Life hacks for a little alien was a sweet little read. Seeing life through the eyes of little alien I could resonate with her experiences and her search to understand her place in such a strange world. I loved the second person perspective as it made me feel the situations she was in. The misunderstandings and the frustrations - why did they treat me like that? And it shows how important it is to understand why people are the way they are. I also felt the overwhelm from too much sensory input. Very well written! The only downside for me were the footnotes. They always distract me and disrupt the flow of a book.

I feel conflicted about this book. On one hand, it was a clever and interesting description of neurodivergence, how it feels to feel different and how rigid and unforgiving our society can be. On the other, I was waiting for something to happen, for someone to see and it / they didn’t. Perhaps that is the point, perhaps this is a reflection of so many children who are failed by parents and systems designed to protect and support them but it fell a little flat for me.

This is the tale of a young girl who thinks of herself as a little alien. Struggling to fit in, never feeling that she belongs, either within her family or the wider world. Whilst she is able to talk she is often mute, citing (to herself) that it's far too difficult to find the words to say what she thinks. One night, being unable to sleep, she comes across a programme about the Voynich manuscript, an illustrated codex written in an unknown language. She is sure this will explain all life's mysteries and so, with her friend Bobby, sets about trying to make sense of it.

The story is told from the second person point of view which isn't my favoured style, however felt ideal for telling this tale. There is also much about language and grammar, a topic I usually find fascinating. Sadly I found a lot of it wordy and unnecessarily complicated. A bit less of this and more exploration of the dynamics of the Little Alien's family and their own mental health struggles would have improved my rating. The characterisation of the Little Alien shouts neuro-diversity but none of the professionals she interacts with seem to join the dots making for, at times, a sad and heartbreaking tale. The epilogue seemed a bit random, I think I understand the point the author was trying to make but it just didn't work for me.

My rating is 3.5 but didn't feel able to round up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for my advance reader copy in return for my honest and unbiased review.

I loved this book, so different.
Little Alien is three years old and says her first words, from there we are told her story as she starts school, all the time struggling to understand the strange world around her. It probably doesn’t help to have an anxious Mum, who spends her life reading How to books. One night, whilst being unable to sleep, Little Alien watches a programme on the Voynich Manuscript, a medieval codex and she knows she must learn more about it.
A totally different book and a lovely read, I liked the twist at the end.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

Thanks Quercus Books and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy!

I went into Life Hacks for Little Aliens hoping for a quirky, engaging story, but unfortunately, I had to DNF this one—it just didn’t grab me. Rather than a strong narrative pulling me in, it felt more like a series of loosely connected scenarios designed to highlight how inept the characters around the protagonist are. That’s not necessarily a bad thing—it’s actually very true to life—but without a compelling plot or deeper character development, it started to feel repetitive.

The writing itself is sharp and observational, and I can see how some readers might find its humour relatable. But for me, it lacked the momentum to keep me invested. If you enjoy slice-of-life stories that lean heavily on social awkwardness and human folly, this might be worth a try. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.

I think I must have been reading a different book from all the other reviewers because I found none of things that they eulogised about. Maybe my copy was swapped out by a Big Alien?

Sorry to say that I found no redeeming features, all I read about was everyday people doing everyday things and, generically, everyday things are mostly b-o-r-i-n-g and actually that is the word that I will use to sum up my review. The book was boring but the Aliens, of many sizes, that I know, are not.

A unique take on neurodivergency - although i understand the choice to use second person perspective to further illustrate the main character's alienation, i also found it somewhat alienated me and i found it difficult at first to really engage with the MC despite all that was unfolding around her.

I found this book to be a delightful exploration of a child who just doesn't fit in both due to their own make up and family circumstances. It was whimsical yet quite profound and I really liked the exploration of linguistics and the tongue in cheek book recommendations.

Life Hacks for a Little Alien was such a unique, quirky and tender look at a child who is neurodivergent.

It was told from such a unique angle, a second person narrative which puts you at the heart of the character enabling you to see and feel all the emotions she is experiencing. My own son is autistic so it really hit me with what this character was experiencing and it felt like I'd snuck into the mind of my own son for a little bit.

I think the author did such an excellent job, even down to the little things such as the 'assessment' which was then forgotten about, lost in a sea of other work, which when you've got a child of your own on the spectrum, you know how that can feel.

Totally unique, cleverly done, heartbreaking, tender and a must read.

I read this at occasional moments (lunchtime/on the bus) over a number of months so it’s perhaps not fair to give it only a low rating… but if it had gripped me more, I’d have embraced it fully.

Bit too off beat for me but some good bits…particularly the trips to London.

Seeing things through the eyes of an unusual child was, I found, hard work… but maybe that’s part of the point.

I am, however, intrigued to learn more about the Voynich manuscript!

My thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a copy of “ Life Hacks For A Little Alien “ for an honest review.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this book , which deals with someone who is growing up neurodivergent.We get to see how life is perceived through their eyes. How they are treated by others and the effects it has on the family as a whole.
It was humorous , but also heartbreaking at times and I’m sure it’ll be a book that stays with me for a while.
A gem of a book that I’ve already recommended to others

This is simply a delightful , charming debut! I studied linguistics at university and went on to become a SENCO (special educational needs coordinator) so for me this book hit so many levels. My love of languages resonated in the pages as Little Alien discovers her own curiosity for languages, living, dead and still to be deciphered. Her struggles to make sense of the world around her brought back memories of so many children I’ve worked with and I wanted to shout at the way she was so often treated and jump up and down for her. I laughed out loud and my heart broke for her so many times. This is such a beautifully written, quirky, tender story that I’ll be recommending to all my friends.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Quercus Books for a copy in exchange for a review.

A uniquely joyous and insightful journey into the world through the eyes of a neurodivergent human being just trying to find their place. Capturing the alienation, isolation and confusion we can experience by just existing in a world not made for, or explained to, us through amazingly dreamlike scenarios that truly show the essence of how mundane, normal scenarios can feel so oddly strange to some people.

The book puts us at the centre of the story, addressing us as “you” - allowing us to step in and become the character, with a slightly wandering, meandering structure that I both loved and hated, with footnotes, trains of thoughts. Yes, it felt a little like my brain but seeing it on paper was a surreal experience.

We go to school, spend time with our parents, witness crises and conflicts, and observe the world from a distance, trying to understand why people act the way they do and why they all seem so far away, like they’re through a screen.

While a bit close to home at times, this story was so healing. The little girl sitting on the floor of the local library, losing herself in words and trying to solve the world’s mysteries.

A great, really engaging book. You really root for the main character. A unique style as you never learn the main character's name.

A story for everyone who has ever felt just that little bit different.
The tale of Little Alien is heartwarming and we follow how they navigate the world around them through the book they are trying to understand, it is told from the second perspective. When the Alien discovers the unusual Voynich manuscript she becomes convinced that it will explain the mysteries of the world, and ultimately herself too. .Personally second point of perspective is a little bit tricky to read at times as its not something I overly choose to read. It's a very quick read and does flow well and it is broken at times by footnotes.
Thank you NetGalley as always and to little, Brown and Company for sending this book to review.

For some reason this book just didn't do it for me! and i was so excited to read it too! the little alien is the narrator of her story, and it's obvious she sees herself as an alien as she doesn't fit in with those around her - and her character I did enjoy reading about. It was just the adults around her that really annoyed me!!

It's obvious her mother had mental health issues too, and the dad was busy with work, but there just didn't seem to be any empathy to their daughter! The schools she was put in, and then kicked out of!, all gave up very quickly and the teachers couldn't seem to care less about what was happening to the girl or how to get her help - they just wanted her out of their hair!

The only enjoyment I had was when her and Bobby went off on their adventure to learn more about the manuscript, but even that storyline didn't seem to go anywhere and it all just felt a bit pointless! The main character was an intriguing one to read about though and I loved how her mind worked things out, and how she tried to make sense of things around her.

This book is so weird, and so beautiful, which is one of my favourite combinations a book can be. My only criticism would be that I wanted it to go on for Little Alien's whole life - I could have stayed with her so much longer! It's a real insight in to growing up neurodivergent without ever feeling manipulative of either the character or the reader (as some similarly marketed books have to me) and made me stop and say 'oh wow' multiple times because a line made me think "yeah. exactly." I really loved it.

Life Hacks For a Little Alien is a sweet story about humanness, language, and the differences that makes us ‘us’. Written in a second-person narrative, I admittedly found this really hard to read – I’m unused to this style. However, I soon found my footing and thought it was a smart device to make you, the reader, feel as uncomfy as our narrator, a young girl with autism. As she traverses through school, homeschooling, and other such milestones in childhood, we see the narrator’s struggles with being different to the other children. Her observations of the world are searing, laser-sharp, only the grown-ups don’t understand, the other kids call her an alien, something she’ll remember for years and even begin referring to herself as. Franklin’s treatment of the narrator is tender and soft, and peels back how it feels to live in a confusing world.

This is a sweet, heartwarming story that provides a mirror-clear representation of what it’s like to be neurodivergent. Having said that, I’m neurotypical so it might be best to take that with a pinch of salt! Once you get past the unusual second-person perspective, the story is genuinely lovely and I’ll be recommending this to many!

Charming read, reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine so if you liked that then you’ll like this.

It’s relatable and funny and just an all round enjoyable read.

I think I have a contender for book of the year already. I listened to audio (my first audio book!) but read some of it digitally too. Sally Phillips is a real talent and it was hearing an extract of hers that pushed me to apply for the audio,

It was a delight from the offset. It's such a beautiful ode to linguistics and language and the little alien is such a complex character. I could tell you lots of bits I loved but it is a book that needs to be read with no spoilery reviews or thoughts. Instead, read the blurb, if you think you will like it then you will. It is pure joy and I'm loath to start another book right away as I want to relish in this one. Little Aliens will stay with me for a long time to come.