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Mixed Feelings: A Graphic Novel
Through a mix of humor and heart, this charming middle grade graphic memoir explores evolving friendships, puberty mishaps, and finding a place to belong. Perfect for fans of Real Friends, The New Girl, and Pizza Face.Things are getting hairy!What could go wrong on the first day of sixth grade? You wake up with leg hair out of You have zero classes with your BFF and watch her run off with her new (annoying) You struggle to decide which school club to join because being mixed race makes you feel like you don't belong anywhere.D: All of the above. SERIOUSLY?!At first, Sara's got mixed feelings about middle school. But she finds comfort in TV -- whether she's watching it, performing her favorite scenes, or imagining her life is a show itself. So when she joins drama club, Sara discovers a community where she can be anything she wants -- including herself. Has Sara finally found a place to fit in? Or will she instead find herself buried under her growing leg hair and off-stage friendship drama?In Sara Amini's semi-autobiographical story, navigating life as a mixed-race girl has never been more hilarious or heartfelt, with family, friendship, and fuzz all at the forefront of this laugh-out-loud and painfully relatable middle-school memoir.
243 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2026
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June 2, 2026I love the fictionalized graphic novel memoir trend. Hope it never ends.
September 25, 2025
My birracial heart is singing. Would’ve adored this as a kid, but I am just as in love with it as an adult. Need Mixed Signals now!
June 15, 2026
Read for Mock Newbery. This and one other are the only ones not suggested by me already that I truly enjoyed and also understood the reason for the rec.
Mixed Feelings is about a tween version of the author coming into her feelings about being biracial and multicultural in the 90s. As someone who also went through that experience in the same time period, I feel like she got it pretty spot on. It was a lot of "othering" in forms and school.
That said, it falls into that same Telgemeier-esque story about friends growing apart that every girl-focused middle grade book has to do now. It would be nice to see ONE book that isn't the friends being unsupportive, uncommunicative, etc. I know it's common, but not so common that EVERY book in the age category for that demographic does it. It's tired. There are better storylines that could've been explored and I think that more time could've been spent on how her multicultural upbringing affected her and who she became as a person. It kind of boils down to "extra hair, no religion, people think I don't belong." That last one is very universal to mixed children and I think it would've been served better had she explored the way people will tell you that to your face rather than telling us, not showing, that she "wasn't included."
I would read the second book. I liked the new friends. But I'm really hoping we don't have more manufactured friendship drama.
Mixed Feelings is about a tween version of the author coming into her feelings about being biracial and multicultural in the 90s. As someone who also went through that experience in the same time period, I feel like she got it pretty spot on. It was a lot of "othering" in forms and school.
That said, it falls into that same Telgemeier-esque story about friends growing apart that every girl-focused middle grade book has to do now. It would be nice to see ONE book that isn't the friends being unsupportive, uncommunicative, etc. I know it's common, but not so common that EVERY book in the age category for that demographic does it. It's tired. There are better storylines that could've been explored and I think that more time could've been spent on how her multicultural upbringing affected her and who she became as a person. It kind of boils down to "extra hair, no religion, people think I don't belong." That last one is very universal to mixed children and I think it would've been served better had she explored the way people will tell you that to your face rather than telling us, not showing, that she "wasn't included."
I would read the second book. I liked the new friends. But I'm really hoping we don't have more manufactured friendship drama.
July 11, 2026
A thoroughly enjoyable coming of age during middle school in the vein of Raina Telgemeier. I loved the inclusion of both Spanish and Farsi phrases and words that are incorporated in the story. The friendship drama is relatable, but it wasn’t nasty and didn’t last long. I am looking forward to the next book.
