A Mango-Shaped Space

Reader reviewed by Elise

I absolutely LOVED this book.

In the book, for the main character, Mia, sounds, letters, and numbers have color.

It deals with Mia's ability and just about everything else. Death, love, and school. The love and loss of pets, boyfriends, parties, and friends--you fight with them, but you love them.

I guess I can relate to it in the way that numbers and letters have colors for me. Sounds don't have color, but I kinda wish they did. Although, in Mia's case, it got a bit distracting at school in Spanish and math.

For me, my name (Elise) is the color of a bright, shining emerald. And the name Mia is a pinkish red.

I recommend this book to anyone 12 to 112.

Reader reviewed by Erin

I read this in 5th grade and I think I told everyone that is was the best book I have read in my life. It is about a girl that sees things with color. Like for math she will see different colors for different numbers. Then she finds out that there are other people out in the world that has the same problem as she does. There are some twist and turns in this book that keeps you reading.

Reader reviewed by Claire

"A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass is one of the best books I've ever read. It shows a colorful use of language and imagery. Mass shows the struggle of life through the eyes of Mia a 13 year old girl with synesthesiadeath. In the book Mia a facing the chalenges of her gift, the betrayal by friends. Anyone relate to Mia.

Reader reviewed by Rosie

WOW is all I can say. This is an amazing book. It is half serious & half funny. Wendy Mass is very talented.

In this book I can relate to Mia. No I don't have synesthesia (even though I wish I did). But her bond with Mango is like my bond with my dead cat Tiger. I'm not going to spoil anything, but this is very sad. I cried reading it. But you should read this book!

Reader reviewed by Ariabella

At the first chapter, I had been hooked. I spent all night and day reading want to know what would happened next. A book everyone can enjoy, whether it be a 10 year old or a 41 year old. If have not read this book, stop reading this and drive to the nearest book store or library. It is definatly a magical book

Reader reviewed by Sara

Mia is really quite the character in the way she expresses herself about her family, her cat, school, friends, and her grandfather. But what really completes her is her condition of synesthesia and how she deals with it.


After reading it (for the third time I might add ) I still wonder what it would be like to be a synesthete. I mean it would make life much more exciting, instead of being flustered by annoying sounds you could learn to enjoy them from the pictures and colors they formin your head. It does seem like it could be very overwhelming in school though, especially foreign language and math! I would do anything to trade places with a synesthete for a day to see what it's like!