Invisible Differences: A story of Asperger’s, adulting, and living a life in full color

Marguerite (a young twentyish) struggles with daily life.  She works, and yet can’t seem to make her coworkers and boss happy.  She has a boyfriend, and yet can’t seem to make him understand her need to be alone. Every day is a struggle to get people to understand her needs and wants.  Loud noises, being touched, direct eye contact is very difficult for her.  Marguerite knows something is wrong with her.  She has seen many doctors and all have told her she is fine- she is normal.  Yet Marguerite doesn’t feel normal.  After a huge fight with her boyfriend, Marguerite decides to research her condition.  She types in the Goggle search box- social anxiety, need for solitude, communication issues…and what comes up is Asperger Syndrome- a form of Autism which is characterized by difficulty in social interaction and non-verbal communication among other things.  She is baffled…”Do I have Autism?”  “Am I Autistic?” With this new knowledge, Marguerite decides to visit an on-line Autism Forum and is able to connect with the right type of therapist.  She discovered a social network of people with similar conditions and after meeting up with a group of them she felt she belonged. Her world opened up and life got a lot better.  With encouragement from a friend, Marguerite decides to write a blog about her experiences with Asperger’s.  She even begins a YouTube channel.  She becomes so famous and has such a large fan base she decides to write a book!

Based loosely on the authors personal experience, the reader not only gets a first-hand look at living with Asperger’s, but also an awareness at how clueless most people are about the syndrome.  

As you read the story of Marguerite, you will be amazed at how strong she becomes.  She begins to advocate for herself and finds comfort in knowing her diagnosis.  She finally knows why she is different and now she wants to help others with the same syndrome.  

The author has a special section devoted to what it means to be ASPIE… it includes topics like hypersensitivity, challenges with social interaction, and even sex.  This book belongs in all middle school and high school libraries.  The students will not only learn about Asperger’s, they will find the format (graphic novel) appealing.

Book clubs will also like this title as it will serve up great conversation.  I would pair this book with The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.  

Fun note- the author actually does have a blog and YouTube channel, you might have to translate, the author’s native language is French.