A Mango-Shaped Space

Reader reviewed by plentyo'moxie

I just really love this book. Normally I am extraordinarily critical, and pick apart this and that. This is not to say this is a life-altering, amazingly perfect book. But there is a sweet and gentle story, wrapped up in some real stuff thats not overly dramatized.

Mia has synesthia a condition where she sees colors in association with words, numbers, sounds, etc. In third grade she is called a freak and she understands no one else can see colors, so she hides it from her family and friends until her problems at school become overwhelming and she happens to meet a kid who appears to have the same deal she does. In other story lines, her grandpa has just died and she sort of transfers her grief into love of a new cat, the Mango of the title.

I dont really want to give more away, just say that her condition is real, not many people at all have it but it is really interesting. Wendy Mass does a good job creating a story around it, with real and lovable characters.

Reader reviewed by carikube

A Mango-Shaped Space is has a pretty good storyline and deals with an interesting topic, synesthesia. Synesthesia is something that some people have (including me, the reviewer) that makes them associate other senses with, well, other senses. For instance, when I look at a sheet of black type, I see it in color. In A Mango-Shaped Space, the main character sees words and music in color. This is a very good read for anyone interested in the topic. It was especially interesting for me because I could identify with it, but I think that it could leave a lot of people wishing they could.