A Mango-Shaped Space

A Mango Shaped Space is a spectacular book. The book is about a girl named Mia, who has a disease called syensthesia, which makes her see color when she hears a sound. In the book she has to learn how to make her way through school, get over the loss of her beloved cat, and just being a teenager, all with her disease. She finds that with the help of her friends and family, she can overcome anything. The mood of this story is sad but humorous in some parts. The book is unclear about how much time passes, but I would guess about a year. The main characters in the book are Mia, her cat, and Mia’s family. I would recommend this book to just about anyone, but there are some depressing parts so if you do not like sad books, I would not recommend this to you. I am very glad I read this book and I hope you will too. - By: Oliver A. Age 10.

The book, " A Mango Shaped Space" is outstanding!!! One of the best books I've ever read, and I LOVE reading and I like all books.
This isn't some kind of cheesy, fake book that's all happy happy. Yes at some points it is very sad but then very happy. It was perfectly written!! I learned so so much about Synesthesia, a case in which your colors or numbers have taste, textures, sounds, or colors. This is a MUST read. It is amazing. Its really sad at some points though.
I LOVE LOVE LOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEE it. I've read at least 5 times!

In this unpredictable tale, the reader is introduced to a new perspective that awakens their senses... literally! A Mango-Shaped Space strolled me through emotions that could only be achieved once your hooked to the book. A thoroughly enjoyable journey, opening new discoveries and perspectives, and full of emotions would all describe this book. It'll keep you at the edge of your seat!

Wow. Ok, this book was just awesome. So Wendy Mass is my favorite author and this doesn't even surprise me, but this is now on my top 20 favorite books after The Willow Falls series, Jeremy Fink and The Meaning of Life, Jake & Lily, the Harry Potters,Every Soul a Star, and The My Life in Pink & green trilogy. I would recommend to girls ages 11-15. I'm 12 and I loved so... go buy it. : )

A Mango-Shaped space is a book that I would reccomend to everyone! It's about a girl named Mia who seems normal, but really sounds, numbers, and letters have colors to her. For example, the letter 'a' is a lemon-yellow color! Mia realizes she isn't normal, but her parents don't believe her when she tells them. Mia also has a cat named Mango, which she named because the wheezing noise her cat made was like little mango-colored puffs of air.

This book is interesting, and I learned about Synesthesia, a topic I didn't know about before.

But beware--the ending of this book is kind of sad... but I still reccomend it!

Spoiler Alert! Mia and her family live in Northern Illinois next to a big valley. The time that passes in this story is about half a year. Mia is the middle child in her family, along with her cat named Mango. No one knows that Mia has synesthesia-a crossing of senses-so that means whenever she hears a sound, it has a certain color and shape to her. For example, her cat weezes mango-colored puffs and that's why she named her cat Mango. Mia is having problems with a couple of subjects in school like math. She can't concentrate because of all the colors bombarding her. Her teachers don't know about it either. So they are wondering. Jenna, her best friend, is not aware of it either. When Mia starts having so much trouble she finally just has to tell her parents and Jenna. Jenna becomes really mad about that then they break up for a while. Later, they both apologize and become friends again, and of course everyone at school now knows and Mia becomes really popular at school. Mia sees a doctor and is told that she has synesthesia and gets to know some people that also have it. She is kmazed by all their stories. I thought this was a very good book for lots of people to read. I thought that Mia, the main character, was always happy, nice and cheerful throughout the book even though she had difficulties. Some of the main charaters are Mia, and Jenna, Mia's best friend. Unfortunately, Jenna's mom died and Mia's grandfather died but they are both buried in the same grave yard and Mia beieves that her grandfather's soul is in Mango. And each of them are about 13 years old. I really liked this book because it makes you want to read all the time.

I found this book very good. It was very character-driven, and yet moved at an entertaining pace. I was surprised at how Mass was able to tie up all of the loose ends in the story. There were many problems and layers to it, and in the end everything was concluded.

Though I definitely would rate this 5 stars, one thing that dissapointed me was the maturity level of Mia (the main character) and her best friend Jenna. Especially at the beginning of the book, when the two girls are in 8th grade they still act very young. The go on spy missions and make fun of Mia's older sister, 16 year old Beth. I could expect this kind of behavior from maybe a 4th or 5th grade, but definitely not an 8th grader. Though both girls mature by the end of the book, I found it rather odd.

But, overall this book is amazing! I would love to see it made in to a movie!

WOW this book was great it really showed the way Mia lives. The book showed that nomatter how strong you are you do love things even things you don't realize. This book really explaines that things really mean alot to people even to people that might "see life a little diffrent than you". The novel really puts you into the perspective of Mia. The book really opened my eyes to whats important in life and it showed me that life is only as good as you make it. So really everyone should read this book and really think about it and think how it relates to your life. Definatley the best book I have ever read. 5 stars easily.

The book A Mango-Shaped Space is about a girl named Mia Winchell, who is thirteen years old. When she was five years old she spoke out in class about how sounds, numbers, and letters have color. She then covered it up and said she was just kidding about it. Mia made it seem like she led a normal life to her family and friends. Mia was struggling in 8th grade, especially Pre-algebra and Spanish. The colors weren't linking up to what she knew they really were. She comforted her parents about the situation when she was knew she was failing her classes. Her parents took her to her pediatrician, which then sent her to a psychotherapist. She then was sent to a doctor at the University of Chicago, named Jerry, who told her she had Synesthesia, which perceives numbers, letters, and sounds having there own colors. It is thought to be hereditary, and it can come and go as something traumatic occurs. Throughout the book, Mia is challenged to see if she can keep her friends, experience her colors, and also keep up on her school work. Mia feels as if her cat has her dead grandfather's soul in him, so she is very close to this cat. She enters a traumatic state when her cat dies, and she loses her colors. In the end, Mia is able to get her colors back and also finds out someone in her family had Synesthesia, just like her.

