This graphic novel is a fast but informative read! Marguerite navigates life with Asperger's and we get to see how that opens her to discrimination in France. The art is eye-catching and the story isn't preachy at all but provides good explanation for what life looks like for a woman with Asperger's. I also appreciate the fact that the protagonist is a woman, since women are so underdiagnosed.

"Invisible Differences" is a moving and profound graphic novel written by Maggie Edmond that offers a unique and intimate look at the daily experiences of someone living with Asperger's Syndrome.
Through vivid illustrations and honest narrative, Edmond invites readers to the world of Marguerite, a young woman who struggles to navigate the complexities of work, social interactions, and romantic relationships. Marguerite's story is one of self-discovery, as she learns to understand her own sensitivities, frustrations and needs, and finally seeks a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome.
The graphic novel beautifully captures the delicate challenges that come with living with Asperger's Syndrome, including difficulties with social interactions, sensory sensitivities, and emotional regulation. Edmond’s illustrations are both moving and playful, offering a visual representation of Marguerite’s inner world and her struggles to navigate the neurotypic world around her.
"Invisible Differences" is a powerful and reflective reading that offers valuable insights into the experiences of people living with Asperger's Syndrome. It's a story of resilience, self-acceptance and the importance of understanding and embracing neurodiversity.
I highly recommend this graphic novel to anyone interested in learning more about Asperger's Syndrome, or anyone who appreciates the honest and moving narrative. "Invisible Differences" is a must read that will stay with you long after you have turned to the last page.

This graphic novel, which is newly translated into English from French, shares the true story of a young woman who discovers that she has Asperger's and reevaluates her life based on her new understanding that it okay for her to be abnormal. This book provides insight into how adults deal with ASD symptoms, such as social struggles and noise disturbance, and is particularly interesting because it follows a female main character, and women are less likely to be accurately diagnosed.

The art is colorful, appealing, and dramatic, with red dialogue bubbles and squiggles to illustrate disturbing noise. Although this graphic novel sometimes reads more like an informational pamphlet than a story, especially during the second half, the art elevates it into an engaging experience. People who are on the spectrum, or know and love someone who is, are likely to find this book reassuring and helpful, and this is also a great resource for people who aren't familiar with the issue and would like to be better informed and more sensitive to others.

Even though I am not on the spectrum, I related to many elements of the story because of my experiences with high sensitivity, misophonia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Near the end of the story, the main character becomes friends with an OCD person, and this was a nice tie-in and acknowledgment, since ASD and OCD people are irritated by many of the same things and have ritualistic tendencies in common.

At the end of this book, there is more information about autism, and the author's note also addresses the history of how autism spectrum disorders have been misunderstood and poorly treated in France, where this semi-biographical story is set. It was interesting to learn more about the impact of cultural issues there, and the book translates well into English, because the setting is interesting and intensifies the character's personal journey.

Love love love this book! It gave me a whole new insight on how autism is and the challenges that come with it. The author's narrative is really beautiful and the art is amazing!! It is a really powerful story and a must-read.

I an unable to review this title, as it was archived before I had a chance to download and read it. This feedback is only to stop this title from adversely affecting my netgalley feedback rate. If in the future I have the opportunity to read this title, I will post a proper review here.

This was a fantastic graphic memoir. I truly enjoyed this insider's perspective relating to Marguerite's realization that she is autistic. The internet can sometimes be a terrific way for folks to connect with people with similar experiences and to create a support network.

A fascinating look at what it is like to have Asperger’s. it was very well-written with a great narrative. The artwork was also especially excellent.

Invisible Differences is a graphic novel chronicling a period of girl's life while she struggles with being different to her peers, and her journey to finding out what exactly makes her different, and finding acceptance.

I accepted this book from NetGalley prior to my own finding out that I'm on the spectrum, and while reading it I felt so, so seen. I related to almost every single visual shown, and conversation explained and it was very validating as a newly realized autistic person.

Personal connections aside, I did think autobiographical portion this book was well done, the art was nice, it was informative (if a bit depressing in regards to how behind France is on acceptance), but I do have a small gripe with the end pages. At the very end of the book after the story is concluded, there are quite a few pages of information about autism, symptoms, history, statistics and such. The symptoms felt a bit constricting, but mostly I noticed a bit of incorrect information in the statistics portion. I only found one bit, but I'm just now reading into the history in other sources and am concerned that there may be more.

Incorrect information aside, I did connect to the story and enjoy it overall and would recommend it with the warning not to read the last few pages seriously.

*I was given a copy of this title via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This graphic novel is the journey of a woman of 27 living in France, as she goes through challenges in her work, relational, and everyday life. The journey leads her to search for answers and she finds them in the Autism Community online and in France. . This story does not sugarcoat the steps she takes to get there nor shows only the understanding people in her life. It reveals difficult issues and conversations she has with her boyfriend, cousin, doctors, and work administration. The title could be explained by people telling her they do not "see" her disability or think she should be able to adapt easily to what they want for and from her.

The graphics and text flow together so well and readers may find themselves reading the text and then perusing the illustrations for clues and extra context. This graphic novel is in black, white, gray, and red and is a mixture of panels and one-page spreads. Since the woman featured is named Marguerite, while the story is based on the life of Julia Dachez, this might be read as more autobiographical rather than a straightforward memoir. The informational pages at the back share history, factors, and resources.


Thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for the e-galley. I read the US version of the graphic novel. My reviews and ratings are my own.

