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A Mango-Shaped Space

Wendy Mass (Goodreads Author)

4.22 · Rating details · 29,250 ratings · 2,882 reviews

Mia Winchell appears to be a typical kid, but she's keeping a big secret—sounds, numbers, and words have color for her. No one knows, and Mia wants to keep it that way. But when trouble at school finally forces Mia to reveal her secret, she must learn to accept herself and embrace her ability, called synesthesia, a mingling of the senses. ...more

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Paperback, 221 pages

Published October 19th 2005 by Little, Brown and Company

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Apr 19, 2012 bluesequin rated it it was ok

Shelves: childrens

Having strong synesthesia myself, I was not very pleased with the way it is portrayed in this book. I understand that Mass does not have synesthesia herself and that this lack of experience clearly makes it difficult for her to portray the condition accurately. Nonetheless, throughout the novel, she either makes synesthesia seem like a harrowing handicap or divine euphoria. Honestly, it's neither. I think Mass made it seem greater than what it actually is. I've never encountered a synesthete who ...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Spider the Doof Warrior rated it really liked it

First of all, synesthesia is not a disability. You wish you had it. Since it's my username and something I have, I have personal experience on the subject.
My sort of synethesia equals seeing colours in music based on the key, smelling music, tasting it. Feeling the texture of it on my skin. Songs can have a temperature or a time of day like as song can be in the key of D or something and feel like a night sort of song or in the key of D minor and be grey like an overcast day.
I can also taste wor ...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Megan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, favorites, audio-book

With the rise in popularity of YA novels, I think that somehow we have all forgotten what it is like to actually be a teenager. Even the better (and some of my favorite) YA's feature a girl who is clever, has great self-esteem, and knows who she is. One of the many excellent aspects of A Mango-Shaped Space is that 13 (or is it 14?) year old Mia is not only a cool protagonist, she is also a bit childlike. Granted, she is younger than the typical YA heroine, but she has a bit of naivety and immatu With the rise in popularity of YA novels, I think that somehow we have all forgotten what it is like to actually be a teenager. Even the better (and some of my favorite) YA's feature a girl who is clever, has great self-esteem, and knows who she is. One of the many excellent aspects of A Mango-Shaped Space is that 13 (or is it 14?) year old Mia is not only a cool protagonist, she is also a bit childlike. Granted, she is younger than the typical YA heroine, but she has a bit of naivety and immaturity that is missing from so many YA novels. It was refreshing to find it here.

A Mango-Shaped Space is the story of Mia as she enters the eighth grade and confronts her synesthesia, a condition in which her senses are mingled. For Mia, each letter, number and word has a color associated with it. Even noises and physical sensations evoke a specific color or shape for her. For years she kept this a secret from others, but she has finally decided to share her condition with the world.

But this isn't just a book about synesthesia. It is also a well written coming of age story. Mia has the predictable fights with her BFF (Oh, I had forgotten how some girls are so emotional and sensitive at that age!) She starts to notice boys. And not the super-suave and impossibly cool boys found in so many YA's. These boys are definitely not sophisticated playa's. They are dorky, awkward teenage boys. Not at all swoon worthy, but painfully reminiscent of that weird hormonal puppy love we all experienced before developing actual relationships. As the middle child, Mia has a not-too-annoying little brother, and a bitchy older sister. There are fairly involved parents and the star of the story, a cat named Mango. (Okay, Mia is the star of the story. But Mango does play a large role in the book (view spoiler)

A Mango-Shaped Space is a book I can’t praise enough. It is a fantastic middle grade read, but I whole heartedly recommend it for all adult lovers of YA as well. My only critique of it is that it has an old fashioned feel to it. In fact, if not for the mention of computers and internet this book could have just as easily been written in the late 1970’s or early 1980’s. A lot of the narrative and the tone of the story somehow reminded me of the YA books I read when I was in middle school. It’s not just the mention of kids running an actual lemonade stand (with drinks made from real lemons),feety pajamas, braided friendship bracelets, or the small town feel of the novel. It’s something about the tone of the novel which makes it seem older than it is. But in a way, that is so refreshing. Again, YA is often about strong heroines, issues, true-lurve, or some wacky paranormal mystery. But this is simply a sweet, well written story about growing up.
...more

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Dec 09, 2010 Meg added it

I read "A Mango Shaped Space" in sixth grade.

Let me tell you, this book drastically changed my life.

