
Member Reviews

Cannot wait to purchase this!! From the snippet I was kindly sent I was hooked! It's beautifully illustrated and I love the story. Graphic novels are not my go to normally but I definitely will be giving them a go going forward. Shubeik Lubeik - a fairy tale rhyme that means "your wish is my command" in Arabic is a great concept and I am excited to read more. I will be updating this review once I have purchased and read the entire book. I will post my review on Instagram and update on Goodreads. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60465407-shubeik-lubeik" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Shubeik Lubeik" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1650494137l/60465407._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60465407-shubeik-lubeik">Shubeik Lubeik</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17206329.Deena_Mohamed">Deena Mohamed</a><br/> My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5331985732">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /> Cannot wait to purchase this! I was kindly sent the e-arc by Netgalley which was a snippet of the book. <br />I can honestly say from the section I viewed I am intrigued to read the rest! It’s beautifully illustrated and I love the story! <br />Graphic novels are not normally my go to but I will definitely be giving them a go going forward. <br />Shubeik Lubeik - a fairy tale rhyme that means “your wish is my command” in Arabic is about three wishes that are sold at a kiosk I’m Cairo. Aziza, Nour and Shokry purchase these wishes.. I cannot wait to follow their journeys. Deena Mohamed has done a brilliant job putting this masterpiece together. <br/><br/> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/144301498-deadly-nightshade-x">View all my reviews</a> |

'Shubeik Lubeik' with story and art by Deena Mohamed is a graphic novel about a place where wishes come true. Be careful what you wish for. The title is a fairy tale rhyme that means "your wish is my command" in Arabic. This book tells the story of three wishers and danger that comes with literal wishing. My review copy followed the first story and a woman named Aziza. The story was compelling as was the art. I'd like to find this in full and finish the three stories. |

My Thoughts: I read this as an excerpt only, but this graphic is dark irony, struggle and humor at the same time. The little except was the kind of dark irony that makes me laugh, and then feel guilty that I laughed. There is a very old short story that I used to bring into my English classroom, "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs. Like this graphic novel which is translated as the genie's phrase "your wish is my command," the Jacobs short story also takes the premise of three wishes. The way these wishes are granted are both horrific and act as a cautionary tale. The moral of both tales, be careful what you wish for. Deena Mohamedʻs art is bold and strong. It is stunning in its fluid way of creating its own pacing for the stories. I am not familiar with Arabic female cartoonists, but her work is very strong, saturated by vibrant colors and beautiful Arabic calligraphy. From the Publisher: Three wishes that are sold at an unassuming kiosk in Cairo link Aziza, Nour, and Shokry, changing their perspectives as well as their lives. Aziza learned early that life can be hard, but when she loses her husband and manages to procure a wish, she finds herself fighting bureaucracy and inequality for the right to have—and make—that wish. Nour is a privileged college student who secretly struggles with depression and must decide whether or not to use their wish to try to “fix” this depression, and then figure out how to do it. And, finally, Shokry must grapple with his religious convictions as he decides how to help a friend who doesn’t want to use their wish. Deena Mohamed brings to life a cast of characters whose struggles and triumphs are heartbreaking, inspiring, and deeply resonant. 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. Publication information: Author/Illustrator: Deena Mohamed Publisher: Pantheon (January 10, 2023) |

I cannot wait to purchase this graphic novel! I loved the excerpt. The artwork is beautiful and the synopsis sounds so interesting! |

I was only able to download a short excerpt of this item, but what I was able to read was very intriguing, and I very much intend to obtain a full copy. The excerpt showcased a government advertisement that outlines the dangers of what they identify as "third class wishes." The story is set in a society where wishes are real and are sold in shops, but the wishes themselves range in quality (and in price). I can't wait to see how different characters interact with the concept of wishes, and the methods by which they will go through to make sure their wishes come true. Also, I really liked the art! |

Loved this excerpt though I wish it was longer! I am quite interested now in reading the whole thing and will be looking to see if I can procure one. |

A fantastic graphic novel! I loved the storyline and graphics, especially the middle sections that talk about the history and politics of the wishes. Every library should have this title. |

Just a sample book and would love to read the full book as soon as its out! Looks very interesting, can't say much since I only read the first 20 pages. |

A quick snapshot of what looks to be a beautiful, interesting graphic novel. I enjoyed variety of ways it was presented both framed and, other times, taking up the page. The story grabbed my attention immediately- I look forward to reading the entire work. Thanks to Knopf for the copy. |

Unfortunately this excerpt is very short- but the art and story are fascinating, so I will be happy to find a copy once it's published. The concept of purchasing wishes (and what can go wrong with that!) is inventive, and these are gorgeously colored and drawn comics. I look forward to reading more of it! |

This was so intriguing, but honestly 26 pages is such a tease, and its hard to fully get interested in the story! I will be reading the full thing when it comes out |

Unfortunately, I received only 26 pages for this review. It was a very interesting beginning with excellent artwork. Would have loved to read the whole book. |

Thank You Netgalley and the publishers for sending me and allowing me to read this E-ARC. I really enjoyed this when I read it, its been over a month now but I still remember how much I enjoyed this gn. |

"A 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. Three wishes that are sold at an unassuming kiosk in Cairo link Aziza, Nour, and Shokry, changing their perspectives as well as their lives. Aziza learned early that life can be hard, but when she loses her husband and manages to procure a wish, she finds herself fighting bureaucracy and inequality for the right to have - and make - that wish. Nour is a privileged college student who secretly struggles with depression and must decide whether or not to use their wish to try to "fix" this depression, and then figure out how to do it. And, finally, Shokry must grapple with his religious convictions as he decides how to help a friend who doesn’t want to use their wish. Deena Mohamed brings to life a cast of characters whose struggles and triumphs are heartbreaking, inspiring, and deeply resonant. 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." A graphic novel set in Cairo? Has someone been reading my mind again? |

Thanks NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for a copy of the eArc of the excerpt of Shubeik Lubeik. This is a very short excerpt, but I liked what I saw. A bit of horror, a bit of satire. great illustrations. I will be looking for the complete book at my library or local bookstore. |

Thank you Pantheon Books and NetGalley for the advanced electronic preview pages of what is promising to be a great book. This preview was such a tease! From the provided pages I was able to surmise that there are to be three sections for three wishes one usually makes when the genie is released. The title translates from Arabic as “Your Wish is My Command” and the book’s premise is a world where wishes are for sale and are monitored by the government. I can’t wait to get a finished book to read the complete stories. |

This is only a 25 page out of 500+ page book, so it's really hard to rate. But what I can say is that the art style is amazing and the story is intriguing from the start. And as a North African, it's giving me old Egyption movie vibes and I'm here for it |

This is a review of the preview of Shubeik Lubeik, which is 25 pages long. The preview perfectly sets up a world in which wishes are real, and the government is trying to control their use. The art so far looks great, but the preview doesn't introduce any of the main characters mentioned in the blurb. It looks exciting enough and certainly has me intrigued about the full release of the book. |

Reading an excerpt of this graphic novel was such a tease! It was gripping from page one, and I was left reeling when the story dropped off. What happens next?! Whether or not my library orders this for our collection is beside the point; I already have it preordered for my own shelf. The art is gorgeous and the setup fantastic. I am already so excited for the lore to be explored. |

With the few pages in this sample, the only thing I can say is the art is incredible. I look forward to reading this book in full. |