Life Hacks for a Little Alien is the first novel by British author, Alice Franklin. The audio version is narrated by Sally Phillips. She has been raised by loving parents, but doesn’t quite fit in. Her late speech and strange little things she does have her mum worried. Between misunderstandings, and mischief by her classmates, she has spent more of her younger years being home schooled than in a classroom, a little unfortunate as her mum is, mentally, not the most stable. At school, when she does attend, teachers take her reticence for stupidity.

Reading others is a challenge and she’s “grateful for how explicitly Mike and Mark (a set of simple books) express their feelings. You would like it if everyone were like this. If you always knew when your dad was tetchy, you’d know to avoid him so he doesn’t snap at you. If you always knew when your mum was worried, you’d know when you needed to soothe her. And if you knew someone was lonely – maybe one of these human children that you are surrounded by every weekday – then you’d approach them and begin the long and tiresome process of befriending them. You could hang out with them every day if need be. You’d be their best friend, their constant companion, their sidekick, their pal.”

Not until she turns twelve, when insomnia has her viewing a late-night documentary about a mysterious untranslated document, does she begin to understand: “Until now, you didn’t realise that aliens existed, at least not for real. Until now, you didn’t realise they had their own language. To you, it makes a lot of sense. It makes a lot of sense because sometimes you feel like your language isn’t your language. Other people say things and you don’t know what they mean. Other people do things and you don’t know what they mean either. There is a disconnect, something profoundly wrong. You feel this strongly, feel it in your bones.”

The Voynich Manuscript, as it is called, has her fascinated. The librarians at the town library are very helpful; she voraciously devours anything they can find for her; she dreams of being able to decipher it, certain it will provide the answers she seeks about life, a guide to life on earth for this little alien.

She accidentally(?) reconnects with former classmate, Bobby, onto whose pink shoes she threw up when she first encountered him. He has not only stood up for her previously, but now seems so taken by her interest in the Voynich Manuscript, he enthusiastically conducts his own research and encourages into a (perhaps ill-prepared) expedition that has a number of consequences, not all of them bad…

Franklin adopts a second person narrative, with an unnamed linguist relating significant events in our little alien’s life, and appends each chapter with a decidedly tongue-in-cheek Further Reading list, as well as providing the linguist’s helpful footnotes. The reader might need to don their disbelief suspenders for certain aspects of the story (the school, the teachers, the entry to the University library, the mental institution, the police…) but accepting them as entertaining will allow full enjoyment of this funny, quirky and insightful tale.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Hachette audio

Before she thinks of herself as Little Alien, our narrator is only a lonely little girl living in southeast England, who doesn’t understand the world the way other children seem to. When a late-night TV special introduces her to the mysterious Voynich Manuscript, she and her best (and only) friend Bobby set on a course toward finding this strange book. This book invites us into the head of a child who doesn’t read her surroundings the way we might assume.

I’m so glad I picked this up as I ended up loving this book! The storytelling was so funny and unique.

Even though our main character was definitely a human (but who knows?!), she wasn’t wrong in thinking that she could be an alien if nobody else around her could understand her. Little Alien was surprisingly relatable, even for someone without neurodivergence diagnosis like me. There are moments in life when I feel disconnected to other human beings, and Little Alien experienced this on daily basis.

Little Alien’s journey to understanding the Voynich Manuscript was so interesting, and her friendship with Bobby was endearing and cute. I also loved the format of the chapters, with subtle ‘book recommendations’ at the end of each one which made me chuckle.

I listened to the audiobook of this, and it was delightful. I think I loved it the way I did because of the wonderful performance of the narrator. The pacing, the intonation and the whimsical whispery way Sally Phillips delivered the story uplifted the entire reading experience. Highly recommended.

Life Hacks for a little alien was an excellent read. The writing was propulsive and the character development was rich. I would read more from this author.

Hoo-boy this is going to be a tricky book for reader advisory. This is an immersive experience of what it might be like to be neuro-divergent. The author uses the second person perspective to let the reader know right from the beginning that this book is going to give us a view of life that isn't common. Added to that, our narrator is a little girl hypothetically on the autism spectrum trying to navigate life. For readers not on the spectrum, this will be jarring as we'll want the depth of emotions and personal connections that we would get from another perspective. Quite well done, but might be off-putting to some readers.