This book isn't about mangos, it's about a young girl named Mia, who associates numbers, letters, sounds, days of the week, and months with colors. This isn't a disease, it isn't a disorder, it's simply a condition, or as I usually refer to it, a gift, or a blessing. It's called Synesthesia (sin-es-tee-ja).

I read this book, and contemplated Mia. It sure sounded awfully familiar...

When I was in pr I read "A Mango Shaped Space" in sixth grade.

Let me tell you, this book drastically changed my life.

This book isn't about mangos, it's about a young girl named Mia, who associates numbers, letters, sounds, days of the week, and months with colors. This isn't a disease, it isn't a disorder, it's simply a condition, or as I usually refer to it, a gift, or a blessing. It's called Synesthesia (sin-es-tee-ja).

I read this book, and contemplated Mia. It sure sounded awfully familiar...

When I was in preschool, I used to recite to anyone I met, "Pink and red are my favorite colors". This being that my name - Meg - is a deep blood-red to me (Pink being every preschool girl's favorite color. It has nothing to do with my name). My full name, Meagan, is blood-red and brown.

So, actually realizing that these associations weren't normal, I dove into research, finding that my gift is actually very, very rare. So rare, in fact, that my parents didn't and still don't believe me.

Synesthesia is a neurological blessing. There are probably about 100 different types, and Synesthetes most commonly have more than one type. For me, I associate colors, numbers, days of the week, and months with colors.

Key word being "ASSOCIATE" here, guys. I do not look at a paper full of black print and see one million different colors. It's hard to explain beyond the fact that it's just an association. Having that aside, I can tell a person the colors of their name. Like "Silvina" is blue and orange. My friend who goes by "Eka" has a beautifully colored name - light green and dark brown.. so natural!

In this novel, Mia doesn't know it's abnormal either. She keeps remembering back to 3rd grade, when she stalls on a math problem by writing then numbers in their proper colors, and the whole class laughs and ridicules her in that insensitive 8-year-old way. When she speaks up to her parents, after some convincing they agree to take her to find out just what is going on when she sees a beautiful rainbow of colors when Mozart is playing, to put a name to it - Synesthesia. ...more

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Jan 05, 2017 Elle (ellexamines) rated it it was ok

Shelves: what-is-this-mess, contemporary, 2-star, z-2015reads

It's been eight years since I've read this this, and the message of this book still might be one of the most moral repugnant I've ever seen. What's saddest is that A Mango Shaped Space could be a great book, were it not for the terrible moral of the story.

So. A Mango Shaped Space is about a girl who begins a journey to learn who she is and accept her own synesthesia. Along the way, she makes friends at conventions for people with synesthesia. She even learns that acupuncture feels really good fo It's been eight years since I've read this this, and the message of this book still might be one of the most moral repugnant I've ever seen. What's saddest is that A Mango Shaped Space could be a great book, were it not for the terrible moral of the story.

So. A Mango Shaped Space is about a girl who begins a journey to learn who she is and accept her own synesthesia. Along the way, she makes friends at conventions for people with synesthesia. She even learns that acupuncture feels really good for people with synesthesia (which is really cool and something I didn't know).

This is where everything about this book goes wrong. Along the way, she starts to abandon her family. Her new friends turn out to be false. (view spoiler) All of these things are portrayed as direct results of her synesthesia. It's even weirder when you consider that she starts talking to her family less because they didn't accept her synesthesia, even though it was their choice to not accept her synesthesia, not hers.

The message that comes out, intentionally or not, indicates that learning who you are is a bad thing. The narrative punishes the main character for 1) being different, 2) liking the things that make her different, and 3) wanting to know who she is. That's a really messed-up narrative. That was the message I took from this book is sixth grade or so. And that wasn't a good message for me to internalize, or for any kid to internalize.

The author also does not have synesthesia herself, and there are several other reviews on this page talking about how that negatively affected the book. Wendy Maas overexaggerates the issues that come along with synesthesia, making it seem like a blessing that makes the protagonist better than everyone else. Not only does this book have a fucked-up narrative around our differences, A Mango-Shaped Space doesn't even portray that difference correctly.

So. I can't recommend this book, no matter how much I enjoy the writing style or the characters. I just can't. This is a really messed-up narrative and I can't believe anyone has the nerve to sell this to kids. ...more

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Feb 18, 2014 Erin rated it did not like it

Shelves: worst-synesthesia-books, books-that-make-me-very-angry

Synesthesia is not at all how Mass portrays it in the book. Since you are born with it, you don't remember a timer when "Dave" did not taste like turnips. You don't get scared of it, and its not really something that interferes with your social life. Sure, the occasional "whats the color of my name?" tactic or the "what color is chicken?", but never that someone stops being your friend. When you figure out that other people don't see what you see, you just end up wondering why the heck Tuesday i ...more

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Oct 13, 2020 LuminescentFirefly rated it really liked it

Shelves: middle-grade, owned

This book has to be one of my all-time favorite contemporary books. I don't read too many of these types of books, but this surprised me.

