Very sweet - a 'little alien', or a neurodivergent child on the spectrum, and her journey through childhood in a world that isn't set up for and doesn't really know (on the whole) how to cope with difference.

I started this book with interest, not really knowing what to expect… one page in, and I was hooked! The story follows the life of ‘little alien’, a neurodivergent child, who faces the challenges of the world in a way which others may find ‘odd’ but make perfect sense to her.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and all the emotions that came along with that. Definitely a book to make you think… I look forward to reading more by this author.

This book was about a child who is finding it hard to understand the world around her and struggling to fit in.
It was interesting how different adults coped with a child in the Autistic Spectrum and the child’s view of them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm undecided between rating 3 and 4 stars for this novel as I thought the premise was interesting but it didn't quite deliver. Like many, I'm not a huge fan of second person (not third as many have written) and in general the entire tone of the narration sounded almost patronising, with an undertone of "I'm going to talk about autism but without ever using the word".
It's not clear if the book is aimed at neurodivergent children of a similar age to the protagonist who can find understanding and relatability in this character, or if it's meant to be maybe more didactic towards neurotypical readers? I feel like it's a perfectly enjoyable story, but it doesn't quite know who it wants as an audience, and if this is going to be marketed as general fiction for adults my general feeling is that it may not be best placed there.

"Life Hacks for a Little Alien" is a really lovely story of a neuro-divergent girl (name never specified), her parents and friend Bobby. The way that it presents the struggles of those who are a bit different is amazing. Since Little Alien lacks communication skills she is branded stupid, but in fact is more intelligent than her classmates and peers. As she grows older she learns better how to deal with prejudices and carves a path for herself.

All "different" children, their families and teachers should have the opportunity to read this novel.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Our unnamed Little Alien lives in an English town with her parents, her mother who is frequently unwell and her father who is just trying to keep his family together, however haphazardly

Little Alien doesn't fit in in school, one new boy Bobby (whose hair is in a bob) has potential to be a friend but overall no one understands her.

It's only when she discovers the Voynich Manuscript - an ancient codex written in an unknown language and script - she realises that there might be people similar to her, who plan to spend their whole lives decoding it's mysteries. The Little Alien's future has been blown wide open.

A touching and poignant depiction of a neurodivergent child's struggle with a world that was not built for her.

This was an interesting book. I like the way that the narrative told the story from an external perspective but also explained what the little alien was thinking. Especially how there was so much more going on in her head than she was able to express.

What an extraordinary novel! I found it to be beautifully written, very witty and unusual in its second person telling (such a difficult perspective to pull off, but Alice Franklin does it superbly) of the story of a young child growing up in a suburban household in south east England. It seemed very American to me at times, in its use of language and experimentation, which gave gravitas to this coming-of-age story about a little girl who feels different . It was incredibly moving and warm, I was hooked.
As I fell into the story, I wondered where on earth it was going to go, so when I reached the part of 'Little Alien's'obsession for and pursuit of the truth behind the Voynich manuscript, a 15th century codex of uknown origin (which I'd never heard of), it took me into an entirely unexpected realm altogether.
Tender, insightful and funny - and hugely original.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance review copy of this novel. It's one I won't forget in a hurry.

A beautiful glimpse into the world of little alien, highlighting just how many situations can be strange, unfathomable or discomforting for a neurodivergent mind. The story rambles through little aliens struggles at school, with friendships and her obsession with a much studied but never understood manuscript that she finds out about via a documentary, all the while finding friendships and support in unexpected places.
The book ended abruptly for me- I wanted to stay with the characters and see how they developed!

Third person narrative was tricky and wasn’t sure what the author was trying achieve. Not for me unfortunately

I enjoyed this book about a neurodivergent child struggling to make sense of the world. With a mentally unstable mother and father just trying to hold his family together it was a really good read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it is one which I will recommend to several friends and will happily re-read. The second person narrative took me a little time to get used to but once I started reading this as an older 'Little Alien' talking to her younger self I became quite immersed in the story. The Little Alien of the title is a young neuro-divergent girl who is fascinated by words and language. The story follows her from pre-school to teenage years as she tries to navigate schools, other children, her parents and other adults who do not understand her or think the way that she does. There were a lot of sad episodes in her story but also a lot of very funny events. The reader never gets to know Little Alien's name. She is referred to as 'Angel' and 'Sweet Pea' by her parents, a couple who have problems of their own, wish to do their best for their daughter but find it difficult to cope. Little Alien is intrigued by meanings of words and how languages develop over time. The chapters often include footnotes and 'further reading' as in academic texts but provided by Little Alien herself. I appreciated this unusual aspect of the book and understood how Little Alien would wish to make all these further notes about her thoughts. She stumbles on a TV documentary about the Voynich Manuscript, a medieval codex which has never been translated and she develops her own theories about its meaning. I really felt for her when she wrote about this for a school essay on her interests and the teacher said he couldn't grade it because it was fiction and meant to be a factual essay. I cheered her response to this which was to write a fictional essay about her obsession with climbing which was accepted by the school as being in the correct style.
Having read this book I wanted to know more about the author Alice Franklin and discovered that she is herself neuro divergent which certainly explains her ability to write such a convincing story about so many aspects of growing up neuro divergent.
In summary: great writing; funny, moving, informative. Thank you to the publisher via Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book.

