Life Hacks For a Little Alien by Alice Franklin is a brilliantly fun and complex debut telling the story of a little girl's obsession with a mysterious manuscript and the effects this has on her childhood and perception of the world. It discusses themes of family, human behaviours and the human experience, friendship, and is full of insight as you're immersed into the head of someone who doesn't see the world quite the way the majority of others might.
I honestly had so much fun reading this! It was funny and peculiar, and the story being told in the second person made for such a unique and immersive reading experience; it made relating to our main character the "Little Alien" so easy.

**CONTAINS SPOILERS**

I do believe this is Alice's debut novel.

This sounded so whimsical and odd and magical and right up my street. The synopsis instantly made of me think of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, which I loved.

The formatting was a bit off on my digital version which meant, where there were asterisks pointing you towards little extra bits at the bottom of the page, I had to hunt for them, but once I understood that it was fine. I don't usually like the addition of little bits at the bottom because it feels like an add-on - like, it's it's that important, put it in the main text. But I liked it in this story.

It wasn't what I was expecting. I thought it would be a fun, frivolous adventure about an alien, but it's not. It's about a girl who is on the neurodiversity spectrum - be it autism or something else. It's about what it's like to grow up feeling different, like an outsider. And as soon as I had that thought, it became really obvious. But it did make it quite intense when I was expecting a read that was going to be a bit easier than that.

My Mum used to teach at a school for children with disabilities and learning difficulties, and so I grew up around people with varying degrees of autism and perhaps that gave me a different outlook on this book than most people. I do believe Alice herself is autistic, and so she does a good job at describing what it can be like, because it's difficult to explain to someone else how you view things, because that's your normal.

I don't think I've ever read a book in the 2nd person, and I'm not sure I'm a fan. I prefer 3rd person, but do enjoy 1st. 2nd just feels a bit...I don't know, I couldn't gel with it at all.

It started well and instantly drew me up, but it dipped at about 35% through. It got very detailed about the history of language and whilst that interests me, it felt too drawn out in this situation and unfortunately I found it a bit tedious. But it did find it's way again by the end.

Overall, it's an interesting read, definitely not what I was expecting. It's not perfect and needs a bit of tidying up, but I can see what she was trying to do and it was an interesting way to explore neurodiversity.

For me this was really a book of two halves. I’m glad I persevered but the beginning was quite difficult - perhaps done on purpose to make us sympathetic to the nameless narrator’s plight.
Our narrator is like a ‘little alien’ - in that she is neurodivergent and doesn’t fit the mould her family, education system and society have prescribed for her. This is written in second person so we as readers put ourselves in her shoes, navigating the complex world around. We go from homeschool to school to homeschool and back to school again, never quite fitting in but picking up some ‘hacks’ for life along the way - the biggest is her interest in an obscure manuscript.
I found the second half much more pacy, with our ‘little alien’ venturing out of her comfort zone and experiencing different things. I thought the family dynamics were really interesting and wondered if more could be made of them to help those of us who are outside her world understand more of the complexity of mental health within her family unit.
The ending provides resolution of sorts but I was kind of hoping for something a bit more concrete.
Really interesting read but not one that grabbed me fully. Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet and important story. The whole novel being written in second-person was a brilliant decision that perfectly aligns the reader with the protagonist. It highlights the difficulty of growing up neurodivergent and the challenges that are faced. You find yourself pulled into their lives as you are kept on the age of your seat as the story unfolds.

A very interesting voice and a nicely paced novel, but it didn't resonate as much with me as I thought it might. I liked the writing style and the characterisation but I wanted a bit more from the plot and interactions.

DNF

Upon reflection, this book was comped to a book I did not get along with so I should have been warned. A big issue for me was picking up the audiobook. I just did not like the narrator.

Firstly thank you to @netgalley and @quercusbooks for the arc.

I picked this book because it was not something I would normally read. I still have no idea if this is meant to be aimed at adults or younger readers. It tells the story of a young girl who doesn’t feel like she fits in from very young. Her view of the world makes no sense to her and she’s basically trying to work it all out.

I don’t like to leave negative reviews, however for me this simply wasn’t great. There was however a strong positive which was the humour. It definitely made me chuckle on a number of occasions throughout. The childish language used and wit were on point.

As a general thriller lover I guess books such as this simple do not hold my interest and this is reflected in the rating. This is possibly more down to my preferred genre of books rather than a reflection on the book itself.

The MC was likeable. Personally though it felt like it made little sense throughout.

Life Hacks for a Little Alien is such a lovely title that it immediately caught my attention. The book is written in the second person, which took me a little while to get used to, but I really enjoyed the story. It explores the theme of being different and understanding life from a unique perspective. I love how the narrator, the older version of the "little alien," kindly explains life to her younger self. While this book may not be for everyone, I believe it will find its own audience. Overall, it was a delightful read. Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'll post my review closer to the publication date.

utter drivel - if anyone knows what this is about please send me a message

This does not deserve any stars it was utter rubbish

Little Alien is a little unusual. She is different to the other children and doesn’t understand why. She attends various educational establishments and is obsessed with language and words, which leads to her strong interest in the Voynich manuscript - an ancient tome written in an indecipherable code.
It’s a lovely story of friendship, understanding and trying to fit in.
I found the footnotes distracting although I feel they probably work better in a hard copy of the book and I do understand why they are inserted into the story.

This was an unusual read which I feel I could relate to, I also enjoyed how as the book went along the character 'grew' up and the language matured

This book really grabbed me by the heart and squeezed. I loved the narration about Little Alien and the constant incredulity of the situations in which she was treated like she was being "difficult" when in actual fact, she just wanted some clarity or comfort. This was a beautiful novel, and the ending truly wrapped everything up so perfectly.

