I came across Life Hacks for a Little Alien while looking up titles for a book list. The title quickly caught my attention, and I was happy to learn that the book was as witty and quirky as its title implied.
The book is written in second person. Our narrator is speaking to the main character, telling her about things that will happen in her life and giving context and explanations for things she might not understand with a focus on language. The main character is a neurodivergent girl who feels out of place and thinks she must be from another planet; we know her only as Little Alien.
Little Alien deals with issues at school with both teachers and fellow students. The home front is also rife with challenges due to her mother’s mental illness. When Little Alien learns about the existence of the Voynich Manuscript, a piece of writing some believe to be extraterrestrial in origin, it spurs a years-long obsession that introduces the character to the world of linguistics courtesy of her local library.
I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered second-person narration before outside of Choose Your Own Adventure books. It works perfectly for Franklin’s story, though. The narrator clearly cares about Little Alien and wants to help her with good and useful advice. It makes it all that much easier to care for Little Alien and connect to her, as well. The book also explores linguistics in interesting ways and offers plenty of humor with heart. Fans of witty and clever storytelling with good emotional beats like Remarkably Bright Creatures and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine should check this one out. |