July 2, 2026
I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I picked it for a tween biography reading challenge prompt which I turned into "mostly autobiographical." I felt for Sara and how she didn't feel like she fit in anywhere being of mixed heritage. She didn't even get to check a box on a medical form; she had to go for "other." Then came puberty with all it's regular trauma for girls along with more body hair from her dad's ethnicity. I didn't blame Sara for sneaking razors and shaving her body. Then the unibrow! I was pissed off along with her when she was going to language classes and the girls were horrible to her. It was wonderful to see her become so confident with drama classes and her troubles with her best friends were very realistic. A great book for any kid feeling like they don't fit in.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In this graphic novel, we meet Sara. She is a 6th grader who has just moved to a different neighborhood in Houston to be closer to her father's electronics repair shop, so she is not near her best friend Monica, although they will still attend the same school. Sara's mother is from Colombia, and her father is from Iran, so the family (which includes younger siblings Davud and Mimi) speaks both Spanish and Farsi. Monica has attended a dance camp over the summer and become close to Aneliese, who calls Sara "Chapstick" and isn't really Sara's favorite person. Sara's father wants her to get involved in school activities, and she takes a shine to drama club, where she wins the role of an elf in the production of Santa's Space Jamboree. She also has to attend Persian school to reinforce her language skills, but the other students are mean and don't consider her Persian enough. She wishes they were nicer, since she is dealing with increasingly hairy legs, arms, sideburns, and even a unibrow. Her mother says she can't shave, but she does. Dealing with itchy arms and the occasional cut is something another girl in her Persian class seems to understand, but no one else seems to. Sara loves acting so much that she and her mother wait all day for an audition for a local cooking show, only to be turned away when the auditions close at 4:00 by a woman who berates Sara's mother for not speaking English. Throughout the book, Sara deals with her mixed race identity, and there will be more of her story when the sequel, Mixed Signals, releases.
This was an interesting look at the life of a tween in 1999. There are not too many cultural references, so modern readers will feel right at home. It's a bit odd that Sara's hair seems to appear suddenly, ut the only other book that addresses this issue is Wientge's Karma Khullar's Mustache. The illustrations style is similar to Gale Galligan's or Michelle Mee Nutter's, which will make this popular with readers who can't get enough brightly colored graphic novels about tweens who are anxious about their own personal identity. I will probably purchase a copy.
In this graphic novel, we meet Sara. She is a 6th grader who has just moved to a different neighborhood in Houston to be closer to her father's electronics repair shop, so she is not near her best friend Monica, although they will still attend the same school. Sara's mother is from Colombia, and her father is from Iran, so the family (which includes younger siblings Davud and Mimi) speaks both Spanish and Farsi. Monica has attended a dance camp over the summer and become close to Aneliese, who calls Sara "Chapstick" and isn't really Sara's favorite person. Sara's father wants her to get involved in school activities, and she takes a shine to drama club, where she wins the role of an elf in the production of Santa's Space Jamboree. She also has to attend Persian school to reinforce her language skills, but the other students are mean and don't consider her Persian enough. She wishes they were nicer, since she is dealing with increasingly hairy legs, arms, sideburns, and even a unibrow. Her mother says she can't shave, but she does. Dealing with itchy arms and the occasional cut is something another girl in her Persian class seems to understand, but no one else seems to. Sara loves acting so much that she and her mother wait all day for an audition for a local cooking show, only to be turned away when the auditions close at 4:00 by a woman who berates Sara's mother for not speaking English. Throughout the book, Sara deals with her mixed race identity, and there will be more of her story when the sequel, Mixed Signals, releases.
This was an interesting look at the life of a tween in 1999. There are not too many cultural references, so modern readers will feel right at home. It's a bit odd that Sara's hair seems to appear suddenly, ut the only other book that addresses this issue is Wientge's Karma Khullar's Mustache. The illustrations style is similar to Gale Galligan's or Michelle Mee Nutter's, which will make this popular with readers who can't get enough brightly colored graphic novels about tweens who are anxious about their own personal identity. I will probably purchase a copy.
June 6, 2026
As the weather has gotten warmer where I live, I have been reading outside more. When I read outside, I try to read a graphic novel, manga, or something else that’s shorter so I can finish it in one sitting. I decided the other day to pick this graphic novel ARC up and take it outside for a read (thank you so much to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions).
SPOILERS AHEAD
Sara wants to be a typical 6th grader, but for her, that is not really the case. Sara has a big family, and it’s always chaotic; she constantly feels like she never fits in anywhere perfectly. Now that 6th grade has started and her best friend is back from camp, things are even weirder, as her best friend seems to have a new best friend, and to say Sara does not get along with this new girl is an understatement. On top of the friendship drama, Sara also starts to grow hair all over her legs and arms. She hates it and is absolutely terrified of anyone else ever seeing it, and begs her parents to be allowed to shave. Sara’s 6th-grade school year is going to be rough, but maybe by the end, she can have some new friends and experiences.
