This graphic novel is actually a form of memoir, although it's told in the third person. It's about 27 year old Marguerite, who likes sunny days, chocolate, and animals, and has a pretty average life consisting of work, visiting the bakery and spending time with her boyfriend. And she is also autistic.

The graphic novel shows her interactions with colleagues, friends, her neighbour and her lover. It shows her difficulty connecting with people, and her difficulties fitting in at work and understanding things. She does her job really well but it's not enough. She's uncomfortable in social situations and people see her as rude, but the graphic novel shows us her panic afterwards. Parts of it are very sad, especially when she finally tells people about her autism and they still don't accept her. I connected with her, felt for her, and felt represented by her. Marguerite's story is only one way in which autism presents itself, but a lot of what she goes through is universal to autistic people, and this graphic novel beautifully shows why we behave the way we do, and the autistic view of the situation. In fact, Marguerite's relief upon finding out about autism mirrors how a lot of autistic people diagnosed as adults feel. We're not broken, just wired differently.

I really love the art style. The faces are very expressive and everything flows nicely. The use of colour is also really clever. A lot of the book is in black and white, with splashes of red that show sensory input or emotional overload. In fact, this book is a great visual for explaining sensory overload. I also liked how the colours changed after Marguerite's diagnosis, making the world a more rainbow and vibrant place, like she has found her position in the world and things are getting better for her. Because of this clever use of colour, parts of the graphic novel manage to say a lot without using a lot of words.

In the parts of the book with more words, it feels quite educational at times. The book sometimes feels more like it's telling the reader about autism than telling a story. This is not a bad thing at all, but it does give the book a more educational feel. It covers the very important topic of the difficulties of getting diagnosed autistic as an adult. Marguerite faces disbelief even from medical professionals, and extremely long waiting times.

There is some information about autism at the end of the book. The author does note that the use of aspergers is slightly outdated, but that the book is set in France, where autism is not as well researched or understood as in other countries. It explains some of the issues that autistic people have in France. Most of this information is very good and informative, despite talking about outdated distinctions between ASD and Aspergers. However, I do disagree with the comment that autistic kids 'enjoy' access to ABA in other countries, as many autistic adults who have been through ABA as a child have spoken out against the treatment as being abusive.

Overall, the book celebrates being neurodiverse, and ends on a hopeful, positive note. A must read for adults who suspect that they may be autistic or have just been diagnosed as autistic, and for pretty much anyone else who wants to understand an autistic friend or family member better.

Invisible Differences was deeply moving book. Equal parts informative and intimate, I believe that it is a great tool to educate people on the nuances of being a woman with Asperger's. While it is disheartening to learn that the world has a ways to go to accommodate neuroatypical people, it's nice to know that stories like this exist to help build understanding and bring about change. The art is beautiful and the story is uplifting. A must read.

As someone with friends who have autism, I found this book helpful for understanding what my friends are going through a little more. Beautiful art style and story.

This is my first time reading a graphic novel about Asperger's.
Marguerite is a 27 years old woman and live her life full of little and precise habits. She's an introvert, an animals lover who live with her boyfriend. At work she's super diligent but she don't like so much to socialize with other colleagues. But that's because she can not be comfortable in spaces with many people and full of noise.

These situations put a strain on Marguerite, which will lead her to move away from her loved ones.

Through the story, Marguerite will understand that she has Asperger's. She'll find a therapy group - an heterogeneous group of young and adult people - so, the reader can know that everyone react in a different way to their illness.

I liked how the author focused on Marguerite's emotions changing colors that from gray turn into red.

I think everyone should read this book, because it may help people to discover something new which is not always well understood by society.

I thought Invisible Differences depicted beautifully the struggles faced by people with Aspergers Syndrome. The feelings that Marguerite was coming up against we're some I'm sure we can all relate to in some way even if we are different. I thought it was really valuable and eye-opening to read such an honest account and to hear how behind France are when it comes to Autism was really quite shocking.

Such positive messages throughout - you are not alone, not all disabilities are seen etc.

The illustrations and simplistic and quiet which really compliment the story.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one! Thank you to NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

If you're someone who thinks they might be autistic, this is the book to read. If you're someone who knows a person who's been recently diagnosed and you're struggling to understand it, this is also the book for you. If you see autistics solely through the lens of stereotypes, then all the more it's a story for you - to understand and grow out of this view.

I liked EVERYTHING about this graphic novel. Everything. From the preface that's incredibly encouraging to those who have always felt they're too different, to the drawing style which is simply precious, to the story itself, which was SO. UNBELIEVABLY. RELATABLE.

Anyway, I really loved the drawings in this graphic novel. Not only are they adorable and the style is amazing, but I've never seen someone ACTUALLY DRAW SOUND and make me feel like I'm hearing it. Situations are just so emotionally presented, it takes me back to my own past and such situations. There's a part where Marguerite slowly feels herself become invisible and disappear while she's sitting at a loud, crowded party, trying to work out how she even fits into all of this. It's so true to how it feels to not belong - becoming invisible, where it seems that even the noise is more visible than you. The artist did such an amazing job.