TW/CW
Nonconsensual kissing and hugging, then shaming afterwards; ableism, behaviors associated with a person living with OCD

This graphic novel was really well done! I went into it just expecting to learn more about aspergers but was blown away by the art and method used in the book. I loved the color use and how it changed as Marguerite learned more about herself. I do have to say her boyfriend was terrible and she should have dumped him long before her diagnosis but it was important to the journey. It was also fascinating to learn France was so behind in the study of Aspergers.

The story of a young French woman who finally realizes she has Asperger's and learns how to cope with it, readjusting her life to meet her needs. Her anxiety and frustration comes through the pages as she tries to deal with hypersensitive senses and not knowing how to deal with social situations. She hasn't found any success with doctors or psychiatrists. (The book does explain that France is woefully behind other countries in recognizing and treating forms of autism.) It took her own research and self-diagnosis, before seeking out a doctor who specialized in autism who finally took her seriously.

The art is very European and quirky. It works really well with this story. I like how when the book starts off it's almost in black and white with little spots of color but as Marguerite learns what's different about her and how to cope the colors begin to filter in. My only complaint is that the lettering was sometimes hard to read. I get why the word balloons would change colors to show how Marguerite was hearing things. But there's a reason why capital black print letters on a white background have been used throughout the history of comics. It's because it's the easiest on the eyes. Thin white text on a red background strains the eyes. Overall though I think this was a fantastic book.

An excellent addition adult/young adult crossover graphic memoir! The art is lovely and the use of colors really helps to tell the story.

A great look at what it is like living with ASD. The illustrations are wonderful, but there might have been a few tonal stumbling blocks with this book--in education the reader about Asbergers and ASD, it loses some of the centering on Julie's life and experiences.

This book was SO good! It was really cool to see how some of the patterns and the layout of this book was utilized as a way to help the reader understand Aspergers more. I really liked how the authors worked with someone with Aspergers to help really encapsulate what it's like to have Aspergers. I knew a little bit about it before reading this book, but this book taught me so much! I really like the art style and the use of color throughout the novel. This book was so accessible, and I really liked that!

I loved this! My favorite part was seeing how liberating it was for her to receive her diagnosis. It changed her life in every way and gave her the confidence to go after what she wanted instead of settling. There were resources in the back of the book for further research that explained autism in a factual way. The art style was simple and nice to look at but nothing too spectacular. It was lovely reading about a disabled character take charge of their life and build a new one better suited for them. I want to see more graphic novels published with disabled characters.

This is not just a novel but also a manual for anyone remotely interesting in the differences that Asperger's brings to the life of anyone wanting to live within the current society and the pressures that go with it. There is a moment when our protagonist describes her diagnosis to a friend, and she follows up with the quizzical statement "that happens to everyone". I must admit that I have had that thought myself, and only after reading this in its entirety (it's not a very big volume) did I realise that there is a degree of variance in how a typical 'normal' person processes the data versus someone on the spectrum.
We see our leading lady discover, learn, and come to terms with her body and mind and then use that information to bring about changes in her life and others'. Towards the end, we have a list of information provided as a background to the content. This helps better understand things. Although the characters' name varies, we know that this is a sort of autobiography of the author herself. We even have a short segue to the illustrator and her part in the daily story. It does its job as a graphic novel with a purpose well.
It was originally written in French and is something I highly recommend people try.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley, the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of this book.

Maverick 2021 List. An important graphic novel that address the struggles of a women who has undiagnosed Autism. Since autism often presents differently in females many people are overlooked and incorrectly diagnosed. I love how getting a diagnosis frees the main character to finally accept and love who she is.

Name of the book : Invisible Differences
Author : Julie Dachez
Illustrator : Mademoiselle Caroline
Publisher : Oni Press
Number of pages : 196

Invisible Differences is a graphic novel that tells the story of Marguerite, a 27 year old woman who gradually realizes that she is on the autism spectrum. It is extremely informative about the condition.

The first part of the novel repetitively shows how Marguerite is an awkward misfit in her workplace and her boyfriend's social life. I loved the way in which colour was used in the illustrations. The first half of the book is largely black and white with some reds here and there. Then, after her diagnosis, in the second half different colours start appearing. Everything is in colour by the end, when Marguerite has found happiness in realizing who she is.

Adulting is difficult enough for the average person, but in this graphic novel, Margeurite is having a more difficult time than many people. It's not just the demands of work and bills, like most of us suffer through, but she is also overwhelmed by the stimulus of everyday life. Her self-care techniques cause some interpersonal problems because they make her boyfriend feel alienated.

As the story progresses, we find out that Margo actually has Asperger's Syndrome, meaning that she is on the autism spectrum. As someone who suspects they may also have Asperger's, this really resonated with me. I am also really selective about socializing and I don't like when my plans and routine are interrupted overtly much, although I am much more invested in my romantic relationship than the main character of this story seems to be (although she is upset when problems arise in hers, so I suppose there are some universal truths to the human condition).

I found this to be an interesting and educational book, and I was happy to get the opportunity to learn about Asperger's in a way that is fun and approachable.

My review for Shelf Awareness is here: https://www.shelf-awareness.com/readers-issue.html?issue=963#m16842

The review was also cross-posted to Smithsonian BookDragon: http://smithsonianapa.org/bookdragon/invisible-differences-a-story-of-aspergers-adulting-and-living-a-life-in-full-color-by-julie-dachez-translated-by-edward-gauvin-illustrated-by-mademoiselle-caroline-in-shelf-awareness/