A Mango-Shaped Space

I read this book in 8th grade and forever it remained my favorite book. I have many favorites but this one was impactful for me. I’m now reading it to my kids age 12 and 9. And it’s bringing back why I loved it. I love other books like Watson’s go to Birmingham, Bud not Buddy, Sarah plain and tall, wish, getting near to baby.. Harris and me… Regular Guy… this is another great book that my kids don’t want me to stop “Another chapter mom”

Wow, I couldn't stop myself from reading a couple chapters per day! The first-person narrator Mia Winchell is a very interesting character. I admire how she uses her unique ability(called Synesthesia) to view color from hearing sounds and seeing letters and numbers to her advantage in her classes. For example, as bad as it gets, Mia is HORRIBLE at math, but she uses her Synesthesia to help her on a math quiz by assigning colors to the letter variables to certain memorable colors. She then gets that "big, beautiful, sunflower yellow" A. She thinks it's cheating, but I think it's a great use of her unique power. There is also a sad but touching part toward the end, when Mia's cat Mango passes away, and afterwards Mia realizes she lost her Synesthesia. She then saw a really bland world before her eyes temporarily. She then got her Synesthesia back later on, but when I read this sad part of the near end, I knew right away how strong of a bond is created between Mia and Mango, and how Mia should never be ashamed of her uniqueness as she did in the beginning(as she soon regretted the lost of her power when she saw the world without it). Overall, A Mango-Shaped Space is a very good and vividly detailed book, while still conveying the learning lesson or theme to the reader: be yourself no matter how different and unique you are.

The journey of the main character truly explores what it means to accept oneself for all the parts of you. The character explores her identity, and the story wraps up in a wonderful way. A great, quick read

This was a really sweet book appropriate for readers of all ages. I chose to read this book because of the main character's life with synesthesia. While it can be quite angsty at times, that should be expected for a character who is thirteen years old; teenage girls live angsty lives. While synesthesia is still fairly new to me, the experiences Mia encountered in this story were out of this world, and quite interesting to behold. It definitely sounds like a gift rather than a curse, and how lucky she is to be so unique... so special. I really loved Mia's younger brother Zack - he had me laughing every time he opened his mouth. For the reviewer who said this book for "impressionable kids" should not be read due to an adult making romantic gestures to a thirteen year old, that never once happened in this book. I think they are mistaking it with another book, because the only romantic thing that happened at all in the story was Mia, the thirteen year old, sharing a brief kiss with Adam, who is fourteen. Some of my favorite lines from the book: "And I know that if you yawn and don't cover your mouth, your soul can jump out." "His laughter forms a pale-blue cloud that kind of drizzles down as it dissolves."

I loved this book for many reasons but the main one was probably because the main character was a synesthete just like me. But I gave this book five stars because I enjoyed every second of it, and reading it for the first time was quite an adventure but going back and rereading it after I had figured out I had synesthesia was very cool. Synesthesia is not a disease if that's what you were thinking. Synesthesia is where the senses in your mind blend together. For instance thing of a line then think of a line on top of that but the both form an "X" then think of more lines added on top, so when the brain is formed sometimes the lines will fuse together makes your senses (the lines) connect. For example some people who have it whenever they hear something they see colors in the air in front of them, or maybe whenever they see shapes they can actually feel the shapes on their skin, or maybe it could smaller like whenever they steel broccoli they see the letter "I". So stuff like that. And this book is about a girl who goes through life but still dealing with her synesthesia. This book was definitely the best book I have ever read. And I've read a lot of books. :)

Still holds up 20 years later! Great coming of age story. I highly recommend reading it, no matter your age.

My friend told me that she saw colors a couple of months ago. This is her favorite book. Now I can see she was lying. Anyways, this book was so cute and well written I couldn't put it down! It was very interesting and the author clearly explained synesthesia. My heart broke at the end and I couldn't't stop bawling. When my mom asked why, I explained that Mango the cat died and all she saw was a mango shape space. Also that Adam was a jerk and Roger was really nice to her. This book was so cute and just overall perfect! I just wish their was more! I hope that they adopt the other cat, name him Mustard, and the book will be called "Mustard shaped space" but I don't know that might be stupid. I just want this to happen: 1) Roger and Mia to get together 2) Mia adopts Mango's son 3) Mango' s son doesn't die. I hope you find this review helpful to you to make the right choice and buy this book!

Got a dirty cover looked used. Book is great!

it was a very interesting story where Mia Winchell can see sound and have colored letters and all those things. She has friends to overcome the fact that she can't admit her cat's death and I learned the importance of friendship.