I really loved this story. I think Sara’s 6th-grade journey may be relatable for many people all over the world. Outside of Sara, I feel as though all the characters were given a good amount of time to develop and be in the story; no one overstayed their welcome. I know there is a second graphic novel coming out, and I can not wait to give that a try when it does. I definitely recommend giving this graphic novel a try.
Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars
***Thank you so much to the publisher for the ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Sara wants to be a typical 6th grader, but for her, that is not really the case. Sara has a big family, and it’s always chaotic; she constantly feels like she never fits in anywhere perfectly. Now that 6th grade has started and her best friend is back from camp, things are even weirder, as her best friend seems to have a new best friend, and to say Sara does not get along with this new girl is an understatement. On top of the friendship drama, Sara also starts to grow hair all over her legs and arms. She hates it and is absolutely terrified of anyone else ever seeing it, and begs her parents to be allowed to shave. Sara’s 6th-grade school year is going to be rough, but maybe by the end, she can have some new friends and experiences.
I really loved this story. I think Sara’s 6th-grade journey may be relatable for many people all over the world. Outside of Sara, I feel as though all the characters were given a good amount of time to develop and be in the story; no one overstayed their welcome. I know there is a second graphic novel coming out, and I can not wait to give that a try when it does. I definitely recommend giving this graphic novel a try.
Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars
***Thank you so much to the publisher for the ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
April 28, 2026
This one’s set in 1999 (based on the author at twelve years old), but it isn’t overly steeped in the time period, so if you have a child adverse to “historical” this will likely read contemporary enough for them to enjoy it. Feeling like you don’t fit in is timeless subject matter anyway.
I’m always a fan of family scenes, I didn’t get quite as much of those here as I would have liked since this first one in the series is more focused on Sara in school settings than at home, still, there are a couple moments between she and her mom that were nicely done, and touches a little on the immigrant experience.
As in many middle-grade novels, Sara’s friendship is going through some growing pains here, I really liked how that was handled, how it isn’t about chasing popularity or someone being a villain, it’s more nuanced than that like these things often are in real life.
I thought this did a good job of showing Sara’s discomfort and hurt when not being embraced for either her Colombian (on her mom’s side) or her Iranian roots (on her dad’s side) while at the same time giving the reader and Sara plenty to feel positive about as you see her pursue something she’s passionate about and eventually stand up for herself. One other thing to love here is that it tackles the issue of body hair, not something I’ve seen many middle-grades get into when it is such a relatable issue for the intended audience of this story.
I’m always a fan of family scenes, I didn’t get quite as much of those here as I would have liked since this first one in the series is more focused on Sara in school settings than at home, still, there are a couple moments between she and her mom that were nicely done, and touches a little on the immigrant experience.
As in many middle-grade novels, Sara’s friendship is going through some growing pains here, I really liked how that was handled, how it isn’t about chasing popularity or someone being a villain, it’s more nuanced than that like these things often are in real life.
I thought this did a good job of showing Sara’s discomfort and hurt when not being embraced for either her Colombian (on her mom’s side) or her Iranian roots (on her dad’s side) while at the same time giving the reader and Sara plenty to feel positive about as you see her pursue something she’s passionate about and eventually stand up for herself. One other thing to love here is that it tackles the issue of body hair, not something I’ve seen many middle-grades get into when it is such a relatable issue for the intended audience of this story.
April 28, 2026
Love, love, love! I absolutely loved this book! I don't think I could write enough to truly show my adoration and appreciation for this graphic novel. I laughed, I loved, I cried, I cringed, and I'd do it all over again!
Beyonce, MASH game, Alief, Houston, and so many 90s and early 2000s memorable tidbits scattered throughout the book make it incredibly nostalgic. It brought me back to my time growing up in Alief. I deeply connected with Sara, as I am also a half Iranian who grew up in the same area. Which is crazy to think we grew up around the same time in the same area!
Great to see the melting pot of Alief showcased so spectacularly with all the different characters.
