The Measure
- Downloads：5347
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-06-30 00:21:37
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Nikki Erlick
- ISBN：0063204207
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
Eight ordinary people。 One extraordinary choice。
It seems like any other day。 You wake up， pour a cup of coffee， and head out。
But today， when you open your front door， waiting for you is a small wooden box。 This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live。
From suburban doorsteps to desert tents， every person on every continent receives the same box。 In an instant， the world is thrust into a collective frenzy。 Where did these boxes come from？ What do they mean？ Is there truth to what they promise？
As society comes together and pulls apart， everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live？ And， if so， what will they do with that knowledge？
The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined， pen pals finding refuge in the unknown， a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush， a doctor who cannot save himself， and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything。
It seems like any other day。 You wake up， pour a cup of coffee， and head out。
But today， when you open your front door， waiting for you is a small wooden box。 This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live。
From suburban doorsteps to desert tents， every person on every continent receives the same box。 In an instant， the world is thrust into a collective frenzy。 Where did these boxes come from？ What do they mean？ Is there truth to what they promise？
As society comes together and pulls apart， everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live？ And， if so， what will they do with that knowledge？
The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined， pen pals finding refuge in the unknown， a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush， a doctor who cannot save himself， and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything。
Reviews
maryreadstoomuch
，
Thank you @williammorrowbooks and @bookclubgirl for my NetGalley ARC of The Measure in exchange for an honest review！ I had to pair this gorgeous golden cover with some beautiful flowers。Pub date: 6/28/22Genre: speculative fictionIn one sentence: A small wooden box is delivered to everyone over the age of 22 containing a string indicating how long they will live - but what is the real measure of a life？I love speculative fiction， so I jumped at the chance to read this one。 Humans deal with so mu Thank you @williammorrowbooks and @bookclubgirl for my NetGalley ARC of The Measure in exchange for an honest review！ I had to pair this gorgeous golden cover with some beautiful flowers。Pub date: 6/28/22Genre: speculative fictionIn one sentence: A small wooden box is delivered to everyone over the age of 22 containing a string indicating how long they will live - but what is the real measure of a life？I love speculative fiction， so I jumped at the chance to read this one。 Humans deal with so much uncertainty in our lives - if you had the chance to eliminate this one uncertainty， would you？ Erlick's story shows the perspectives of multiple individuals coping with these boxes， whether short-stringer or long-stringer， the strings affect everyone's lives。 The story parallels the COVID-19 pandemic as the strings bring out the best and worst of humanity， and relationships are tested。If you enjoy character-driven novels， I think you'll like this one。 It's an emotional and meditative read that makes you think about what in life is guaranteed， as well as what the measure of a life is。 I was in tears by the end。 This is a really strong debut， and I'm excited to see what Erlick writes next。 。。。more
Karen
，
When the library emailed me saying this book was ready， I put the book I was listening to on hold to switch to this one because I'd been waiting for it for so long and I wanted to see if it was as good as I'd hoped it would be。I think the book was beautifully written。 The premise is interesting and could have been taking ten different ways and could have been executed in ways that fell short。 But this author focused on how the value of a human life is not about its length。 It reminded me of the When the library emailed me saying this book was ready， I put the book I was listening to on hold to switch to this one because I'd been waiting for it for so long and I wanted to see if it was as good as I'd hoped it would be。I think the book was beautifully written。 The premise is interesting and could have been taking ten different ways and could have been executed in ways that fell short。 But this author focused on how the value of a human life is not about its length。 It reminded me of the quote by Diane Ackerman “I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it。 I want to have lived the width of it as well。”It's not just the length that matters even though we tend to focus on that more than anything else。The book also is about human connection and how our lives intersect and have a way of intermingling。 How people can rely on each other。 How there's always people who bond through adversity and those who use fear to take advantage of the situation for their own gain/power。 It was quite the read。 。。。more
Leslie Hagel
，
