I loved this book. There were elements that I think may have got lost in translation, but the key message of life for Marguerite as someone with undiagnosed Aspergers, was simply beautiful. I would definitely recommend this in school libraries and as a teacher myself will be requesting it is available for our students. Such compassion. A wonderful piece.

This graphic novel (clearly a lightly fictionalised memoir based on author Julie Dachez's own experiences) follows 20-something office worker Marguerite as she comes to realize that her social awkwardness and anxiety has its roots in undiagnosed ASD. Fabienne Vaslet's art captures the main character's routines nicely, and is drawn in a style that gives it a nice casual life.

The English edition (which I read via NetGalley) is translated by Edward Gauvin, who is normally my favourite of the translators working in the BD localisation space, but some of the choices of how to replicate Marguerite's slightly stilted speaking style just didn't quite convey the same feel as the original. Still, if I were reading it alone rather than in comparison with the original I don't know that I'd have noticed.

There is an informational section at the end that seems to include information about practices that are quite controversial in the Anglophone ASD sphere without any note of the controversy, which seemed like a questionable choice. I appreciate how less known some of this is in France (which the book makes note of), but that seems like something that needed additional work for the localization.

Invisible Differences is a fantastic read with incredible, and emotionally poignant, illustrations. This was a fast read but made me think and check my understanding of people on the autistic spectrum.
Read this if you want to see yourself, or someone you love, represented in a graphic novel.
Read this if you're neurotypical, but curious about the lived experiences of others.
This graphic novel helped me understand friends who are on the spectrum and gave me the tools and resources to support them.

An ideal reading to choose from in the month of mental health awareness. Showing from the most basic to the most complex to the autism itself.
Allowing us to report how to solidize those who suffer from it without making them feel like a "feak"

Invisible Differences is a rare look into the life of an adult living with Autism. This book highlights how Autism can effect work, relationships, and everyday life. This book also covers the struggles many go through to get a diagnosis and how important having that official diagnosis is. The back of the book contains a variety of extra information and resources. Highly recommend for anyone with Autism and for any family and friends who love someone with Autism. Out August 2020.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

First of all, this book is closer to 4.5 stars. I think the story is very interesting and well told. The art is simply fantastic and striking. It also works so well with the story being told. The depiction of Autism and Asperger's is really truthful, which makes some of the scenarios feel very real. My only gripe with the book is how the narrator is used/revealed. It feels very unnecessary to me. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book.

#InvisibleDifferences #NetGalley

"Invisible Differences" is an autobiographical graphic novel depicting author Julie Dachez' experience being diagnosed with Asperger's in France, where the condition appears to be underdiagnosed and underrepresented. (This much didn't particularly surprise me, as I generally feel that continental Europe is lagging behind the Anglo-Saxon world in addressing a whole range of mental health issues.)

While I think this is an extremely important topic and did not find the graphic novel uninteresting, it seemed to be more of a teaching tool than a narrative, which did somewhat lessen the emotional impact the story had on me. Given that the book ends in an addendum presenting facts about Autism spectrum disorder in a more directly instructional way, I would have preferred the story itself to be less didactic and more dynamic. The first part, depicting how people around her react to Marguerite's (undiagnosed at this point) Asperger's is just very bleak, made even more so by the fact that there is no real resolution to these problems and relationships, no learning or even comeuppance that would provide some narrative satisfaction. This is all understandable, given that the storyline is influenced by real-life events which don't necessarily translate neatly into a three-act structure, but was still disappointing.

The illustrations by Mademoiselle Caroline served the story very well - I especially enjoyed the visual depiction of outside stimuli that always threaten to overwhelm Marguerite - and the gradual introduction of color into the panels was well done.

+1 star for Marguerite's adorable dachshund!

What a kind and sensible story!
I loved the daily routine of Marguerite, I could stay calm during the reading as long as she appeared calm and in control of her life and herself. However I simply loved when she finds out about her condition and actually starts living in colors. I loved the use of red to represent all the noises and the anxiety. And I could really feel all the pain that Marguerite felt on those days of dark gray and red sensations. I adore the comics and will recommend it on my instagram!

The graphic novel format was perfect for this story. Following Marguerite’s journey through discovering and adapting to her Aspergers diagnosis was clear and touching, made so by use of composition and colour palette. Whether the reader is on the spectrum or not, this story can bring a level of comprehension that feels like relief. While there are Reference resources included and educational information after the narrative, this is still an imaginatively told tale, The story moves in a sort of routine loop with variations as the plot progresses, which echoes the inner life of Marguerite, it is very much her story.

4.5 out of 5 stars

'Invisible Differences' is the English translation of a French graphic novel about autism. The story of Marguerite shows how diagnosing works, which struggles autistic people face, how to deal with disbelieve, and much more.

