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    A Mango-Shaped Space
    A Mango-Shaped Space
    A Mango-Shaped Space
    Audiobook6 hours

    A Mango-Shaped Space

    Written by Wendy Mass

    Narrated by Danielle Ferland

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A VOYA Top-Shelf selection, Wendy Mass' poignant yet funny coming-of-age novel also received the ALA's Schneider Family Book Award. When 13-year old Mia finally reveals a closely-guarded secret, it soon echoes throughout her school. She was born with synesthesia, a neurological cross-wiring that lets her see sounds, taste shapes, and smell colors. To Mia the letter a glows with faded sunflower-yellow, screeching chalk sizzles with jagged red sparks, and her cat's voice puffs with orange-mango haze. But how can Mia "the alien" find acceptance and self-worth?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMar 7, 2008
    ISBN9781436144568
    A Mango-Shaped Space
    Author

    Wendy Mass

    Wendy Mass is the New York Times bestselling author of The Candymakers series, Bob, and many other novels for young readers, including the Schneider Family Book Award-winner A Mango-Shaped Space, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life (which was made into a feature film), Every Soul a Star, Pi in the Sky, the Twice Upon a Time series, and the Willow Falls series that began with 11 Birthdays. She and her family live in New Jersey.

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    Reviews for A Mango-Shaped Space

    4/5

    528 ratings50 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This story is about a girl who sees all these colors when she hears noises or other things. It’s a really cool point of view. It’s was really sad when Mango died tho.
    • 4/5
      Audio review: Reader Danielle Ferland helps portray a very likable and practical girl in Mia Winchell as she and her family come to learn more about her newly diagnosed synesthesia, a cross-wiring of the brain that enables her to see sounds, taste shapes and smell colors.
    • 4/5
      Mia, in A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE, has projective synesthesia. Every letter and word has a color, so when she reads or talks the words flash colors that only she can see. I found out about A MANGO-SAHPED SPACE by reading EVERY SOUL A STAR, also by Wendy Mass (which I suggest that you read if you like A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE). I inhaled it and finished it in a matter of hours. The first chapters are a little bit boring, but after that, it gets much more exciting. She meets a lot of other people who have synesthesia and the "climax" is when she looses her synesthesia when her cat dies (in her father's helicopter on the way to the vet in a very loud and descriptive scene.) No more red spirals when the phone rings, or purple ones when her alarm goes off. The problem with this is that she gets it back in the next chapter, so the "climax" was slightly frazzled. A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE is more about one smooth story than the kind of thing that goes up and then down. I think it's still 3 and 1/2 stars, however.
    • 5/5
      I really love this book because it has a really good description and I don't want to put the book down!
    • 3/5
      It was just okay... Main character is a little self centered and preteen stereotyped but it was a quick little read.
    • 4/5
      First of all, this book has a central character who is a cat named Mango the Magnificat. So. I pretty much was set up to adore this book.

      That being said, this really is a great book for a few reasons. The first is that it's about a young teen who is different and is growing up and getting to know herself better. I really liked that she got extremely self-involved when she finally put a name to her colors and she was not longer hiding her secret. I liked this because it was fairly accurate of teenagers. And I liked that a lot was happening to her all at once--something that happens in life very often but in the beginning especially is overwhelming and difficult. Mia illustrates how life changes and how good things (two boys liking her, learning about her synesthesia) can sometimes also happen during traumatic times (growing apart from her best friend, mourning the loss of her grandfather, growing up)

      Second, I really liked that this book illustrates that it's OK to grieve however it is that you grieve. So often in this culture we tell people that it's not okay to be sad years later, that it's not okay to cry, that it's not okay to be angry. For Mia she feels like she doesn't get to grieve because she has Mango but when Mango is gone she finally confronts the grief of losing her Grandfather. Her best friend, Jenna, also shows that grief can come in all different shapes and forms. And I think that it's nice that Jenny tells Mia that it's okay to grieve however she wants.

      Third, this book is about dealing with something that makes you very different. Mia's colors are something that she's ashamed about and wants to keep as her own. When her friends and classmates are curious about it she feels like they are going to make fun of her but eventually realizes that they think it's great and want to learn more.

