The use of color throughout helps tell the story and educate readers without being didactic.. I especially appreciate how the book shows those with Autism as people first, but people with unique challenges that they can manage with support. It does not sugarcoat difficulties but does not imply Autism is some sort of disease needing to be cured. Above all, it emphasizes education, knowledge, and just talking to people with personal experiences. The informational back matter was also quite worth while.

After over 100 of lockdown this is the first story I have read. Given my passion for books I had expected that reading would be at the forefront of occupying me during the current climate but in fact it has been one of my struggles.

Invisible Differences in many ways felt comforting because Marguerite feelings felt like a reflection of my own. For a disclaimer, I do not have Asperger’s. However very much an introvert who can “pretend” at being social. I assume people mean what they say, I struggle with the unexpected and my life is lived by spoons due to my illness. (This will make sense when you read the book). As such this book felt very emotionally connected at times.

The storytelling of Invisible Differences is straightforward and linear. I especially liked that the narrator engaged with the reader at set points, for example with the repetition of the panels. It made Marguerite experience clear. The artwork of course complimented this, and the use of coloured panels to highlight anxiety was brilliant.

Invisible Differences is beautiful.

This graphic novel is the story of Marguerite and her invisible challenges. When she finds out about Asperger's syndrome, she sets up to find doctors that help her get an assessment. The diagnosis changes her life, explaining all her challenges and differences. And she finds out she's not alone.
I found this story informative, especially because girls often are not diagnosed as criteria are based on men, but also positive and pleasant to read. The illustrations are lovely, neat and expressive, and the text is concise and interesting. I liked the colour accents.
In UK the estimate is 1 child out of 100 in the autistic spectrum - this is a good way to raise awareness and remind ourselves that we should all be kinder to others, we don't know what life they're living.

Invisible Differences by Julie Dachez is a graphic novel, originally published in French and recently translated into English, that tells the story of Marguerite, a French women who struggles to cope with daily life. She finds solace in routines and quiet, much to the chagrin of her boyfriend, coworkers and even friends and family. Often, she feels overwhelmed by noise and craves intimacy but has a hard time achieving it. Even when she goes to the doctor to try and get a medical professional to support her needs after going to HR, she's all but laughed at and told that because she speaks eloquently, there couldn't be anything wrong with her. It's not until she starts researching her symptoms that she discovers the term Asperger's and is tested. Armed with that knowledge, she starts to make positive changes for herself and finds the friends and work-life balance she craves.

As someone who knows someone with Autism, it is enlightening to see the world from the perspective of an individual who is neurodivergent. I found it sad in places, especially when it was obvious Marguerite was trying so very hard to fit into her world and her efforts were dismissed or laughed at. But in the end, it is hopeful, because she finds she is not alone: that she has friends who understand her, doctors who acknowledge her diagnosis and support groups that help her make the changes she needs. I highly recommend this book for everyone but especially those newly diagnosed or family members or friends of those newly diagnosed, especially as the last quarter of the book gives some medical background on Asperger's and how it is handled throughout the world, especially in France.

Trigger Warning: There is a scene where Marguerite is attempting to help her neighbor and he forcibly kisses her. She fights him off and he verbally abuses her and accuses her of leading her on. This scene emphasizes that some neurodivergent people can be the victim of predators because they don't recognize the danger but it may cause issues with some readers.

Note: I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley and the publishers.

This was so lovely. The story is told in a pretty straightforward way yet the writer still manages to make you connect and care about the main character. The art is simple yet conveys perfectly the surroundings. I felt like I was there, hearing what the main character was hearing. The story does a great job of showing the aggravating interactions the main character has to deal with on the daily. It manages to be educational while be entertaining. It's sad and it's hopeful and I think everyone could enjoy this.

Excellent own-voices graphic novel exploring the experiences of a young woman with undiagnosed Asperger's, her efforts to understand her neurological status, and her resulting commitment to both live her best life and increase awareness in her native France about autism. The narrative is clean, compelling, and sympathetic. The artwork is appealing, if sometimes overly generic (for example, at times it is unclear which blonde female character is which if they are outside their usual settings). I would strongly recommend this book for teenagers and adults.

I'm not sure what made this graphic novel memoir of a young woman with Asperger's (Autism Spectrum Disorder) special, but I connected with it more than similar graphically told memoirs of navigating a world that doesn't get you. There's something special about it.

The storyline itself is pretty typical -- our protagonist runs into challenging situations with dating and work where people tell her she just shouldn't feel the way she ways and to get over her anxieties. When she Googles her symptoms, gets tested and receives an official diagnosis of Asperger's, she is elated. She finally understands what's been going on all these years and why she seems out of sync with everyone around her. But those around her still don't get it. The reactions of friends, colleagues, and even strangers to her news is frustrating. Her steady persistence, curiosity and desire to help lets the reader feel like they're part of her journey. I love the hope and kindness that permeates the book.

What put the book over the top for me was the appendix-type material after the main story with a bit about the history of Asperger's, strategies for "Aspies" themselves as well as those who interact with them, and important facts, such as that women with Asperger's are at much higher risk of sexual assault because they have challenges recognizing predatory behavior.