Perfect for readers of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig or In Five Years by Rebecca Searle， The Measure is in my top 20 books for 2022！ The concept blew me away and I’m so excited to recommend this one。One day， across the entire world， people wake up to a box addressed to them and delivered to every door step。 Inside it contains a string that tells you how long you have left to live。 The string is indestructible。 It can’t be cut， burned or stretched。 These books lead to a host of questions and Perfect for readers of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig or In Five Years by Rebecca Searle， The Measure is in my top 20 books for 2022！ The concept blew me away and I’m so excited to recommend this one。One day， across the entire world， people wake up to a box addressed to them and delivered to every door step。 Inside it contains a string that tells you how long you have left to live。 The string is indestructible。 It can’t be cut， burned or stretched。 These books lead to a host of questions and concerns。 For eight main characters， the box also leads to many choices and decisions。 Nikki Erlick’s debut novel had me fully engaged through the entire book。 The story is thought provoking and moving。 A perfect read for book clubs， The Measure will stay with you long after you’re done。Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to review this book before its release。 。。。more
Urwa
，
this sounds like an episode of Welcome to NightVale
Stef
，
Wow！ So thought-provoking and so well-written。
Ipek A
，
This was one of my most anticipated books of 2022 and it absolutely didn't disappoint。 I didn't expect to cry at 3 am reading this especially since I knew what was coming but that's what happened。 The Measure follows multiple characters that are somewhat related as every adult in the world receives a box holding a thread that would tell them how long their lives would be。 Erlick does an incredible job of creating the reactions to an event as such。 There are personal ramifications， political shif This was one of my most anticipated books of 2022 and it absolutely didn't disappoint。 I didn't expect to cry at 3 am reading this especially since I knew what was coming but that's what happened。 The Measure follows multiple characters that are somewhat related as every adult in the world receives a box holding a thread that would tell them how long their lives would be。 Erlick does an incredible job of creating the reactions to an event as such。 There are personal ramifications， political shifts， polarizations， rifts， grief， hope and love as the world changes。 It really goes places I wouldn't have thought about。There is a lot to think about and talk about in this book and there are also eerie parallels to current events。 I'll be recommending this one a lot and I'm hoping to discuss this in many buddy reads！ Thank you William Morrow Books， @bookclubgirl and NetGalley for the ARC of this amazing book！ 。。。more
Rowynn Reads
，
（I got an ARC from Harper Collins）3。5 stars！ The topic is amazing！ Credits to the author for creating such a reflection on our current world through a fictional story。However， this could have been so much more。 Not much happened plot-wise。 It felt like a “year-in-the-life of a couple of characters”。 I would love to see a part 2 to see the plot and world building on this topic！
Sharon
，
This is such an unusual premise and it’s very well written。All over the world， people’s lives are changed when they wake to find a box。 Inside is either a short or long string denoting the length of your life。 Do you open it？The book follows a number of characters all grappling with their own experience and it’s a cleverly woven tale about; love， friendship， loss， bigotry and racism as factions form depending upon the length of people’s strings。 I found it heartbreaking， uplifting and emotional， This is such an unusual premise and it’s very well written。All over the world， people’s lives are changed when they wake to find a box。 Inside is either a short or long string denoting the length of your life。 Do you open it？The book follows a number of characters all grappling with their own experience and it’s a cleverly woven tale about; love， friendship， loss， bigotry and racism as factions form depending upon the length of people’s strings。 I found it heartbreaking， uplifting and emotional， particularly as at the time of reading， the world appears more fractured and broken than ever in my lifetime。There is also hope and redemption and it certainly held my interest。 Id definitely recommend and congratulations to the author on this thought provoking， unique， read。Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to preview。 。。。more
Jess
，
One day a box arrives on your porch。 The box contains a string that indicates how much longer you have to live。 Do you open it or not？This was a really good book。 I enjoyed the audio narrator。 The concept for this one was really interesting too。 It was like something out of the Twilight Zone， mixed with Lord of the Flies and has lots of POVs with various scenarios to consider。 This book went a lot deeper than I anticipated。 Especially into the benefits & consequences of knowing how long you’ll l One day a box arrives on your porch。 The box contains a string that indicates how much longer you have to live。 Do you open it or not？This was a really good book。 I enjoyed the audio narrator。 The concept for this one was really interesting too。 It was like something out of the Twilight Zone， mixed with Lord of the Flies and has lots of POVs with various scenarios to consider。 This book went a lot deeper than I anticipated。 Especially into the benefits & consequences of knowing how long you’ll live。 