“I open my eyes and stare at the page. I see the black letters. But I also see the pinks and greens and purples and yellows. I can’t say I’m surprised.”

I admire Wendy Mass's work and this one has especially opened my eyes to things I wouldn't know existed. She writes about so many interesting topics, such as synesthesia in this book.

“All those people in their b ...more

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Aug 22, 2007 Emma rated it liked it

Recommends it for: tweens

Here's what I like about A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass: The plot is extremely interesting and really, for lack of a better word, new. Mass talks about a condition that most people have never even heard of and she just runs with it.

Here's what I don't like: Mass is at pains throughout the novel to make sure everyone knows her narrator is young. I also have mixed feelings about it winning an award (the Kaplan award I believe) for artistically representing life with a disability.

Here's some in Here's what I like about A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass: The plot is extremely interesting and really, for lack of a better word, new. Mass talks about a condition that most people have never even heard of and she just runs with it.

Here's what I don't like: Mass is at pains throughout the novel to make sure everyone knows her narrator is young. I also have mixed feelings about it winning an award (the Kaplan award I believe) for artistically representing life with a disability.

Here's some information so you can actually understand what I'm going on about: Okay, so the book follows thirteen-year-old Mia. Mia has synesthesia, a neurological condition that allows her to see letters and numbers in color. As the blurb on the back of the book states, Mia named her cat Mango because that is the color of his breathing. That is, you will agree, pretty cool. The action of the story starts when Mia realizes she can no longer keep her condition a secret from her friends and family because it's starting to interfere with her schoolwork. So Mia starts going to doctors and she finally meets people just like her.

So, on one level, this story is about dealing with synesthesia. But it also has a lot more going on. Mia's grandfather has recently died and, as readers will learn, Mango's place in the story is intricately tied to that of Mia's grandfather. At the end of the day, more than being about dealing with a disability (I'm not even sure I like calling synesthesia a disability) A Mango-Shaped Space is about accepting who you are and coping with the harder parts of life.

I read this book back-to-back with Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian so comparisons are inevitable. What I found really interesting is that Alexie's narrator is only a year older than Mia, but the story is clearly appropriate for teens--I'd never give it to a ten year old for instance. Mass' novel, on the other hand, could just as easily be cataloged as a Children's book rather than Young Adult (left to my own devices I think I would do just that). Why? Well, like I said, Mass makes sure we know how young Mia is. Revelations like Mia never previously sitting with a boy at lunch or attending a boy-girl party abound in the narrative--sometimes unnecessarily.

At the same time, the material is just less heavy. The tone is lighter and the characters are a little less developed so that their hurts never quite hit home. I'm not sure if this is a bad thing though--it just makes it clear, while reading, that the book could be appropriate for a younger audience.

I'd definitely give this book a look though. The prose is easy to digest and the story is really interesting. And, surprisingly, the story features a lot of characters who are just as interesting to meet as Mia (with her synesthesia)--Mia's little brother Zach is a particular favorite for this reviewer.

You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print ...more

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Oct 23, 2020 mira⁷ rated it did not like it

Shelves: lowkey-concerning, end-me-now, burn-it-all, a-bigger-disappointment-than-me, preppy, millenial-crap-but-for-kids, problematic, read-as-a-kid-but-reviewing-now, omg-im-so-quirky-ahaha

🎀 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙤/𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞 𝙖𝙢 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙬
--
a book directed at kids has a relationship between a minor and an adult.
a book. directed at impressionable kids. normalizes minor-adult romance.
what do you think the kids who are reading this book might do?
at that age, seeing even one action in media can influence a kid. how many times have you tried jumping off a high platform as a child because you saw someone in a movie do it?
it's ...more

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Jun 03, 2008 Hooma rated it it was amazing

