We Could Be Rats

Austin (Interesting Facts About Space) chronicles the complicated relationship between two sisters in her nuanced latest. The novel’s first half takes the form of multiple drafts of a suicide note, written by 20-year-old Sigrid and mostly addressed to her older sister, Margrit. Over the course of the letters, which also address their parents and Sigrid’s late friend Greta, Austin shapes the story of the sisters’ upbringing and divergent paths. The high-achieving Margrit earns approval from their parents, who often bicker in front of the girls. While Margrit is in college, Sigrid, a lesbian who feels out of place in their small town, drops out of high school, experiments with drugs, and often hallucinates while working as a cashier at the local dollar store, a condition that causes her to believe she has early-onset dementia. Her despair is also fueled by her estrangement from Greta, with whom she took OxyContin and who became addicted. The book’s second half, which begins with a twist, is narrated by Margrit, who reflects on Sigrid’s troubled life and the guilt she feels over leaving her sister behind. Though the story meanders, Austin successfully untangles the sisters’ complex relationship. It’s a distinctive character portrait. Agent: Heather Carr, Friedrich Agency. (Jan.)