Invisible Differences by Julie Dachez

 "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 discomfort: after a journey of tough conversations with her loved ones, doctors, and the internet, she discovers that she has Asperger's. Her life is profoundly changed–-for the better." (Goodreads.com)

I found this graphic novel to be a good introduction to learning about Asperger's since the story follows a woman, named Maguerite, who is on a journey to find out why she feels different from those around her. Asperger's Syndrome is something that I have known about for a long time but I didn't know much about the experiences of people who have it. Invisible Differences offers a lot of helpful informational material both within the story and at the end of the book. There are many people who don't understand what it means to have Asperger's and Marguerite is often not taken seriously because of that. With that in mind, the ultimate goal of this graphic novel is to spread awareness and empathy for people who are not neurotypical and I found that the story achieves this.

Kelsey Fitzgerald

Library Assistant

Available at the Langley-Adams Library