First of all: the drawings are very neat. They are simple but still contain a certain amount of detail. The artist was also very creative with color. In the beginning, the drawings are black, white, and greyish. The only color used is red. This is used to mark all the noise and other things that bother Marguerite, or for things, she finds difficult to do. At a later stage, when Marguerite gets her diagnosis, the drawings become colorful.
It is nice to see how the author not only wants to explain autism but also wants to show what it is like for someone to have autism. You soon notice that a lot of research has been done. Mainly because in between the drawings, some information is given about autism or other psychological matters. At the end of the graphic novel, the author also spends a lot of time explaining what autism is. She also tries to provide a brief overview. Like how social contacts go. She also raises the situation in France, which I found very interesting because I did not know this at all.

It is a beautiful graphic novel with pretty drawings and a very strong message. Sometimes it does feel a bit rushed. Which is why it didn't get five stars. Some things could be explained more or explained in more detail.

Marguerite is a 27-year-old, young woman, having a job, a boyfriend and some friends, but she also has Asperger syndrome. I picked this graphic novel because few years ago I watched an animated movie called ‘Mary and Max’. As it made me dig in more this kind of books and movies, I got happy finding this artwork too.
This book is an absolutely essential read, and it can teach us so many things about people with Asperger. It shows us perfectly how hard it is for them to live a social life. Sometimes I’m too antisocial person, that’s why I could relate to Marguerite’s feelings and anxiety in some situations.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, who wants to know about Asperger or social anxiety.

#BookReviewer #DSRreviews⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕥 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥: ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
#InvisibleDifferences is a graphical novel about Marguerite. She is a 27-year-old French woman who has a nice job and a boyfriend. Though she doesn't mingle much with her co-workers, neighbors, or friends. She likes being on her own mostly and always follows her to-do list. ⁣
She started questioning herself when she was asked to be more involved with her co-workers and in her personal life, her boyfriend started arguing about not attending social gatherings with him. That's when she finds out about a type of autism called Aspergers. After this revelation, she starts a journey she never knew she had to take. ⁣
⁣
This book was first published in French in 2016. Now it will be published in English on August 18th, 2020. Thanks, Netgalley for this amazing #ARC.⁣
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𝕎𝕙𝕠 𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕣:⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
Everyone. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕀 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕚𝕥:⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
Julie has narrated the story of Marguerite in a way that everyone can understand the life of a person who has Aspergers. I liked how she pointed out possible trigger points. This book is based on her life. So, she told every detail of her journey which started from google search and took her to a group therapy with other people who have Aspergers. ⁣
She also talked about the ugliest part of any mental illness, that is the stigma attached to it. It was heart-breaking to read those parts where Marguerite was being judged by others for her special needs. I like how she supported her arguments with numbers and talked about how little is being done even in a country like France. It was very thoughtful of her to mention how people sometimes don't vibe with their therapist and it is okay to change therapist if one can't see any progress in their journey. ⁣
The reason I gave it 5 stars is for the way she ended the book. She gave hope to all of those people who have Aspergers (or other special needs) that they do belong to this world and told how neurotypical people need to make this world more inclusive for others. By the way, all the beautiful illustrations are done by Mademoiselle Caroline.⁣ 
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𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕀 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕚𝕥:⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
Nothing. I hope they translate it into as many languages possible.⁣
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ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕔𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟:⁣ ⁣⁣
It is the book you must read if you want to know about Aspergers (at basic level) and how someone feels if he/she has Aspergers. I highly recommend this beautiful and informative graphical novel to neurotypical people (Google the term if you don't know who these people are. It is about time that we educate ourselves to make this world more inclusive.).⁣
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ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕖: 𝟓/𝟓⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Wow. This book sure was something. So realistic (the scriptwriter is autistic). This book is to put in both children and parents hands. Children, so they can know by seeing what autism is and means and parents to get their children diagnosed fast. Because it may leads to so much misunderstanding. It took 27 years for the main character to be diagnosed. 27 years of incomprehension and of feeling weird while she is not.

It made me cry to realised all she had to go through because of an unaducated society. This title is important on so many levels! Read it, watch it, learn from it and then share !

"Invisible Differences" shows how society is obsessed with normalcy. The protagonist is Marguerite, a 27-year-old woman living with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder - Asperger's syndrome. This work is autobiographical, since Julie Dachez explores her own experiences.

In Marguerite's life, an ordinary day is full of challenges. She is hypersensitive to sound, has difficulty socializing, and is bombarded with demands to be "normal". She is criticized by co-workers, the boss and even her boyfriend.

The book is divided into before and after Marguerite's diagnosis, and some excerpts from "before" are difficult to digest, because she suffers a lot in order to suit people's wishes. She receives advice that is offensive, accepts invitations that cause anxiety attacks.

