The book is a fictional but well-researched (and highly acclaimed by synthetics) account of a teenage girl and her family’s journey as she is diagnosed with the condition. Later, a friend of mine who also works in education and counseling recommended the book A Mango-Shaped Space, by Wendy Mass. I first heard about synthesia, a condition where people’s sense perceptions can blend together (ie, they may perceive things like smells, numbers, letters, words, or sounds as colors), on Allie Brosh’s blog Hyperbole and a Half.