Life Hacks For a Little Alien
Hardback Published on: 13/02/2025
Price: £16.99
Bookseller Reviews
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Funny, moving, and unique
I really enjoyed this novel!
Told in the second person and telling the story of a young autistic girl growing up, this is both funny and extraordinarily... READ MORE
Tender neurodivergent novel from a talented new writer
This book came to me when I needed it, on a day when I felt quite lonely and out of place. Told in second person, a narrative style that is hard to get rig... READ MORE
Unique and Charming
This will probably be the most unique book I read in 2025. A beautiful story about a young autistic girl and how she navigates the world. This is a book th... READ MORE
Totally charming
I was totally charmed by this sweet book and its narrator. Following young Alice as she grows up and tries to figure out a world where she feels like the o... READ MORE
Unique, Insightful, Brilliant
This was an utterly brilliant book. It is told from the perspective of an autistic little girl's inner voice as she goes through life, feeling like an alie... READ MORE
Funny, moving and thought-provoking
Absolutely brilliant!! A wonderfully, witty story full of so much life and energy. Couldn't recommend enough!!
A powerful and immersive story
This was such a sweet and important story. The whole novel being written in second-person was a brilliant decision that perfectly aligns the reader with th... READ MORE
An original and accomplished debut novel!
I absolutely tore through Life Hacks For a Little Alien!
This novel follows a young girl (‘Little Alien’) as she grows up in a world that doesn’t quite un... READ MORE
Relatable and Poignant
This heartfelt portrayal of neurodivergence and the complexities of growing up feeling out of place really resonated with me. I highly recommend it to to k... READ MORE
Synopsis
Perfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Remarkably Bright Creatures, this is a charming, witty and moving novel about what it feels like to grow up neurodivergent.
'Climb up here, Little Alien. Sit next to me. I will tell you about life on this planet. I will tell you how it goes'
From her first words to her first day at school, Little Alien can't help but get things wrong. She doesn't understand the world the way others seem to, and the world doesn't seem to understand her either. Her anxious mum and meticulous dad, while well-intentioned, are of little help.
But when Little Alien sees a documentary about the Voynich Manuscript - a mediaeval codex written in an unknown language and script - she begins to suspect that there are other people who feel just like her. Convinced that translating this manuscript will offer the answers she needs, she sets out on a journey that will show her a delicious taste of freedom.
So begins this charming, witty, and profoundly moving novel about the power of language, the wonder of libraries - and how to find a path that fits, when you yourself do not.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Quercus Publishing
- ISBN: 9781529435719
- Number of pages: 304
- Dimensions: 236 x 162 x 32 mm
- Weight: 500g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allQuite Unique
Thank you to the publishers for this early review copy.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this read but I was only hearing brilliant things.
It is certai... READ MORE
Normality is what you know
The book is told from the perspective of the inner voice of our protagonist talking directly to her, which in effect feels as though the narration is outli... READ MORE
Life hacks for Little aliens
I have to confess that I was a little disappointed when I opened this up and found it was written in the second person. I'm not someone who eschews writing... READ MORE
Fresh and Beautifully Imagined
This is a beautifully delicate exploration of the inner life of a little girl who feels like she is an alien because of how little she understands the rest... READ MORE
Maybe my copy of this book was swapped out by a Big Alien?
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 ... READ MORE
A wonderful read, and I need more by this author!
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... READ MORE
Tender, insightful and funny - and hugely original
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 pul... READ MORE
Funny, moving and informative
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 li... READ MORE
Witty and warm
Witty and warm, Life Hacks for A Little Alien, is a wonderfully absorbing read. Loved the style, loved the neuro-divergent voice, loved the insight into th... READ MORE
Brilliant!
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 neurod... READ MORE
Not for me
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 s... READ MORE
Simply delightful!
This is simply a delightful , charming debut! I studied linguistics at university and went on to become a SENCO (special educational needs coordinator) so ... READ MORE
It's not perfect and needs a bit of tidying up, but I can see what she was trying to do
**CONTAINS SPOILERS**
I do believe this is Alice's debut novel.
This sounded so whimsical and odd and magical and right up my street. The synopsis in... READ MORE
Insightful and unique
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 "d... READ MORE
Quirky and poignant - I loved it
It does not take long to understand the reason for the unusual second person narration by the eponymous Little Alien - we are embarking on a tender, joyful... READ MORE
Four stars!
Life Hacks for a Little Alien by Alice Franklin is a moving and unique exploration of the world through the eyes of a child who doesn’t quite fit in. The s... READ MORE
Disarmingly profound peek into a different life
This feels true. Narrated to the eponymous little alien in a direct and unambiguous present, this novel takes us into the heart of a little girl who is unl... READ MORE
Sorry- not for me
A Little Alien is a perfect way to describe someone who is neurodivergent. To them, things that everyone else seems to understand is confusing. Trying to m... READ MORE
Spectacular
Sometimes you come across a book you wish you'd read when you were younger, and for me this is one of them. Sincere, bittersweet, and beautifully written.
Life hacks
Life Hacks for a Little Alien is a wonderfully quirky and original story about a neurodiverse young girl, growing up and trying to navigate her way in the ... READ MORE
Gentle, quirky, will make you think.
Life Hacks For a Little Alien is a gentle yet significant read about a young girl who is neurodivergent. It gives the reader some insight into how this may... READ MORE
Funny, sweet and heartbreaking. I loved it.
I really enjoyed this book. It is funny and sweet and heartbreaking.
Little Alien lives with her mum and dad. She struggles to negotiate every day life,... READ MORE
If you get it you get it!
ARC reader here - I think this is either 2 or 4 stars depending on the reader - I'm giving it 4. If you get it, you get it.
Our main character is a fier... READ MORE
Little gem…
This is beautifully written, I came across it by chance and had an early copy through NetGalley based on the description. I wasn’t disappointed. The world ... READ MORE
Three and a half stars
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... READ MORE
A wonderful read!
What a joy to read!
Little Alien lives in a world that feels so uncomfortable to her, she doesn’t fit in and never gets things ‘right’. Everything she ... READ MORE
Special and unique
"Climb up here, Little Alien. Sit next to me. I will tell you about life on this planet. I will tell you how it goes."
Beautiful, tender, quirky and dee... READ MORE
Unique
A funny, frank and utterly charming story of one girl's childhood as she looks back and tries to provide clarity on a world clearly not built with her in m... READ MORE
Enjoyable and quirky read
Taking inspiration from the author's own experiences of autism, Life Hacks for a Little Alien follows an unnamed protagonist as she grows from a largely el... READ MORE
funny, quirky and insightful
Life Hacks for a Little Alien is the first novel by British author, Alice Franklin. She has been raised by loving parents, but doesn’t quite fit in. Her la... READ MORE
Wonderful
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... READ MORE