An Author Interview with Sara Amini and Illustrator Shadia Amin

Author Sara Amini and artist Shadia Amin team up for this charming, semi-autobiographical middle grade graphic memoir that explores evolving friendships, puberty mishaps, and finding a place to belong. Navigating life as a multiracial girl has never been more hilarious or heartfelt, with family, friendship, and fuzz as it is in Mixed Feelings! Perfect for fans of Real Friends, The New Girl, and Pizza Face.

Sara, Mixed Feelings is based on your middle school years. How did it feel to return to that time of your life during the writing process?

Sara: I have such vivid memories of that era of my life (and had enough disposable cameras to document it all!). Combing through old photos helped me set myself in 1999, back to being twelve years old and trying to juggle being multiracial, the firstborn daughter of immigrants, and a kid just trying to find her place to belong. It was often tricky, confusing, and overwhelming. Luckily, I had family, friends, and drama club to always see the best in me, even when I didn’t see it in myself. 

Some moments have been fun to revisit, like I still can’t believe I SHAVED OFF MY EYEBROW. (Fun fact: I tried to tell everyone at school that my siblings did it in my sleep, and no one believed me!) Others, like the TV audition, were tougher, because now as an adult, I saw the experience through my mom’s eyes for the first time. But getting to relive all the moments, good and bad, has definitely made me appreciate those middle school years, because they shaped me into the person I am today.

Shadia, how did your experience as a multiracial person inform your work on Mixed Feelings? What did you feel was most important to convey in your art? 

Shadia: The most important aspect was diversity, ensuring that kids could see themselves represented not only in the main characters but also in the background characters, letting them know their experiences are shared and they can bond with others over them.

Each character in Mixed Feelings has a distinct personality. Sara, which character did you enjoy writing most and why? Shadia, which character did you enjoy drawing most and why? 

Sara: Not only are these my real family and friends, but also my real childhood home and middle school! Seeing them all come to life in my old environments has been incredible.

I must admit, I’ve enjoyed writing Aneliese the most because the real Aneliese still makes me laugh every single day. She doesn’t start out that way in this book, but she gets super sarcastic as the series goes on, and it always makes me giggle writing her deadpan expressions and under-her-breath remarks. Also, my siblings, Davud and Mimi, have always been both effortlessly and painfully cooler than me, so I’ve delighted in turning their book characters into rascals, who agitate Sara at every turn. Sorry, guys! I wrote the book, so I get to make the rules! 

Shadia: It’s hard to say. So many of them were so much fun. I would say Sara and Dom, since they’re both such expressive characters. I always have a blast trying to push their facial expressions and body language. 

What is the collaboration process like working on a graphic memoir that reflects one cocreator’s lived experience? Sara, in what ways did Shadia’s art influence your storytelling? Shadia, in what ways were you able to apply your own individual touch on something so personal to Sara? 

Sara: Shadia’s art is inherently hilarious, so we clicked from the very beginning. We both had the same idea in mind for the series: finding the “funny,” even among the more heartbreaking moments, because laughing through pain can be so therapeutic and powerful. We had many virtual work sessions where I would act out scenes for her, and she would take that and run with it.

She’s a big fan of anime and manga, and using those mediums’ methods of pushing boundaries and heightening emotions made for some laugh-out-loud expressions from the characters in the story! I always knew I wanted to revisit those awkward middle school years through a humorous lens, and getting to watch myself grow up again through Shadia’s eyes is the best! 

Shadia: Surprisingly, Sara and I had similar experiences growing up, including issues with body hair. I always have fun with my art, pushing the emotions and making sure people connect with what the characters feel. I think that’s how I was able to ensure Sara’s writing translated into visual art with the same emotions and impact.

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