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.

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.

Invisible Differences is expected to come out on August 18th, 2020 from Oni Press. Be sure to pick up a copy if it sounds like something you would like!

Happy reading!