This novel really captured many facets of being differently abled. Mia Winchell, is a protagonist, and she is close to being 14. When she was in elementary school an incident happened that made her feel like an outsider. She is a Synaesthete but unfortunately in 2003 I do not think many people knew about this neurological gift. While struggling with a math sum she decided to paint some numericals "in their natural colours." That is when Mia, humiliated by her classmates and her teacher, realises no one else sees colours and numbers as associatively as she does. So, Mia is forced to agree with her school counselor at that time that she was lying and was not seeing colours. Her math teacher also made her apologise in front of her class for being a nuisance. Fast forward to this young teen Mia. Mia still sees colours but she doesn't say it to anyone. Even her best friend, partners in crime (they themselves call themselves PIC), does not know and she pretty much knows everything about Mia. Then, our protagonist comes out and tells her parents again. This is because she is afraid of summer school and she has consecutively failed many math tests. At first her parents, well her mother, blames her father — as if Synaesthesia is something to be blamed for. Then after a series of diagnosis Mia finds out she is special in this, her own unique way. However, her parents at first still find it confusing. To her mother she wants Mia to be "normal" initially too not understanding that to Mia this is the normalest and healthiest way she can be. Yet, Mia's mother is looked at sympathetically as like any woman who just wants the best to her daughter and doesn't want her to face difficulties and social ostracisation. Mia also questions the validity of just getting good grades when her bond with her cat, Mango, is revealed. Mango has always been a sick cat but through his wheezing and sneezing Mia saw colours that worked like her own aerated kaleidoscope that calmed her down. And Mia is good at many other things scuch as painting and creative thought. This novel is not only important to children. It is important to adults. Especially lost adults who need to be reminded that their self-image is important and that their unique gifts are worth keeping. I would say this is more effective than a self-help manual. What I really loved about this book is Wendy Mass's eye for detail and her ability to not make Mia into this perfect child complex. Mia makes mistakes and Mia is fallible. Mia also gets angry and does internally voice out when people are in their own ways being mean to her. I would say this is demonstrated by her friend Jenna. Frankly, Jenna isn't a really good friend and that an older Mia would probably realise this. Jenna is kind and caring and loving about Mia, true, but she is also reprehensible in being self-centered. Though there is an excuse for the first time, though I still found it weak, it seems she just resents that Mia CAN GROW WITHOUT HER. That Mia is unique also elicits a jealousy in her which she wants to say "oh, you are not being a good friend" but in actuality she just doesn't like that Mia has embarked on such a new journey in her life that doesn't include her. Though this is somewhat understandable there is some places when Jenna really got my ire. There were scenes when Jenna acted like a very bad friend. Where she seemed unable to understand that Mia is also, after so many years, learning about herself. Instead of being supportive she whines on about Mia is spending time away from her. I am glad that Mass wrote about Jenna and all these behaviours from her. It was a realistic depiction of friends like this. At the same time I am happy that Mass also showed that Mia's initial belief that only other Synaesthetes would get her is proved fallible. Mia doesn't need to only bond with other Synaesthetes; neither will all of them be serious about her feelings. At the end of the day everyone is human and humans subjected to the same arrogances and errors as everyone else. Mia also finds new friends and potential love with someone she didn't think at first "alluring" as in he is handsome but he was not a Synaesthete. Mass without excuse depicts the impressionable minds of adolescents and also the haughtiness or sadness that comes in discovering natural gifts. The novel is interconnected with many themes and many events, both real and fictional. Mia's connection with Mango and her Grandfather who has passed is shown to be relevant pieces of the backbone of this tale. Mia's home is also near the woods and her father also knows how to operate a helicopter which is pretty interesting. Mia does a project on Slavery learning also about other horrible forms of social exclusion. The fact that Mia is not perfect, can be prone to get annoyed and impatient and even at times ignore people, made me really love her as a protagonist. She is a good person and has the same shortcomings as most people but unlike most people Mia is ethical and tries to be responsible and also dedicated with what she does. As a person who has been growing up with Synaesthesia and not knowing it till now makes it even harder for her to sometimes keep her restlessness and frustrations in check but she tries and manages to do a lot. I actually liked the ending too. It showed how Mia must grow up, move on and also she accepts new responsibilities and feelings. New insights into also her Synaesthesia and how it incorporates into herself. I wish Mass would write a sequel to how Mia is when she is a grown woman. It would be interesting to see how things have had turned out.

My 10 year old daughter, and her friends, love this author and “A Mango-Shaped Space” is her favourite one of all her books.

I bought this book for my 11 year old daughter. We've been struggling to find books that are her reading age but not too grown up in content. She loved this. She didn't want to review the book but I couldn't leave it without some praise. When she had finished the book she said 'That was brilliant - really recommend that !" - she's not said that about too many books ! High praise indeed !

great product