      Fourth, this book deals with the pangs of growing up without making Mia seem overdramatic. I loved the fights she had with her friend (didn't we all worry about other girls stealing our best friends while we were fighting?) and how authentic they seemed. Mia doesn't want to acknowledge that boys like her until she realizes that they do and she let's herself get carried away with it.

      Lastly, I liked this book for that way that Mia's family is portrayed. Everyone is loving and genuinely interested in each others lives even though they sometimes argue. They all support her sister when she becomes a vegetarian, they support their father's constant building and his helicopter flying, they support their mother and help her around the house, they accept Zack for who he is, and they all support Mia when they find out that she has been living with a condition all by herself. They grieve together as a family and they emerge from that grief together.

      This was a really well written and wonderful book for young teens to read, especially in times of grief over a grandparent or a pet. This would also be a great book for teens dealing with something that makes them different. Lastly, I would recommend this book to young girls who may be shy or who have low self-confidence. I think that this book illustrates how even when you feel invisible--other people see you and care for you.
    • 5/5
      Great book it was a great conflict ,I loved it
    • 3/5
      Enh. The synesthesia stuff was interesting. The YA novel problems and miniheartaches and such reminded me why I prefer YA fantasy/sf to realistic YA these days. (It also reminded me of Daniel Pinkwater's ruthless satire Young Adult Novel, which I recommend.). And the comments of some synesthetic reviewers make me wonder how accurate she got the synesthesia material. My daughters should like it, though.
    • 5/5
      I'm so attached to cat and I cried when he died.
    • 4/5
      This is a great YA novel for younger students. Perfect for 5-7th graders. It deals with a rare disorder and the loss of a grandparent and pet. A quick and easy read.
    • 4/5
      A cute story about a teenage girl dealing with synaesthesia and loss and teenagerness. I enjoyed it a lot.
    • 3/5
      Mia Winchell is a 13-year-old girl trying to come to terms with having the rare (but real) condition called synesthesia... when she sees letters and numbers, she sees them in particular colors. She also sees colored shapes in the air when she hears many sounds.Mia Winchell also has a cat named Mango. Mango has a medical condition that makes him wheeze all the time. He is not in the best of health.I liked this book, but I didn't love it, mainly because these two unrelated plot lines made it feel almost like two books merged together. The synesthesia story could have been told without Mango, and the Mango story could have been told without the synesthesia.And the chapters where Mia has acupuncture, and it heightens her synesthesia so that she sees colored clouds around everyone and read their moods in these clouds... really sounded more like a kid on an LSD trip than anything else, which was especially disconcerting in a 12-year-old. (But I know nothing about synesthesia except what I read in this book, so for all I know this may have been a completely realistic portrayal.)
    • 4/5
      I was given this book as a gift and was very interested in the plot, as the guy I'm marrying is a synesthete. It was really great to read about her experiences and the experiences that others with synesthesia have. What a cool way to live, huh?

      I enjoyed Mia's voice, and her little brother Zack was a charmer. It was touching as well, and had me nearly in tears in a few spots.