The illustrations are wonderful. Even my little kiddos felt the emotions envoked by the characters' drawings. You feel as the characters feel with how perfectly every emotion is portrayed.
The search for oneself's identity is never-ending, as we are constantly changing. It's especially difficult when you're young and just want to feel like everyone else. It's tough when you're an in-between, not quite feeling like you belong in either space. I feel this so much throughout the book! Such a serious subject addressed in a unique way.
Definitely recommend to everyone to take a read!
Beyonce, MASH game, Alief, Houston, and so many 90s and early 2000s memorable tidbits scattered throughout the book make it incredibly nostalgic. It brought me back to my time growing up in Alief. I deeply connected with Sara, as I am also a half Iranian who grew up in the same area. Which is crazy to think we grew up around the same time in the same area!
Great to see the melting pot of Alief showcased so spectacularly with all the different characters.
The illustrations are wonderful. Even my little kiddos felt the emotions envoked by the characters' drawings. You feel as the characters feel with how perfectly every emotion is portrayed.
The search for oneself's identity is never-ending, as we are constantly changing. It's especially difficult when you're young and just want to feel like everyone else. It's tough when you're an in-between, not quite feeling like you belong in either space. I feel this so much throughout the book! Such a serious subject addressed in a unique way.
Definitely recommend to everyone to take a read!
May 9, 2026
Semi autobiographic, the graphic novel follows Sara, a middle schoolers who is being pushed and pulled in different directions and told that she's not one thing or another ENOUGH to be considered it from her dad's Persian side or her mom's Colombian side. Her household speaks English, Farsi, and Spanish so it's common for her to be overwhelmed by the input and output and ends up being some of the most funny/not funny moments of the graphic novel where she messes up a word or is 'interrogated' about her background from what she looks like to what she sounds like to how she acts but she's found some comfort in acting which is a good outlet when she's going through some friendship drama including a girl who seems to be driving a wedge between Sara and her former best friend.
The story is strong from the chapter numbers being in all three languages, to the expressive characters including Sara's reactions to always having "mixed feelings", and trying to survive middle school as an eleven year old. This was endearing and wonderful and more of a 4.5 but not quite a 5 because there were a few transitions that were abrupt like I thought I missed a few pages every now and then. Such a heartfelt story!
The story is strong from the chapter numbers being in all three languages, to the expressive characters including Sara's reactions to always having "mixed feelings", and trying to survive middle school as an eleven year old. This was endearing and wonderful and more of a 4.5 but not quite a 5 because there were a few transitions that were abrupt like I thought I missed a few pages every now and then. Such a heartfelt story!
September 15, 2025
A new MG graphic novel memoir by @itssaraamini @shadiaminart
🎭
Sara is starting middle school and on her first day she wakes up to hairy legs and arms! Her parents won’t let her shave so she’s stuck wearing pants in the Texas heat. Sara is mixed race with her mom from Columbia and her dad from Iran. This makes Sara feel like she doesn’t truly belong anywhere. Add in her best friend making a new friend this summer and Sara feels more alone then ever, but new friends in classes and a love for theater have her surviving sixth grade.
🎬
I’m obsessed. This was such a fantastic graphic novel from start to finish. I loved the multiple languages in each chapter, how authentic it felt, especially as someone who was in her teens in the last ‘90s as well, and every issue Sara had was so relatable. Themes such as as religious exploration, puberty, changing friendships, mixed families, and crushes can all be found here. I can’t wait for Mixed Signals! Fans of Pizza Face and The New Girl will love this one too. This title releases April 7 from @graphixbooks
CW: bullying, racism, microaggressions, divorce
🎭
Sara is starting middle school and on her first day she wakes up to hairy legs and arms! Her parents won’t let her shave so she’s stuck wearing pants in the Texas heat. Sara is mixed race with her mom from Columbia and her dad from Iran. This makes Sara feel like she doesn’t truly belong anywhere. Add in her best friend making a new friend this summer and Sara feels more alone then ever, but new friends in classes and a love for theater have her surviving sixth grade.