But the story itself is just as amazing as the drawings are.

From the very first pages where Marguerite gets assaulted with all the awful din of an open plan office or gets called in for a talk with the boss because "not socializing with workmates during your free time" is somehow part of your work performance, everything was just so relatable. I was the one who brought my own lunch and was always misunderstood when the others would rather spend the entire hour waiting in line in a cafe and spending way too much on food that had way too little actual nutrients. I was also the one who would just cut small talk short because, you know, there was work to do - but apparently not actually doing work is preferred in most workplaces? But don't let me rant on, because I'll never stop - I could write a book about every one of these situations and how I could relate to them.

There is so much more that I'd like to share, but I can't, cause some people might know themselves and I don't want them to. I had even written it all out, but then I realized, I really can't share this. This is how close to the bone the story cut.

This book is absolutely recommended. 5 glowing stars. This book was so wonderful. And the only reason I'm not reviewing it on my blog or social media with more detail is because it might be about me, and I'm not sure I can talk about it too openly. I don't want too much detail on this where people from my private life can read it, if you get what I mean.

I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.

Originally published in French in 2016 and published in English for the first time this year, Invisible Differences is the nonfiction story of Marguerite, a 27 year old woman who slowly discovers that she is on the autism spectrum with Asperger’s Syndrome.

Mademoiselle Caroline and Julie Dachez’s book was pretty good. As you’d expect, it’s informative about the condition and gives you a good idea of what life’s like for someone with autism. Not a whole lot happens though, particularly in the first half which just repetitively shows Marguerite’s life, awkwardly not fitting in with her work environment and her boyfriend’s social life and wondering what’s wrong with her.

It also reads a bit like an illustrated pamphlet on autism in the second half, rather than a natural story, with all the information about the condition coming out in one info dump after another. But it’s an interesting condition so reading about it wasn’t that dull and it’s easy to see why it’s been such a difficult condition to classify and why so many people are unaware of what it entails to the person who has it.

I really liked Mademoiselle Caroline’s art which reminded me of other brilliant French cartoonists like Dupuy and Berberian and Penelope Bagieu. The use of colour was clever - the first half is largely black and white with some harsh reds and then, after her diagnosis, you see more colour appearing in the second half until, by the end, everything’s in colour, showing the reader Marguerite has realised a happier, fuller life through understanding who she is.

It’s not the most exciting read but Invisible Differences isn’t boring either and has some very appealing art throughout. Worth a look for anyone wanting to know more about Autism Spectrum Disorder (which is what Asperger’s was renamed in 2013) and/or enjoys slice of life comics.

This comic is what should be common knowledge. It helps everyone understand what people with Autism and Aspergers and how sound and too many people around them feels. I was so drawn into this comic. It was amazing, and I like how the writer and designer explained the process they went through to make the comic. Overall a definite winner for me,

Thank you so much Netgalley for a copy of Invisible Differences!

I am speechless moreover, amazed by all the things I did not know about being autistic and dealing with Asperger's syndrome. Of curse I had a basic knowledge that I have learnt during my Psichology curses at Uni, but this was so detailed and presented ina very cute and selfless way.

The graphic was incredible, sweet and easy to follow! I loved the ilustrations.

As for our main character, Marguerite feels awkward, struggling every day. Pretty relatable, hm? She represent all the feels we are hiding and the novel emphasize the importance between things that are hard for autistic people whilst it might be easy for someone who is "normal". But what does normal mean in real life? Everyone is normal on their own way, we have to accept ourselves and work from what we got and who we are.
Life is about discovering ourselves and becoming our best selves. This is what this novel teaches you:
- You are unique on your own way - and having autistic-effects or mental health issues does not define you!

I highly recommend reading this graphic novel: beautiful illustration, amazing story (which was actually based on true events).

Wonderful artwork, sad but true to real life and quite funny at some points! I love it and I think others will too.

A fantastic graphic novel about a very important topic. The artwork beautifully depicted the narrative through excellent colour choices and simple frames. Being dyslexic I struggle sometimes with the amount of information that is on a page. This graphic novel was a lovely change from the recent comics I have read which tended to over illustrate scenes and mix in complicated narrative.
I really enjoyed the simple font and flow of each frame, it allowed me to follow the story with ease and improve my enjoyment of the story.
My only issue was the red background white font, I found it difficult to read at times, but that was only included on a few pages.

Invisible Differences by Julie Dachez illustrates Marguerite's life, a 20-something-year old living in France, who had just recently been diagnosed with Aspergers' Syndrome. The book highlights the lack of resources for autistic people in France, and the miseducation of the people's perception of autism. This was particularly interesting to me, because I work in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis.