It also addresses politics， dangers of mob mentality， prejudices and how others would treat you with knowing how long your string is。 For instance， did a patient receive less care because her string was short or was her string short because she received less care？ The chicken or the egg scenario。 The characters were likable and interesting。 I loved Nina and Mora so much。 Nina’s sister Amy was adorable and I loved Ben too。 In the end， it reminds us that we can each find our own measure of happiness。 It drives home the point that， no matter how long your string might be， your life is finite。 However， the impact you make and the legacy that you leave behind could be eternal。 The Measure is a thought provoking tale of perspective and insight…a deeply well thought out story of the human condition。 This is a really good book it lagged a little bit here and there but overall the pacing was good。 The story was solid and although it was sad， the last 8% or so of the story was so beautiful。 。。。more
Chloe
，
An imaginative and thought provoking speculative novel about what happens when everyone in the world receives a box and inside a piece of string， revealing the length of their life。 I was completely hooked by the premise and the way the strings impacted on life - everything from politics to reality TV。 Nikki Erlick thought carefully about how this scenario would affect people differently， and despite its America-centric plot， she did touch on how other countries and cultures might react。 This wa An imaginative and thought provoking speculative novel about what happens when everyone in the world receives a box and inside a piece of string， revealing the length of their life。 I was completely hooked by the premise and the way the strings impacted on life - everything from politics to reality TV。 Nikki Erlick thought carefully about how this scenario would affect people differently， and despite its America-centric plot， she did touch on how other countries and cultures might react。 This was a really absorbing， believable read。 The only downside for me was the character of Amie who didn't feel as three dimensional as the other characters and thus her relationship with Ben fell a little flat。 。。。more
Sally Boocock
，
Would you open a box left on your doorstep which would tell you the length of time you have left on this earth。 This is the question everyone over 22years old throughout the world has to answer。 It's a great premise for an intriguing story and kept me hooked。 It covers the lives of a group of people and is a story of relationships， love， and greed。 I wanted to see what happened to all the characters and I wasn't disappointed。 A great read Would you open a box left on your doorstep which would tell you the length of time you have left on this earth。 This is the question everyone over 22years old throughout the world has to answer。 It's a great premise for an intriguing story and kept me hooked。 It covers the lives of a group of people and is a story of relationships， love， and greed。 I wanted to see what happened to all the characters and I wasn't disappointed。 A great read 。。。more
Nat Eveleigh
，
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book。All over the world， people aged over 22 receive a box which reveals how long they have left to live。 If they receive a short string， they have very little time left， and if they receive a long string， then they’ve a while left before they die。Some people who received a short string use their time to say their goodbyes and use their time wisely， some of them choose to end their life themselves。 Others with longer strings decid Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book。All over the world， people aged over 22 receive a box which reveals how long they have left to live。 If they receive a short string， they have very little time left， and if they receive a long string， then they’ve a while left before they die。Some people who received a short string use their time to say their goodbyes and use their time wisely， some of them choose to end their life themselves。 Others with longer strings decide to change their lives while they still have time。 And some people don’t bother seeing how long their string is。 This was a really unique story， unlike any I’ve read before。 It is really thought provoking， and makes you question whether you’d open your box， and if you did， depending on the length of string， what you’d do with what time you have left。 This story also focuses on live and relationships， and spending your time with those who matter most。 I read this quite quickly as I was enthralled by the uniqueness of it。 A great debut， and recommended。 。。。more
Emily
，
Geez man， I loved this book。 I appreciate how the author delved into all kinds of different situations affected by her “strings”。 Being a Type 1 Diabetic， I often imagine how I’d fare in dystopian settings。 This one had my potential well-being， and others like me， on my mind constantly。
Nancy L
，
