Okay so I got the Translated version from #Netgalley and I am so excited to tell you about this book. As a cognitive neuroscientist, this book addresses a lot of issues that people in the autism spectrum face every day of their lives and the discrimination they experience because of their difference.

Here we follow Marguerite who is super 'awkward' basically she is different and for the first half of the book, we explore how different she is, how awkward and invisible she feels around people, her lack of outstanding social humor, sensitivity to noise, her love for her routine and her isolation which explains her disorder.
The lack of understanding of her so-called friends, boyfriend, and family adds to her depression as she isn't aware of what her disorder is. This book also addresses the lack of general awareness of autism spectrum disorders in France and the behavior even medical professionals have concerning it.

So when she finally gets a diagnosis she is elated (which is understandable, because knowing there is a problem, is when you can adjust your environment to cope with your disorder) because now she knows that there is a reason for her difference and she began to make changes. first by getting rid of her boyfriend who doesn't understand her, then friends that made her seem small.

I believe that this a good book to understand although minutely what people with Asperger's syndrome face every day of their lives and how we as a society can help them make the best of life even with their disorder. I also like the conversation she had with her friend who honestly was just so uninformed about autism spectrum disorders.

I like the graphics and the color contrasts, it made for an enjoyable reading experience. There are also links and information at the end of the story about autism and helplines to contact.

4/5

Thank you to NetGalley and One Press for providing me with an eARC of the newly coming translation of this original story!

Invisible Differences is about Marguerite, an individual struggling to fit in to society, especially in public situations. The graphic novel details her journey into discovering the Autism spectrum.

Being well acquainted with Autism and its quirks my whole life (my brother!), this book meant a lot to me. The coloring and depictions of how Margo felt were easily understood by the reader, especially as the page gets more crowded and loud, mirroring her feelings. I thought the art and story complemented each other perfectly, and the story is a great introduction to the Autism spectrum.

The only thing I wish this book had was more about Margo's story itself and less just feeling almost like an informal story. The parts I loved most were seeing her interactions with family, her boyfriend, etc. This reflects most of my regular issues with stories telling instead of showing. The novel shines most when it shows her feelings through the colors as well as her interactions rather than just explaining them.

Though I wish the conclusion of this had more story than explanation, I still think this is a quick and informative read while still b being enjoyable. A great introduction to Asp & the Autism spectrum.

After an anxiety-filled life of struggling to fit in, when Marguerite finally gets her Asperger's diagnosis, her life changes for the better.

A charming, empathetic, heartfelt and insightful book about being different, and finding your place. It highlights the validating power of being understood - and of understanding yourself - to be able to restructure your life in a way that works for you.

This was very eye opening as to what those with Asperger’s experience in their day to day life. I enjoyed reading this.

Uma GN mais do que necessária! Muito tocante!

Quando a gente pergunta se tá tudo bem com aguém, sempre recebemos respostas automaticas, mas a Marguerite me mostrou que nem sempre é assim, mesmo sendo "só mais um" todos somos diferentes. Muito didático e tocante!

First of all, I would like to say that autism was portrayed very understandable in this book. I think this is perfect for people who don't have a lot of knowledge about it.
However I had some remarks I would like to share. I see that the point of this book was to represent all the different aspects in which autism can be shown. However, not all people with autism have ALL of the characteristics of autism. Not everyone is sensitive to sounds, textures,... At the end of the book, this is addressed well, but in the story I found that suddenly the main character gets ALL of these characteristics put on her. It is possible for autistic people to have most of these characteristics, but this certainly isn't always the case.
Somewhere in the book, the puzzle piece was shown. I know this symbol gets used a lot, but it has some negative connotations with it. The puzzle pieces make it seem as if people with autism are puzzles that cannot be solved or that something is missing from them, that they are not whole. The puzzle piece is also strongly connected to the organization Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks is probably one of the most known organizations 'for autistic people', but actually it isn't that good. First of all it doesn't help autistic people. Only 4% of their budget goes to actually helping autistic people. Secondly, Autism Speaks' biggest goal is 'to end autism', which obviously makes absolutely no sense. Autism Speaks also barely has any actual autistic people on board.
This is why I - as an autistic person myself - don't identify with the puzzle piece.

But, as I am an autistic person myself and as I did a big research on the topic of autism in the media (books, series,...) I see all of the things mentioned above in this book. I think that if a neurotypical person reads this book, it is the perfect start to getting to know more about autism and what it is.

I loved that in the book, there was a lot of attention drawn to the way the people near the main character reacted to her telling them she is autistic. A lot of the time, people tend to not believe that someone is autistic because 'oh, but you look me in the eye? autistic people don't do that' etc. I love that these stereotypical statements are shown and disproved.

Let's not forget to mention that I loved the way everything was drawn. Everything was so neat and well portrayed. Sometimes images can speak so much louder than words and that was shown in this novel!

I think that as a person not knowing a lot about autism, this is the perfect start. It is also recognizable for autistic people.

I'm open to having a conversation about this.

Loved it. This graphic novel is a great introduction for those who do not fully understand what it is to be on the autism spectrum. It also shows the story of someone who feels different and discovers what that means to her. I found it uplifting to go from diagnosis to action and adjusting your life to make you more happy. Knowing that this is a translated work and it being set in France, it was very well done. Highly recommend.

Okay, wow. This graphic novel.. was extremely relatable. I feel like it would have been a really interesting read anyway which would spread awareness. BUT the whole time I was reading this, I was like 'but that's what I do, I'm affected by sound and touch, I can't handle social situations, I have to recharge by myself..' and I feel like it has opened a door for me.

A really great story, a lot to learn from and beautiful illustrations! I would highly recommend this to many people.

I honestly couldn't stop smiling throughout reading this graphic novel. Marguerite is me! She's exactly like me! It was so nice to read a graphic novel about autism that wasn't about how 'weird' or 'scary' it is. I loved the use of colour and the artist's style of drawing, it was such a lovely book to read.

Also fuck Marguerite's boyfriend and her old job. They don't deserve you.

Invisible Differences is a graphic novel that follows the 27 year old Marguerite. Marguerite knows she's not like everyone else because people talk behind her back and make fun of her. She has been to doctors etc to know what's going on with her, but they don't know or they give a wrong diagnoses. Marguerite has Asperger Syndrome.

This graphic novel really shows Marguerite's progress from before and after getting the right diagnose. This is shown by the drawings. It's so well done that I even understand more about autism and how people with autism might feel. I obviously knew what it was because I learned it in school, but now I understand it more on a deeper level. This story is so important, you should definitely read it if you want to understand people with autism.

Can I just simply say that I love this so much?

I also love the drawings. They tell a lot about Marguerite and how she feels. It is also so well written! I definitely recommend this graphic novel because it is so important. Please, read this!

That just flew by....
This comic was first published in France and only translated to English this year.
It's written by a Julie who was diagnosed with Aspergers as an adult; as part of her awareness campaign for Autism and Aspergers.

Truly enlightening!

I love how the art starts out all dull and brightness up as the MC becomes more comfortable with herself.

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.