The illustrations perfectly captured the "feeling" of symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. The red dialogue for when other people talked to Marguerite. Red for the anxiety she felt before responding back, and the unpredictability of that person's reaction. Large cursive font for all the distracting background noise contributes to Marguerite's hypersensitivity. The repeating panels for the need to follow a routine, to name a few. This really helps the reader understand the magnitude of how it feels to be autistic.

No doubt, a five star read, absolutely loved it.

A woman named Marguerite discovers her atypical behaviors are a result of having Aspergers syndrome. This diagnosis is more common in the US than in France, so this resolution will not be a huge surprise to most American readers. That said, Invisible Differences is an easy read, as readers will be rooting for Marguerite to discover the cause of her issues, and it is a relief for the readers as well as for Marguerite when she does. What stands out the most is the terrific artwork from Mademoiselle Caroline. I hope to see more of her work published in the US - she brings some amazing art direction and color styling to the book and these touches bring this world to life. The book is more for the psychology section of the store than the graphic novel section in many ways, but I would be happy to read more stories of Marguerite's day-to-day life.

This was such a beautiful and important read for everyone. The story is about Marguerite, a French adult, finding out that she has Asperger and learning to make changes in her life and value what makes her happy.

Invisible Differences is both beautiful and powerful. I love the way Julie Dachez uses this graphic novel to explore identity and perspective — its a creative use of the tools that comics offer us. A very teachable book! Much love.

Marguerite struggles just to get through every day. She realizes she is different from most people. She hates noise, hates any break in her routine, and doesn't always understand social cues. She goes to work early to avoid awkward encounters with her coworkers. Her boss commends her on her good work but makes it clear that socializing is part of the workplace and she must try harder to work with others.

Outside of work, she tries to please her boyfriend by attending parties with him but she sits on the sidelines just waiting for the chance to leave. Her inability to recognize sexual advances almost leads her into serious trouble.

After a fight with her boyfriend, she decides to investigate what makes her so different from other people. Through internet searches, discussions with friends and doctors, and testing, she learns she has Asperger's and it changes her life profoundly and for the better with the support of understanding friends and her therapy group.

Invisible Differences by Julie Dachez gives a fascinating and educational view of what it's like for people with Asperger's, the importance of diagnosis, therapy, and the support of friends and family. The story itself is well-written and the art complements it perfectly. The graphics are mostly in black and white, using splashes of colour sparingly to show that differences can be beautiful. I knew little about Asperger's before reading this but it explains it in a way that is easily understood while telling a very interesting story.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

Living with an autistic partner, this book hits close to home. While awareness is slowly growing, aspies are rarely accepted, Dealing with this serious topic in the shape of a graphic novel was an excellent choice, especially to render noise sensitivity. I would recommend this little gem to anyone who is willing to learn, and might recognise themselves or someone they love within the pages.

pretty cute illustrations and a very informative and emotional story. i’m happy that i found this but i’m happier for marguerite aka julie and her own free noise world

Marguerite struggles in the workplace, in her personal relationships and in her daily interactions with others. Her friends and even her boyfriend label her a recluse and tell her to try harder. But Marguerite perseveres and thanks to some research, discovers the spectrum that is Autism and specifically Asperger's. Once diagnosed by professionals, she changes her life to FIT HER, not the other way around. This eye-opening graphic memoir shows Marguerite stand up for her rights to an inclusive workplace, a mature and better-fitting social life with others like herself and shows how we and others must begin to recognize Autism and its spectrum of abilities.

Invisible Differences covers a topic from a very specific point of view that is rarely considered. The protagonist, Marguerite, encounters difficulty in many quotidian situations, such as navigating the social aspect of her workplace. She has very particular needs around sensory stimuli, has trouble picking up the nuances in casual speech, and prefers to be alone in the company of her pets and in her home where everything feels safer. She realizes that what is normal/right for her isn't considered so within the wider French society, and so she seeks answers. Unfortunately, she meets some ill-informed and rude doctors and mental health professionals, but finally is able to find a place that provides comprehensive testing. The result? Asperger Syndrome (AS).
While some may feel pigeon-holed by a diagnosis, Marguerite leans towards feeling liberated by finally having a name for her experience. She also finds community and a new sense of direction when her workplace proves unfriendly towards her needs.
While the overall tone of the story is positive once she receives a diagnosis, the authors are clear in showing how backwards France is when it comes to knowledge and practice around autism. When Marguerite shares her diagnosis with others, she is often met with disbelief, as most people have a set idea of what autism looks like. This is precisely why this book was so great, though. Conversations in the media about autism often surround children, and particularly boys. When talking about adults with autism, it's usually related to savants. Invisible Differences shows us not only an adult, but an adult female in France, as she navigates what it means to live in that society with autism. It's a refreshing and much-needed point of view, and it doesn't hurt that the comics themselves are utterly charming and lovely.