Warm-hearted, insightful, and poignant. Also frank, uncompromising, and a touch uncomfortable at times. Had to put it down a few times to consider the story and especially the side characters! This is a book that seems easy on the surface and sticks in the mind long after reading it.

Little Alien is a character who goes straight to the heart of the reader. The world around her is a confusing place and the narrator (an older version of herself) is attempting to explain it with the benefit of her years of experience. Whilst similar characters in other books have been praised and fallen in love with, in my opinion, it takes a very special fictional creation to really highlight the genuine difficulties faced by some people whilst simultaneously forging a genuine feeling of empathy. The first one I came across was on television and watching his friends explain 'it's a social convention, you have to do it' to make him understand why he had to do something he found utterly incomprehensible, was enlightening. Little Alien has exactly the same effect. Reading her older self explain the illogicality of something was both moving and educational. Personal experience has led me to try to learn more about how neuro-divergent brains operate in a bid to try to help make it easier for someone to navigate the world and learn to control their impulses and work out socially acceptable behaviour and conversations. To see in print the progress Little Alien makes in her understanding was heartwarming.

Some of the asides she makes are genuinely comical and I can completely understand why she finds certain things baffling. However, what I found most interesting was the hyperfocus on the Voynich Manuscript. This was the thing which rang most true to my own experience and consequently, was the bit I was most intrigued by. I find myself getting drawn into particular areas of research, but rarely to this extent. However, I know people who do get fixated on things and know well the alarming level of detail they are sometimes able to recall.

The other thing I liked was the role books can play in helping us understand a world where very little makes sense. The additions of a reading list to each chapter was a nice touch.

Tender and tragic, this is an insightful look into living with autism and also an exploration of how we communicate, of the beauty and fallibility of words. This book will stay with me, and I believe it will make me a more compassionate person. This is exactly what literature should be: bold, smart, incisive, and kind.

I love this book. I wish I had this book to read when I was younger. The story follows a young girl who feels like an alien. The book covers her growing up, adults misunderstanding her and her misunderstanding adults, and her special interest in the Voynich Manuscript. The title is the first thing that caught my attention and I’m so glad it did.

The story is written from the perspective of the main character, we never learn her name as she calls herself Little Alien due to her feeling like an alien. As someone who’s autistic I deeply relate to a lot of the experiences and thoughts written in this book. As fluffy and heartwarming as this book is, it also made me sad at times for how relatable it was. Especially the loneliness of not belonging, not feeling understood, and believing thinking this is the norm. The author describes this beautifully. Another aspect I find bittersweet is how Little Alien is constantly misunderstood by the adults in her life, particularly teachers who should be trained and know better. Saying that there were moments of hope with some adults who cared and catered to Little Aliens and her interests without judgement.

I also loved Little Aliens' special interest with words and the Voynich Manuscript, it was fascinating and fun reading her thought process of her special interest, specifically the Voynich Manuscript, which has also fascinated me as well. The passion and focus felt so genuine. I loved this book having read it in 2 days and not wanting to put it down. I’d definitely recommend this book to any of my friends and family.

If I had to sum this book up in one word, it would be, ADORABLE.

Covering all the blessings of neurodivergence, while espousing the disadvantages brought about by a lack of patience and understanding in everything from our educational systems, our social interactions, our families, friends and relationships, it's a carefully crafted delight. Whether you are reading for pleasure, for insight or understanding it's simply fabulous.

This story of an autistic coded girl and her deep fascination with an ancient manuscript she had seen on the TV late at night while suffering from insomnia, is absolutely fantastic
Little alien drifts through her day-to-day domestic life which happens around her, so many things out of her control.
Her father is her safe space and her mother is often emotionally or physically absent from her life, although we do know that her mother loves her very much. But her mother suffers from depression, or difficulty managing life.
Little alien and her friend from school, Bobby and go on adventure to try to see the Voynich manuscript.

This is so much more than a story about a child looking for an ancient artefact, It is more a story of self discovery, acceptance and learning to be comfortable within one’s own skin in a difficult world. So many scenes within this book spoke to me on several levels and I found it brilliant.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to have read this ahead of publication and exchange for an honest review. This book is brilliant.

It took me a little while to get used to the second person narrative, although I did guess that this was an older self addressing the younger one. I found it warm and witty, mostly, but also quite depressing with the lack of care the family were given - although, unfortunately, that is probably true to life. It was a quirky little that leads to more understanding of neurodivergence.

Life Hacks For Little Aliens by Alice Franklin.

I was first drawn to this book by the cover. I was intrigued by the title aswell.

The story follows a little girl, Little Alien, who feels like she is not in touch with this world. Throughout the story we learn of the experiences that have added up to help her reach the conclusion that she does not “fit in”. Eventually she learns of the Voynich Manuscript and begins to think of this as proof that there are other aliens out there.

I found this story really charming and loved the perspective that it was written from. It truly allowed the reader to enter into Little Alien’s world.
As a teacher, I felt that this was also an eye opening story that could truly teach many about how the world can be confusing and how responses are formed to help with processing and regulation.
The style of the story reminded me of ‘Curious Incident’ in parts.


It was fascinating to read of the family dynamics and how those around Little Alien dealt with situations that occurred, trying to navigate a path that they were unsure of. Trying to support and do their best, but sometimes struggling with this (as all humans can do).


I, personally, felt that it would have been lovely to have the story give a little more detail or information towards the end, however it did allow a more open ending in which the future is full of possibility. I won’t say too much more than this!