      I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel to this, as there were some things that I felt needed to be resolved. Still, I liked the book and I feel like I can understand my synesthete finacé just a little bit more.
    • 4/5
      Undiagnosed synesthia is a challenge, and the author explores the issue with grace. Maybe a little too simplistic in some bits. Fortunately her parents and friends help her cope reasonably well. Interesting. Recommended for all children so they learn that different people have unique perspectives - maybe reading this will help 'normal' (the author's word, not mine) kids understand better those with special needs.
    • 5/5
      This was required middle school reading for my son and after finishing the Hunger Games trilogy and discussing those books with him I thought it would be fun to keep reading the books he has read. I really enjoyed this book and thought it did an excellent job of teaching tolerance of the differences in others without being preachy!
    • 5/5
      Loved this book and hated it too. Loved this book because it is well written with beautiful imagery and realistic situations. I hated the book for making me feel so connected to Mia from the beginning, and when she lost Mango, I cried my eyes out. Very good book. I would recommend it to anyone.
    • 4/5
      This award winner is about Mia Winchell. She has the remarkable; ability to see colors and number due to a condition called Synthesia. Mia feels self conscious and tries to keep her "talent" a secret as long as possible. Eventually she learns to work with her senses and overcome the a feeling of isolation. I enjoyed this book, it was interesting to read about how people experience synthesia. I would recommend it for young adults and intermediate students who enjoy reading about unique ways in which people can perceive the world differently.
    • 4/5
      I am a synesthete. Different fibers, texture, and touch, as well as music, have color for me. My ability has varied at different points in my life, but I know that Mozart is filled with blues and yellows, and a caress can be purple or the color of midnight blue velvet against the grain. To read this story was wonderful.Mia has a different type of synesthesia than I do. Her world is more vibrant as numbers and words take on color, texture, and hue. At the same time, she faces issues that confront most of us: the pain of grief, the despair of loss, the confusion of growing up, the recognition of being different. Handled with sensitivity and compassion, Wendy Mass guides the reader through Mia's world, sharing information, intuition, and understanding.A lovely story.
    • 3/5
      A very good book on a topic that is not introduced to kids much.
    • 4/5
      A very cute, heart-warming story appropriate for middle grade readers. This book is definitely geared towards female readers and I love the attention paid to Mango the cat.
    • 5/5
      Mia has synesthesia, not really a disease but a sort of special gift. Mia can see colors when she hears sounds or says something, even letters and numbers have a specific color. She has not told anyone about her gift, but when it causes a problem she is forced to tell her parents, that results in Mia joining a club for people like her. Mia has a cat, Mango. Mango is the best thing that ever happened to her. She found him on the doorstep of the church where her grandfathers funeral was, he was just a wee little kitten then but now he is old and sick. Mia is heartbroken when Mango dies, enough to almost get rid her colors forever. After years of wanting them to go away Mia misses her colors dearly, she is torn without her dear Mango and her colors. But luckily the return after a while and she then finds out that she was not the only one with this special gift in her family. Mia's grandmother also had this beautiful gift. I loved this book. I did cry when Mango died. I read that paragraph over and over until my vision was blurred by my tears. It is a sad book but also an inspiring book. I would definitely recommend this book to any age. I love it because it inspired me to not give up. When all the world seemed to be crushing down on poor Mia she keeps going. Even if it meant for her to find herself in her journey.
    • 5/5
      An interesting and well-written story about Mia, who has synthesia, trying to navigate her gift while also coping with middle school, family, growing up and learning what it means to be a true friend.
    • 3/5
      I think synaesthesia is fascinating (I have it a little bit--numbers have colors to me) but this book was not especially great. Too much of a YA "problem novel".
    • 4/5
      Every Wendy Mass book I read is a story which pulls me in and makes me care about the main characters and their lives. Mia has learned that everyone else around her doesn't see the colors that she associates with sounds and letters. She's learned to keep quiet about it. But when she is in danger of failing math and Spanish, she figures out she needs to tell her parents. She learns that there is a name for what she experiences (synesthesia) and other people who have this too! In the meantime Mia has to deal with friendship issues, her quirky siblings, juggle a couple relationships with boys, and the loss of her beloved cat, Mango. I found the acupuncture scenes really trippy and want to do some more research about that!
    • 5/5
      Always a classic! One of my favorite childhood stories. An Inspiring story. Creative. 
    • 3/5
