I've found that graphic memoirs are really great empathy builders - ways to let people really inhabit the lives of others in a non-threatening way and this is one of the best i've read. Enthusiastic recommendation.

So good! I first read the original version in French but rereading it, the translation this time, just as good. Strong story and amazing drawing made this graphic novel a must read!

I enjoyed getting to know the main character, Marguerite. She doesn't quite fit in the world around her and her co-workers, friends and boyfriend tell her she just needs to try harder. Eventually, she finds out that she's autistic and things start to make more sense. People around her still don't understand, even though she now has the words to explain to them. But gradually things improve as she makes new friends who understand her better and she refuses to put up with being gaslit and belittled anymore.

I found it so frustrating how badly she was treated at work and in social situations! I really empathised with Marguerite and felt really annoyed by the lack of respect from those around her. I would have preferred to spend less time on that and more on her being happy and being treated right. But maybe that was the point of the book; to encourage neurotypical people to see things from an autistic person's point of view and to feel the frustration of living in a world that excludes you.

This is a lovely opportunity for most neurotypicals to learn about Asperger’s and autism.

I loved that this was in a graphic novel format which makes it easier to reach a bigger audience that prefers not to read long heavy volumes in order to learn and the art itself was also beautiful on its own.

I enjoyed every frame.

Thank you to NetGalley Oni Press for this DRC.

8/10

What a stunning book! This is about Asperger's, which is a form of autism. This approaches the topic quite well and delicately, which I appreciate. I enjoyed reading about Marguerite, who realizes she has Asperger's. She's such a sweet lady! The art style is very loosy and flowing, which makes it fun and comfortable to read. The layout is well done and easy to read.

This book was a quick and easy read. As someone who has autism I found this book to be highly enjoyable and very accurate.

Marguerite is in her late 20s, and this is her journey of discovering and accepting she has Asperger's Disease. The story and art do a wonderful job of portraying how she feels and how her mind works, to a point where what bothers her starts to bother us readers as well. I start to feel comfort in her routine, and in silence too, when she does.

There are a lot of details about what Asperger's really is or isn't, and it's very didactic in a way, but still easy to understand. Also, those details and explanations never interrupt the story or the flow; they enrich it. They help build (and, again, understand) the character and what she is experiencing.

This is a really important graphic novel that I sort of wish I had read sooner (it's out in French and Portuguese for a few years already), but I'm glad to have found now.

Very recognizable.

Like Marguerite I find parties exhausting (I pop out to walk the dog), the noisiness of the open plan office bothers me (and so does wearing ear plugs), and a few years ago I read an article on hidden autism in women that just clicked. Unlike Marguerite I haven't bothered to get a diagnosis: it's not going to cure the social awkwardness; it just makes it more difficult to renew my driver's license.

It was great reading Marguerite's life. I recognize that, and that. Other things: I don't have it as bad as that. Noise in the office: it didn't exhaust me as much as Marguerite, but due to corona most of the colleagues and their annoying habits are working from home now. Still, not going to share I think I have Asperger's with the colleagues; their framework is probably the same as Marguerite's (Rain man and such). I've worked too hard at being almost normal to change their opinions of me.

Recommended to everyone that feels awkward in a social situation most of the time. We are not alone.

Recommended to everyone who knows someone that you think is odd and responds unpredictable. (HR manager, I'm looking at you.)

Invisible Differences is a translated French graphic novel about a neurodiverse woman who struggles in her daily life. The panels and informative text drive the story and do an excellent job of visually showing how high levels of sensory stimulation affect someone with Asbergers. Marguerite struggles with open-plan workspaces and inane small talk and office chatter, misreads social cues, and feels abnormal and mismatched with her lover's need to socialize in large groups and go on holiday. When Marguerite is finally diagnosed properly, she realizes that there is a community of people who can support her needs and she thrives.

This is an excellent resource for those who would like to learn about Asbergers, Autism, and sensory issues without reading a textbook or more formal articles. Granted, if you meet one person with Autism, you've met ONE PERSON with Autism - everyone is unique, but Marguerite's story is a great starting place.