Audiobook was well narrated with a voice for a child that wasn't cutsie or overdone.

This book is about a kid who feels like an alien because she isn’t like everyone else. She is undiagnosed ND - a child with asd... the books told from the child’s POV…

It was a massive ick for me. A massive one. I am the mother of 2 asd level 3 kids and it felt like a novelty line for an author to sell books. I couldn’t find anything online to suggest the author is ND or that she has asd kids.

It bothered me. It bothered me because she had the child drinking muddy puddle water. She made the child out to be a simpleton and that is simply not how asd kids are. It was a hard, hard pass for me. I don’t like when books are written this way and it feels like the author didn’t have any experience or knowledge on the subject and did the bare minimum.

Life hacks for A Little Alien, Alice Franklin, pub 2025

Me, attempting to step outside of my comfort zone - this one was very different for me. The story I would like to understand is how this writer managed to avoid a YA genre tag, even though this is a story told primarily from the POV of a child?

Our 'little alien' is a child growing up in a world she feels disconnected from. She has a love of books and language and spends a lot of time observing others, but still has a hard time interacting with others and communicating. I'm not sure we see here officially being diagnosed but we assume, by the descriptions of her issues, she is n the spectrum. While struggling with being social at home and at school, Little Alien learns about a long lost Manuscript. No one has been able to interpret the meaning but Little Alien thinks she can. She thinks it will hold the truth about herself and her life on earth.

Pros: My heart, at once, broke for this little girl and cheered her on! She is our narrator and explains things to us the way SHE understands them, not the way we think things are interpreted. This could be a love letter to anyone growing up feeling or looking different than others. Her parents are breaking down in front of her and I think working with the manuscript is a way to run away from those problems.

Cons: More of a con to the story - I wish her parents were better! It seems unfair to be born 'different' and still have crap parents. All the parent police should focus on helping people with kids do better, more than worry about folks that don't have kids!

Overall, this was a great read. Little Alien is compared to Eleanor from Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman - maybe when she grows up. She's still very young in this story and is not that complex. I could see this being a good high school read for a course in empathy. I would love to meet Little Alien more formally in the future though!

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think this was a unique book. I love how we get a look into the main character’s thoughts. She is very quirky and easy to like. I like how she tries to make sense of everything going on around her and often struggles to be understood. I don’t know what it’s like to be neurodivergent, but I’m thinking the author did a good job of capturing it.

I liked the narrator. She brought the character to life.

I did not enjoy this book as much as I was hoping to. Essentially, the main character feels like an alien because of her neurodivergence and it is used as a metaphor throughout the book. I typically enjoy books with neurodivergent main characters, this one was just a miss for me. At first, I was also confused by the "additional reading" sections at the end of each chapter. I thought the main characters fascination with the manuscript was a fun element. I enjoyed following the main character, but the way the book was written took away from the story for me rather than adding to it.

Life Hacks for a Little Alien by Alice Franklin is a poignant novel about a little girl on the spectrum growing up with her family. Throughout the book, you'll travel with her from her toddler years to teenage years. I truly found it so unique that this story was told in the second person narrative. How empowering to be nestled in this story in such a fascinating and transparent fashion.

Throughout the book, we never discover "Little Alien's" name, instead we are given the ability to see how her parents treat her, how adults react to her, and how her intelligence is underestimated. I love that Franklin also layered in "Little Alien's" obsession with the Voynich Manuscript, as this was so unique yet so common to some who lives life on the spectrum.

All around, Little Alien is an engaging and unforgettable narrator. She just has a way of stating this in a blunt, yet charming fashion that can leave you to woner their interpretation. Reading this book, feels almost like a play at times with yourself set in the central character, making you wonder how you would react to the situations Little Alien finds herself in.

I have to thank and acknowledge Sally Phillips for the amazing job done on the audiobook version. Her narration truly added to my enjoyment of this book!
Life Hacks for a Little Alien is a unique debut that is both compelling and profound. If you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant, this will be for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown and Company for the chance to read and review this book.

I went in solely by title. I was instantly in love with our MC. They don't know why they feel the way they do. They just know it's a bit alien. And I never connected more with a character. It's so reflective on growing up neurodivergent without the term/diagnosis. Being a kid is hard, not knowing things, but your parents also not knowing things is even harder.
Heartfelt throughout it all. I loved this. Wonderful narrator as well.

