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BEAST OF CRETACEA by Todd Strasser


copyright date: October 2015
primarily marketed for: young adults (6th grade and up)


The Beast of Cretacea by Todd Strasser is just the book the world needed.  Strasser’s futuristic retelling of Herman Melville’s classic, Moby Dick, is a dystopian adventure story that is filled with heart. 

The story opens with protagonist, Ishmael, waking up on a ship on Cretacea after being transported from Earth, which is covered by the Shroud and becoming a less and less viable home for humans.  Ishmael hopes to earn enough money hunting sea creatures called terrafins to pay the way for his foster parents and brother to join him. 

Readers get details about Ishmael’s past in chapters that flashback to his life on Earth.  These chapters develop Ishmael’s relationship with his foster family and solidify our understanding of his motivation to be successful aboard the ship. 

However, there is much more to Ishmael than his past.  He forms strong bonds with his fellow new arrivals, each having a compelling story of his/her own, and we immediately care about the fate of each and every one of Ishmael’s companions. 

When the ship’s captain—Captain Ahab—refuses to allow his crew to spend time hunting easy prey in favor of tracking and capturing an enormous white terrafin to which he previously suffered a great loss, Ishmael has to make decisions for himself, his companions, and his far away family. 

My love of this book—its unique setting, its adventurous men vs sea creature plot, and its man vs nature conflict—came as a total surprise to me.  I tend to favor realistic fiction over science fiction, classics, and dystopian literature.  The heart of the characters Strasser has created and artfully developed in Beast of Cretacea, and his thoughtful, provocative theme (call to action, perhaps?) won me over completely. 

Get your hands on this book—now. 



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  1. Todd StrasserFebruary 17, 2016 at 8:14 AM

    Thank you, Christy!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 19, 2016 at 5:58 PM

    The mystical way you describe the ocean reminds me of your book talk on 'Greyson'. The ocean gives me anxiety in the best way. There's a fear in it's vast depths and power, but you can't help but stand in awe of it. I cannot wait to get my hands on this book!

    ReplyDelete

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