Published in French in 2016, in Brazil the following year, and just now in the USA, 'Invisible Differences' talks about a girl with Asperger syndrome. We follow Marguerite through her daily routine: house, bakery, passing by in front of a bookstore, job... and the way back; her relationship with her boyfriend, with her family, with her neighbor, with her friends, with her coworkers - none of them being easy, and in none of them the people really respect Margueritte as she is. Furthermore, Marguerite discovers that she has Asperger's - nowadays the name is Autism Spectrum Disorder and not Asperger's syndrome.

The graphic novel is delicate and at some points kind of didactic, which I like, because before this reading I knew almost nothing about the autism spectrum, now I could say I know a few things.

About the drawing, at first, it could be seen as simple, but I found it beautiful, with details in the scenes and a captivating form to conduct the story, as the color pallete, of grey to colorful, following the specter of Marguerite's life. From judgemental people who did not accept her to a new perspective of reality full of love and respect and happiness.

After teaching a lot of children on the autistic spectrum, I am always looking to learn more about people's experiences of autism. At first, I thought this was a graphic memoir, and it does feel like that in part. You can tell Dachez has translated a lot of her own experiences into this story.
The story follows Marguerite as she navigates work and social life, all the while struggling with many day-to-day tasks without knowing why. Whether you are on the spectrum or not, this is a beautiful and enjoyable story that many people can probably relate to. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I can relate to some of how the protagonist feels- particular in social situations.
I love the use of a stark and simple colour palette as I felt it helped the reader focus on the story. As the story progresses there is more and more colour in the pages as the tone becomes more hopeful.
I'm really glad I stumbled across this!
(For some added context- this book was first published in French, the author has talked and written about being diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and how many people aren’t diagnosed until much later in life!)

This was by far the cutest and amazing graphic novel I've recently read! I liked everything about it! Very inspirational!

I can't stress how important a book like this is. It is that kind of books that inviting you to understand about something important without judging you for not knowing about the topic.
It really helps someone like me, who have a minimum understanding about Asperger's.
I simply thankful for books like this. I will def purchase this book once it's out.

I believe everyone should read this to get a better understanding of Asperger syndrome as it seems what we presume might completely wrong or half right. Just because of some misleading information we took and believe on a website, we take someone close to us that trying to cope up with their Asperger's for granted and what we really need to do is to embrace the fact. No one is the same, and that is alright because what is normal anyway? Let's stop being ignorant.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I'm so glad I found this graphic novel, and also so sad that France (were this graphic novel is translated from) has so little knowledge about Asperger Syndrome. As for me, with a invisible diagnos myself, I feel so much connection to the main protagonist. The only struggle I had with this graphic novel was that the text and bubbles sometimes were different shades of red, which I found very hard to read. I understood the message why the different chat bubbles were different colors, but some colors are really hard to read when the font is small on your mobile phone.

But this graphic novel has everything you would want in this type of memoar. I truly enjoyed every aspect of it and I find the discussion of a lot of stuff that people around you could say and react when you tell them about your diagnos. I found the memoar very easy to follow, but also made me more aware over what Asperger Syndrome is and give a education for everyone who want it. I feel like everyone can read this and get a better understanding (and hopefully a kinder response for people with this diagnose) and be better people.

Invisible Differences sheds light and raises awareness for Asperger's Syndrome. This graphic novel follows Marguerite and her daily struggles as she tries to lead a relatively normal life. Besides being entertaining and interesting, Invisible Differences does a phenomenal job of explaining misconceptions on Asperger's and showing a rather personal and unique perspective on this topic.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press publishers for providing a free ARC

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.

4.5 Stars ( I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

This graphic novel was a joy to read and definitely has parts that everyone can relate to. Margaret has always been different from everyone else. Preferring blunt honesty, routine, quiet and staying at home everyone seems to have opinions on her odd life. This brings her a lot of stress, wishing she could do things differently and starts her on a journey. Learning more about something called Asperger's syndrome, trying to get a diagnosis and connecting with support groups. In turn leading her to find some peace and purpose about her life. Also there is another person in the story that represents another mental health condition, which was nice to see.

This book is a non-fiction graphic novel about the author's life before and after being diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.

I loved the art style, before the diagnosis the art was mainly black and white with hints of red, afterward there was more colour as the author learned to accept herself.

