Common Sense Media Review
By Joe Applegate
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Upbeat tale about kids coping with disadvantages.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Basil Feeney's mom has left her Pennsylvania town to make it in Hollywood. Homeschooled by his grandmother, Basil enters the seventh grade without knowing he has synesthesia, a neurological condition in which one sensation triggers another -- which could be the reason he's failing math (he confuses numbers and colors). Then he meets another new kid, Tanzie Verplank, who has the same condition, and she shows him how she copes with it. Meanwhile, Basil's flaky mom returns, which leads to a journey of self-discovery for both Tanzie and Basil.
Is It Any Good?
This sweet but watery tale shows us the challenges of synesthesia, the neurological condition in which one sensation triggers an unrelated one. Not uncommon in artists (Vladimir Nabokov said that he and his mother could taste letters of the alphabet), synesthesia presents wonderful experiences to those who are ready to exploit them. In ONE PLUS ONE EQUALS BLUE, Basil and Tanzie come to terms with the condition in several passages that delight.
But the weight of the story falls on the relationship between Basil and his mother, who abandoned him to seek stardom in Hollywood then falls back into his life. Young readers will relate to Basil's longing for his mother's love, a feeling that's inseparable from his resentment of her selfishness. Ultimately, though, the storylines about synesthesia and poor parenting don't build on each other, and the result is less than compelling.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about synesthesia. Had you ever heard of this condition before? How could you learn more? Would you rather learn about things like this via fiction or through research/in school? Why?
Can you relate to what Basil and Tanzie experience? Is there a color that looks sad to you? One that makes you feel great? Is there a scent that takes you back to a particular place and a time?
Tanzie tells Basil that artistic people are seven times more likely than other people to have synesthesia. Why might that be?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Henry Holt & Company, Inc.
- Publication date : April 30, 2013
- Number of pages : 272
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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