Advanced copy provided by #NetGalley for an honest review. English translation is avaliable in August 2020.

I think books such as this are really important, especially today. Conditions on the autism spectrum are still very stigmatized and those who are on the spectrum still get stereotyped heavily, so information that can be consumed easily is useful to those looking to learn more. It really addresses the anxiety that can be felt, how being misdiagnosed feels and how it feels when those in their lives don't understand or accept their conditions.

I loved the color scheme of black and white with accents of red. Red was used to show things contributing to sensory overload (for lack of a better term) and really showed how overwhelming seemingly small things can be when they pile on. There was also a simplified explanation of spoon theory that would be helpful to people who know nothing about it (something that is not exclusive to those on the spectrum, but also applies to those who have anxiety, chronic illness, invisible illnesses and more).

The back section includes information regarding autism history, facts and a list of resources for more information, which would definitely be helpful to people who wanted to know more.

This book was informative and I hope it reaches a wide audience to raise more awareness of the autism spectrum. It is a lovely story about self-acceptance, the author managed to write the sweetest character and her journey to understanding herself. The illustration of this novel was perfect with the subject and mood of the story.

A wonderful coming illustrating what it means to live with Asperger's and not know you have it and also the liberating feeling of finally discovering that no, you are not a freak or wrong, you have Asperger's and now you can learn how to manage it.
I highly recommend this eye opening and educative little comic. It reads very fast and the illustrations are very, very beautiful.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

This is a story about Marguerite who likes being alone.
Marguerite feels awkward, struggling every day to stay productive at work and keep up appearances with friends. She's sensitive, irritable at times. She makes her environment a fluffy, comforting cocoon, alienating her boyfriend. The everyday noise and stimuli assaults her senses, the constant chatter of her coworkers working her last nerve. Then, when one big fight with her boyfriend finds her frustrated and dejected, Marguerite finally investigates the root of her discomfor: after a journey of tough conversations with her loved ones, doctors, and the internet, she discovers that she has Aspergers. Her life is profoundly changed – for the better.

This graphic novel explores autism and Asperger's syndrome. I appreciated how the themes were dealt with and even though it all comes from the personal experience of the author, I believe this book might be a nice way for people to recognize themselves. It was very nice to see Marguerite come alive after her diagnosis, it was something freeing for her and I loved reading about her standing up for herself and for who she is. I highly recommend this book!

I am so glad I picked up this graphic novel memoir today! The struggles of an adult who has been diagnosed of Asperger's Syndrome are described from a totally different perspective as opposed to what we suppose we know about the syndrome. The misconceptions of the people are many, even from those who you considered the closest to. It can be pretty hurtful and disturbing at times. This memoir has done a great job in describing all these misconceptions, the assumptions, the ignorance of the people in general when it comes to autism and the Asperger's Syndrome. I specifically appreciate the author for giving a lot of emphasis on the means and methods of coming to a proper diagnosis of the condition; and the artist for accurately depicting the behaviour of different people towards these conditions as well as for accurately showing how a person with the condition experiences everyday life situations. It's just amazing!
The illustration just fits the description so well I would say.

I would have liked reading the book much better if the font was different/bigger and the dialogue panels were not too small and crowded here and there.

But I am so impressed with the way the book has been illustrated. It's simple and easy to read. And I would say it's educational without a catch! It's not boring, it's not complicated, it's not overwhelming nor underwhelming. Even a middle grade can read it with ease and understanding.
Overall, this graphic novel memoir is composed really well.

One of the best memoirs!

Thank you #NetGalley for the copy of #InvisibleDifferences

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great introduction to Asperger Syndrome and accepting oneself when being othered by society for your “challenging” behavior. I loved how the simple drawings complimented the layered complexity of the topic of Autism. The color selection of the artwork also added an additional layer to further depict the challenges Maguerite encountered. It’s also great at providing explanations as to why Marguerite is “being difficult” therefore educating the reader. My one qualm is the brief reference to the blue puzzle piece for Autism speaks which is a hotly debated organization within the Autism community. As it’s being republished in English and distributed in the U.S., this section of the novel would be received better if the puzzle pieces were replaced with some other symbol or artwork.

