A Mango Shaped Space is a 218 page book by Wendy Mass. It is a realistic fiction novel about a 13-year-old girl named Mia Winchell.

A Mango Shaped Space is about what it is like to be different. Mia has synesthesia, which means two of her brain’s cortexes are linked. In her case it is the auditory and visual cortex. Words, numbers, and letters have a color and a shape to her. Since third grade when she learns that not everyone has this ability, she has kept it a secret from everyone, even her parents. This is because she feels embarrassed since she is different, like many other people do about their differences. She is so embarrassed that she almost blocks herself completely from her parents and everyone else around her. The message of the book is that everyone has different hardships, and when life gives you a difficulty, you have to work with people around you to solve it. Mia’s way of doing this is going to a special brain doctor. Her doctor, Jerry, shows her some ways to talk to other people with synesthesia and helps her find a math tutor. Mia joins a website where synesthetes can post articles and updates about their type of synesthesia and ways they use their colors to help them. Then, Jerry invites Mia to a meeting of synesthetic people. There, they discuss many of the same things Mia has seen on the website, which helps her cope with her synesthesia, and even learn to appreciate it. This helps her learn that you should never withdraw from people who love you, because they will always be there for you.