Synesthesia is a neurological condition which simulated there senses. The most common form of synesthesia is grapheme, which is when letters and numbers perceived in colors. In Mia's case she perceived letters, numbers, and also sounds in color.

As a student studying to become a middle level teacher (4th-8th grade), I think this book is appropriate to have any of those grade levels to read. It's a good book to demonstrate that students are all different, and if someone is different you shouldn't treat them any different from someone else. I would defiantly have my students read this especially in an English class. On this website([...]), there are activities and discussion topics. Another activity could be to give your students a plain white piece of paper and have them draw things they like and their interests, then have them express themselves with lots of colors. Just as if Mia would see them.

This book was amazinglyg written with fluent language and well developed characters. The book describes a unknown illness that is actually quite common in people. Loved Mango and the ending made me cry! Keep writing Wendy Mass!

The title 'A Mango-Shaped Space' is intriuging; the book, even more so. The story follows Mia, a girl with a rare condition called synesthesia, as she struggles to find where she belongs in the world. Synestheics see the world in a unique way. Two of their senses, like vision and hearing, are crossed; so whenever a sythestheic hears a sound, he or she also sees a shape or color. While I had never heard of synesthia before, author Wendy Mass expertly brings the condition to life with a first-person view of Mia's experiances. I found the book both enjoyable and easy to connect to. A great book!

I loved this book. It was sad with a little comedy and drama. It is about a 13 year old girl named Mia who sees letters and words in color. She doesn't consider it a gift, but then realized it is. She also has a cat named Mango who she believes has the spirit of her recent my passed grandfather who she was close too. Mia has a strong relationship with the cat. Then she gets distracted with things and starts to forget her cat and even her best friend. But at the end things turn out alright. I recommend this for 9-13 year olds. It is a really great book. You should get it.

"A Mango-Shaped Space" is a great gem of a book. The story is compelling in the way that it weaves elements any teen can identify with (Mia faces love, loss, and friendship troubles) with the unique situations brought on by Mia's synesthesia. The quirky cast of characters also brings on plenty of funny situations. Finally, the author obviously took great care in making her descriptions of the protagonist's "colors" realistic and believable--a lot of research clearly went into this book along with the great writing and humor. Definitely a great read for teens!

A book about a girl named Mia living as a middle child in that awkward time of life. While trying to grow up and figure out boys she hides a secret that could make everything else worse. When she finally reveals it she has to deal with the reactions and it changes her whole perception on the secret. As Mia?s world falls apart we see how her dark secret comes to be the light of the situation.

This is not a hard book to read. I actually found it hard to put down. The story is told through the eyes of and eight-grade girl named Mia. I believe that Wendy Mass is a very good author because even though the book didn?t have a lot of high-energized action, I always wanted to keep on reading. The author wrote the book with a lot of compassion for young kids problems. They may not have been the biggest ones, but she shows that everyone?s problems should be considered. I also liked how she centered on the topic of death. With Mia?s best friends mom and her own grandpa already passed, she showed that death is not the end and helped kids almost deal with it better. When Mia found out about her disease it made her feel special. I liked the way that her attitude changed about it. At first she hated her secret and wanted to be normal but then she started to except and see it for what it really was. It told how everyone is different and that is a good thing. It also made you realize to accept your own special gifts in life. Another thing I believe the book taught you is not to take anything for granted and live each day to the fullest. Wendy Mass really showed the life a normal child in an exciting and compassionate way.

What a good book! A Mango Shaped Space is amazingly good! I totally recommend it - well-written, a great plot, and fun to read. The reason I didn't give it five stars is because it gets WAY too sad! (I won't give away why because it would spoil it for people who haven't finished it yet.) So, be warned people who get really emotional! But anyway, I still recommend this book 100 percent to everyone!!!

wendy mass wrote a truy amazing book its intriguing and has IT. the characters are charming and most of them are satisfying. i loved the writing style she used. the plot os amazing. idont think any author would think of writing a book like this.

The moment I read the first chapter of Wendy Mass's novel, I couldn't put it down!I've never felt so many emotions from one book before. It was hilarious, sad, devestating, and fulfilling! It's an excellant book.

The main character, Mia, has tried very hard for 13 years not to be included in the definition of the word "freak". She herself knows that she isn't the average teenaged girl even though everybody thinks she's the most normal one in her family. But now she is forced to reveal her "colorful" secret and everything is changing. Her journey to find herself is a long one filled with hope and challenges all the way.

Seeing shapes and colors when ever you hear sounds would be amazing! But it could get in the way of trying to go through your normal everyday life though. Mia, the main character in the novel A Mango-Shaped Space does. This book, by Wendy Mass, tells you about the little known condition called "synesthesia", as it gives you the point of view of someone who has the condition. This book is great for readers of all ages and genders. It is also a quick read with a surprise ending that could interfere with Mia's "colors"...

A Mango-Shaped Space Book Review

Every word, sound, and smell has a color for Mia, and it came as quite a shock to her when she found that most people didn't see these strange colors like she did. Mia is a thirteen-year-old girl who happens to see colors for all letters, words, sounds and smells. She has lost her beloved grandfather fairly recently, and then her prized cat Mango. Throughout the story, Mia tries to learn more about herself and her condition, synesthesia. She does so, and in the process comes to terms with her friends, family, mind, and, eventually, after her cat dies near the end of the book, his death. I would recommend this book to readers who are capable of reading a sad story and taking the sadness and turning it into empathy and happiness. I, for one, adored this book.

One reason why this book was excellent was that it vividly described the colors that Mia was seeing so that you could see them too. When Mia's dad was hammering nails on the roof, I could see the gray streaks in front of Mia's face. I was able to track her cat, Mango, through her eyes by the orange-ish streak he left behind. At several points in the story, Mia got acupuncture merely to see the colors described by a fellow synesthete. After she did this, I could see the colors radiating from everyone's bodies. When Mia took a steamy bubble-bath with music playing, the symphony that the colors were playing was gliding across my vision and I could feel the steamy warmth against my cheek.