Shelves: formystudents

A Mango-Shaped Space (2003) is a novel by Wendy Mass. This brilliant book is about Mia, a thirteen year old girl living with synesthesia. Her synesthesia causes her problems in school, with friends, and just having her parents understand her. For example, Mia first experiences ridicule at the hands of her third-grade classmates when she is called to the front of the room to do a math problem. She uses coloured chalk to make the numbers fit into the synthesiasiatic form in which she sees them. He A Mango-Shaped Space (2003) is a novel by Wendy Mass. This brilliant book is about Mia, a thirteen year old girl living with synesthesia. Her synesthesia causes her problems in school, with friends, and just having her parents understand her. For example, Mia first experiences ridicule at the hands of her third-grade classmates when she is called to the front of the room to do a math problem. She uses coloured chalk to make the numbers fit into the synthesiasiatic form in which she sees them. Her teacher tells her to stop stalling by making up silly stories. Mia is left confused and alone, because she thoght everyone saw this way. After that, Mia tells nobody about her colors.

When Mia is tweleve her most beloved friend, her grandfather, dies. During her grandfather's funeral, Mia finds a Gray and white kitten with eyes just like her grandfather's. She immediately decides that part of her grandfather's soul is living in that kitten. She takes him home and names him Mango. Not because of his orange eyes, but because his meows and is heavy wheezing are different shades of orange and yellow to her; like a mango in different seasons. The wheezes is actually caused by a dip rip in Mango's lung, which cannot be repaired, but Mango copes with it.

When school trouble in 8th grade causes Mia to tell about her colors. Her mother takes Mia to many different doctors, but only one has a answer. He is a docter who demands they call him Jerry, nothing else. Her tells Mia all about her synesthesia, and gives her loads of information about it. He even gives her a website where Mia can communicate with other synesthetes.

Later on in the story, Mia has her first kiss with a boy named Adam, a boy she met on that website.

Because she is so preoccupied with her condition and life, Mango dies of cold, because he got locked outside and was unable to reach the warmth of his home. After Mango dies, Mia is extremely depressed and her colors disappear.They come back, When she meets up witha young boy named Billy, who shares her condition. Billy helps her realize that she has to move on to help other synesthetes.

However, Mango ended up mating with one of the neighbor's female cats before he died, and she gave birth to some kittens. Mia saw that one of the kittens sounded like the color of Mustard. She knew on the inside Mango would want Mia to have his son, so his spirit could live on.
...more

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May 22, 2019 Stephanie Fitzgerald rated it liked it

Recommends it for: Middle- grade readers

Shelves: donated, reviewed-on-goodreads

A young girl, Mia, tries to hide from everyone the fact that sounds, letters, and numbers have color for her. When her condition is revealed due to a problem at school, Mia feels like all the kids think she’s some kind of freak.
A good book about a rare human condition that was interesting to learn about.

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Aug 23, 2012 Kristin marked it as to-read

Shelves: ra, children-s-books

I haven't read this, but the synopses actually put me off of it. As someone with synesthesia, I don't see how anyone could think they need to go to a doctor for it or have problems as a result of it. I've never thought it was anything special or scary, just mildly funny-- when I was growing up, my parents just always told other relatives with amusement, oh what a funny kid, she says "it tastes purple" or "it makes my stomach feel blue" or "the air smells orange." Then, when I grew up, I simply k ...more

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Jul 01, 2008 katarzyna rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: anyone, especially pet-owners

Recommended to katarzyna by: my sister

This book is great! I recently recommended it to one of the middle school students I work with and it seemed to going over really well with her.

I'm only a few years shy of being twice Mia the narrator's age, but found her to be awesome. Definitely not perfect and kind of a pain in the butt to other characters at times (terrible school project partner, for one) but such a realistic, hilarious 13-year-old.

The character development was great in general, and I ended up liking pretty much everyone. ...more

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Apr 28, 2014 Kaethe Douglas rated it liked it

Shelves: middle-grade, cats, science, fiction, death, education, sisters, contemporary, realistic, strong-smart-female-protagonist

I had a hard time with this. First, the first-person narration felt slightly off to me. Nothing big, nothing really jarring, just ever-so-slightly-off in a way I can't put my finger on. Then there was the whole thing about the ages of Mia's parents. I'm guessing they were born in the 1960-1965 range. Why in hell would Mia's mother blame Mia's problem on the father's drug use in the 60s? I know that this is really trivial, but it's an emotionally fraught section of the story, very high impact, ev ...more

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Aug 18, 2009 Cassidy rated it really liked it

Shelves: juvenile, synesthesia

This book is very special to me. It is about a girl named Mia with a rare neurological condition called synesthesia. People with synesthesia "blend senses". Some common examples include colored hearing, tasting words, colored graphemes, personified graphemes, colored personalities, colored emotions, tasting colors, colored scents, hearing colors, colored units of time... even having unique visual maps of abstract concepts, such as time (for example, September might be three feet above your left ...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Elspeth rated it liked it

You can also read mine, and MLE's reviews on our blog.

