Shubeik Lubeik

Funny, beautiful, gut-wrenching and too real alt-history graphic novel about a world where you can buy wishes, but if you don’t wish right there are severe consequences. You follow Shokry, who sells first-class wishes at his kiosk, and his patrons who are so desperate they take the risk. This focuses mainly on three characters (but really four) in modern-day Egypt. I cried at some point during every story arc and teared up when thinking about these characters afterwards — I felt the grief and battle with depression to my core. There is a bit of ethical and religious discussion, and worldbuilding around the global and Egyptian politics and regulation of wishes as well.

A fantastic graphic novel about an alternate world with an established and complicated wish economy. I thought the middle wish story - and how it integrated those mood-graphs - was a great depiction of depression. 5 stars for the entertainment, even though it could have been edited down a bit. So many words!

The ending doesn't make sense to me. He spends 1/3 of the book in a moral quandary about using the wish, then he randomly uses it for a stupid reason on a donkey? Is he really going to risk his immortal soul for a dumb donkey? It's totally inconsistent with his entire character.

Also the time travel aspect seems like it would create too much inconsistency in the world if wishes actually have that ability.

Wow!!! seriously impressive...very very cool world building and an awesome story, I loved how the kiosk was a centre of light and colour (as well as the story's connecting point) in the visual world of the book.

Eu tenho medo quando livros começam de forma brilhante. Será que se sustentam? Aqui cada parte superou o brilhantismo da anterior.