Grade: A

#InvisibleDifferences #NetGalley

This graphic novel was an impressive read, and partly educational!
The protagonist takes us into her world and what it is like to live with Asperger, in my case I did not know much about it, but this novel has helped me to know how someone who suffers from it lives it day by day.

Each page keeps your attention since the same protagonist is of great interest, at the same time it is a fun story, and it takes little time to read it completely.

It is an ideal book for those who do not know much about the syndrome and want to know what the life of someone suffering from it is like, a book for adolescents and adults, since it requires certain mental maturity to understand it.

The illustrations were a great accompaniment and made it more unforgettable.

4/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this e-arc!

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. The art style was nice and simple. The messages it tried to conveyed were done well. The information at the end was really helpful and very much appreciated

I received this arc from Netgally in an exchange for an honest review.

A must read for everyone! Powerful and compelling story about a 30 year old woman who goes through life without a proper diagnosis making her life more difficult than is actually necessary.
I love reading about strong women, but having our main character in the autistic spectrum doing her best to safe herself from this "normal" society is just so empowering, and it's based on a true story!
Absolutely love the art and the colour usage to give us the idea of anxiety to relaxation, the colour pallet helps to get in to Marguerite emotions. I like how they changed her clothes little by little so we can see how she's changing and feeling more comfortable in her own skin. The delicate soft lines are eye pleasing so you can enjoy this incredible story in just one go!

My only criticism is that at te back of the book where you can find more information about Asperger's syndrome there's no mention of Grunya Sukhareva, which I believe was the very first person to define and identify it. She called it "Autistic Psychopathy" back in 1925!! I know it would probably break the balance of the book as in order to mention her you'd have to also say that Hans Asperger allegedly chose not to mention her name as she was Jewish and he was affiliated with the Nazi party, we might need to leave controversies out of this gem of a book.
Highly recommend as I strongly believe that this book will help bringing awareness of the Asperger syndrome in adults.

This was an amazing book! I absolutely loved it! It dealt with the difficulties of being autistic and having aspergers's syndrome in a great way. I enjoyed reading about Marguerite's journey into discovering she has asperger's and how she dealt with it. The artwork was charming and the story was heartwarming. Overall this is a fantastic read for anyone and I would highly recommend it!

The society has not been kind to Marguerite. She knew she was different and when she found out she has Aspergers, this has become a great news for her.

The story felt very personal to me. But this book wouldn't be as great as it was if Mademoiselle Caroline wasn't able to show Marguerite's feeling through her art. I can feel all the emotion of the main character on every page.

The graphic novel was very interesting. I learned about autism but also about Asperger. I really loved Marguerite as a character!!
Thank you yo Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review

This was interesting due to the fact that it is set i France, which has lagged behind many countries on their treatment of neurodiverse individuals. The art is excellent, but the story is straightforward. It would be interesting to read this in French to see if the translation has affected the voice of the book.

This graphic novel was so sweet. I loved seeing my sister being represented on the page of this book. I think that it showed what it is like to be autistic very well and all of the attributes and emotions that come with it. My sister has experienced a lot of what this character dealt with and I think the representation was very well done. I think this is an informative and cute graphic novel.

The illustrations are not only innovative but something new. The build up is very engaging and how the main character finds herself and Asperger's issue is dealt with a new perspective with the help of graphic novels. The black and white combo with colour coming in later brings in the new style of graphic novels. This is such a good read for young children and for adults falling in the bracket of 20-30 years old. I find it to be a necessary catalyst to keep its point across. The illustrations just take my breath away and truly our the life and soul of the graphic novel. Do read this one

This was a well written book and I enjoyed it. I picked this one because I have a daughter that was diagnosed at 14 with Autism Spectrum disorder which is a lot older then usual and my biggest worry is her living with this as an adult. This book is so much more then Autism and adulting it is seeing yourself for who you are.

This was a really beautiful graphic novel about the reality of living with Asperger's Syndrome / high functioning autism. Marguerite is 30 - she loves her cats, she has a boyfriend and a job. She finds social situations really uncomfortable and exhausting. She doesn't really understand what people mean when they talk sometimes. After being laughed at by her GP, she finally gets a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome and everything changes.

I found Marguerite's story heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting. It's so sad that so many people, especially women, go for so long thinking that there's something wrong with them. The story is straightforward and the artwork was really clean and clear and gave the script more impact.

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this graphic memoir from the perspective of an adult living with Asperger's Syndrome. I have a read a lot of literature exploring children with autism as an elementary school teacher with a degree in special education. As I was reading, I realized this topic is often underrepresented in books when it comes to undiagnosed adults. It was fascinating learning about the how every day common place interactions and experiences can have such a debilitating affect on someone with AS. The visuals were equally as appealing and complimented the story well. I found myself rooting for Marquerite to overcome adversity and advocate for acceptance. I am so pleased this book was translated from its original French so I was able to consume the story. Upon finishing, I immediately found myself watching a TED talk featuring Julie Dachez. This story could be a useful case study to someone in the field examining these conditions or anyone wanting to educate themselves and learn more about people with differences. The informational components at the end were clear and easy to understand wrapping up the book in a complete and definitive way.

An excellent nonfiction graphic novel about a young woman's journey towards self-acceptance and diagnosis with ASD. C'est magnifique en l'execution!