      Mass, Wendy. A Mango-Shaped Space (2003)Like many teens, thirteen year-old Mia Winchell struggles with feelings of being different. The interesting thing about her is that she really is exceptionally unusual because she is a synesthete: she sees colors when looking at letters and hearing sounds. This realistic, first-person fictional account of the neurological condition known as synesthesia gives teens that deal with any type of diagnosable condition a relatable story from which to gather strength and courage. As is common with those who face challenges from this condition, when Mia was a little girl, she assumed that everyone saw specific colors that corresponded to specific letters and sounds. When she discovers no one else has these experiences, she hides it from everyone, even her family. Gradually, as she picks up the narration in present day, Mia first confides her sensations to her parents, who take her to a string of doctors. Ultimately, a neurologist who is familiar with synesthesia properly diagnoses her. This is a believable and touching portrayal of a teen that gradually develops an understanding that she is not alone in the world of colors and special sensations. The one plot point that is not believable is that she books two appointments with an acupuncturist without her parents’ knowledge or permission. (She finds out from another synesthete that acupuncture can enhance the “seeing colors” experience.) Despite this implausible story element, the book has appeal to a wide range of teens that feel different and are different. Mia’s touching relationship to her ailing cat Mango gives her a stable companion when the normal ups and downs of teenage life cause her stress. This storyline, however, does not seem crucial to the meat of the story, which is her gradual understanding and appreciation of having synesthesia.Target audience grades 5-9.
    • 4/5
      Mia has known that she is different since the third grade. She thinks she may be crazy and doesn't tell anyone, including family and friends, that she sees colors when she hears sounds. People's names have specific colors and math is difficult for her because the numbers' colors don't match their functions. Even her beloved cat is named Mango because her purrs are visible to Mia as orange-colored puffs. She has a unique disability called synethesia and it isn't until she meets a little boy who sees colors the same way she does that she knows she is not alone. To keep the little boy from living with the uncertainty she has always felt, she tells her parents. At first, they think she is looking for attention or, worse yet, is mentally ill, but eventually realize that she has a unique gift. Mia doesn't understand how important the colors are to her until she loses her ability to see them after the death of her cat.This is a tender story about strong family relationships and learning to accept your personal differences. The interactions between Mia and her siblings are realistic and middle-school readers will identify with the fact that sometimes the best way to get along with your brothers and sisters is to go to your room. The author does a wonderful job describing Mia's dilemma, her relationships with her family and her best friend and her eventual acceptance of her gift. Her characters are identifiably unique but appealing. Mia is well-rounded and likeable. This book would be a good addition to any school library. Grades 5 and up.
    • 4/5
      Wendy Mass allows readers to celebrate their differences in the character of Mia in A Mango Shaped Space. Through the journey of Mia, Mass gives inspiration to young readers to embrace what may be different or unique about themselves. It may not always be an easy ride as Mia showcases in her strained relationships with her family and friends, and as any adolescent growing up, it takes trial and error within themselves to accept who they are. She also introduces readers to the condition of synesthesia which many may not be familiar with. However, it is not only the condition that is a main part of the story but also the self discovery of Mia. Thus this book will speak to 5th graders and up.
    • 3/5
      This book is fairly unique in that it brings to light a little-known diagnosis called synesthesia -- a condition where the stimulation of one of the body's senses in turn stimulates another. In this particular story, the main character, Mia, sees colors & shapes associated with letters, numbers, & sounds. While it's a book of fiction, synesthesia is a real diagnosis, one of which I'd never heard of prior to reading this book.This is written for the young adult audience, and this is obvious once you begin reading. The writing is fairly simple, and that's the one thing that bothered me the most about this book. I read a fair amount of young adult fiction, and I've read much better, although to be fair, I've also read worse. This is a good book for a tween or young teen, especially one who is struggling to figure themselves out. I'd be interested to read a book on this subject matter addressing more of an adult crowd, and there are some books out there which meet that criteria.
    • 4/5
      This is a sweet YA novel about a young girl who learns that she has synesthesia, a rare sensory neurological disorder where the brain's sensory mapping overlaps in unusual ways. Mia had thought she was a freak since the 3rd grade, when she originally learned that other people did not see colors and shapes with sound. As she starts to learn more about her condition, she also struggles with unresolved grief from the death of her grandfather, academic concerns, and problems with her best friend. Though this book was clearly written for the young adult audience, I thought it did a nice job tackling some sensitive subjects including grief, peer acceptance, disabilities, and adolescent family issues. Though the writing was a bit pedantic, I became choked up reading about Mia's grief, and at other times, chuckling at Mia's family banter between the siblings. Highly recommended for any teen who sometimes feels that they don't belong or have too much they are dealing with (I guess that would be everyone).