers around two sisters, Sigrid and Margit navigating both familial and individual traumas as well as suicidal ideation. One sister struggles with abandoning her childhood self while the other is too focused on "fixing" the present to see much else.

Emily Austin is a master character writer. Sigrid and Margit are so well developed and so universal. While they are very different women, as a reader, you feel like you've either been both of them or you've known someone like them. They are so tangible and relatable, even if you've never dealt with the things they've dealt with. Many times, I just wanted to reach into the book and hug them or laugh with them because of how real they felt. The questions and points this book makes are crystal clear. It is heavy with emotion, but Austin does a wonderful job of weaving in humor and sprit to not only make the messages drive home harder, but the blows softer to take.

This is an important book to read. If you've ever struggled with suicidal ideation, this story may help you feel seen and understood. If you've never struggled with suicidal ideation or known someone to, this book is a poignant reminder that we never know what someone may be experiencing, and to exercise empathy everywhere we

Thank you endlessly to Emily Austin for writing this, and thank you NetGalley and Atria for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Austin truly never misses.

I felt an accumulation of emotions reading We Could Be Rats. I laughed and cried and felt things I didn’t know were possible.

This one was a really, really slow burn for me and could hardly keep my attention. I was drawn to the synopsis but I guess this one just wasn’t for me!

I am such a fan of Emily Austin. Her books all take on serious topics of mental wellbeing, identity, and challenges of living in a difficult world, but does so in a way that consistently makes me smile (even laugh) and muse about what an interesting take the book has on the world. We Could Be Rats fits in perfectly with her earlier novels in this sense. I loved the narrative structure of this book, as the reader is bounced around the lives of Sigrid, her sister, the rest of her family, and their hometown. Questions about narrative fidelity abound (as the reader is often told that, "no, that didn't happen") but there is never a question about the emotional truths that hold the book together. This story about reaching adulthood in today's world and about sisterhood and about figuring yourself out will stay with me for a long time.

My Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6718722369

We Could Be Rats. We should all be rats.

This book blew me away! What a great book to be my first read finished of 2025! We Could be Rats is raw, it is a testament to the power of the quiet resilience that is existing as a human in the world - particularly in a world that does not always "see" you.

Written with impeccable pacing and such honest and penetrating prose, Austin crafts characters and the story in such a way that you are fully emotionally invested. With a subtle sprinkling of the unreliable narrator trope, Austin also delves into mental health and mental illness in an easily digestible, yet serious way.

I cannot recommend this book enough!

A really beautiful and uniquely written book about sisterhood, complex relationships, and the difficulty of figuring out who you are in your early 20s. Austin continues to write in a distinctive voice that gives the proper respect to mental health struggles while also balancing that some of us are just out here using humor to cope and get through it all.

CW: suicide

I tried multiple times to read this and never made it past 44%. I enjoyed the writing and found the character quirky in a lovable way, but was unable to stay engaged without a clear plot line emerging.

This book was HARD to read- but in a way that ended up being deeply impactful. Like Austin’s other books, it’s so “in the mind” of the main character that it can almost feel intrusive. It was painful and thought provoking and hopeful all at once.

The shift in point of view turned the entire story on its head, and made the sisterhood component deeply heart-wrenching.

Would recommend being in a very good headspace before reading this, but it’s well worth reading.

We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin may be short, but wow, does it pack a punch! The story dives deep into the lives of two sisters, capturing their bond, their trauma, and their resilience in a way that feels both introspective and magical. It’s not easy to balance such a heavy subject matter with moments of connection and beauty, but this book does it so well.

What stood out to me the most was the raw and real perspectives of the characters. Their emotions and struggles felt so genuine that it was easy to empathize with them as they navigated the weight of their past while trying to make sense of their present. The dynamic between the sisters was incredibly moving—so much unsaid, yet so much love woven between the lines.

And then there’s the writing itself—what a powerful way to tell their story. Emily Austin has such a unique way of portraying experiences that feel deeply personal yet universally relatable. The prose is thoughtful and poignant, making the story hit all the harder.

If you’re looking for a short read that will leave a lasting impact, We Could Be Rats is a must. It’s a raw, emotional exploration of family, trauma, and the ties that hold us together, even when everything else feels like it’s falling apart.

Another fantastic book written by Emily Austin.
It starts out with an unreliable narrator, where you are just trying to figure out what is going on. There are complex sister relationships, great explanations on what it’s like to grow up in a small, white town and figure out how to not be like everyone else. It’s also about hope, about figuring out how to be good in a world that doesn’t want you to, and knowing that you aren’t alone.

may the year of weird girl literature commence! Emily Austin truly deserves a kiss on the forehead and a restraining order for writing characters that mimic my every though (looking at you Margit). I have found that her books are very much about trusting the process since they tend to start in a limbo state of "what is happening here and why" and by the end reveal the darkest but most human and vulnerable parts of people and they have so much unexpected depth to them, I could write essays breaking them all down

At times heavy, this latest from Canadian author Emily R. Austin focuses on childhood trauama, millennial malaise, suicidal ideation, nostalgia for childhood innocence, depression and sisterhood in a series of letters written in a darkly humorous vein. Great on audio read by new to be narrator, Candace Thaxton and with excellent queer and mental health rep, this was one of my most anticipated books of 2025 and it didn't disappoint! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review

I love Emily Austin. I highlighted too much of this book because it just resonated so deeply. It's not a book I really expected to like as much as I did because I'm not really a contemporary fiction girl, but I whole-heartedly recommend this and am so thankful to have been gifted an advance copy.

This book has drained me emotionally.

Books about sisters and family relationships always have a special place for me personally, but this was nothing like I expected.

Before I start, I think it is important to note that there are mentions of topics that might trigger a certain group of people, such as suicide, sexual abuse, and homophobia. It heavily revolves around a suicide attempt so please be aware if you are considering reading this book.

For what seems to be a short book, it takes me on such a dizzying emotional rollercoaster.

I'm not sure how to review this book without spoiling the story, so I would just say that I love every bit of it. I was immersed in Sigrid's notes; looking at the world from her point of view felt complicated and difficult but also colourful and interesting. I was also consumed by the love and grief that Margit felt from her chapters, feeling useless and clueless after such a tragedy.

The only thing I wish had been longer was the ending where the sisters found their way to each other. However, I also like to think that the very short ending was written that way so I could make up my own understanding of their relationship.

If you're interested in exploring the messy, complicated, heartwarming, and beautiful journeys of family members finding their way back to each other, this book is a wonderful choice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.