If you've ever felt like everyone in the room is in on a joke you don't understand, you might relate to this book. Told in the second person ("You do this, they laugh at you. Your dad tells you to act normal." etc), it's easy to sink into the unsettling place of the nameless main character. There are laugh-out-loud bits of observational humor, broken up by a lot of heartrending misunderstandings and details about the little alien's family life (which is turbulent at best). This is about neurodivergence, mental health, family, friendship, and finding a place for yourself in a vast universe where everyone else seems to intuitively know where they fit. It seems less like fiction and more like memoir. It's the kind of book that hurts to read but you can't put it down.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

CWs - Ableism, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Paranoia, Bullying, Cursing, Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Blood, Medical content, Stalking, Death of parent

I had a difficult time with the writing. It was dry and slow. All in all, the book left me feeling discouraged because I never felt that I really understood what the book was trying to say. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC. this review is my own opinion.

Thank you to #LittleBrown and #NetGalley for the DRC of #LifeHacksforaLittleAlien. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I love the premise of this book - the "little alien" is the neuro-divergent main character and the second-person narrator is teaching her how to interpret the world she finds so confusing. I really liked the main character and empathized with her struggles. I enjoyed the footnotes explaining the things she found so confusing and the suggested reading that tied back to whatever happened in that chapter. And I'd never heard of the Voynich Manuscript so I learned something completely new to me (win!).

But overall, this book fell a little flat for me. I wanted more about her family and her friend Bobby.

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

Trying to think of how to review this book, and finding it somewhat difficult. It's written in the second person POV, which is unusual in and of itself, and consists of a narrator describing the life events of our nameless protagonist to... our nameless protagonist, it seems, who is definitely autistic and struggles to understand the world around her. I'd definitely recommend it, but I'm struggling to say exactly why or to who.

For sensitive readers, this book contains depictions of mental illness (not to be conflated with neurodivergence), neglect, abuse, and injury to children.

3.25 stars - I believe this just might be the first book I've book I've ever read in second person, and it took my brain a second to settle into the style without it detracting from the story. The protagonist's unending curiosity and desire to learn made for an interesting and charming main character while also playing perfectly into the 'little alien' description. However, aside from the protagonist and about three other people, I found it incredible difficult to like anyone else in the story. The adults at large seemed to have never interacted with a child in their life, and most of them should probably not be allowed around them any long. Maybe there's a bit of an unreliable narrator situation at play, but it made for a frustrating read whenever those characters were involved. Overall I found this to be an interesting - yet almost mundane - tale with a unique storytelling style.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really cute premise but I struggled a lot with this book. Second person is not my favorite (but better than first person plural, okay?) so that was a stumbling block for me. I also didn't understand the need for footnotes and "Further Reading" at the end of each chapter. What did that add to the story? But more than that, the adults in this book were horrible! Ignorant, horrible people. I tried to consider that the story is being relayed subjectively, but I couldn't get over how they treated both the main character and all the children. Why not clean up when a kid gets sick? Why tell them to eat around the ceiling parts in their lunch? Then blaming them for doing something you told them to do. I don't understand. Things got a little better once the Voynich Manuscript entered the story; however, it never went far enough with that plot to overcome all the issues I had with the book. Maybe it was me? Maybe I totally missed something here?

The protagonist reminded me of myself a bit, in both the charming and not so charming parts. I really enjoyed and identified with her journey to try to understand herself and the world around her.

An unnamed narrator tells the story of how she sees the world throughout her childhood. She knows it's not quite how everyone else does, and she feels rather alone until she happens across a documentary about the Voynich Manuscript. She dives into research learning all she can about the manuscript and linguistics, which I absolutely loved. it's never explicitly stated, but it's clear that Little Alien is on the autism spectrum.

I really liked this one a lot more than I expected I would. The recommended reading and footnotes at the end of each chapter were a lot of fun. I loved the writing style and use of second person. The feeling of "otherness" and distance really comes through in a way that still endeared me to her. I laughed and teared up a little in parts and felt the frustration in others Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown and Co. for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Life Hack for Little Aliens is a heartwarming and touching read. Despite the review blurb, I don’t think it quite measures up to Shelby Van Pelt's Remarkably Bright Creatures, but it’s still a very good book. The main character, a neurodivergent person, Little Alien, struggles with feeling like she doesn’t quite belong—a theme that’s both relatable and moving. I loved the inclusion of footnotes (always a fun touch in fiction!), which added to the book’s charm. Her discovery of an undecipherable manuscript becomes a metaphor for her own journey, as it makes her believe there must be others like her out there. With its touching humor and heartfelt storytelling, this book is definitely worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good! It reminded me of Emily Austin in the best way. The characters were so well written it was hard not to love them - quirks and all. A gem of a novel!

*Thank you to Little, Brown & Company, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for access to the advance reading copy and advance listening copy for this book!

What a gem of a story!
First and foremost, this is one of the best audiobook experiences I have had as a reader. The narration by Sally Phillips is absolutely brilliant! This book has a wonderfully singular main character and utilizes a unique style of storytelling. It requires a narrator that has the skill to properly emote for the main character and a narrator that can appropriately implement the many (and really enjoyable) footnotes included in the text. Phillips shows mastery in inflection and brings so much to the book with her beautiful narration.
Our main character: We must protect her at all costs. She is so fantastically characterized by author Alice Franklin. While it seems clear that our main character is very personal to this book's author, she's also somehow endlessly relatable. Experiencing the way in which she's spoken to, spoken about, and treated throughout this story, the reader wants nothing more than to protect her. This leads to a rightfully emotional conclusion to this book, which I was so appreciative of.
This story is incredibly bingeable and endlessly entertaining. Please consider finding the little alien in yourself by reading this book!