The Measure has a very unique idea; one day every person over 22 years old in the world wakes up to a box at their doorstep。 The small box contains the measure of their life， each with a string in a different length。 At first， there is confusion as to the meaning but it doesn't take long for people to realize that the length refers to the length of their life。 It was a definitely a downer when the "short-stringers" were discriminated against。 The author is certainly making a not so disguised poi The Measure has a very unique idea; one day every person over 22 years old in the world wakes up to a box at their doorstep。 The small box contains the measure of their life， each with a string in a different length。 At first， there is confusion as to the meaning but it doesn't take long for people to realize that the length refers to the length of their life。 It was a definitely a downer when the "short-stringers" were discriminated against。 The author is certainly making a not so disguised point about the discrimination so many people suffer in our world。 There is a man running for president who uses the strings to scare people into voting for him。 He makes all "short-stingers' out to be out of control people。 Not lying when I say that it is so easy to see that happening in our world， especially our country。 Luckily， love and friendship and yes， acceptance comes to rule the day and the ending left me hopeful。 I wholeheartedly recommend this book。 The unique premise makes for a thought-provoking read。 How differently would you lead your life if you knew how long it would last？ Thanks to NetGalley for the advance read。 。。。more
Stephanie | stephonashelf
，
4。25🌟 Thank you partners @bibliolifestyle and @williammorrowbooks for this #gifted copy of The Measure by @nikkierlick （out today！）， and to @netgalley for the ALC！What would you do if a mysterious box appeared at your door revealing the length of your life？ Would you open it？This book was so thought provoking！ I absolutely loved the concept and how the plot revealed itself。 It contained so much social commentary paralleling today’s society regarding discrimination and politics and how we as peop 4。25🌟 Thank you partners @bibliolifestyle and @williammorrowbooks for this #gifted copy of The Measure by @nikkierlick （out today！）， and to @netgalley for the ALC！What would you do if a mysterious box appeared at your door revealing the length of your life？ Would you open it？This book was so thought provoking！ I absolutely loved the concept and how the plot revealed itself。 It contained so much social commentary paralleling today’s society regarding discrimination and politics and how we as people respond to it。 The book follow eight different perspectives of people handling receiving their boxes and how they lived based on being a “short stringer” or “long stringer”。 I personally felt more invested in some characters than others， but felt they all contributed to the overall message of the story with purpose。 This will be a great book club pick， and I’m excited to chat with mine about it in July！ 。。。more
Susan
，
What would happen if everyone wakes up one day to find a box with a string inside for each person。 And what if the length of that string predicted how long you have left to live。 Would you open it？ How would your loved ones react？ How would your significant other act？ Would they leave you？ And how would the politicians use this information for their benefit？ This story tells us exactly what could happen and many of the scenarios she lays out before us are not that unbelievable in the world we li What would happen if everyone wakes up one day to find a box with a string inside for each person。 And what if the length of that string predicted how long you have left to live。 Would you open it？ How would your loved ones react？ How would your significant other act？ Would they leave you？ And how would the politicians use this information for their benefit？ This story tells us exactly what could happen and many of the scenarios she lays out before us are not that unbelievable in the world we live in today。 This book will be great for book clubs or share a copy with your friends so you can discuss it later。 Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Robyn Heil
，
What would you do if you knew when you would die？ Would you swallow some pills and possibly avoid a painful death if your death was predicted to be soon？ Would you close yourself off from everyone around you not wanting to cause undue pain when you died？ Would you run from it， deny it， or embrace it？ What about other people whose lives are predicted to be long？ How will these two groups react to one another？One morning， all over the world， everyone twenty-two and older wakes up to find a box on What would you do if you knew when you would die？ Would you swallow some pills and possibly avoid a painful death if your death was predicted to be soon？ Would you close yourself off from everyone around you not wanting to cause undue pain when you died？ Would you run from it， deny it， or embrace it？ What about other people whose lives are predicted to be long？ How will these two groups react to one another？One morning， all over the world， everyone twenty-two and older wakes up to find a box on their doorstep。 On the top of each box is an inscription that says “The measure of your life lies within。” What exactly does this mean？ Those who are curious open the box and find a string within。 According to scientists， this string tells you how much longer you have to live。 Others don’t want to open their box – they don’t want to know how much time they have left。The story revolves around a group of people and those they love。 Each person will react in their own way。 Some people in the government seize on this opportunity to further their political careers。 They declare the short-stringers， as they refer to those less fortunate， should be monitored。 After all they are unpredictable and may cause violence in their anger at their misfortune。 On the other hand， you have the people who look on the positive side – that we are all connected in life and in death。 What would you do？I liked this book。 It really made me think。 What would I do？ Curiosity would make me look at the string but no matter what， I think I would move forward and live my life to the fullest。 This book reminded me of the 1960’s。 Lots of turmoil in that decade – protests against the war in Vietnam & the flower children preaching peace， love， and harmony。 The ending of this book was sad， sweet， and heartfelt。 I highly recommend it。Robyn Heil， Buyer for Brodart Co。 。。。more
