Life Hacks for a Little Alien was a delightful and quirky read that had me chuckling throughout. The concept of an alien trying to navigate the complexities of human life was both humorous and heartwarming. I loved the witty observations and the fish-out-of-water scenarios, like when the alien tries to understand the concept of "small talk" or figure out the proper way to eat a banana.

Franklin's writing is lighthearted and engaging, making it an easy and enjoyable read. The alien's perspective offers a fresh and often hilarious look at everyday human experiences, prompting readers to question their own assumptions and habits. The book is filled with charming illustrations that perfectly complement the text.

However, while the humor is spot-on, I felt that the plot could have been a bit more developed. Some of the "life hacks" were quite simple and obvious, and I would have loved to see the alien tackle more complex or unexpected challenges. Overall, Life Hacks for a Little Alien is a fun and lighthearted read that will leave you smiling.

This is such a cute and funny book! This story is relatable to anyone who has ever felt like that didn’t fit in and are desperately looking for someone to relate to. The main character of this book reminded me of Tina from Bob’s Burgers as an awkward and eccentric child that feels out of place due to her neurodivergence and views herself as an alien. One of my favorite parts about this book were the footnotes with each chapter that added to the concept of this book being a guide for the main character as the books walks through memorable moments of her childhood and adolescence. I did feel like the last part of the book was a little rushed, but overall I really enjoyed it and would recommend this book! Thank you to the publisher and author for exchanging this ARC with me for an honest review!

As a Brit living in the US, I loved this very ‘British’ book, the language and the setting of the story is spot on. I must admit that it took me a few pages to get into it and the writing style, but I was soon really enjoying reading about ‘little alien’ and her family and life. It is at turns funny and heart wrenching as it becomes clear that there are mental health issues through the family which seem to be dealt with in the worst ways.
Having said that the book has good heart as we navigate the life of the little girl (her name is never revealed).
I very much enjoyed learning about ‘little alien’ and I am now also very interested in the Voynich Manuscript!

This was a tough book for me to fully engage with although I did enjoy the “little alien” perspective. I think it is quite informative about how a child who is different and doesn’t fit in might view things.

Thank you so much for allowing me to advance read Life hacks for little alien! I thought it was quirky and fun! I especially loved the footnotes at the end of each chapter . What a clever idea. I found the way in which the book was written to be fascinating . At times I felt very sorry for the narrator and her life. Overall I will be recommending this book to my friends and fellow book junkies! Congrats Alice Franklin !

This book was hard to get into, I think mainly because of the perspective it was told in. However, the overall premise of this story was compelling and while I was unable to finish this book, I think that there is certainly an audience for this book and while it wasn't me, that doesn't mean that I didn't feel anything while reading this book.

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I feel like the story wasn't fully fleshed out enough for me to really feel connected.

This was a solid story and compelling read. The main character is referred to as 'little Alien' throughout the book and we watch her struggle with fitting in and understanding both her family and her peers. Throughout the story we know that she is loved and supported by parents struggling to cope with their own challenging issues.

The Little Alien character also highlights how children who are different - in this case non verbal and with stimming behaviours - can be misunderstood and thought to be slow or unable to learn. Little Alien just trudges on and finds a way to make it work for her. Observing and adjusting as she needs to.

I liked that in the end it would all be okay for our Alien, her years of studying words and language and the manuscript made connections for her with a linguist from the university and a job as her assistant. A niche that would give her a safe place to be as an adult.

This is also a love story for librarians and libraries - places that are welcoming to all and full of interesting things. Reading books is a core part for the Little Alien, as well as her mother, and the suggested titles at the end of each chapter are cute.

"When the teacher is gone, you stand with your arms at your sides while you sway, wondering if 'Henry' is the collective noun for a group of feral children."

'Maybe you are not alone in the universe after all, Maybe you are just alone on Planet Earth.'

'So many people would kill for such a story, so many would love to know which years are going to be bad, which people are going to turn up and when and why.'

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Life Hacks for a Little Alien.

When I saw the title, I assumed it was about a main character who is an alien and looking to 'phone home.'

Rather, this is a story about a little alien, an unnamed main character who is on the spectrum and never quite feels like she belongs in her family and on this planet.

Little Alien, I can relate.

Told from the second person point of view, my least favorite of perspectives, we are offered a glimpse into this young person's life as she attempts to navigate a strange world where people speak a strange language and don't quite mean what they say.

I wished readers were given more insight into the family, who were obviously troubled and dealing with their own mental health issues.

When the Alien discovers the unusual Voynich manuscript, she becomes convinced it will explain the mysteries of the world, and herself.

I love the premise because who hasn't felt strange and odd in their own body and don't feel like they belong?

It's not easy reading a narrative using the second person which was very distracting.

I also wasn't a fan when the author delves into the complexities of language, a topic which is fascinating for the unnamed main character, but not to me.

I'm not sure of the ending, it's positive but it doesn't make sense.

I can sense a deep message about the narrative, I'm not sure what the point is?

That we're all aliens in some way and all we need is some support and encouragement. Yeah, I get that.

I think some readers might enjoy this, but it's not for everyone.

This a strange book, is the child autistic, a genius, an idiot savant
or an alien. You never really find out but the journey is interesting.

