In this video, Sara receives a copy of Subeik Lubeik to read and review.
Amazon – brilliantly original debut graphic novel that imagines a fantastical alternate Cairo where wishes really do come true. Shubeik Lubeik—a fairy tale rhyme that means “your wish is my command” in Arabic—is the story of three people who are navigating a world where wishes are literally for sale.
Amazon – Editorial reviews – From School Library Journal by Thomas Maluck
At an unassuming street stall in Egypt, store owner Shokry has stocked something special: three first-class wishes. The book unfolds across three stories, each revolving around how one of the wishes is bought and used.
In a world of commodified and potency-graded wishes, issues of class and privilege take on imaginative, yet grounded, stakes. Aziza’s symbolic wish for her late husband Abdo is buried under government regulation and incarceration. Nour, a college student living with depression, grapples with deserving a wish they bought with their parents’ money. The third story is a showstopper that shines a new light on a recurring character and will stun readers before they race to share with the nearest person.
Each segment uses the fantastical premise to examine human relationships and the choices that shape our lives. Every chapter has its own visual flair belonging to its star characters while sharing a consistent Egyptian setting and cast, including Arabic billboards and expressions defined (sometimes humorously) in the margins.
Thoughtful and hilarious infographics deepen the history of this alternate world. Creative paneling, lettering, and symbolism ensure readers will tirelessly explore this book’s dense rewards. Content includes swearing, smoking, and drug references. VERDICT Your wish for a successful mixture of high concept fantasy, biting humor, and powerful moral struggles is granted.—Thomas Maluck
Although their stories are fantastical—featuring talking donkeys, dragons, and cars that can magically avoid traffic—each of these people grapples with the very real challenge of trying to make their most deeply held desires come true.
“The mythic qualities of Mohamed’s world bring our own world into sharper focus . . . Mohamed’s humor often feels like a protest, as do the thick and assertive lines of her drawings . . . The effect is gritty, brazen, and full of spunk.”—The New Yorker
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Goltune Editorial Team