Book Review: A Mango-Shaped Space

Friday Spines Book Review Number 26:

A Mango-Shaped Space, by Wendy Mass

This is the story of a cat named Mango, his human Mia--who sees colors in the air when she hears sound--and their journeys to the unknown. 

Mia, a thirteen-year-old with a condition called synesthesia (click here for synesthete.org for more information on synesthesia), is grieving for her grandfather, who died about a year ago. She was very close to him, and at his funeral she finds a small grey and white kitten, who, to her, holds a part of his soul. She names the kitty Mango, not because of his orange eyes, but because his wheezy purrs appear as mango-colored puffs in the air. 

Nearly a year later, Mango is full grown, and Mia's colors, as she calls them, are still with her. Since numbers have both numerical value, shape and color to her, she's failed two math tests in a row, and is finally forced to tell her parents about the colored patterns she sees in the air. This results in an unsettling visit to a psychiatrist who mentions "middle child syndrome"; a fight with Mia's best friend Jenna; and finally, a community of people who she can understand.

Readers 9-14 will probably identify with it most, but it's a wonderful read for ages 8 and up: told in Mia's simple, uninhibited voice; she reveals all her secrets to us, and in her words we hear the fluctuations in her life. The story is honest and ordinary, with fresh twists not often seen in books for this age group. Not written as an ideal life or fairytale, young readers will be able to see themselves in Mia, even if they can't see colors in the air. 

Other things I liked about this book:

• Wendy Mass walks the line between an overplayed, far-fetched psychic pet connection and a colorless one: Mia's relationship with Mango isn't unrealistic, but it's still special. 
• The romance is utterly age-appropriate, but also utterly sweet. Rodger is no Prince Charming (it's Adam who appears to be her Prince but is quickly and bitingly revealed to be rather self-absorbed), but he's funny and will be loved by readers of all ages.
• Jenna's tangled relationship with her deceased mother will draw you into her story, adding a sensitive level of depth to the book. 
• The imagery in this book goes deeper than images, evoking the vivid memory of smells, sensations, and feelings in the reader.

Warning: the cover is a little misleading, but is explained later in the book.

Happy reading--I'll see everyone on Monday!

M. Gabrielle

Book Review: Leap Day

Friday Spines Book Review Number 12:

Leap Day, by Wendy Mass

This book starts and ends on Leap Day, February 29th. I read it in one sitting, and like many other of Wendy Mass's books, made me laugh out loud without thinking (Some advice: Don't read A Mango Shaped Space on an airplane).

The main character, Josie, was born on Leap Day. Every four years she gets a proper birthday, and--finally--it's her 16th. It's told in alternating perspectives: Chapter 1A is narrated by Josie, and Chapter 1B gives a bird's-eye view of family, friends, and random strangers that she interacts with. We follow Josie through many people's heads as she barely passes her driving test, collides with her long-time crush in the hallway at school, drives her friends all over Orlando for the school scavenger hunt, and gets an unanticipated birthday surprise from her best friends at her 16th-birthday initiation ceremony.

Josie is an ordinary, easy-to-relate-to character. Her thoughts--which we have complete access to--are things many readers will identify with, although Josie's interpretations can be slightly more hilarious than the average person's.

There is (un-parent-condoned, of course) smoking and drinking in this book. Before you freak out, the cigarettes are immediately discarded after being lit, as the girls choke on smoke and remember countless commercials about smoke ruining your skin and lungs. The drinking is treated in a similar way; after a few sips of blackberry brandy with chocolate in it, Josie and her friends toss the alcohol and move on to Truth or Dare.

I'd recommend this book for a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old. The content is appropriate for ages 10 and up, but slightly older readers will probably enjoy the book more, being closer to Josie's age and therefore a more similar mindset.

Other things I liked about this book:

• Not only is the book told from multiple perspectives, we also get glimpses into the future of many characters. When one of Josie's classmates gives her baby up for adoption, we learn that "In 18 years [the baby] will have the right to contact her birth parents. But she won't." 
•  The look into the world of Leapers (people born on Leap Day). From the "Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies" to Josie's new shirt that reads "The Few, The Proud, The Leapers", we are part of an atypical birthday celebration.
• Not everything turns out the way it's "supposed to", but Josie takes it (almost) all in stride, giving a fresh feeling to the plot.
• The funny parts in the book are written in a way that you can't see them coming. You'll be reading along in Wendy Mass's gentle-but-interesting prose and all of a sudden something so hilarious will happen that you'll have to put the book down so you don't lose your place.

You might also like: A Mango Shaped Space, also by Wendy Mass; The Princess and the Pauper, by Kate Brian; and Thirteen, by Lauren Myricle.

All links lead to Goodreads.

Happy holidays to all my readers, I hope your homes are full of books and happiness! See you on Monday....

M. Gabrielle