My main issue with this book was the language, which may have been bad translation from the original French to English. At one point the boyfriend is referred to as 'lover' in conversation to a neighbour which I just didn't like.

I really did not like the boyfriend and most of the friends in the first part of the book, which was part of the story arc, but none of them really recognised their wrong behaviour by the end of the book.

I understand that this is non-fiction and has to stay true to life, and I feel bad rating non-fiction lower, but I just didn't enjoy it.

I truly truly loved this one. It broke my heart too, but in a good way. I understood her loneliness and frustration so much, I recognized myself in a lot of her pro & personnal/social difficult situations.
This is an inspiring and positive story about resilience and growth, and a very important book for anyone who struggles not only with Asperger syndrome or autism spectrum disorder but any mental disorder really. It also dismantle a lot of clichés and is informative enough for people to drop their prejudices about the Difference in general, if that makes sense.

That book is important, please read it.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Oni press for this ARC, I'm grateful. Plus, as a French woman, it's always funny to read an English translation of a French author.

Invisible Differences is a graphic novel inspired by Julie Dachez’s own life and her experiences with Aspergers. In Invisible Differences we follow Marguerite, who’s constantly told she’s weird and is often criticized for being awkward and anti-social. She is eventually pushed to confront what makes her different.

If I had to choose one word to describe Invisible Differences it would be quiet. Invisible Differences is a subtle story, essentially following Marguerite’s everyday life. She’s a creature of habit, and so some panels tend to get very repetitive, but I think this effectively reflects on her state of mind. Invisible Differences read a bit like a fable. There were aspects to it that I had a hard time believing, and that I thought were included to get certain messages and points across. An example of this is Marguerite’s boyfriend, he’s extremely insensitive to her needs and I began to question how they got together in the first place and why they were together to begin with. I’m willing to overlook this, however, because I do think the novel’s ultimate goal is to educate and help others gain some insight into what life with Aspergers is like.

In terms of art, Invisible Differences is very simply illustrated with a Parisienne feel to it makes sense given it takes place in France, and uses colours very effectively to depict emotion. I especially liked that the graphic novel slowly integrated colour as the story progressed, going from grayscale with red accents to full-colour. I thought this fully utilized the graphic novel format. My one complaint in regards to format was that I wish there were chapters. I understand this decision as the story flows well and there aren't many places where a break would have been natural, but it's still something I wish was worked in.

I devoured Invisible Difference in one sitting. From the Dedication to the information at the end of the book and everything in between, I was hooked on Marguerite's quirks and her journey to self discovery.

Marguerite's struggles with everyday life is relatable to those I know with Asperger's Syndrome. Once she found the right therapist and had a solid diagnosis, Marguerite learned that it is normal for her to display autistic characteristics. She adapted her life accordingly to bring joy to herself and awareness of Asperger's Syndrome to others.

This is an empowering book for anyone to read, but especially for those who want to get a graphic novel glimpse of what it is like to live with Asperger's Syndrome.

When it comes to books about autism and Asperger’s syndrome, I noticed a pattern with the type of books available; they’re either heavy medical texts that most people would struggle to read,, or they are personal accounts but always written by men. It never occurred to me until reading Invisible Differences that there was a gender bias when it comes to autism, or to how it influences peoples’ perspectives of it.

I absolutely adored this graphic novel. It’s the right amount of educational, with a heartwarming story of Marguerite discovering herself and growing into herself after feeling like the outsider for so long. There were many moments that felt relatable, seeing how her Asperger’s impacts her daily life. Like I mentioned before, there aren’t many female focused books on autism, and it’s refreshing and imperative to learn more about that experience.

I feel like I’ve learned so much more about autism enough to speak to customers about it, and if they want to learn more this would be my go to for them to check out. It’s a wonderful story, giving plenty of information, and a unique perspective. I love the art, and the subtle colourful transition that signifies her happiness, and the information provided.

I will be leaving a review on the Waterstones website.

This was a super interesting read for me and it was even more interesting to learn that it’s a translated version of a graphic novel that was originally in French. As someone who learned about Asperger’s in school, it was super interesting to see it being portrayed in a graphic novel and giving the condition the representation it deserves! Great read if you’re interested in learning more about the disorder in a less serious way rather than picking up a textbook or reading a Wikipedia page. Highly insightful!

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.