Another way that Wendy Mass made this a great book is through her wonderful portrayal of what wonderful friendships can do for you and the tenderness of friendships. She showed how friends can help you through your darkest times with her description of how Mia and her best friend talked things out with each other to get stuff off of their minds and spirits. Also, she described friendship bracelets that Mia and her best friend wore to show their love for each other. She even said at one time that Mia knew as long as they wore their bracelets, they would stay best friends, kind of like a symbol for real life bonds. Last but not least, Mia hurt her friend's feelings when she said that she didn't know what it felt like to be missing someone like she missed Mango, even though her best friend had lost her mother only years before.

Finally, I liked how Wendy Mass developed characters to be like your friends, like you knew them well. By the end of the book, I felt as though I had been walking through Mia's life with her, especially at the part where she lost Mango. As her father tried to gear up the helicopter but failed, the tears were welling up behind my eyes as I watched Mango die. She made Mia's grandfather, though he was dead, like your own grandfather-happy, sort of strange, but strangely lovable. Also, Mia's dad seems to compare well to some of the strange people in my life- he's funny, hard-working, and a large amount of pure crazy.

The biggest reasons that I like this book, I suppose, are that it was very inter-active, it portrayed the seeds and intricacies of friendship, and the characters were well-developed. Wendy Mass made this book teach lessons as well as move the reader to near tears. It was a great book to relate to in some ways, while in others nothing was anything like your life. This is a great book for readers who can come back from reading about deep sorrow and make it into something good.

-K. Carson

"It was a good book, especially with the cat in it. I liked how the girl had this thing where sound had colors for her. It's interesting how the colors could help her paint and made her get A's on her spellings tests (since letters had colors too." -La Petite Adult, age 7

A Mango-Shaped Space

By: Wendy Mass

ISBN: 0-316-05825-4

SPOILER ALERT

A Colorful Life

Imagine your life with colors for every letter, name, and sound you hear or see. Imagine you can't tell anyone about it because you are the only one who sees it. That has become normal to Mia, an 8th grader whose life has been turned upside down by color. It's everywhere, in music, her cat, and in everything else. Mia has had her `colors' since she can remember. She tried to tell her classmates and parents in 3rd grade, but no one would believe her. She then knew that she was the only one. That this had to be her secret. She will have to lose something so close to her to find herself. This realistic fiction novel soared to the top of my list. It made seeing colors seem normal.

A Mango-Shaped Space became my favorite book because I could relate to the character, Mia, and connect to one of the events. I could relate to Mia so well because I remember being just like her in third grade. I was always doing something different than everyone else when it came to school. I could also relate to her in the book when her cat, Mango, dies. My cat, Hansel, ran away last year and I remember that he was on medication for a bad infection. I wouldn't eat or sleep or go anywhere for a while. Finally I got over it and that was the same morning my mom found him. I had been worried like Mia was when Mango went missing.

Another reason why I love this book is Wendy Mass's writing style. It kept me interested and turning pages. I wanted to find out what happened, but I also wanted it to last forever.

I would recommend this book to anyone who judges a book by its cover. When I unwrapped this book for Christmas, I remember thinking, this isn't going to be a very good book, but I was so wrong. This shows how good books can be even if the title is a little strange. I would also recommend this book for people who can pick up hidden meanings.

I hope that Wendy Mass writes another book because I will be so ready to read another book like this.

What if the color blue tasted like cotton candy? Or that everybody's name had a color? Well this scenario is real to 8th grader Mia Winchell. In A Mango Shaped Space, Mia sees colors and shapes for words. When it gets around about her colors her parents take her to a psychologist but it just turns out that she has a condition called synesthesia. While she struggles in school because of confusion with the condition, her cat, Mango, is becoming sicker each day. In the middle of the night Mango starts twitching. With an attempt to visit the vet, Mango stops breathing. Mia was so shocked that she can't even see her colors anymore. I think this book was very good.

I really enjoyed reading this book because it is about a real condition that I never knew even existed. Being a synesthete seems really hard, for instance, in the book Mia struggles with school because of the confusion of her colors and the actual meaning.

Another reason why I liked it is because in some ways I could relate to Mia. I can remember feeling left out or like I didn't belong just like Mia did when her secret was out.

I think it's also one of those books that keeps you reading to find out what happens next. It made me never want to put it down.

This book was one of the best and most meaningful books I've ever read, but when I first started it I wouldn't think this. I would recommend this book to anyone who just wants to learn new things, because I sure did.

J. Moss

I read this book in the fifth grade & was completely in love with it. My paperback copy was worn to the point where it was unreadable so I bought the ebook. I am now 14 and I fell in love with the book all over again (keep in mind that I'm two years ahead in math & read and fully comprehended all of the Harry Potter books by the age of 9). This is a plot that I've never seen before. Up until I first read AMSP, I wasn't aware that something like synesthesia existed. Mia's life gave me a look into the world of someone who was different. The plot reels you in and the characters are so well developed that you want to sob and clutch your kindle to your chest when the book is over. Definitely a must read

If I were to rate this book, then I would certainly rate it more than it gives me. This book has touched me in so many ways, and the fact that Mia finds herself within sacrifice is simply touching. This book has inspired me to look at the world in a whole new perspective, and I will surly recommend this book to my friends; not only is it a book for kids and teens, but I think that anyone who reads it will surly enjoy it the way that I did. I have finally said that this is probably my most favored book of all time, and I'm sure that readers will feel the same way about it as well.

Every time I read this book I cry, b/c the thing at the end, but its still an spectacular story about growing up and friendship and family and synthesia and its just wonderful! All of the characters and places were very real to me and I enjoyed reading it immensely. I would suggest this book to ANYONE. P.S. sorry for excessive large words. Aaaaand that I go again.

