(2) 4-6 At twelve years old, Rosie is a violin prodigy who can hear whole works of music in her head and has played Carnegie Hall twice. She also has synesthesia and can see music in colors, textures, temperature, and taste, but she keeps it to herself, because her mother already finds her prodigy brain "weird" and "dangerous." Their relationship is strained, as Mom is overly involved in managing Rosie's musical career. Tired of being known as "the girl with the violin," Rosie decides to quit playing in order to find herself and spends the summer at her grandparents' home in Connecticut, where her grandmother is dying. Wandering the property, she enters an abandoned shed, where she discovers a girl who turns out to be her mother when she was Rosie's age. Through repeated encounters, Rosie learns more about her family's history, including her great-grandparents' experience in Auschwitz and in a displaced persons camp after WWII. Suddenly, her mother's obsession with the violin is put into a larger family context that intersects with a hidden history of musical talent, neurodivergence, and a Jewish identity that was kept secret. An emotionally moving story about the ways that generational trauma can affect parent-child relationships and how the past persists into the present.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(4) YA Shade Me series. This finale to the trilogy begun with Shade Me finds Nikki Kill, who has synesthesia, trying to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death, although her police-detective ally and romantic prospect now suffers from amnesia. Significant suspension of disbelief is required, particularly with the gimmicky synesthesia, but fans of this fast-paced mystery series will be pleased to see loose ends tied up satisfactorily.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) YA Shade Me series. This sequel finds noir-ish heroine Nikki Kill framed for the murder of Peyton Hollis, her half-sister (and the victim in Shade Me's central mystery). Meanwhile, Nikki's self-destructive tendencies and romantic tension with a young police detective both deepen. The gimmicky focus on Nikki's synesthesia as a crime-solving aid (she sees letters, numbers, and emotions as colors) distracts from a well-constructed mystery.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(4) YA Despite no apparent connection to her, Nikki Kill is the last person her famous classmate Peyton calls before an attack leaves Peyton comatose. Nikki, whose extrasensory synesthesia gives her a leg up on crime-solving, follows the satisfyingly twisty mystery to her own doorstep. Though the synesthesia is gimmicky, Nikki's world-weariness, self-destructive tendencies, and risky relationships make her a classically appealing hard-boiled detective.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Adam Rex. On planet Yipsmix, where everyone has synesthesia, Jaq is a normal, poor kid. When Jaq must sell his pet freasel, Klingdux, he comes home with a worthless key. Facing his mother's wrath, Jaq seeks the treasure his key promises and passes through a magic door into a giant-filled mall...on Earth. Grau offers a humorous and adventure-filled retelling of "Jack and the Beanstalk" with a sci-fi twist.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Mary GrandPré. Pioneering abstract artist Vasily Kandinsky experienced "colors as sounds, and sounds as colors," a neurological condition called synesthesia. Concentrating primarily on Kandinsky's childhood, Rosenstock embellishes known events with dialogue. GrandPré does a fine job showing color and sound as abstractions while presenting the artist and his surroundings realistically. An author's note provides more information about the artist and four reproductions. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2014

(3) 4-6 Orphaned twelve-year-old Devin is invited to live at the paradisaical Home for Childhood, but something terrifying is happening to the children there. Devin's synesthesia, which makes him interesting to the Home's sinister Administrator, may provide the key to their escape. Set in a world of post–climate change desperation, Unsworth's story thoughtfully explores the theme of adults' nostalgia for childhood.

Reviewer: Amy Bennett-Zendzian

(4) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Basil, who has synesthesia (he associates numbers with colors), learns that the new girl, Tenzie, has the same "freakism" as he does. He's lived happily with hippie-artist Gram ever since his mother left when he was five, and when she reappears for a surprise visit, life gets complicated. Character development is uneven, but Basil and Tenzie's realistic friendship adds interest.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(3) YA Sixteen-year-old Alison wakes up in a mental institution after seeing a classmate literally disintegrate before her eyes. Is she a misunderstood synesthete, or are her mixed-up senses an indicator of more sinister abilities? Part psychological thriller and part paranormal mystery, Alison's compelling story will draw readers in as it challenges them to question their perceptions of reality.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(4) YA Orca Currents series. Geocaching becomes a metaphor for finding one's way in this slight but entertaining novel. Zack and his single mom move too often for him to make friends. When he takes up geocaching, Zack--who has sound-color synesthesia--finds more than just a box of "swag." The themes and morals are a little too obvious, but Zack's story is engaging nonetheless.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) 4-6 When her lawyer mother decides to leave her job--and, seemingly, her sanity--for a cultish evangelical church, seventh-grader Octavia (who has synesthesia) must cope with her new life. Octavia's voice is unconvincingly naive and oddly sophisticated at the same time. Nevertheless, her chatty narration may draw readers into the dramas of her family and her small, close-knit Vermont town.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 Sixth grader Zoe, who feels overshadowed by her more interesting family members, is floundering at her school for the gifted. When Lucas, a cryptanalytic prodigy, discovers Zoe's ability to read ciphers, he pushes her to examine herself and her place at school. Though some of the secondary characters are annoyingly larger-than-life, Zoe is sympathetic. An explanation of ciphers and their keys is appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(2) 4-6 In this surprisingly funny novel about family, friendship, and death, outgoing Olivia helps her friend Hal with his plan to drive away his almost-stepfather. Their attempt misfires and results (they think) in chasing off Hal's mother. Olivia's singular personality comes through in her direct-address narration. Parkinson has an ability to sensitively depict young survivors as they move beyond loss. Glos.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2008

(2) 4-6 Thirteen-year-old Mia has a secret: for as long as she can remember, letters and numbers have had colors for her, and sounds have had both colors and shapes. A neurologist finally tells her she has a harmless condition called synesthesia. Mass skillfully conveys Mia's emotions, and readers will be intrigued with this fictional depiction of an actual, and fascinating, condition.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2003