It was disturbing for me to discover that Asperger's syndrome is underdiagnosed among women possibly because of the way we are raised: to hide our difficulties. Our gender is also a risk factor in the context of sex, as "aspies" cannot detect potential predators, and the notion of consent is often fuzzy or obscure for them.

The art of the first part of the comic is monotonous and repetitive to emphasize the idea of ​​routine and highlight the rituals that allow Marguerite to perform tasks. The protagonist tries to eliminate unpredictability from everyday life and protect her mental health. While she undergoes a transformation after receiving the diagnosis, the colors black, white and red give way to more vibrant ones and the drawings become more complex, representing the full life she can finally have. Best comic I've read in the last five months.

The author of this comic created it to show the 'Invisible Differences" that accompany a person with Asperger on the daily. We follow Marguerite through her life and experience the struggles she has to face with her. Her work is extremely busy and loud, her boyfriend doesn't understand why she never goes to parties with him.
Through the course of this book she stumbles over the term Asperger and Autism so she starts doing research.

This was such a great comic, because it was so informative!
I can't even list everything that you can take away from it, but so much is immensely helpful when you have a family member or a friend with Autism or Asperger. But it's also just great to know these thing for yourself and maybe be more aware of the struggles of other people.
I love that there's a graphic novel out there that has great rep for Autism!
If it's something that interests you or you have a friend that's autistic, you should totally check it out!
4.5/5 stars

Invisible Differences tells the important story of what happens when you realize you're Autistic in your 20s. This book should be read by all adults and teens in order to better understand those around them. Odds are, you know someone who is Autistic! You may even see yourself here.

The author and the illustrator had meticulously shown the life of an adult as an Asperger's patient in this graphic novel. I found the book helpful and informative. I would recommend the book to others.

I adored this graphic novel memoir.

This is a story about a woman called Marguerite who has struggled for a very long time with being social and making friendships and relationships work. She loves to sit at home with her cats and dog and read and that's it.
As it turns out, Marguerite finds out later in the novel that she actually has Asperger's syndrome and autism.

This book explores coming to terms with finding this information out not only from Marguerite's perspective but also from those of her colleagues, her friends, her partner and other people she comes into contact with everyday,

This was so beautifully written and sketched and told. I think it showed the prejudices people have of autism really well, a lot of people believing you cannot be a functioning human being if you have autism, which just isn't true and I think this book dealt with that really well. I just absolutely adored it. Also, very informative as well.

A fascinating story about a woman who realises that she may have Aspergers. The illustrations convey the confusion and difficulties Marguerite goes through in every day life.

Marguerite is pressurised at work and pushed into social situations and activities that she would rather not do. She faces the same difficulties at home where she is pressured into going out and socialising by her boyfriend of two years. She just wants to stay home with her pets and quiet.

It is in the midst of these struggles that she begins to question herself and she reflects on how she feels. Her efforts to 'join in with others' often ends in disaster because she doesn't do small talk and she doesn't dress to the nines for work. All she wants is to be herself.

As Marguerite goes on her journey of discovery she realises that she may have Aspergers. What follows next is a powerful story of being set free to be who she really is.

I loved this book. Apart from exploring the issue of Aspergers the story also allows us to explore questions about the way we place expectations on others, or determine how others should behave in a certain way, especially in the work place. You don't have to be this bubbly, outgoing person all the time but some how people are pressurised to fit into moulds and whilst these moulds might fit some people, for others they are oppressive.

The artwork though simple does an excellent job of conveying the story. Although Marguerite is placed into difficult situations by the expectations of others, she manages to fight for her own way of being and her diagnoses sets her free to be who she really is. I loved the freedom she experiences as she realises the truth about herself.

There is a story here about how to be who you truly are and this is something for anyone who feels the weight of societal expectations or who is struggling to live up to the expectations of others.

I think the most enjoyable aspect of the story is that it is true and that Marguerite is a real person. Hopefully as we read through her story we too will be set free to be who we want to be even if we don't have a disability.

I really enjoyed reading this and following Marguerite's journey to freedom and a new way of life. This is a beautiful and powerful graphic novel which is really well told.

Copy provided by Oni Press via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

As someone who's very interested in the topic of the Autism Spectrum, the title itself made me hope the book would be about it. And thankfully, it is.
Knowing a lot of people on the spectrum (my cousin, making friends with the special needs kids back in school), I hope that one day the public will be much better educated on the topic, just as we're slowly doing for sexual orientation and genders. And this book is from one of the two types of books about AS that I love - something that explains in detail, but also extremely accurately talks about the spectrum, what it is and why these people aren't "sick". They are just a bit different, thus have different needs. (The other favorite type being scientific works.)
I truly think that this book could help with spreading the word and making the world at least a bit more tolerable towards the "different".
The story itself is also well written, interesting and illustrated well - you can at least partially get what's going on in Marguerite's head, which makes it a great read.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.*