🎬
I’m obsessed. This was such a fantastic graphic novel from start to finish. I loved the multiple languages in each chapter, how authentic it felt, especially as someone who was in her teens in the last ‘90s as well, and every issue Sara had was so relatable. Themes such as as religious exploration, puberty, changing friendships, mixed families, and crushes can all be found here. I can’t wait for Mixed Signals! Fans of Pizza Face and The New Girl will love this one too. This title releases April 7 from @graphixbooks
CW: bullying, racism, microaggressions, divorce
April 14, 2026
Mixed Feelings: A Graphic Novel is a funny, heartfelt, and incredibly relatable coming of age story that perfectly captures the ups and downs of middle school life. Sara Amini brings honesty and humor together in a way that makes the story both entertaining and meaningful.
What makes this book stand out is how authentically it explores identity and belonging, especially through the lens of being mixed race. Sara’s struggles with friendships, self confidence, and finding her place feel real and deeply relatable, particularly for younger readers going through similar experiences.
The balance of humor and vulnerability is one of the book’s strongest elements. From awkward moments to emotional realizations, the story never feels forced, it flows naturally, making it easy to connect with and enjoy. The addition of drama club as a space for self expression adds a hopeful and empowering layer to the narrative.
A warm, honest, and engaging read that will resonate with anyone who remembers what it felt like to grow up and try to find where they belong.
What makes this book stand out is how authentically it explores identity and belonging, especially through the lens of being mixed race. Sara’s struggles with friendships, self confidence, and finding her place feel real and deeply relatable, particularly for younger readers going through similar experiences.
The balance of humor and vulnerability is one of the book’s strongest elements. From awkward moments to emotional realizations, the story never feels forced, it flows naturally, making it easy to connect with and enjoy. The addition of drama club as a space for self expression adds a hopeful and empowering layer to the narrative.
A warm, honest, and engaging read that will resonate with anyone who remembers what it felt like to grow up and try to find where they belong.
June 15, 2026
Sara has a mom who is from Colombia so sometimes she speaks Spanish. And her dad - Baba - is Iranian so she also speaks Farsi. And they live in Houston and so she speaks a lot of English. But she struggles with where she belongs. The fact that so many people don't understand her mixed heritage does not help her feelings of insecurity and exclusion. Plus her best friend does not have any of the same classes she does and is forging a friendship with a new girl she met over the summer. Fortunately, Sara finds a couple of new friends in her science class AND she lands a role in the winter play. When she's acting, she can forget about all of the other drama that makes up her real life.
The book is about starting 6th grade middle school. And friends. And crushes. And drama club. And hairy legs and arms and uni-brows... And how people can be insensitive and cruel. Sometimes it is because they are clueless; sometimes it is deliberate. The book does a nice job of demonstrating how lovely it is when people choose not to notice or comment on race or appearance or language.
The book is about starting 6th grade middle school. And friends. And crushes. And drama club. And hairy legs and arms and uni-brows... And how people can be insensitive and cruel. Sometimes it is because they are clueless; sometimes it is deliberate. The book does a nice job of demonstrating how lovely it is when people choose not to notice or comment on race or appearance or language.
July 6, 2026
4.5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Oh I LOVED this graphic novel!
Never thought I would ever see a character who was hairy in a book or graphic novel! The hair on the legs and arms drama was soooo relatable 😹😭 but I’ve come to accept it as an adult so 😹🤷🏽♀️
I love a good graphic memoir and it was nice to see a mixed heritage one. Loved how she gained confidence in drama and the play. Also like the fact that they spoke multiple languages.
However, the scene where the horrible woman was being racist to her mum…she didn’t feel sorry for her mum she was just upset she couldn’t get her audition done! Which is selfish but she is a kid but still!
Since she went to church for an event, I thought it would have been nice if she also went to a Mosque since her friend was Muslim so that would have been good to see this that’s the religion her father was brought up with.
Another brilliant MG Graphic Memoir!
Oh I LOVED this graphic novel!
Never thought I would ever see a character who was hairy in a book or graphic novel! The hair on the legs and arms drama was soooo relatable 😹😭 but I’ve come to accept it as an adult so 😹🤷🏽♀️
I love a good graphic memoir and it was nice to see a mixed heritage one. Loved how she gained confidence in drama and the play. Also like the fact that they spoke multiple languages.
