Review of Ubiquita by Gary Winstone

 

Ubiquita by Gary Winstone begins with Daniel fighting his way through a forest. He is exhausted, has various injuries, and is wet through. We do not know why he is there or where he is going, but it will soon be sunset, and he is not safe! Daniel builds a fire to ward off animals and keep him warm; he removes an unusual golden necklace with a triangular medallion from around his neck, which he inherited from his grandad. Daniel is taken back to when he was eight and his grandad was dying. His grandad gives him a journal in which he has written down all his adventures, and he makes Daniel promise to continually explore and try new things. Daniel became a palaeontologist fascinated by nature and travelled the world. He is so wrapped up in his own life that he loses touch with his father until a telegram arrives saying his father has had a severe decline in health and he needs to come back to England. Daniel's dad is dying, and while he sleeps by his bed, Daniel is woken by a strange light as the medallion glows and moves and gives life to three golden, winged creatures. What is this magic? Why did Daniel's father hide the medallion and journal from Daniel and pretend it was missing? What will Daniel find when he explores what happened in Peru a hundred years before? Furthermore, who or what is Ubiquita?
 

Ubiquita is Gary Winstone's first foray into writing science fiction. I was fascinated by the adventures in this well-written and well-thought-out novella. I loved how Gary Winstone describes death and how eight-year-old Daniel understands it. This is beautifully descriptive and pulls at the heartstrings. Winstone is very poetic when he waxes lyrical about the medallion, for example, location ninety-six "Before long a rippling sphere filled the centre of the medallion, gently rotating, swirling, casting warm light across the room." I particularly like this sentence which I think should be a mantra for everybody, location six hundred and ninety-three "The more you know, the more you know you don't know." Gary Winstone shows an excellent knowledge of physics and astronomy. This book has a slow build-up to an exciting ending which I did not expect.

The cover is the one thing I dislike about Ubiquita by Gary Winstone. It looks like someone has drowned, and it does not give the reader an insight into this brilliant science fiction story which takes the reader on a mysterious adventure.

I recommend this to adults who enjoy science fiction, adventure and mysteries. There is some swearing in the book, which is inappropriate for a younger audience.

I absolutely love Ubiquita by Gary Winstone. There are several grammar and spelling errors, but these do not detract from the story, and I rate it a resounding 5 out of 5 stars! The book is brilliantly written and beautifully captivating right from the start, and Ubiquita is a novella I will remember long after reading it. I look forward to reading more books by Gary Winstone!