Book Review: Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed

It’s really frustrating to buy a book, put off reading it, finally read it a year later, and realize “Holy crap, this was amazing!” Like, I could have had this amazing experience any time, but I didn’t, for no good reason. I’ve been planning on reading Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed all year long, as it fit several book bingo challenge prompts, and I kept putting it off. Of course, this procrastination did mean I got to read it while I was sick last month, and what’s better than taking a day off of work and reading comics?

Shubeik Lubeik takes place in an alternate version of Earth where wishes can be mined, packaged, and of course, commodified. There are different grades of wishes — the third-class wishes that most common people can afford will twist your wish and rarely give you what you want, whereas first-class wishes can create fantastical effects like magicking up a dinosaur or allowing time travel.

Originally told in three volumes when it was published in Egypt, this story follows three first-class wishes sold by a street vendor who inherited them from his father. We watch three different people take three different approaches to using their wish, and along the way we learn about the setting of the book, and how it turns a mirror on our own world.

Through the lens of wishes, we explore colonialism, bureaucracy, government corruption, classism, mental and physical health, and more. Along the way, the author also gives her English-language audience some lessons on the Arabic language and Egyptian culture, with a sly critique on our typical cultural ignorance (this allowed me, an amateur belly dancer, to feel smug about the stuff I already picked up in my studies. We Anglophones do love to be smug).

I want to be abundantly clear: I loved this book. A+. 5 stars. No notes. I’m writing this review not just because I said I’d review all my book bingo books, but because I genuinely want other people to read this book.

Shubeik Lubeik is smart, insightful, funny, sad, and over all, compelling. I love Deena Mohamed’s use of page layout, repeating motifs, and callbacks. I love how she depicts the wishes, which are djinn-like, but unique.

This is pretty substantial for a graphic novel, since it was originally published in three volumes before being translated and packaged as a brick of a book for the US. But it’s so compelling that I read it across three days, because as soon as I started a story, I had to read it to completion. You could get through it in a day if you had the leisure to spend several hours immersed in the book.

I hope after reading my review, you’ll get your hands on this book, whether you buy it from the bookstore or borrow it from the library.

CWs and TWs: Colonialism, physical and illness, death (including of children and parents), domestic violence, microaggression against a non-binary person, and animal abuse.

Source and Format: I bought a hardback copy at Charlie’s Queer Books.

Reading Challenge Prompts

Book Riot: A comic in translation. This was translated by the author from Arabic into English. When I saw this prompt, I knew immediately this would be the book I read, so why did it take me 10 months?!?

World of Whimm: Graphic novel. That’s what this is!

Physical TBR: Because I bought this book back in 2024, it counts for my physical TBR challenge. As the people of Gaza are heading into a third winter in unthinkable conditions, I have donated to Pal Humanity. Visit my post about This Year’s Physical TBR Challenge to learn which books I’ve read and who I’ve donated to.

Reading Challenge Progress

Nook & Cranny (Card 1): 18 of 25, 3 bingos.

Nook & Cranny (Card 2): 22 of 25, 6 bingos.

Book Riot: 20 of 24.

Physical TBR: 11 of 12.

World of Whimm: 23 of 24, 8 bingos.