The overall story was unique with some humorous moments. I understand the reason for the second person narrative but I'm not personally a fan of that style. It made sense for this and I think there are others who will really enjoy this!
I did not read a summary before diving into the book so I did think this would be about an actual alien on Earth and that threw me off a bit.

This is a quick updated review as I have already reviewed the written book.
Sally Phillips is a fantastic narrator for this book. She conveys very well the onlookers advice for the little alien.
I absolutely loved it. When I loved the book I realised I wanted to listen to the audible as well.
A huge thank you to #NetGalley for the gift of this wonderful story on audiobook.
Congratulations to Alice Franklin who wrote a really insightful account of a coded yet undiagnosed autistic girl
I loved it so Book I have also bought the paperback copy to put into the staff from in the hope that all of the teachers in my school will read it, and feel it

4.25 STARS

This book was written in such a fantastic way. I thought that the way Alice Franklin was able to write a main character who has ASD so well was phenomenal. It was so jarring and in the best way.

Life Hacks for a Little Alien is such a sweet book. It's very unique in that it is told in 2nd person. Little Alien is on the spectrum and the adults in her life aren't the best. She lives in England and is trying to navigate a world where she doesn't fit in. This book shows us how Little Alien sees the world around her. She has one amazing friend who is a perfect fit for her. Little Alien becomes obsessed with the Vonyich Manuscript. She has adventures and finds acceptance in people related to the Manuscript. This book is funny, insightful and shows to power of connection and finding your people. I am so grateful for this advanced copy from NetGalley. #LifeHacksforaLittleAlien #NetGalley.

Another sweet entry into the recent canon of stories of neurodivergent characters. This one features a young girl whose differences lead her to believe she is an alien. Though she struggles in school in many ways, she learns of a rare (and purportedly alien) manuscript in a documentary, and becomes infatuated with learning more about the manuscript and languages in general.

It's very much in the style of vignettes, often skipping years at a time and without a ton of linear plot points - more focused on the character development. Its detached tone, observational humor, and gentle wit all combine to create an intense but innocent personality for our main character.

Thanks to Little, Brown, & Co. and Hachette Audio for my gifted advance listening copy. I'd give it a 3.5 rounded up for the charm factor!

While Life Hacks for a Little Alien wasn't for me, I do think it has its merits. It's a book about growing up as a neurodivergent person in a world that isn't made for you. The unnamed main character is misunderstood by her parents, teachers, other adults, and even other children. This book feels much more YA or even middle-grade than new adult.

Thank you to Hachette Audio, Little, Brown & Company, and NetGalley for a review copy of this audiobook.

The little alien is learning about navigating life at school and home. It's narrated by an unexpected guide who has arrived to help the little alien. When the alien happens upon a documentary about the Voynich manuscript. The little alien is convinced the manuscript will be able to help. They tell their friend from school about the manuscript and they try to discover more about it. The Little alien's mother is also struggling and trying to cope by reading all sorts of how to books.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator does a fantastic job. As a fellow Neurodivergent with an autistic child. I loved this book and enjoyed the point of view from the little alien. This is a must listen.

This is a heartwarming read with bits of humor and reflections on friendship, family, and what it's like to grow up feeling different. It's a love letter to language and books and libraries. Little Alien is a wonderful character to follow and I loved the unique storytelling style.

I really enjoyed listening to Life Hacks for a Little Alien by Alice Franklin. It’s funny, sweet, and a bit heartbreaking. The story follows a girl on the spectrum as she grows up from toddler to young adult, showing how she navigates life’s complexities.

We never learn her real name, but we see how adults underestimate her smarts as she deepdives into the mystery of the ancient Voynich Manuscript after watching a documentary. While she digs into that puzzle, her considerably flawed family life is falling apart.

The book highlights how much simpler life could be if people just said what they meant and I think it’s going to be a hit in 2025. Plus, the audio narration by Sally Phillips is fantastic!

This was an utterly captivating, original and insightful book about a young neurodivergent girl, her complicated relationship with her parents and her obsession with a mysterious manuscript. Excellent on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Emily Austin, this likely won't be a book for everyone but I enjoyed it immensely! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!