This would have been a four star book if it wasn’t for the degradation at the end into a swirling mass of teen angst.
Yeah, I am not so much into teen angst.

The author did a great job in getting you into Mia’s head, on how scared and frustrated she was with her synesthesia. It made you think, on how the torments of the other children in her third grade math class effected her. On how she kept her synesthesia a secret until she had to tell her ...more

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Jun 02, 2018 Skip rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, award-winners

I chose this book because the protagonist, Mia Winchell, has synesthesia: a mingling of sensory perceptions. Letters and numbers have colors associated with them for Mia, and this causes her difficulty in math and Spanish. Her parents don't understand initially, and then think she has a disease or mental disorder, but eventually they find a specialist at the University of Chicago to diagnose her condition and to help, enabling Mia to understand that she is not a freak. The book also deals with g ...more

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Feb 08, 2020 Tzipora rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, own, read-in-2020, young-adult

4.5 stars

This is a lovely little book about 13 year old Mia Winchell. At first glance she seems to be the most normal one in her quirky family. Her mother is an astronomy geek and her father is continuing adding additions to their eyesore of a home and also pilots his own helicopter. Mia is the middle child between her teenage sister Beth who comes back from summer camp interested in vegetarianism, yoga, and witchcraft and 11 year old brother Zack, an offbeat kid who firmly believes in all kinds 4.5 stars

This is a lovely little book about 13 year old Mia Winchell. At first glance she seems to be the most normal one in her quirky family. Her mother is an astronomy geek and her father is continuing adding additions to their eyesore of a home and also pilots his own helicopter. Mia is the middle child between her teenage sister Beth who comes back from summer camp interested in vegetarianism, yoga, and witchcraft and 11 year old brother Zack, an offbeat kid who firmly believes in all kinds of superstitions and has tracked every McDonald’s hamburger he’s eaten in his life. However, it soon becomes apparent that Mia is different too when we meet her cat Mango. She named him this because his wheezes and purrs cause her to see vivid orange puffballs. And that’s not all Mia sees. All her letters have their own colors, each person’s name does as well, and sounds of all kinds cause her to see a variety of colors and shapes, something she uses to her advantage when painting.

But Mia’s colors are a secret. She didn’t know she was different, that no one else saw things the way she did until a very embarrassing incident in the third grade. No one believed her and her classmates belittled her. So she’s been hiding her colors until a combination of factors leads her to finally confess to her parents what she sees.

Mia has synesthesia, a condition that while rare, has become somewhat popularly known in recent years thanks to reality and tv talk shows. That’s what drew me to the book. I don’t see colors but I feel music and certain voices on my skin, have a bit of the mirror-Touch and personification variety. And I have a very talented and musical friend who has the two types of synesthesia Mia does (and who years ago helped me figure out my own). Mine isn’t as big of a deal or such a huge part of my life though there’s a point in the book where Mia meets other synestetes and they all share a bunch of random other traits and I realized of hey, me too. I wish I saw colors though!

It’s an interesting read. It’s also a book that seems to straddle the line between middle grade and YA and there’s a lot of growing up and a certain awkwardness to being 13, that is very well reflected and felt in this book and I imagine relatable to everyone, synesthesia or not. I really liked Mia’s family. I could relate to her difficulties in seeing doctor after doctor and them either writing her off as crazy or attention seeking (never sought help for my synesthesia because mine is so much less intrusive than Mia’s but could sure relate to the way young women tend to get written off in general). There’s some friend drama, a first kiss, and I cried at the end of the book for some pet related stuff that happens. Poor Mia gets so caught up in finding out she isn’t crazy or alone too that there’s an underlying storyline here, or lesson, about how we all try to juggle and keep as many balls in the air as we can, but must be mindful not to neglect or drop some while caught up in the others.

My copy came from a used bookstore and had been in a school library previously. I think this would be a great one for school or classroom libraries. Synesthesia is ultimately a form of neurodiversity (and has a connection with autism spectrum disorders though Mia is definitely not autistic nor or many with synesthesia. Autistics have been found to be 3x more likely to have synesthesia than the neurotypical population though) and I may be biased, but I’m a big fan of the neurodiversity movement, of the beauty in differences and I don’t know that there are any other fictional depictions of synesthesia out there. But it would be a fantastic inclusion in any diversity focused children or YA library. I think it also makes a nice introduction for adults and the author does a good job of educating about the condition without being overbearing or complex and keeping it as a very readable part of the story.