Invisible Differences is a graphic novel that beautifully illustrates the challenges faced by people with Asperger's Syndrome.

The book tells the story of Marguerite, a 27 years old French woman who has a hard time fitting in.

She likes to follow a tied up schedule and gets stressed if things do not go according to plan. She can't stand too much noise, and sometimes she is a little too honest with her co-workers.

Margherite is a lovely character. It would take little to make her life better, but people around her are too reticent in changing the way of things.

One of the things that makes this book different from others addressing the same topic is the quality of the illustrations. I loved how the illustrator used red to reflect Margherite's changes of mood and how well she depicted the noisy environments.

Another particularity is that the book focuses on adults with the syndrome. It brings testimonials of several adults, including one from a 50 years old woman who dreads socializing during coffee breaks.

Invisible Differences is light yet effective. An important tool to raise understanding of autism. A must-have for all public libraries and a must-read to everyone.

*This review will be published on Lureviewsbooks.weebly.com closer to the publication date*

A graphic novel telling the story of Marguerite, slowly discovering that she has Asperger's Syndrome, and then finally finding peace with herself.

Marguerite is 27 years old, has a regular office job and a boyfriend (who is a bit of a dick, if you ask me). She constantly bangs her head against her own behavioural patterns - she can't stand the noisy surroundings of her job, she can't handle irregularities very well, and she has little need for what is seen as 'regular' social contact. Her boyfriend wants to go to parties with her, but she finds this horribly draining, and would rather stay at home. All of this (and more) makes her wonder if there's something wrong with her. It also doesn't help that when she discusses any of this with friends and family, they basically blow it off, saying everybody has off days.

Then she decides to look on the internet, and when she googles her symptoms (as far as they are symptoms, Asperger's is not a disease as such), she sees herself in descriptions of autism and Asperger's. What follows is the long and slow road to diagnosis, and then telling her social circle, and rearranging her life.

I have an anxiety disorder myself (sidenote: there is actually a character with OCD in the book, but OCD is just one form of anxiety disorder) and I would regularly see therapists and psychiatrists to finally find out what was 'wrong' with me. I would get wishy-washy diagnoses, until I did exactly what Marguerite does in the book - simply google my symptoms. So this book hit a personal note with me, as you can understand.

The last twenty or so pages of the book are more general information about Asperger's, and I have to say, I don't think I have Asperger's myself, but quite a few traits sounded familiar to me.

The artwork is very European (the book is French, after all) - clear black and white linework, with beautiful use of colours. Fits the story perfectly.

In the end, what I like so much about the book is that it really takes its time to tell its story, and I can only imagine what a lifeline a book like this will be (and already is) for anyone wondering if they have Asperger's.

As a special education teacher, I enjoy reading books that bring differences to light. There is still misconception about autism, and I think this book does a fantastic job at showing a different view. As a middle school teacher, I think this book would be appropriate to have in our classroom as a resource for the students. It may even help general education students understand their classmates with differences more.

Marguerite is a young French woman who works an office job and lives in a cozy apartment with her boyfriend. She enjoys spending quiet time with her pets and reading. She has her daily routines like getting spelt rolls at the bakery and stopping by the cafe on her way to work. But, she feels awkward, out of place and overwhelmed at her noisy office.

She begins to research why she is different from most people and uncovers info about Aspergers, which was under-diagnosed in France at that time. She begins down the path to try to see if professionals will help her determine if she has Aspergers.

This was a lovely book. It's a graphic novel and I loved the drawing style. The book was actually illustrated by a woman who worked in a bookshop that Marguerite frequented. The two worked together to tell Marguerite's story in order to get more info out in the world about Aspergers. The story was well written, engaging, and honest. I read it all in one sitting.

This book was published in French a few years ago and will be released in English in the next couple of months.