I am a 12 year-old boy and saw one of my friends reading this book so asked her about it. After her brief explanation I concluded that "A Mango Shaped Space" was a girl's book. (if you know what I mean) A few months later, I saw the book in my local library and was short of books at the time, so I checked it out. Almost immediately I was laughing hysterically. I was quite pleased and finished "A Mango Shaped Space" in nearly three days. If I had to pick one word to describe it I would pick: SAD. It starts out funny but near the end becomes darn near unbearably sad. The whole story was like a black cloud looming it the sky; I saw exactly what was going to happen but could do nothing about it (well duh, it's a book). I just had to sit there while Mia's life heads into the perfect, destructive storm. This book was really about was not a girl who could hear colors. Rather, it is about loss, consequences, and perseverance in hard times. I loved the character development and was mystified by the way Wendy Mass made me feel perfect empathy with the character of Mia. If your looking for a happy book full of sunshine and ponies go away, but if you want a sad and perfect masterpiece about death, life and mistakes you just found it. Note: This review was written by Iain Espey not Molly Espey. I am her son.

I wanted to review this book because I have seen my daughter (10) rave to others about it. She rates it the best book she has ever read. It is interesting and heartwarming and very engaging. I loved that she got so involved in a book and recommended it to her friends. It's often so hard to get kids to read good books these days, it's nice to pass on one that is a true gem. Kids know what they like, and this one seems to have passed the test with flying colors!

This book was great! It was funny, sad, sweet, and a page turner! I hope you read this book and enjoy it as much as I did! This book is mainly about Mia an ordinary teenager with an extraordinary gift! She also has a close relationship with her grandpa and cat! This book had made me laugh out loud or have tears in my eyes sometimes!! Her brother and sister are kind weird sometimes but there also funny. Overall I loved this book and hope you read it and enjoy it!! Thanks for reading my review on A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass!
Keep writing great books Wendy!! :-)

A weird mixture, but, a not so weird book. To me, this book is very inspiring because I think that Wendy Mass really relates to real-life situations and, honestly, I'm surprised at the fact that her books are not related to true stories. In the book, the girl learns how to survive the fact that she's, well, different. She has something in common with the rest of the world, though. She is different.

I loved this book! As someone who believes in the infinite possibilities that extend far beyond what we alone can see and imagine, I loved reading about this young lady who possessed the ability to see in colors. An unfortunate experience with her 3rd grade teacher taught her that she had to keep her differences to herself for fear of being ridiculed and misunderstood. Her ultimate revelation of her gift took her on a journey that enabled her to finally find compassion and understanding. This book reminded me, once again, of the importance of not only listening to kids, but really hearing what they are trying to say. I decided, as I was reading it, that I want to read it to my 5th grade students to introduce them to this special gift. More importantly, I want them to understand that talking about their fears lightens the load tremendously, and to keep looking until they find someone who will take the time to listen with compassion! They can gain so much by learning that their perceived separateness is a state of mind, and not a reality once they share it with someone else!

An amazing book, really. I loved the detail in it. The words were pretty powerful, especially when Mango died. I'm a huge animal lover, so it made me sob for half an hour. The saddest sentences were. 'Then I screamed loud enough to wake the dead. Only it didn't.'

towards the end of the school year, i had to do a book report. but when the original project didn't work out, i was stuck with just the weekend left, and no book. so i turned to my dad's kindle, and bought this book (my local libraries didn't have it, and i didn't know where to buy it, so it worked out for me!) the whole weekend, i was reading fast, and at the end of the two days, i had a superb powerpoint presentation! this book is the best book i have ever read, because it deals with something real people deal with. mia is a girl who discovers herself, and finds out that it's ok to be different. and when she learns that she has synesthesia mia then conferms tha she's not crazy! my favorite character has got to be mango, because he kinda represents change, and that change can sometimes be good, even if it's a hard thing to do. i have told all my friends (adult or kid) about this book, and i am sure that they will love it! thank you wendy mass, for creating the best book in the world!

This is a book about a girl that thinks that everyone is playing a huge joke on her. When things get out of hand, she sees a doctor and finds out why everyone makes fun of her.
I really liked this book because you feel like you're in Mia's shoes. Every time I picked up this book, I couldn't put it back down. There isn't really anything that I didn't like about this book.
It's not like any other book I've ever read.

Great book, entertaining and educational. This story is about a fictional girl that has a real condition called synesthesia, basically where the brain mixes input signals from the senses. For example, a common type, which Mia, the main character, also experiences: she perceives each letter of the alphabet as having a different color associated with it. The story explores her experiences with this phenomenon, and how she begins to accept it, then find validation, in the "realness" of it. A true good read!

This book has been a great experience for me. The plot is very intruiging and it expands your knowledge greatly at the same time. Upon reading this book, something in my brain was aroused and since then, I have been researching further into the subject. I think people will love this book too, if they just give it a chance. By examining it's exterior, it doesn't seem like it is worth reading, but once you have read the prolougue, you can't stop! This is a great book to delve into on a boring, gloomy day.

I absolutely love this book, because it shows a character that emulates being afraid of being different and shows that the only way to deal is to always put a foot forward. the kitty only adds sugar to an already sweet and well written book.

It took me a long time to get my hands on this book because of all the people that wanted to read it. "A Mango-Shaped Space" is all about Mia, a girl who has lived with synesthesia as long as she lived. Until she was eight, she had believed that all people saw colors and shapes every time they heard a noise or looked at letters and numbers.
I thoroughly enjoyed "A Mango-Shaped Space", mostly because I never really thought about people with synesthesia and what their life is like. I guarantee that a lot of people will enjoy this book!

This book, a mango shaped space, is simply encredible. I would read and read and read this book 100 times if I could. I especially love that it is in first person so I know what the main charecter with a rare thing called synesthesia. It is when you hear, read, taste, or feel colors. It is an awesome book!!!

You absolutely have to read this book! It's the most thrilling and impacting book I have ever read. It was amazing! I can't stop explaining how wonderful and awesome this book and the author is! I finished reading it in September, but never got around to actually type a review on it. Get this book! It made me laugh and cry. It may be sad at the end but it definitely has meaning. I can't wait to get Jeremy Fink And The Meaning Of Life, her new book. Rock on Wendy Mass!