Life Hacks for a Little Alien by Alice Franklin shares a vibe reminiscent of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, blending humor, heart, and a neurodivergent perspective. The intriguing title initially drew me in, but I imagine readers who dive in based solely on the title and skip the blurb may find themselves surprised. Even interpreting the “alien” theme figuratively, I’m not entirely convinced that the title fits. The book doesn’t deliver much in the way of actionable “life hacks,” though the “Further Reading” sections after most chapters were a humorous touch that I thoroughly enjoyed.



The story follows a neurodivergent girl growing up in England and her obsession with an esoteric manuscript. The narrative style took a few chapters to get used to, but once I settled into its rhythm, it became an easy and engaging read. As someone with an interest in linguistics and etymology, I found the style unique and enjoyable, though I imagine readers without that inclination may find it harder to connect.


The neurodivergent representation felt nuanced and avoided falling into heavy-handed stereotypes, which I appreciated. While the ending didn’t feel particularly satisfying to me, the book overall was a cute and thoughtful read, offering a perspective that felt fresh without being overly didactic.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was definitely something different, however it just did not really land for me. The main character is trying to find herself through manuscript and what she can learn through books almost exclusively. The element I really struggled with was the lack of support she got to navigate her world. I felt that there was such a focus on neurodivergence and about what set her apart to the point that this book ended up lacking cohesiveness and did not come full circle like it needed to. I liked how quirky this character was and would like to read more from this author in the future. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

While this book is about how an autistic girl encounters the world—and vice versa—it’s relatable for anybody who sometimes feels unseen or unable to fit in or understand the world around them. The lack of understanding is often sad, but the book is also filled with humor and affection. It’s a quick and heartwarming read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Interesting story- told from the POV of a young girl who is most likely on the spectrum and thinks she is an Alien, because humans seem so odd to her. Because the story is told from her POV we have the benefit of her naivety, bringing humor. She cooly observers her world, and when it gets too much she “ makes her noises”, and if that fails she rocks, and if that fails she moves into a fetal position. Her parents love her but unfortunately, her mom is suffering from mental illness, so dad is too distracted. ( Poor dad is just trying to hold it together) . She becomes obsessed with the Voynich Manuscript ( its a real thing) that is from the 1500s and has never been translated. Her obsession leads to an interest in linguistics.
I was really rooting for this little family. I loved this little quirky girl and wanted to giver a hug ( though she wouldn’t have liked it very much)😎

The title misled me a little; I thought it was going to be narrated through a list or maybe with tips as titles. I was completely sure this book was going to be at its core, a comedy. Although it has its moments and it’s not a book that takes itself 100% seriously, it’s a little denser than what I assumed it would be. And that’s completely my fault. I think that as an alien myself, ‘Life Hacks for a Little Alien’ is for an alien from another planet—a planet more human than mine.

I don't quite know how to describe Life Hacks for a Little Alien. It reminds me a great deal of Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince in its tone and its attention to a child's way of viewing the world. The promo materials describe it as "a love letter to language—how it shapes the world for each of us and connects us all in the end," which is accurate. Little Alien is a bad fit for the UK educational system, is consistently underestimated and over-controlled by teachers, but the book makes it clear she's hugely bright—she just doesn't come in the packaging expected for a child with intellectual promise. A number of readers and reviewers have likened Little Alien's perceptions and confusions as similar to those of a person who is neurodivergent, which strikes me as reasonable.

Nonethless, I find myself a bit uncomfortable with the book. It has a sort of twee approach that I feel is at odds with the issues it's trying to explore—exactly the experience I had with The Little Prince. If you enjoyed The Little Prince, you will almost certainly enjoy Life Hacks for a Little Alien. It also offers an interesting approach to understanding a version of neurodivergent experience. My advice is to look at reviews beyond this one and the promo material and make your own best guess about how you'll respond to the book.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

Franklin’s insightful debut offers a coming-of-age story from the perspective of a lonely and largely undiagnosed neurodivergent girl who eventually thinks of herself as Little Alien. On catching a television documentary on the very real and intriguing 15th century Voynich Manuscript written in an “alien” language it becomes a hyper fixation that helps further introduce her to the intricacies and quirks of language in general. Her view of her world is both heartbreaking and humorous. It is both a celebration of our differences and of language. Fans of Kevin Wilson, Gail Honeyman, Fredrik Backman should take note.

This was an interesting and compelling read. Our narrator is only a lonely little girl living in southeast England, who doesn’t understand the world the way other children seem to. As the story progresses, we come to understand that she is likely on the spectrum and the way in which she sees and relates to the world is highlighted throughout the prose. Her observations and experiences feel so unvarnished, and it is fascinating seeing the world through her eyes.

I think the thing I liked the most is also the thing that I didn't like the most - the narration never broke character. There are questions raised about her family members and the adults around her that are never answered, likely due to her inability to fully express them. I found this interesting but also frustrating, which *maybe*(?) is part of the point.

Brilliant, poignant, insightful, super weird. I enjoyed and the right audience will love this one.

3 1/2 stars rounded up.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC.

The story was so-so. It wasn't bad, but I can't say that it was really gripping. By the time that I reached the end of the book, I didn't feel like anything really happened.