In a nutshell
A linked list stores each value in its own little box — a node — that also holds a pointer to the next node, chaining them together. Because the boxes aren't packed side by side like an array, adding one at the front is instant: you just repoint a link. The trade-off is that there's no jumping to the 10th item — you have to follow the pointers from the head and walk the chain one node at a time.