However, the scene where the horrible woman was being racist to her mum…she didn’t feel sorry for her mum she was just upset she couldn’t get her audition done! Which is selfish but she is a kid but still!
Since she went to church for an event, I thought it would have been nice if she also went to a Mosque since her friend was Muslim so that would have been good to see this that’s the religion her father was brought up with.
Another brilliant MG Graphic Memoir!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2026
another semi-autobiographical graphic novel for middle grade kids, you love to see it!
- 6th grade struggles, accurately depicted (body hair really does just appear overnight, it's ridiculous)
- diverse family representation (from a mixed race family to families going through divorce, there are a lot of chances for kids to relate & learn about lives outside their own)
- vivid and familiar illustration style (reminiscent of Baby Sitter's & other popular titles)
- lots of time jumps & more vignette style of storytelling in certain parts (not an issue for me but could be a little harder style for younger readers)
- 6th grade struggles, accurately depicted (body hair really does just appear overnight, it's ridiculous)
- diverse family representation (from a mixed race family to families going through divorce, there are a lot of chances for kids to relate & learn about lives outside their own)
- vivid and familiar illustration style (reminiscent of Baby Sitter's & other popular titles)
- lots of time jumps & more vignette style of storytelling in certain parts (not an issue for me but could be a little harder style for younger readers)
July 1, 2026
Reading 2026
Book 135: Mixed Feelings: A Graphic Novel by Sara Amini
A middle grade graphic novel I grabbed at the library. Saw this a bunch on Goodreads, recommended to me after reading another book.
Synopsis: In Sara Amini's semi-autobiographical story, navigating life as a mixed-race girl has never been more hilarious or heartfelt, with family, friendship, and fuzz all at the forefront of this laugh-out-loud and painfully relatable middle-school memoir.
Review: This is a book I would have had in my classroom library, a book the kids could see themselves manifested on the page. I felt like I picked up with my own students in middle school all over again. A fun read, 4⭐️.
Book 135: Mixed Feelings: A Graphic Novel by Sara Amini
A middle grade graphic novel I grabbed at the library. Saw this a bunch on Goodreads, recommended to me after reading another book.
Synopsis: In Sara Amini's semi-autobiographical story, navigating life as a mixed-race girl has never been more hilarious or heartfelt, with family, friendship, and fuzz all at the forefront of this laugh-out-loud and painfully relatable middle-school memoir.
Review: This is a book I would have had in my classroom library, a book the kids could see themselves manifested on the page. I felt like I picked up with my own students in middle school all over again. A fun read, 4⭐️.
April 16, 2026
I really liked this one. There are lots of good coming of age middle grade books out now and I think this one is a gem. The parents are awesome (yeah!) and this one has good family dynamics. Addressing all kinds of middle school feelings and ideas about belonging as well as the Sara's feelings about her biracial family and her own identity. I like books that give kids and grownups a spring board to talk about bigger issues - this is one of them.
Looking forward to the author's next book - Mixed Signals!
Looking forward to the author's next book - Mixed Signals!
May 6, 2026
Set in 1999, Sara is about to start middle school after not being together for the summer. They find that they have no classes together, but even worse, friend Monica is now close to Analiese. Sara is Colombian/Iranian, speaks 3 languages, and does not feel like she fits in anywhere except with Monica, who is now always with Analiese. Sara joins the drama club and finds that she just loves to act. Other problems include getting several unwanted nicknames from other kids, realizing that she has unwanted hair, and not having friends in the Farsi class her dad makes her attend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2026
Sara Amini has written a wonderful semi autobiographical graphic novel about a girl named Sara who has an Iranian father and a Columbian mother, which often causes her to feel like she doesn't belong anywhere. Additionally, her best friend made a new friend over the summer, and Sara is feeling left out. She ends up finding her joy where so many others have--on the stage, after she joins the drama club and gets a lead part in a play. The illustrations are a fun mix of Raina Telgemeier and magna expressions. Recommended for middle grade readers.
April 27, 2026
This book made me cry...in a GOOD WAY!
Being mixed I instantly connected with a lot of what Sara was going through, and it brought me to tears. I'm so happy my niece and nephew get to grow up with the mixed kid representation in books that I never had as a kid. This book is truly special.