Edit- I wrote my review before reading others and can see some were unhappy about how they felt synesthesia was represented... um, first off, as someone who is disabled, I read a touch of ableism in a few of those reviews but also I didn’t get the feeling synesthesia was presented as a disability here. In fact that’s why I brought up the neurodiversity movement because I felt it was represented rather positively (maybe apart from some of her younger brother’s comments). I gather most synethestetes have never felt shame over their synesthesia (me either) but it’s explained pretty well within the story why Mia does and why it’s her secret. Because she was belittled for it. And I don’t think that’s so hard to imagine. Kids are notoriously cruel over even the tiniest differences. And this is an older YA/Middle grade book. I feel like most books written for kids and teens were heavy on the “teach a lesson” side and this one reads as a broader story of our differences make us special or something to that nature. And I don’t know. I didn’t see it as being presented like a disability, but gasp, maybe others wouldn’t be so offended or worried about having their conditions or uniqueness viewed as a disability if ableism weren’t so intensely prevalent in society. I kind of... fail to see why that would be so awful to be honest. Anyway, since I didn’t want to reply to 5+ year old reviews just wanted to tack this on here. I’m sure I already offended those same people by calling it neurodiversity too but again, there’s nothing to be offended by. Check your ableism at the door. ...more

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Mar 13, 2014 Gerry rated it it was ok

I find adults who read young adult novels to be kinda creepy, like the men I see playing Magic: The Gathering with teens at the comic book shop on Saturdays. Then again, I am buying comic books on a Saturday, so maybe I'm full of it.

But I, a fully grown human adult, did read A Mango-Shaped Space. My daughter recommended it to me after I gave her a copy of Animal Farm. I'll let you decide who got the better deal.

So this young girl named Mia has synesthesia, a condition that causes her to see soun ...more

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Apr 13, 2020 noodle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: i-cant-live-without-these

*insert happy squeals and crying here*
Oh my god, I love this book.
The emotions are so realistic and the way Mia deals with things are relatable to anyone who has dealt with change.

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Jan 07, 2015 snowplum rated it liked it

I enjoyed reading this book, yet I would hesitate to say that it is such a great book that anyone or everyone should rush to read it. My favorite parts of it were reading about the various manifestations of synesthesia, which I suppose I could have read about somewhere else; but there is something to be said for a character in a book who is treating acupuncture with all the traditional behaviors of a junkie -- sneaking out, lying, spending all her money on it -- all because it amps up her synest I enjoyed reading this book, yet I would hesitate to say that it is such a great book that anyone or everyone should rush to read it. My favorite parts of it were reading about the various manifestations of synesthesia, which I suppose I could have read about somewhere else; but there is something to be said for a character in a book who is treating acupuncture with all the traditional behaviors of a junkie -- sneaking out, lying, spending all her money on it -- all because it amps up her synesthetic responses to the point where she's seeing trippy colors everywhere and even having visual responses to pheromones. For those descriptions alone, I considered this book worthwhile.

But I think there are some problems with characters and plot points that would keep many older readers from thinking this is a story that works profoundly for all ages. Generally, most of these issues can be reduced to glossing over serious events, or characters having emotional responses to things that are either too extreme or resolved too easily.

For example, a major potential romance is terminated completely based on the guy's sort of clueless response to Mia's missing a gathering when her cat dies. And therein lies the point: Adam is not a bad guy. He's a teenage male who has never lost a pet he loves, so he doesn't know how Mia feels, and he's traveled halfway across the country hoping to see her, so I would say he's understandably disappointed when she doesn't show. He isn't mad, mean, or hateful about it. Just disappointed and clueless. But Mia writes him off forever because he's selfish. Honey, if you write off boys your whole life when they're basically nice but sort of clueless about your feelings... you're gonna end up a spinster.

I'm also not a huge fan of how Mia's friendship with her best friend Jenna plays out at various crucial points. Jenna isn't presented as an otherwise irrational girl, yet she gets furiously mad at Mia twice in the course of the book, and then gets over it quickly without any sense that these events have been resolved in such a way as to strengthen the friendship. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like when a relationship comes so close to being damaged by a problem or misunderstanding, there should be a resolution that leads to real improvement, not just a return to the status quo. I also think it's poor characterization on Mia's part that she forgives Jenna's outbursts and betrayals without seeming to have any doubt over whether she should, but she won't even consider "forgiving" Adam's unintentional cluelessness.

