This was an unusual read which I feel I could relate to, I also enjoyed how as the book went along the character 'grew' up and the language matured

This book really grabbed me by the heart and squeezed. I loved the narration about Little Alien and the constant incredulity of the situations in which she was treated like she was being "difficult" when in actual fact, she just wanted some clarity or comfort. This was a beautiful novel, and the ending truly wrapped everything up so perfectly.

Warm-hearted, insightful, and poignant. Also frank, uncompromising, and a touch uncomfortable at times. Had to put it down a few times to consider the story and especially the side characters! This is a book that seems easy on the surface and sticks in the mind long after reading it.

Little Alien is a character who goes straight to the heart of the reader. The world around her is a confusing place and the narrator (an older version of herself) is attempting to explain it with the benefit of her years of experience. Whilst similar characters in other books have been praised and fallen in love with, in my opinion, it takes a very special fictional creation to really highlight the genuine difficulties faced by some people whilst simultaneously forging a genuine feeling of empathy. The first one I came across was on television and watching his friends explain 'it's a social convention, you have to do it' to make him understand why he had to do something he found utterly incomprehensible, was enlightening. Little Alien has exactly the same effect. Reading her older self explain the illogicality of something was both moving and educational. Personal experience has led me to try to learn more about how neuro-divergent brains operate in a bid to try to help make it easier for someone to navigate the world and learn to control their impulses and work out socially acceptable behaviour and conversations. To see in print the progress Little Alien makes in her understanding was heartwarming.

Some of the asides she makes are genuinely comical and I can completely understand why she finds certain things baffling. However, what I found most interesting was the hyperfocus on the Voynich Manuscript. This was the thing which rang most true to my own experience and consequently, was the bit I was most intrigued by. I find myself getting drawn into particular areas of research, but rarely to this extent. However, I know people who do get fixated on things and know well the alarming level of detail they are sometimes able to recall.

The other thing I liked was the role books can play in helping us understand a world where very little makes sense. The additions of a reading list to each chapter was a nice touch.

Tender and tragic, this is an insightful look into living with autism and also an exploration of how we communicate, of the beauty and fallibility of words. This book will stay with me, and I believe it will make me a more compassionate person. This is exactly what literature should be: bold, smart, incisive, and kind.

I love this book. I wish I had this book to read when I was younger. The story follows a young girl who feels like an alien. The book covers her growing up, adults misunderstanding her and her misunderstanding adults, and her special interest in the Voynich Manuscript. The title is the first thing that caught my attention and I’m so glad it did.

The story is written from the perspective of the main character, we never learn her name as she calls herself Little Alien due to her feeling like an alien. As someone who’s autistic I deeply relate to a lot of the experiences and thoughts written in this book. As fluffy and heartwarming as this book is, it also made me sad at times for how relatable it was. Especially the loneliness of not belonging, not feeling understood, and believing thinking this is the norm. The author describes this beautifully. Another aspect I find bittersweet is how Little Alien is constantly misunderstood by the adults in her life, particularly teachers who should be trained and know better. Saying that there were moments of hope with some adults who cared and catered to Little Aliens and her interests without judgement.

I also loved Little Aliens' special interest with words and the Voynich Manuscript, it was fascinating and fun reading her thought process of her special interest, specifically the Voynich Manuscript, which has also fascinated me as well. The passion and focus felt so genuine. I loved this book having read it in 2 days and not wanting to put it down. I’d definitely recommend this book to any of my friends and family.

If I had to sum this book up in one word, it would be, ADORABLE.

Covering all the blessings of neurodivergence, while espousing the disadvantages brought about by a lack of patience and understanding in everything from our educational systems, our social interactions, our families, friends and relationships, it's a carefully crafted delight. Whether you are reading for pleasure, for insight or understanding it's simply fabulous.

This story of an autistic coded girl and her deep fascination with an ancient manuscript she had seen on the TV late at night while suffering from insomnia, is absolutely fantastic
Little alien drifts through her day-to-day domestic life which happens around her, so many things out of her control.
Her father is her safe space and her mother is often emotionally or physically absent from her life, although we do know that her mother loves her very much. But her mother suffers from depression, or difficulty managing life.
Little alien and her friend from school, Bobby and go on adventure to try to see the Voynich manuscript.

This is so much more than a story about a child looking for an ancient artefact, It is more a story of self discovery, acceptance and learning to be comfortable within one’s own skin in a difficult world. So many scenes within this book spoke to me on several levels and I found it brilliant.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to have read this ahead of publication and exchange for an honest review. This book is brilliant.

