Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram) Click for audio version.
Set in an alternate world where people can buy and make wishes – the kind of wishes genies/djinns grant in fantasy fiction – Shubeik Lubeik is a truly memorable graphic novel where creator Deena Mohamed wittily blends unpredictable magic and mundane realities. Shubeik Lubeik means ‘Your Wish is My Command’ in Arabic, a phrase made widely popular by Disney’s Aladdin.
Over 500 pages long, Shubeik Lubeik does justice the graphic novel genre, it’s a beautifully illustrated book that doesn’t get over in a blink. Divided into three parts, the book follows how three different protagonists make use of their ‘first class wishes’. The class divide among humans is subtly highlighted through the division of commercial wishes – third class wishes, known as delesseps, are very affordable, sold in cans, but are the trickiest, where the user rarely gets what they want and often ends up getting physically hurt. For instance, if you wish for a house, a third class wish could give a miniature house the size of a brick, that lands on your head and gives you a bruise. If you wish to be beautiful, it might just make a tattoo on your face which says ‘beautiful’. These events do not happen in the book (keeping this review as ‘spoiler-free’ as I can) and are just fun examples.
In-fact, ‘Shubeik Lubeik’ begins with a hilariously dark public service advertisement against ‘Delesseps’, the third class wishes, which are described as ‘dangerous’ and ‘a hazard to your health’ in the ad. A colorful prologue establishes the common thread between the three stories in the graphic novel, which is a small kiosk, where three first class wishes are up for sale. Who ends up using these first class wishes and what happens to them forms the story. The primary chapters are black-and-white, but vividly expressive, breathing life into an alternate chaotic Cairo, where genies are literally sold in a bottle!
The first chapter follows Aziza, a poor woman who works tirelessly to save enough money to buy a first-class wish, only to find herself trapped in a bureaucratic nightmare while trying to register it. Yes, the story is set in a world where wishes are heavily regulated. Conversely, the second story follows Nour, a wealthy college student who buys a first-class wish on a whim and then grapples with a moral dilemma over whether someone privileged like her should use it. Interestingly, the third story focuses on the kiosk owner’s journey – how he came to possess the three ‘first-class wishes’ and his plan to give his last remaining wish to a vibrant old granny who often buys smokes at his kiosk. In fact, the old lady, called ‘hagga’ (an Arabic term of endearment for older women) by the shop owner, has the most fascinating past, filled with feuding villages, dragons, and strife.
“While the Hagga was perhaps the ‘coolest’ character of Shubeik Lubeik, I love how Deena Mohammad illustrates the personal struggles of Nour, a regular, cheery college kid on the surface, but who is completely listless, unhappy, and perhaps even clinically depressed. Nour’s self-awareness of both her problems and privileges can be relatable to many readers. Besides, it’s comically refreshing how practically Nour tries to tackle her state of ‘unhappiness.’ From making mood graphs to seeing a mental health professional, Nour tries a bunch of things before giving in to the temptation of using her first-class wish.
The artwork by Deena Mohamed in ‘Shubeik Lubeik’ is expressive, and I was in love with the comic strips. In-fact, this is one of the rare graphic novels, where the black-and-white art stands out better than the colored panels, because the prologue chapter was in color, and the palette was far too loud and jarring. Instead, the bold monochrome chapters were much more fun to read. The reader won’t miss color in ‘Shubeik Lubeik’ since its twists, turns, and varied characters bring enough flavor to the tale!
The biggest irony in this graphic novel is how despite having access to wishes, how rarely the characters resort to using these special powers. Deena Mohamed brilliantly displays how the world would only be far more chaotic if wish-granting djinns were real and that humans are better off without dragon granting genies. I absolutely loved this graphic novel!
Rating: 5 on 5 stars.
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