I highly, highly recommend this book and I'm looking forward to reading Mixed Signals in the near future.
Being mixed I instantly connected with a lot of what Sara was going through, and it brought me to tears. I'm so happy my niece and nephew get to grow up with the mixed kid representation in books that I never had as a kid. This book is truly special.
I highly, highly recommend this book and I'm looking forward to reading Mixed Signals in the near future.
May 7, 2026
This is great -- all the middle school feels, with specific mixed race and bff problems. Love that Sara speaks both Spanish and Farsi. Love that both she and her bff have new friends, and the issue is juggling that. Love that drama is such an empowering space for her. Lots about shaving unwanted hair, being othered, and uncomfortable nicknames. But also lots about loving family and processing feelings and finding your way back to friendship.
May 13, 2026
Oh this is a MUST READ. Mixed Feelings is a fantastic graphic novel about navigating friendships and finding a sense of belonging in middle school. Those early teen years are hard enough, but Sara deals with some really unkind peers who don’t understand the concept of her being mixed race. Paired with lots of other normal middle school experiences (body hair?! Crushes? Drama club?), this book was an absolute delight to read. Can’t wait for the sequel!!
June 15, 2026
Mixed Feelings by Sara Amini & Shadia Amin
Reading history:
Normally I keep this in my private notes section, but I'm moving it. Yay!
Reading history was not added on Goodreads, but was instead kept on a small piece of paper with the book.
Started June 13th, 2026.
Finished June 14th, 2026.
June 13th, 2026: read chapters 1-3 (pp. 1-98) in physical copy.
June 14th, 2026: read chapter 4 - acknowledgments (pp. 99-238) in physical copy.
Reading history:
Normally I keep this in my private notes section, but I'm moving it. Yay!
Reading history was not added on Goodreads, but was instead kept on a small piece of paper with the book.
Started June 13th, 2026.
Finished June 14th, 2026.
June 13th, 2026: read chapters 1-3 (pp. 1-98) in physical copy.
June 14th, 2026: read chapter 4 - acknowledgments (pp. 99-238) in physical copy.
June 20, 2026
Graphic Novel
Amini shares this story of being in middle school and being a mixed race young girl. Many readers will connect with the feelings of not belonging and the friend drama middle school brings. We follow Sara's journey through sixth grade. The story is told with a humorous tone with serious undercurrents. Readers will connect with the issues and concerns she faces. I love that we see other characters having issues as well.
Amini shares this story of being in middle school and being a mixed race young girl. Many readers will connect with the feelings of not belonging and the friend drama middle school brings. We follow Sara's journey through sixth grade. The story is told with a humorous tone with serious undercurrents. Readers will connect with the issues and concerns she faces. I love that we see other characters having issues as well.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Oh this was absolutely adorable. Set right before the y2k, a mixed race preteen experiences the growing pains of being Colombian and Persian. With her family living in Texas, Sara faces middle school with a heart filled with confidence until she realizes her best friend Monica, won’t be sharing classes with her forcing them to form new friend groups.
April 23, 2026
So proud of my dear friend Sara Amini for getting this novel out to publication! I remember when she first started writing it way back in 2016. This was such a lovely and fun read, and such a sweet book for middle grade readers. I also learned a lot more about what acting means to Sara, and I hope kids reading this book appreciate the art as much as I did!
July 11, 2026
3.5 stars. I really liked this book about Sara whose parents are Mexican (mom) and Iranian (dad). I addressed a very real topic in a direct way. I think it will be more of a girl book due to the predominant girl issue of freaking out about body hair. I think kids will like it. I just wish it could have more nuance.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I thought that it had relatable aspects of what its like going into middle school, especially as a person who is mixed. I thought that the ending, however, felt a bit too tied up quickly for a book that had a lot of issues to bring up.
May 9, 2026
Really great graphic novel about growing up and trying to learn where you belong. Loved the mixed race background and the double language inclusion. It’s very fun, funny and relatable. Great for middle schoolers.
June 13, 2026
Mixed Feelings was funny, honest, and incredibly relatable. Sara's struggles with fitting in, navigating friendships, and embracing her mixed-race identity felt authentic, while the graphic novel format made it a fast and entertaining read.
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