3.5
You'll step inside the mind of a young neurodivergent girl, as she navigates the ups and downs of living in a neurotypical world alongside both supportive and unsupportive adults.
This was a quick and unique read. Thank you, @netgalley and littlebrownandcompany
#LifeHacksforaLittleAlien #netgalley

"Life Hacks for a Little Alien" is an engaging book about a different sort of little girl, one we would describe as neurodivergent, but who has not yet had the help or validation to know there are other people like her in the world. She finds hope and purpose through a late-night TV special and a mysterious manuscript. Highly recommended.! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. Publish date is February 11th, 2025

There was so much about this I loved. “Little Alien,” our unnamed protagonist, is so mighty. She’s tough, resilient, observant, and incredibly passionate about the indecipherable (and possibly extraterrestrial) Voynich Manuscript. Little Alien forms a beautiful friendship with a kindred spirit and together they embark on the sweetest journey, discovering more about their mysterious manuscript - and how to exist in a world that was not created with their best interests in mind. I loved the writing style of Life Hacks for a Little Alien and found it to be incredibly compelling. Profound and a bit odd, in all the best ways.

This one had a lot of potential and didn't deliver. In the first 75% of the book, I loved its unique voice -the girl, or "alien" as referred to in the book, is on the spectrum, and one of her main struggles is language and speaking. The way the author captured her inner voice was great, and you could clearly understand her motivations but also see how they would confound the adults in her life. The footnotes and "further reading" after each chapter were very clever. Overall, it felt like the book was building towards something. Unfortunately, it wasn't.

I would have loved to have gotten more insight into our main character and her home life/growing up. Still, the book turned into an overanalytical piece on language and the manuscript that we never get an answer about. The ending was very abrupt. It was, however, a super quick read, and I would try something else from this author again. Overall, I'd give this 3.5 stars

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for this ARC!

Engaging, immersive, and original. A recommended purchase for collections where quirky women's fiction is popular.

A second-person perspective describes the trials of surviving life on Earth when you feel like an alien.

The unnamed main character, who appears to be on the autism spectrum, is a girl who lives with her quirky parents in England. As she struggles to understand the world, she develops a special interest in the Voynich manuscript, and the reader can pick up on the parallels between the world trying to decode a puzzling codex and the girl trying to make sense of human behavior and societal norms.

This was a quick-paced read from a unique point of view. The ending felt abrupt to me but it was otherwise enjoyable!

It felt fast-paced and a unique novel.

I enjoyed how the story was told from a small child with endless curiosity about anything. It lead her on unique adventures with her best friend to find out more of what the manuscript is all about. However, it felt fustrations at certain points when the adults could not acknowledge her disability.

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

This is a lovely, endearing little book - it’s not so much driven by a plot as it is of fictionalized memoir of sorts. I really enjoyed the voice and vibe, it created a rather unique style of storytelling that felt natural and engaging. The title character of this book is implied to be a young neurodivergent girl, though we never learn her name or those specifics. I suspect the target audience for this book is rather narrow, although I do not have any close family members or friends who experience life in the same way as Little Alien, yet I was able to relate to and love her all the same.

Many times, I wanted to reach through the screen and give Little Alien a hug - she’s a sweet, curious girl who tries her very best to understand the big world around her. The narrative style of storytelling had me feeling all the feelings she felt, shame, joy, confusion. Most of all, I felt strongly her frustration with the oftentimes cruel adults in her life, and loving parents who are simply ill equipped to manage her issues in communicating her thoughts and emotions.

Overall, I really enjoyed following Little Alien through her various adventures and experiencing them through her thoughts. She’s a very likeable character, and I’m left to wonder how she’s gotten on in her adult life. If there were more to come, I’d definitely read it!

side note: I had never heard of the Voynich Manuscript and was delighted to learn that it’s a real thing! How cool!

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very enjoyable, albeit quirky read. Reminiscent of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, The Maid, and Interesting Facts About Space with the narrative qualities of Remarkably Bright Creatures, I found myself feeling deeply for “Little Alien”. Neurodivergence aside, life throws family challenges at her that any child would find confusing. I loved seeing the differences in how people react to differently minded people—which was realistic, disappointing, and uplifting all at once. Once again, I found as I read, that book people are the best people.

3.5 because the narrator took some getting used to.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐ 5

From one Little Alien to another.

I was lucky enough to be accepted as an ARC reader for this book! When I first saw this title I felt an instant connection as I refer to myself as an alien and quite frequently a “Little Alien”. I was so excited when I got the email saying my request was accepted.

I found pieces of myself while reading like when the narrator kind of goes off on mini tangents, it felt very relatable. I also related when Little Alien responds without talking and the adults around them get frustrated with them for not verbalizing their response, I still get that to this day as a 23-year-old. I really like how the book illustrates the disconnect that can come with neurodivergence and and neurotypical’s lack of understanding and unwillingness to learn. I found myself equally enraged and amused at the audacity of others in this book.

There was one chapter that focused entirely on the manuscript that I didn’t feel was necessary but I was here for it nonetheless.

This book was very healing to my inner child, as well as my present self. I felt very understood and seen.