So, these are the things that would keep me from enthusiastically recommending the book to most of my adult friends, and I would also hesitate to give it to a middle grade reader as an exemplary portrayal of friendship or dating when you're that age. I would present it as a pretty interesting book about a girl with synesthesia that has some really cool parts about the condition alongside some less thrilling stuff about family and friends.

(Note [if there is anyone who doesn't understand and was about to get all uppity with me about self esteem]: I'm not saying you should always accept it if a guy doesn't understand you or care about your feelings. I'm just saying you should give him a couple of chances as you're getting to know each other by telling him what you're feeling and how his reactions make you feel. See if he really just needed a little wake up call about sensitivity and perspective.)

I'm also not sure why this book is presented (in everything from the title to the afterward notes about helpful websites and books) as being largely or even predominantly about the death of a pet. Mia's beloved cat dies very near the end of the book, and that is the catalyst for some dramatic interactions and feelings -- but at least 85% of the book takes place before Mango's death and is not about the cat at all. I'm not saying this is a bad thing; I'm merely saying that if you want or need to find a book about helping a child deal with grief over the loss of a pet, this is probably not as spot-on-target as you've been led to believe. This is a book about a girl with synesthesia, secondarily about family and friendships, and only then about the loss of a pet. ...more

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Jul 25, 2015 Alex Black rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, favorites, middle-grade

I've read this book so many times and I absolutely adore it. It's a wonderful middle grade contemporary about a young girl with synesthesia. I will say right off the bat, I've heard this is not good representation of synesthesia. I don't know for sure since I have no experience with it, but that seems to be the general consensus. It doesn't negate enjoyment of the book for me, but it's definitely important to acknowledge that.

I almost gave this book four stars, but with how hard I cry for the fi I've read this book so many times and I absolutely adore it. It's a wonderful middle grade contemporary about a young girl with synesthesia. I will say right off the bat, I've heard this is not good representation of synesthesia. I don't know for sure since I have no experience with it, but that seems to be the general consensus. It doesn't negate enjoyment of the book for me, but it's definitely important to acknowledge that.

I almost gave this book four stars, but with how hard I cry for the final section, I can't justify less than five. It hits me so hard emotionally and this is why I generally avoid books that heavily feature animals. I was very grateful for my cat cuddling me. There aren't many books that make me cry this hard, especially considering how many times I've read this book.

But onto the negatives. The writing itself is a little too simplistic for my tastes. This might also have to do with the fact that the last two books I read were a classic and a literary fiction, so it was a bit of an adjustment to shift back into middle grade. I didn't mind it too much, but it was something I noticed a lot more as an adult than I did reading this book at 13. Can't really hold that against the book, though, since it's aimed at a younger audience.

I also think it's paced too quickly. The book covers a period of a few months, but it feels like it takes place in just a couple weeks. Everything is so sped up and happens in a rush. I wish it was slowed down a little, maybe even if some aspects were cut. It felt like there wasn't quite enough time dedicated to everything.

And as an adult, the bit where the 13 year old goes to an acupuncturist without her parents' knowledge/permission makes me incredibly uncomfortable. I don't think it's handled in a bad way, just man, it's so irresponsible of all the adults involved. Mia knows she's breaking the rules, but she should have been stopped. That even made me uncomfortable as a kid. I don't think I would have known how to fill out doctor's forms by myself at that age.

But all that being said, this book is lovely. The emotions hit me so hard and when I cry (sob) for the last 60 pages, it doesn't really matter if I have some minor critiques of the writing style. It's the kind of cry I really appreciate sometimes. This book touches my heart. If you enjoy heartwarming middle grade contemporaries, I can't recommend it enough (with the caveat about the synesthesia rep). It's one I've reread every couple of years since I was a kid and will probably continue to do so. ...more

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Feb 29, 2016 Ylenia rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2016-reads

★ 2016 AtY Reading Challenge ★: A book with a type of food/drink in the title.

*2.5 stars*

I feel sooooooo bad. I'm sad this book didn't resonate with me more.

Normally 2.5 stars is not a bad rating but to be honest is more of like a 2.25. Maybe even a 2?