Well, at first I was a little nervous about reading this book. Was it going to be like one of those books about someone who has a disease and just wants to get rid of it?

Well, no. Actually, Mia has a disease (not really a disease... but an abnormality) where sounds, numbers, and letters all have color for her. The colors are all different, and sometimes they make shapes and sometimes they're blobs.

Mia has been keeping this secret for years, ever since she was laughed at in third grade. But now, she's having trouble in math. And she needs to fix it.

This book was so emotional, and so unique, and so sad. While in the beginning I was a little scared, by the end I was crying. I didn't want it to end.

I loved this book a lot. First of all, because it focused on a problem that I had never heard of before. I actually went online and researched synesthesia to read all about it and learn more information on it. Also, it really made me think about what I would do if I were in Mia's situation. I thought it was kind of cool how each letter had a different color. When I look at a magazine the text is in black and it can be dull but for her she can see tons of colors. I think this is one of the best and most interesting books I have ever read.

A great book but I'm 9 lots of things died in my life, and I didn't really care! But when I read this, I got so mad at myself!!! I cried for everything I didn't cry for. My eyes are swollen, and I got really thirsty. You should read this book, it's about lost and love. And I realized in this book I killed 2 of my cats by letting them go outside, at night and get eaten up. Just like Mango was left outside!

This book is my all-time favorite! It's funny and moving. This is one of those books that when I finish, I wish I was still reading because, though the ending is satisfying, I love it so much, I wish there was a sequel. After reading this book, I even wanted to go out and research synthesia. This book is a must-read and definitely worth buying!

Mia, age 13, sees everything in colors and shapes. At first, when she was little she though everyone was like that. But, as she got older and had certain experiences, figured out that she didnt know anyone else who was like that. She finally tells her parents, and they take her to a doctor. You'll have to read it to find out what happens!

the book was very touching, great way to describe synesthesia
i loved the ending; if i were mia, i would definitely get the kitten that looks like baby as a baby!!!!!
can't wait for the next book!!!!!!!!!!

by kierra

First of all I love Wendy Mass she writes beautiful.I really like the way she makes you feel like your there in the story.In this book she does it again.A Mango Shaped Space is about a girl named Mia who has a very special gift.Mia can see colors everywhere in letters and numbers but also in sounds.Mia decides never to tell anyone intill one day her the little secret gets out.Mia finds out she has snythesia and their are others just like her.This book makes you giggle cry and get nerves.This book also believe it or not has some romance.It is a real page turner i read it in two days. Again this book is amazing and fun to read i highly recomend it.

I'm always on the lookout for unique, thought-provoking books, so when a friend told me about A Mango-Shaped Space, I was immediately hooked. The book tells about a lesser known mental condition that really isn't such a bad thing after all. This book will touch the hearts of anyone, from cat-lovers to book-lovers. All the characters are well-portrayed, and the ending doesn't tell everything it could, leaving the reader thinking. It's a satisfying, informatie novel, with a voice that's as unique as its plot.

i loved this book sooooooo much! untill i read it i had never heard of synesthesia, but learning about it through mia's eyes was amazing!like the book says, synesthesia is not a disease or problem.
this book had such an impact on me that i have now read 2 other books on the topic(not even half as good as A Mango Shaped Space). often when i read someting i try to imagen how the boaring black and white font would look for someone like mia. for days after reading this book i felt that this world that i live in is so plain.

A Mango-Shaped Space is a book about a 13 year old girl named Mia,her family and her Cat named Mango. Mia at first glance is "normal" compared to her 2 siblings. but Mia can see colors in numbers and leters. she also see the colors in sounds.
I fell in love with it the second I read the back of the book. I finished with in 2 hours after buying it. I recomend A Mango-Shaped Space to anyone who wants to curl up with a good book.

because of this book i realized that i had synesthesia too. like mia i assumed that everyone saw colors like me. i have colored letters numbers soundd and sometimes taste. this book opened my eyes and changed my life forever. it will always have a special place in my heart. i reccomend this to everyone its wonderful piece of writing

This is the best book I have ever read. I never cry at books or movies, and this book made me cry. Wendy Mass is the best author ever! I love this book- so soulful and meanignful, unlike some other books. Awesome! :-) :-)!

This book is facinating! I am 11, in the 6th grade, and I loved this book. It was so interesting to learn about her condition. I couldn't put it down. The book is appropriate for my age, and it was a great book!

I saw this book at camp when one of my counselers was reading it.

Later I picked it up and Im in love with it!

This is such a good book! It is definatley a MUST READ! Im still reading it but I'm close to done.This book is sooooooo fabulous- please read it!!!!!!:-)

This book is absolutely one of the best books that I have ever read. It is about a 13 year old girl named Mia. She has been keeping a secret from everyone in her family for her whole life. She is able to see letters, numbers, and sounds in color. She thought she was the only normal one in her family until she learns that she has synesthesia. Prior to reading this book, I had never heard of synesthesia. Now, I know not only that I have synesthesia, but that there are many others that have it as well. I am very glad that I found this book because I have been able to learn about synesthesia and be aware that I have it. Wendy Mass is an amazing author and I can't wait to read her next novel. This book is great and everyone should read it.

my synesthesia is actually pretty similar to Mia's. I see colors for noises and letters. I think Wendy Mass did an amazing job describing what it is like. (When I am asked "what color is a V?" I say well a V is V colored but that doesnt make sense. Vs are black but no. black is blue but fhe word blue is aqua....a qua is magenta, magenta is brown but brown is blue....and the cycle keeps going) though i believe there are a few inacuracies, I have read this book many times and found comfort in knowing there are more people like me.