It took me a little while to get used to the second person narrative, although I did guess that this was an older self addressing the younger one. I found it warm and witty, mostly, but also quite depressing with the lack of care the family were given - although, unfortunately, that is probably true to life. It was a quirky little that leads to more understanding of neurodivergence.

Life Hacks For Little Aliens by Alice Franklin.

I was first drawn to this book by the cover. I was intrigued by the title aswell.

The story follows a little girl, Little Alien, who feels like she is not in touch with this world. Throughout the story we learn of the experiences that have added up to help her reach the conclusion that she does not “fit in”. Eventually she learns of the Voynich Manuscript and begins to think of this as proof that there are other aliens out there.

I found this story really charming and loved the perspective that it was written from. It truly allowed the reader to enter into Little Alien’s world.
As a teacher, I felt that this was also an eye opening story that could truly teach many about how the world can be confusing and how responses are formed to help with processing and regulation.
The style of the story reminded me of ‘Curious Incident’ in parts.


It was fascinating to read of the family dynamics and how those around Little Alien dealt with situations that occurred, trying to navigate a path that they were unsure of. Trying to support and do their best, but sometimes struggling with this (as all humans can do).


I, personally, felt that it would have been lovely to have the story give a little more detail or information towards the end, however it did allow a more open ending in which the future is full of possibility. I won’t say too much more than this!

A fascinating look at neurodivergent life through the lens of a child. Very unique and quite insightful about a lot of aspects of growing up and feeling "different" to everyone else.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own unbiased opinion.

I don't really know what to think about this book. It took me an age to read it, yet it was less than 300 pages. Just as the story was starting to progress, it jumped off of the rails and went right back to chugging along with very little direction. There is no obvious plot, no evident progression of even our main character and you're turning the pages expecting there to be more depth when suddenly, you have an epilogue thrust upon you. It's almost like the author gave up with the story, they just decided to end it before it got any more complicated. I wonder if it's just an issue of me not being the right reader for this book. I can appreciate what it was trying to do and there were parts I enjoyed reading - I think the tone of voice was great and had we stayed in childhood, it could have been even better - but it felt rather clumsily put together.

I struggled with the book. I found it hard to get my head round. I came to the conclusion that I am not the target audience.
It's well written and I am sure lots of others will enjoy it but not for me.

Life hacks for a little alien follows a young girl from toddlerhood, through her life growing up neurodivergent. The way the book is written from gives an insight into the thought processes and special interests of people who are neurodivergent. A read about finding understanding in a world where we feel we don’t fit it, and how books can help us all through our lifetime. This is a special read.

Unusual book about growing up with ASD; funny, heartbreaking and informative. I could have done without the ‘alien’ bits at the beginning and the end, as I felt that took away from the raw honesty of the story. I was also dismayed by the way schools were portrayed in their treatment of this child, as it is very far off the mark in my experience.

The book follows the main character of the 'little alien' and her perspective on life from being a toddler through childhood.

It focuses on her inability to express her feelings verbally and how the adults around her struggle to understand her.

The book definitely has a unique voice for a neurodivergent character and I felt that it helped give me a better insight into how the world can be perceived differently to those around us.

I liked the short chapters as it meant it was easy it pick up adhoc and I read it quite quickly, however it didn't grip me as a story.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was equal parts impressed and charmed by this, the little alien, being a child on the spectrum learning how to relate to the world, was a really fascinating protagonist. I enjoyed the use of the second person to relate to her frustrations and excitements through childhood.
Highly recommend for when it comes out!

Beautifully written this book is really easy to read. Really recommended particularly for those with an interest in neurodivergence and child development.

This books follows Little Alien, a young neurodivergent girl who views the world in a different way, and her investigations into a mysterious manuscript.
This was a delight of a book and I finished it in a day. I loved the gentle humour, and the use of second person (which doesn't always work for me), felt like the perfect choice here. Little Alien herself is a wonderful character. Through the writing I really felt like I understood the struggles she has to understand the world around her, and I appreciated her in all her uniqueness.
My only reservation was how the adult characters acted, particularly the teachers. Perhaps that is a little naive of me
but I felt like/ hope that their baffled and exasperated reactions to Little Alien are not how teachers would respond nowadays with training in SEN.
Overall I very much enjoyed the book and I look forward to reading more of this author's work in the future.

The unnamed main character is a neurodivergent girl navigating the world of adults which she finds so confusing and trying to find her place within it. It gave an insight into her world, where everything is taken literally. She's passionate about books and has a special fascination with the Voynich Manuscript; an illustrated codex, hand-written in an unknown script referred to as Voynichese. The whole book is a love letter to words, books and libraries and it was a warm and easy read