A review by sweetsxrrxw
Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed

emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

this is my first-ever 5 star review. that doesn't mean all the other stories i have read before aren't good enough; it just means i am a huge perfectionist. however, for the first time, i feel like a book was everything. 

this graphic novel is set in an alternative world (specifically, in cairo) where wishes exist and you can actually buy them. these wishes are divided in different categories that define the power of each class, how much time it takes to be produced, their efficacy, etc. 

this might be a little hard to understand at the beginning but, trust me, the author does an incredible job at showing AND explaining everything. you can get a basic idea of how they work while reading the story. but in case you don't, between each part, the author has included interludes with definitions, schemes and infographics that clarify everything you need to know about wishes, as well as how they've affected history and several laws made to regulate their use. so, as you can imagine, the world-building is just fantastic. i really admire how the author created such a complex story based on a relatively simple prompt.

one of the things i liked is how the wishes are kind of a secondary plot to the story. the book focuses more on its different characters and their problems. so that's how the author gets to portrait different topics, such as poverty, classism, social injustice, bureaucracy, mental illnesses, therapy, religion, morality... 

anyways, going back to the main characters there's three of them, and their stories are interwined:
  • aziza: a lower-class woman who has just lost her husband. when she finally gets to buy a first class wish, she has to face several obstacles due to her social status.
    i think her story is pretty underrated. it's really sad how she spent years working, doing anything, just because of the guilt she was dealing with (abdo didn't deserve to die btw) just to end up in prison because of some corrupt governors. she is a really strong character and she deserves the world.
  • nour: an upper-class college student who thinks they might have depression. they want a wish to feel happy again but struggle with their own intrusive thoughts, telling them they should be grateful for their privilege and how they don't deserve the wish.
    i really liked the contrast of nour and aziza's reactions to the price of the wishes. while for aziza it takes about 4 years to get the money, nour is just shocked the price is so cheap. anyways, i think most people can easily relate to her journey struggling with depression and anxiety. i also liked how, since this is a comic and there's not much place for internal monologues, the author decided to show nour's feelings via graphics. i think it was pretty original. and, of course, all of their experiences were well-shown: being in your bedroom 24/7, having people implying you're exaggerating, meeting unprofessional therapists, fearing you're "broken forever"... all in all, their story shows the ups ans downs that come when struggling with depression and with the process of healing.
  • shokry: the seller of the wishes, who feels conflicted about using one himself due to his religious beliefs. he is always willing to help everybody, carrying their burdens and problems and making them his to fix. hence why he wants his loyal client, shawqia, to use a wish and save her life.
    in this story we learn about the origin of the wishes and shokry's story, alongside shawqia's. the latter was heartbreaking. i feel so sad that she had to see her children slowly dying without being able to do anything about it. but at least, although it was without them, she got to live her life once again and this time she was happy about it and spent her last days fulfilling her desires. on the other hand, i felt kinda connected to shokry because i completely understand the feeling of wanting to help everyone. i guess i am happy that the talking donkey got its revenge by the end but i truly hope that shokry could get some peace of mind.

so, the stories were well-built and interlaced in smart ways, they delivered reflective, humoristic and dark moments in great quantities. sometimes it is hard to grasp the plot in some graphic novels but this one's length allowed the author to write with coherence and cohesion.

moreover, the art style was really good too. the interludes are completely colored, while the rest of the book is in monochromatic shades. maybe it is a bit upsetting at first, but one has to keep in mind that the coloring process is really long and complex, and printing is never cheap. furthermore, there are some parts of the story where the best coloring option is definitely black and white. 
oh, and i am not egyptian myself but i really loved the representation, how the author drew the cities, the pieces of clothing, and how the translation still keeps the essence of the original story written in arabic.

summing up, this is a must-read book. unless you truly despise magical realism i think you can enjoy reading it, find yourself loving the characters and reflecting on their stories while also appreciating the drawings and the little details.
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