The main theme of this book is synesthesia. The form Mia has is the one that causes her to associate colors to numbers, letters (and words, names etc.) and sounds.
There was some info-dumping happening during the book, especially when her "phenomen ...more

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Aug 13, 2011 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorite-books

'Growth can only truly be achieved through loss' (- A Mango Shaped-Space, by Wendy Mass) I love this quote because it demonstrates The pain and suffering that comes from loss but also the growth. In this book Mia discovers a huge loss that wounds her but also makes her 10x stronger. I feel like this was a great lesson for Wendy to put into her book. In a way i see it as 'when one door closes another door opens'. This is one of the many lessons I learned from this book. "Numbers don't have colors ...more

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Jan 05, 2021 Alise (not Alice!!!!!) rated it it was amazing

This. Book. Was. Amazing. But it made me cry at least 3 times. I still loved it though!

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Dec 07, 2014 Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) rated it it was ok

Shelves: children, d-is-for-dysfunctional, rather-heavy-going

A fast read for an adult, I pretty much finished it in a sitting. I wouldn't give it to any sensitive kids under about the age the main character is...eleven or twelve, because it could be upsetting. The book deals with a lot of loss and sorrow. (Are there any upbeat middleschool books out there anymore?) Before the action even starts you have one person who has lost her mother to disease and the MC's beloved grandfather has died too. And that's before you meet her odd family: her strangely supe A fast read for an adult, I pretty much finished it in a sitting. I wouldn't give it to any sensitive kids under about the age the main character is...eleven or twelve, because it could be upsetting. The book deals with a lot of loss and sorrow. (Are there any upbeat middleschool books out there anymore?) Before the action even starts you have one person who has lost her mother to disease and the MC's beloved grandfather has died too. And that's before you meet her odd family: her strangely superstitious younger brother who keeps records of all the Big Macs he ever ate on a wall chart with dates and times; her older sister who starts out as the "normal" one and suddenly morphs into a vegetarian neopagan (or whatever), and her oddly absent mother, who apparently is a SAHM and yet is blissfully unaware of what her kids get up to, and is emotionally cold.

Secrets abound in this family, and when Mia's synasthesia surfaces, Mom's first reaction is denial ("you're making it up!"), the second is accusation (she turns to her husband and says, "This is all your fault!") and the third is treating it like a "disease"--rush off and get it "cured" because there's something "wrong" with Mia. (Yeah--and yet her strange little brother is "normal", right?) Dad works only a few days a week, but when the charputzka hits the family fan, he's always out of reach--up a ladder, up in his helicopter, or somewhere outside, away from it all. Even the family cat spends its time creeping around in crawlspaces and hiding from everyone. This is dysfunctional with a hey-nonny-no, and I found the ramshackle house that Gramps and Dad built at the same time (not "together," no one in this family seems to be able to collaborate on anything) but in totally different directions, with no evident blueprints (or indeed planning permits) to be a metaphor for this strange family.

Did I like the book? Not a bunch. The title caught my eye because there are synasthesiasts in my own family and I have a mild form of it myself, though nowhere near as extreme as Mia's or the people she meets. (Sound has shape, if you want to know, but I don't see the shapes; rather, I percieve them as if they were inside my skin.) But the people and relationships were a bit more fraught than I care for. Crap, nobody's ever happy in that house. She can't even get along with her "best" friend. I had enough of that growing up, I don't care to read about it at such length. If you like dysfunctional families, you'll enjoy it. ...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Angie rated it it was amazing

So far, I think this is a very interesting book, because I have never seen anyone memorize things by colors. I never even knew what synesthesia was until I started reading this book. At certain times while reading this book, I wish I could experience a day with synesthesia, sensing colors like Mia Winchell. In addition, I enjoy reading the part when Mia is taking the math test. She struggles with memorizing the formulas by actual letters, then she uses her method of using colors during the test ...more

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Nov 15, 2016 Yumi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: recommendations

This is also a sad story and a touching story. It's about a girl who sees colors for numbers, letters, and sounds. She also has a cat that she loves the most, Mango. I will recommend this book to people who loves Wendy Mass books. ...more

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Oct 10, 2018 Evan W rated it really liked it

Great book. My heart has a Mango-shaped space now.

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Feb 12, 2021 Madilynn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book was just amazing! I can't believe how much this book has changed my life. ...more

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About Wendy Mass

Wendy Mass

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Wendy Mass is the author of twenty-two novels for young people, including A Mango-Shaped Space, which was awarded the Schneider Family Book Award, Leap Day, the Twice Upon a Time fairy tale series, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall, the Willow Falls, Space Taxi and Candymakers series. Wendy wrote the storyline for an episode of the television show Monk, entitled ...more