I first got A Mango-Shaped Space when I was in fourth grade. I read the whole entire book that night! It was my favorite story for a long time and still is one of the best I've read. I really connected to Mia and her story; I even cried at the end. This was the first book to ever make me cry. Mia's perceptions of the world are so cool! I loved the chapter where she gets acupuncture--because then her synesthesia really picks up and she describes her world in a really cool way. I love how different she is for other characters. She just doesn't see the world the same way everyone else does!
This book is a great introduction to literature for preteens: I can't remember exactly but I'm pretty sure after I read this book I fell in love with reading.
It's been seven years since I've gotten this book and I still keep it in the front of my bookshelf and even reread it on occasion.
10/10 would recommend (especially since the book on the store is like 3 bucks; totally worth it)

This book had me in tears by the end. It is devastating how such a traumatic event like losing a pet or family member can change everything in your life. This book was incredible though and i loved every second of it.

This book is seriously the best book ever. I cry everytime I read it but yet it has humor. but just the right amount of humor so your not likw wait I cant decide wether this book is funny or sad. The plot is great and it is just the right length. I keep coming back to this book if I need a good book to read. Wendy Mass has done it again with another great book

I understand the need for kids with synesthesia to have a chance to know that they're normal, that's great. Wonderful. And the emphasis on the fact that this is *not* a disease, I love it.

But the story is lacking, and I didn't find it nearly as compelling as people seem to think. Really, the whole plot seemed a bit run together, and bland, at best.

As a book about synesthesia, it works great. There's a real need for that sort of thing. As an interesting novel? Not so much. That's why I only gave it three stars.

i just loved this book so much! i think that is pretty much i can all say. but i know how it feels to lose something and i think alot of people can ralte also! since almost everyone know how it feels to lose someone or an animal in this case. :) :) :) (3

This book is my favorite book! It's a must read for all realistic fiction and fantasy lovers. It's really cool. Mia sees all these different colors and shapes and when she's 8 she figures out something's wrong with her. When she's 13 she tells her parents...

I love this book so much because I have the same gift Mia has (Sorry, I forgot how to spell it.) so now I know that there other people out there with It, not just me. This is really a heartwarming tale.

this was such a great book. i read it for school reading list and ended up loving it. although it did make me cry a bit in the end. but i loved how mia could see colors some times i wish i could too. there should be a sequle

-AT

I had never heard of this book before, but I was at borders one day and i picked it up off the shelf because I liked the cover, haha. I'm reading it right now and am almost done and I love it. It is soo addicting and the characterization portrayed in this book is extraordinary. As a reader, you feel like you know Mia and you can relate to hear even if your not a synthesytic. This book really is helping me appreciate people's unique differences even more. I think everyone should read this book; it really opens your mind and makes you experience something new. This is a must-read for summer 2006!!!!

As you sit in front of your computer screen, observing the slew of reviews posted on this popular website, I urge you to stop for a minute and please read what I about to share with you. I don't even know you, but I would be thrilled if you could read and absorb the experience I had when reading, "A Mango Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass and hopefully this will encourage you to pick up this book and enter a more colorful world. Now, I am not an avid reader I must admit, but when I find a great book...I am sure to share the title with as many friends as family as possibly. For they know when I say it's a wonderful book, it is! My beloved French teacher has the beautiful gift that Mia shares with us, in "A.M.S.S." My teacher told us the first day of class, she saw our names in color as she read from the class roster. We all thought she was kidding, you know those "first day of school teacher jokes" But when I read this book, the respect I had for my French teacher grew and I was more than curious to hear about her experience of living in a world more colorful than the average person. I gave her my copy and she told me as tears rolled down her cheeks that this book portrayed the world she lives in so vividly and accurately. So come on, read this book, from the first page to the last your eyes will glide across the black words and your heart will be encompassed with colors you never knew existed. Happy reading!

i thought this book was amazing! i thought it was very clever how Wendy Mass kind of used Mango as a representaitve of her grandfathers soul. Wendy Mass is one of my favorite authors and one a "Mango Shaped Space" i think she outdid herself.

Wendy Mass is a great author and I think this book looks great…possibly one of her best! I dont care about the two star review cause shes (just sayin) lying!! If your not im rly sorry for you!! well im sooo excited to read. BIG THANKS WENDY MASS!!

I was amazed to find, after finishing the book, that synesthesia is a real condition. It seemed unrealistic that something so strange could actually happen. Strangely, I am female, left-handed, and very involved in art. I even find myself using personification frequently with words, and numbers. Although this might have just developed afer reading the book, I think I have a light case of this so-called condition. I couldn't believe how much I could relate to Mia, [although what she felt is nothing to what I imagine].

I would highly recommend this book. It is unique and original, very different than the average young-adult book.

So, this book was good, just good. The characters were believable, yet I couldn't relate to them. The plot was predictable, but easy to understand. There was no depth to this book, no reading in between the lines to be done. Personally, I was happy when it was over, and felt like I had accomplished nothing. I had high expectations for this book because I had heard alot about it, but when I read it I was disappointed. I would not reccomend this book.

A Mango Shaped Space is a truly heart-warming story. Wendy Mass shows the true meaning of having some one or some thing you care about die. She writes the thing of friend-ship, and what people are made of. She shows that one can really stand up for people, like many help Mia. Wendy Mass is an amazing author, and she can craft a tale worth the best reviews, with her astoundingly unique charachter of Mia.

Wow! A Mango Shaped Space is a great book! Wendy Mass must be a good author to come up with such a superb book! I especialy like the parts with Zack and the people who have synesthesia. All in all, this is a great book!

A mango shaped space is like no other book yove read before. It is so enchanting how mia sees a world ffull of colors that only she can see. Its on of my most treasured books and i feel so happy when I read it. You will want to read this book again and again then give to someone for them to cherish it.

I gave this book a five simply because it's the best book in the world. If u don't feel like buying it then check it out from ur real or electronic library, like I did. I hardly ever rate things unless they deserve it by being the bomb!!! And this, my friends, as INDEED the bomb!!!

Mia Winchell can see colors in letters and nmbers. it kool how every noise has a geometrical shape and kolor. if i had it i would the the acupunture and the bath that she did. i love colors and drawing so to have what she has, would make it wonderful.