Cherlynn （cherreading）
，
I cried。 A lot。 Like wow， I'm not sure I have the words for this stunning debut。。。Would you want to know how long you had left to live？ Yes or no， The Measure essentially explores the consequences of each choice and the impact it has on not just each individual， but also on society as a whole。 I love the book's comprehensive take on such a loaded question as well as how it addresses real-life issues such as discrimination through the guise of speculative fiction， an emotional plot and unforgetta I cried。 A lot。 Like wow， I'm not sure I have the words for this stunning debut。。。Would you want to know how long you had left to live？ Yes or no， The Measure essentially explores the consequences of each choice and the impact it has on not just each individual， but also on society as a whole。 I love the book's comprehensive take on such a loaded question as well as how it addresses real-life issues such as discrimination through the guise of speculative fiction， an emotional plot and unforgettable characters。At the same time， this is also a beautiful read about human connection， how lives intersect and the lives we touch。 I thought the pacing was just nice because it allowed me to get to know， adore and be fully invested in the characters。Overall， I love everything about this moving and hard-hitting novel that lingers on your mind long after you put it down。 Likely will make it to my top favourites of 2022 list。Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for an ARC of this book。 。。。more
Sonya
，
Imagine being over the age of 22 and waking in the morning to find a small box。 Inside that box beneath a thin piece of cloth is a string。 Now you find out that everyone has received one， and furthermore the length of the string tells you how much longer you will live。 So this one left me a bit unsettled。 Not so much in an awful way but more in an introspective contemplative sort of way。 First is the idea of fate。 Regardless of the actions of the people in this book， their string length is the e Imagine being over the age of 22 and waking in the morning to find a small box。 Inside that box beneath a thin piece of cloth is a string。 Now you find out that everyone has received one， and furthermore the length of the string tells you how much longer you will live。 So this one left me a bit unsettled。 Not so much in an awful way but more in an introspective contemplative sort of way。 First is the idea of fate。 Regardless of the actions of the people in this book， their string length is the end all be all。 There is no hint as to how it will happen， only that it will happen。 So faced with this， what do you do？ Do you hold up and make the most of your time？ Do you lose yourself in the idea that you know how much you have of your life？ Do you seek out others like you with similar string lengths to find support？ Do you continue in denial？ Do you simply not open the box at all？ Do you use the situation to your advantage？ These are a lot of the same questions that the characters have to deal with。 It really is an uncomfortable thought， and one I don’t think I really know the answer for myself。 Erlick explores these ideas while moving through various characters and how they feel when faced with the certainty of their life span。 She presents us with the fear and heart break of a couple who find that one of their strings is much longer than the other。 We go through the fear， love， and uncertainty of these characters。 We are also introduced to other characters whose strings are very short。 They have found their way to a support group to help them deal with their future。 Long string individuals resent the shorter stringed。 Some toss their box and string away unable to deal with the reality。 Erlick really explores how each character really deals with what has happened。I really enjoyed this book。 It’s been some time since I’ve read a book that really made me contemplate the various themes。 It really made me think。 I think this is a great title that would lead to a lot of discussion with fellow readers or even a book group。 The characters are very life-like and I found myself following along with them， feeling their emotions。 I felt sadness， fear， and the overall confusion that was expressed。 Interspersed with the fear and confusion is also hope。 The point of view jumps around several characters and while I normally have difficulty following or enjoying multiple point of view books， I found that it didn’t affect my enjoyment at all。 Like I pointed out， the book really makes you think。My only difficulty with this book is there really isn’t a concrete answer， if at all， to how these boxes came to be。 While it doesn’t really seem necessary to the overall intention of the plot， I think it would have been really nice to have closure in that area。 Overall， a really good read and one I would recommend。 Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARc and the opportunity to read and review this very thought provoking book。 。。。more