This was a unique read from the perspective of a neurodivergent girl trying to navigate the world. It’s well and cleverly written and really gives an insight into how it must be to live in the world made for those who are neurotypical. If I had one criticism it would be that I got a bit bored in places where the plot faltered, but that’s probably to do with my lack of patience rather than anything else! A good read.

I loved this book. Honestly I wasn’t sure at first but it was so brilliantly written. I work with ND students and am ND myself and it was so true to life that halfway through I googled to see if it was actually a true story rather than a novel. It isn’t - but it certainly could be.
I will recommend this book to so many people

Life Hacks for a Little Alien 👽 Long review ahead, but I have so many thoughts!💭 Long story short though, this was a 4⭐️ read and I implore you all to put it on your 2025 TBR!
This book was something slightly outside my comfort zone, and I was not 10000% certain it would be my cup of tea, but I couldn’t have been happier to be wrong! 📖🩷
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Life Hacks for a Little Alien follows our protagonist - Little Alien, on her journey through childhood. Little Alien knows she isn’t like everyone else; she doesn’t talk much, she has different interests to her peers and she sometimes makes ‘noises’ when she’s overwhelmed. Little Alien, as far as I can understand, is a young neurodivergent girl learning where she fits in the world, and I thought her story was quirky and heartwarming. It was odd, and profound and wonderful all at once.
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Her story deals with topics like family & friendships, whilst also delicately dealing with the harder parts of life, like mental illness, loneliness & difficult conversations. Little Alien’s parents love her, they just don’t necessarily understand her, and that’s okay. Her mother struggles with her mental health, but finds joy in books - a love she passes onto Little Alien. This love of books sends Little Alien on an adventure with her only friend Bobby to learn more about the mysterious (maybe alien!) Voynich Manuscript that makes Little Alien believe there might be others like her out there📖
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I saw myself in this book - a little girl who is different but doesn’t understand why yet. It made me happy, then sad, then happy again & I absolutely recommend everyone gets their hands on this book as soon as they possibly can when it is released in February!
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Big HUGE thanks to @quercusbooks & @netgalley for this ARC, I can’t wait to get a hold of a paper copy next year!🫶🏻

Loved this book. Everything from the descriptions to the way it is written. Highly recommend whether you are neurodivergent or not. Really insightful.

This was a wonderful read, and I loved every minute of the journey it took me on!

That being said, I suspect that this will be a book that people either love or hate.

What's to love?
- It's incredibly funny, and the narration is so on point.
- It's heartbreaking in places, and my heart hurt even more from the familiarity of the little alien's view of the world and their life.
- The neurodivergent experience shown from the inside out is just so good.

What's to hate?
- It's told in a style that many neurodivergent people will find familiar but may be jarring or feel irrelevant to many neurotypicals. This includes the structure of the chapters and the infodumping of special interest information.
- The feeling of disconnect from the life you're experiencing vs the life everyone around you seems to be experiencing is told in a very relatable way to a neurodivergent person, but may seem very odd to others.

I recommend this book, and I look forward to reading more by this author.


*I received an advance reader copy for free, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review*

This was a book I didn't know I needed. Heartbreaking and heartwarming, it's a reminder to be soft with ourselves and others. As someone who is ND, I saw so much of myself in the protagonist – but there was still so much I learned from the way she navigated this story and her world. I loved every word.

Having worked with neurodivergent students, I found this book well written and insightful. It really gave a window into the world of someone who can't seem to fit anywhere. It was very thought provoking and took the reader on quite a roller coaster of emotions.

I wanted to love this book. Parts of it I did. It’s incredibly well written and very astute and clever. I did found myself skipping parts and I don’t know why? Having worked for many years with children with ASD and Aspergers, I could see how perceptive and honest the author had been. Perhaps the third person narrative made it uncomfortable for me to read but I completely understand the author’s choice.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.