A Mango-Shaped Space is a great book for kids 11-14. It is a touching story about a young girl named Mia, her best friend, and her cat. She has a perspective that was different than most people. I think that perspective gave her a great, and creative look at her surroundings. I started to look differently at my surroundings, finding them amazingly different from hers. I think that if you are looking for a book of enjoyment, and uniqueness then this would be a great book to choose.

Wow, this was such a great book! It's about Mia, a 13 year old girl who can see colours in words, letters, and sounds. She has to deal with normal things like fights with her friends, and annoying siblings. She names her cat Mango because the colour of it's purrs is mango.
I don't usually cry when I read books, but when **something** happened (read the book!) I cried... that part was really sad!

I decided to read this book when my brother talked about a friend who has this condition. It was also recommended by a good friend. I'm so glad I read it because it was awesome! It's sad and happy all at the same time. It makes me wish I could experience what she does just for one day. I highly reccommend you read it because you definately won't regret it!

So happy I stumbled upon this book. I also have synesthesia, but I didn't know this was an actual condition at first. My family thought I was crazy when I started to explain to them that number,letters,colors,smells etc... all are connected to me.
(Ex. Yellow=2=female=circle=A)... so to when I read this book I could identify. I recommend it!

although i'm older than the average reader of this book - i thought it was excellent and really enjoyed the creativity and humor! i'm buying it for every young girl i know. i even bought it for my five year old niece - although she'll have to wait awhile to read it! thank you Ms. Mass for a very meaningful reading experience for all ages!

I absolutely LOVE Wendy Mass's books. So after reading Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall, and Leap Day, I decided that this book must be fantastic, too. I was very wrong.
The plot sounds great, and Mia's synesthesia seems very interesting. But the book wasn't all that great. It wasn't funny and realistic, like Wendy's other books. Maybe if I had a cat and synesthesia I would have enjoyed the book better, but I thought it was just bland. Very boring. This is very dissappointing, I suggest that you read Ms. Mass's other books before picking this one up.

My daughter was taken by the colorful cover of this book and by previous books by this author. As a "tween", she is tough to get interested in books but immediately began reading and excitedly gave me many updates along the way.
Highly recommend.

This book is a story about a girl who sees colors. But i like how the author showed how typical see really is. She still thinks about boys and her cat and being normal so she could fit in. She seams like some one I'd want for a best friend. BTW I'm 12.

A funny, touching book about a teen-aged girl named Mia, who, because of a medical disorder, sees words and numbers in colors. How Mia learns to cope with her unusual gift (while also putting up with all the normal horrors associated with a typical teen girl's life) makes for an entertaining read for all ages. This one's got it all...cute boys, cats...not to be missed!

The bizarre condition Mia has called synesthesia is pretty interesting. She sees colors when she hears sounds and looks at letters and numbers. Once you learn what it is the story itself is kind of boring. The characters are cardboard and the writing style is drab. One blessing is it is rather short. I do not recommend it.

Mia has always seen colors; she See's them for Letters, sounds, and numbers. She hasn't told anyone since the 3rd grade "Freeeek" incident.
She tell her parents and they take her to the Doctor she finds out that she isn't the only person like that. It's a great self-discovery book.
Bitter-sweet, with humor and reality all wrapped into one.

I can't wait to read Wendy Mass' other books.

Mia is lovable and so is Zack. The story has a magical reality to it, in the sense that it embraces the magic of everyday life. Wonderful!

I really can relate to with wonderful book because I myself am an Synaesthete. It was amazing to feel what another synaesthete felt. I couldn't put this book down!!! I reccomend it to anyone between the ages of 8- 15...maybe 10-15... even adults can enjoy this book that tells the remarkable tale of Mia and 13 year old synaesthete.

A Mango shaped space is one of the best books i've ever read. A book about thirteen year old Mia winchell with a rare disease called synesthesia causes her to see colors for letters, sounds, and numbers. This book was a quick hooker and immpossible to put down. Though the ending was too quick and abrupt for me. Read it and see for yourself.

I have read all kinds of good to great books but this one is AMAZING and still and will always be one of my top faves. Great lesson. Pretty easy to understand and has a great lesson. Perfect for anyone especially if they do not already know te message this book will provide you with and the proof!

I really enjoyed this book! I wish I could have synesthesia for one day to experience what Mia sees.

The character development is awsome too.

It's not one of those boring books about people wih a terrible disease where they just die in in the end. Just like he book WONDER, it is about a kid who is different. It's what makes
the book interesting.

This book was the best book I ever read! I highly recommend this to anyone who reads, but for people 4th grade and up. Amazing, considering that I have synesthesia, and Wendy Mass shows Mia's emotions just right.

When a stray kitten appears on the same day as her beloved grandfather's funeral, Mia imagines that he has part of Grandpa's soul in him. Because she personalizes him in this way, Mia becomes deeply attached to the kitten, that she names Mango. Mia has difficulty in school, and even with some relationships because she sees colors related to what she reads and hears. Mango got his name because when he meows, Mia sees the yellow-orange color of mangos. But Mia's family and friends think she is imagining things, so after an embarassing moment in third grade, she stops talking about what she sees. Most of the book is Mia's own discovery that her condition has a name, synesthesia, and that she is not alone in her experiences of colors mixed with letters, numbers and sounds.

The book is an interesting, although slightly exaggerated, introduction to synesthesia, but the story itself has parts that just are not believable. Without giving away any spoilers, I'll just say that there were some things that struck me as creepy, and some terribly sad. Overall, I've learned more about unusual brain connections from neurologist Oliver Sacks' books than I did from this one.