Dee
，
⭐️ 4。5 ⭐️Review to follow
Claudia Silk
，
Such a thought provoking book！ What if the whole world knew how long they had to live？ In this book one night everyone in the world over 22 receives a box with a string in it。 It turns out the string corresponds with your life span。 So well done and so different and I absolutely loved the characters。
Lauren
，
‘The measure’ is one of the most original stories that I have read in a long time; everyone over the age of 22 receives a box containing a piece of string which indicates how much life you have left to live。This whole premise felt very dystopian and I could feel the foreboding and emotion from the first chapter。 I think reading this once post- pandemic has a different impact because it calls into question what is important in life and shows the importance of living your life to the fullest。 Alth ‘The measure’ is one of the most original stories that I have read in a long time; everyone over the age of 22 receives a box containing a piece of string which indicates how much life you have left to live。This whole premise felt very dystopian and I could feel the foreboding and emotion from the first chapter。 I think reading this once post- pandemic has a different impact because it calls into question what is important in life and shows the importance of living your life to the fullest。 Although Erlick is very good and gives strong and varied perspectives from her characters and that definitely helped carry along the plotline for me。 The level of fear and anxiety radiates from the pages as the entire world comes to terms with their fates which often felt uncomfortable to read。 However at the heart of this story is the power of human connection and the power of the choices we make。 An incredible read！ 。。。more
Darlene Bouck
，
4 1/2 stars。 What a clever idea！ I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 What I thought sounded like an episode of The Twilight Zone turned into so much more。 I found myself smiling as I flew through the pages。 Everyone who reaches the age of 22 years old receives a box with a string inside。 It tells you how long your life is going to be。 No one knows where the boxes came from or who sent them。 Some people open the box and some don’t。But it is so much more than having a short string or a long string。 Di 4 1/2 stars。 What a clever idea！ I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 What I thought sounded like an episode of The Twilight Zone turned into so much more。 I found myself smiling as I flew through the pages。 Everyone who reaches the age of 22 years old receives a box with a string inside。 It tells you how long your life is going to be。 No one knows where the boxes came from or who sent them。 Some people open the box and some don’t。But it is so much more than having a short string or a long string。 Discrimination is widespread on the short stringers。 Who wants to hire someone that they know will die soon？ The scientists are able to measure the strings and give a pretty accurate lifespan。I loved the main characters in this book。 Because it’s really all about your priorities and how you choose to live your life。 This book made me feel happy even though I had tears in my eyes。Thank you to #BookClubGirlEarlyReads and #NetGalley for my early ebook copy。 。。。more
Michelle McGrane
，
Thank you William Morris for the advanced copy of Nikki Erlick’s debut “The Measure”， an extraordinary novel with a striking front cover and unforgettable characters。Imagine the mythological Three Fates who wielded the power of spinning the threads of life on their spindles， measuring the amount of time each of us would receive on earth。 What if these strings were real and arrived in a box on our doorstep？ Would our curiosity — like Pandora’s — get the better of us？ And just like the opening of Thank you William Morris for the advanced copy of Nikki Erlick’s debut “The Measure”， an extraordinary novel with a striking front cover and unforgettable characters。Imagine the mythological Three Fates who wielded the power of spinning the threads of life on their spindles， measuring the amount of time each of us would receive on earth。 What if these strings were real and arrived in a box on our doorstep？ Would our curiosity — like Pandora’s — get the better of us？ And just like the opening of Pandora’s infamous chest， would the opening of these boxes unleash chaos into the world？Would you choose to learn how long you’ll live？SynopsisIt seems like any other day。 You wake up， pour a cup of coffee， and head out。But today， when you open your front door， waiting for you is a small wooden box。 This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live。From suburban doorsteps to desert tents， every person on every continent receives the same box。 In an instant， the world is thrust into a collective frenzy。 Where did these boxes come from？ What do they mean？ Is there truth to what they promise？As society comes together and pulls apart， everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live？ And， if so， what will they do with that knowledge？“The Measure” charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined， pen pals finding refuge in the unknown， a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush， a doctor who cannot save himself， and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything。Enchanting and uplifting， “The Measure” is an ambitious and invigorating story about family， friendship， hope， and destiny that encourages us to live life to the fullest。 。。。more
