A Mango-Shaped Space, by Wendy Mass, is a memorable realistic fiction story with in-depth characters. It is a heart wrenching storyline set in a modern time that tells us to celebrate our differences and appreciate life. The plot is strong and meaningful, and it goes something like this: a girl with synesthesia, (a condition that causes senses in the brain to make extra connections, causing people to see color when they hear sound, or taste something when they see something, etc.) who is dealing with grief and middle school struggles. 8th grade is hard, especially for Mia, who is a very unique girl.

I think Mass included lots of details to make the book feel more relatable and lifelike, which made this book intriguing and heartfelt. That said, she also could have tied up some loose ends and explained more at the end. Authors sometimes give little “hints” to something bigger happening in the book later, but never fully develop it, and just leave you at that with no part two. This book was very good overall, but it did leave me feeling empty at the end, and if the author had just written a little bit more to give the book a fully-fleshed ending, it could make it so much better. This book was different from other books within the same genre because it included someone with a rare condition. I would recommend this book to teens and tweens looking for a good realistic fiction book.