This was a wonderfully written book.definitely my favorite.A friend of mine recomended it,so glad that i bought it. and for a very good price.After reading the first page i just couldnt let go of it. I would definitely recomend this book to any one that asks

My daughter, who is a relectant reader, was reading this book and got so excited about it that I picked it up to read it, too. We both loved the book! For my 12 year old daughter to get excited about a book, makes me excited, too! Thanks, Wendy Mass!

this is my favorite book of all time. i cry and laugh all the time during the book. i have read it a million times and need to read it again. i love this book and all the characters in it r amazing. plus mangoes are delicious!!!

20131225
...for some reason I can't even get the book open so only one star because it won't let me past this unless I review!?!

update 20131226
customer service was no help at all..very disappointed and surprised..i must have explained to the serv rep 10+ times what the issue was to no avail (purchased for xmas delv to my daughters new kindle) my a/c shows purchase-delv-download all true but unable to read!!!! arghhhh!!!

I think it was faulty download we have no issues with other books on both kindles and this particular book on mine is fine but cannot read on hers

this morning I see the store emailed me directions on how to navigates to certain pages on the kindle?!?! really? ok..im at wits end here..i have gone to every help page and search and tried everything sooooo frustrating..argh!!! last night spent hours..deleted from device sync power on/off stood on my head you name it I did it..customer serv reps (2) and the last one was telling me how to navigates pages and then took my number and told me he would call..he never did........I must say the email I saw this morning sent me right over the edge...

very disappointed...so since my daughter is the one that wanted to read the book on her NEW KINDLE HDX 7
I am now trying to get it resent or refunded!!!!!

This book was the best book I read this summer! It has a great story line and I liked learning about a gift I have never heard of. I really hope the author considers writing a sequel! If you havent read this book yet you need to!!

I'm fourteen years old and in eighth grade, and after hearing some good things about the book from some friends who read it in elementary school, I decided to take it from the class library for a short read. It was certainly a large mistake, considering I could not stand the book in the long run. Although the general concept of the plot including synesthesia is a good idea, overall the execution was not well done. From the very beginning I had no interest in the characters and felt as if they had no depth. And even though the main character, Mia, is supposed to be in eighth grade I thought for a while she was in fifth. I couldn't relate to her or any of her friends for that matter and felt as if Wendy Mass's interpretation of a eighth grade girl was correct, nor realistic. I could not stand this book, although I feel as if I was perhaps two or three years younger it might actually have appealed to me. I would never recommend this for someone my age.

I am an adult female artist who has always struggled with math and foreign languages, and my entire life I have associated certain colors with numbers, letters, days of the week, months of the year, dates and times. In addition, each of these mentally appears stretched out in lines with hills and curves. I thought everyone thought this way, until last week when I asked a group of friends if they associated certain numbers with certain colors and there was no response other than, "uh, no...you are crazy." Thus ensued my thorough research of synesthesia---and the discovery of this book. I quickly realized that I am very alone in my involuntary color/number associations.

Key word: ASSOCIATIONS

Synesthetes are VAGUELY AWARE that there are specific colors that "go along with" numbers and letters (or sounds, although I do not have that part of the condition), but these colors do not overwhelm the synesthete's perception of the world to the point where they cannot function or where they have to "block out noise" because the colors are too overwhelming. Additionally, it's NOT a learning disability. Mia's coloring on her jeans or shoes to simply pass a math quiz is ridiculous. Synesthetes might have to make a bit more effort to grasp a concept, but it's no different than a "normal" person whose strongest subject isn't math. The idea that she would be FAILING math because of synesthesia is insanely far-fetched.

Also, Ms. Mass writes this book as though Mia is PHYSICALLY seeing colored letters on a page when she reads, or PHYSICALLY seeing colored objects hover in the air when she hears a certain sound. Although there might be an extremely minute number of synesthetes who do have that experience, it is generally not how it works. The colors are just THERE, in the back of your mind, and float along with numbers or letters without your ever fully realizing it or thinking about it. In no way is it a hindrance or does it make things "confusing" if you read red type instead of black. The bathtub and acupuncture scenes were equally over-dramatized. Again, aside from possibly a VERY RARE number of synesthetes (or regular people on LSD), the idea that Mia was physically seeing colored auras and streaks in the world around her was embarrassingly overdone. Similarly, the experiences that the other synesthetes in Mia's "support group" described were incredibly extreme. Even the specific descriptions of people's names ("purple with orange stripes") is quite uncommon.

The truth is, I don't blame Ms. Mass for the exaggerations as much as I blame the fact that synesthesia itself simply isn't interesting enough to warrant an entire novel set around it. I don't doubt that she did plenty of research and interviewed a number of people with various forms and intensities of synesthesia. But she clearly had to combine the most extreme examples together to produce a story worth reading. I commend her for writing a book to raise awareness about a very rare condition, but unfortunately I feel that many who read it will finish with a misconception of what synesthesia is typically like.

Imagine writing a novel where the entire plot is dependent on and revolves around a kid with allergies. Sure, it might make certain activities more difficult for him, but even if the allergies are as extreme as possible, the book would need to have all the plot factors that any other non-allergy-ridden-hero storyline would have. And to her credit, Ms. Mass is able to write such a storyline. For example, the supporting characters are reasonably well-developed and interesting (while Beth was horribly cliché, Zack was a refreshing take on "younger brother" and I loved reading about him). There are enough non-synesthetic elements to the storyline to keep it moving without making it feel forced: Mia's family, friends, boy drama, school life, late grandfather, and of course her cat. For a young adult novel, Ms. Mass has written something that connects to 13-year-olds, and is sprinkled with enough humor and hormones to make it an interesting read. In my opinion, this is what saved it from receiving only a one-star rating.

But if you are truly interested in the subject of synesthesia, I beg you to read this novel with a grain of salt (I don't care what color it is), and simply get online and Google the term. There are many websites out there that provide a much more down-to-earth and realistic description of what synesthesia is and how it works. Because the truth is, most of us who have it don't even realize it or think about it. When we ask you what color 12 is, we expect to hear, "I've always thought it was blue" and not, "What?! You're crazy!"

We're not crazy. We're really not even different or special. We just win a few extra involuntary creativity points!