Elizabeth
，
1
Jennifer
，
Once I actually made the time to read this book， I devoured it。 I absolutely loved the unique plot， the time dedicated to character development， and the way it made me think about philosophical ideas without feeling too heavy。 Also， without spoilers， definitely have a tissue ready for the last half。
Larry
，
An incredibly intriguing premise and a solid enough execution for Erlick's debut novel。 Much more character-driven than I expected， this would definitely appeal to a large number of readers。 While I still found it enjoyable， it fell slightly short for me by relying on a somewhat sugary perspective on several fronts。 7/10 An incredibly intriguing premise and a solid enough execution for Erlick's debut novel。 Much more character-driven than I expected， this would definitely appeal to a large number of readers。 While I still found it enjoyable， it fell slightly short for me by relying on a somewhat sugary perspective on several fronts。 7/10 。。。more
Daren Kearl
，
This book takes the question How long is a piece of string and gives you an answer you won’t want to know。Overnight everyone aged 22 and over finds a box on their doorstep。 Those curious or reckless enough to open them find an indestructible length of string。 It gradually becomes clear that the length of your string foretells how long you have left to live。Through a range of characters， the moral and ethical questions over would you want to know when you were destined to die are explored。 “Short This book takes the question How long is a piece of string and gives you an answer you won’t want to know。Overnight everyone aged 22 and over finds a box on their doorstep。 Those curious or reckless enough to open them find an indestructible length of string。 It gradually becomes clear that the length of your string foretells how long you have left to live。Through a range of characters， the moral and ethical questions over would you want to know when you were destined to die are explored。 “Short stringers” become sidelined and become the new target for prejudice and political pawns。 Once the information is declared medical insurance companies refuse payments， certain jobs require declarations of lifespan etc。 The story raises the question of whether you would want to know， given the opportunity， of when you die。 Some people prepare， make peace or make the most; some become angry and resentful and take others with them。 It also shows a mirror up to the treatment of minorities， the disabled and LGBTQ people， where they are discriminated against and used for political gain。 The appearance and continued roll out of the boxes on everyone’s 22nd birthday is never explained and whether due to a God-like presence or alien experiment， the global population strangely doesn’t freak out about their being a higher power。 The life lessons are nothing new - give everyone equal opportunity and they can add to society regardless of the hand fate has dealt them - but it is always worth a reminder。 。。。more
Lisa
，
dnf at page 70。 Not for me。
Chelle - FlowerChildReads
，
This is one of the buzziest books you’ll be hearing about this summer。 The plot grabs you immediately。 It’s just out of reach， but if you squint you feel like something very similar could happen。 I jumped at the opportunity for an early read courtesy of @BookClubGirl and @WilliamMarrowBooks via @Netgalley。 This drops 6/28/22。 On an otherwise unremarkable day everyone on earth aged 22 and over receives a small wooden box inscribed “The measure of your life lies within。”， containing a string of va This is one of the buzziest books you’ll be hearing about this summer。 The plot grabs you immediately。 It’s just out of reach， but if you squint you feel like something very similar could happen。 I jumped at the opportunity for an early read courtesy of @BookClubGirl and @WilliamMarrowBooks via @Netgalley。 This drops 6/28/22。 On an otherwise unremarkable day everyone on earth aged 22 and over receives a small wooden box inscribed “The measure of your life lies within。”， containing a string of various length。 Over the next several months it becomes clear the length of the string correlates with the length of your life， and boxes continue to arrive for everyone as they turn 22 years old。 As humans do， sorting occurs， fear of the other， discriminatory practices and policies are enacted， support groups formed， relationships are tested and broken。 People are known as ‘short stringers’ or ‘long stringers’。 This is going to be an outstanding book club book and buddy read as there’s so much to discuss and unpack。 I was dying to talk about this just a few chapters in！ Erlick does a great job weaving in so much to think about from so many perspectives。 The cast of main characters is large and interwoven， diverse in age， gender， socioeconomic， orientation， career。 I had to keep notes to try to keep track everyone。 The different perspectives gives the book breadth， but I wanted more depth。 An excellent choice for book clubs and buddy reads if you’re looking for something highly discussable。 If you’re an audiobook fan， Julia Whelan narrates that format。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Measure
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Measure&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Measure&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0