3.5
The premise of this book is thought provoking to a point that I'll be thinking about this one for awhile.

Everyone in the world receives a box that has a length of string in it. That strings length foretells the length of the said persons life, no ifs ands or buts about it. Each person must decide a) do they look inside their box b) do they tell others about the length of their string? c) now what?

Ultimately this book shines a light on the things in our lives and our world that creates division amongst us. I compare this "string length" to other aspects such as: religion, race, economic level, job, marital status, political stance, schooling, etc. The book shines a blaring light on the injustices of some of the ideas, segregation, and laws that come about in an effort to "protect" other from long or short stringers. So interesting!

While the idea of this book was fascinating, I found myself a bit bored by mid-book and wasn't as invested in it as I was in the beginning with this new and cool idea. That said, I will be looking forward to Erlick's next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and William and Morrow for the advance e-copy of this book.

Hands down my favorite Jenna pick so far. The author took this subject and crafted a multi faceted read. There is so much to discuss on the pages of this book. I was hooked from the start. What would you do if one day a box is delivered to you and inside is a string “The measure of your life”. Some strings are long and some are short causing ripple effects around the world. What does it mean, what’s going to happen? Maybe it simply means taking stock of your life no matter how long you have and make it count. I quickly became immersed in the characters and their lives. Some chose to open their boxes while others declined. How far will the government go to take control of this situation and how much free will do we really have? All thought provoking ideas explored here. What I really liked was that it really made me ponder and come to my own conclusions. Hence making a great book club read. If your looking for an unusual story crafted from the mind of a brilliant writer then definitely pick this one up. I couldn’t put it down. #TheMeasure Thank you for the ARC All opinions are my own.

Who would think a simple “measure” of string could determine how long you will live? The premise of this book is so unique and thought provoking. Everyone, everywhere in the world, over the age of 23, wakes up to find a mysterious box at their door with a string inside it. The portrayal of how the government, social media, and the general public would handle this was very realistic and timely. The novel takes you inside the lives of 8 people with very different lengths of string and shows you how their lives changed after the delivery. The story quickly starts to show you the truth value of life and it is not how long you have but how you live with what you have. This was an extremely thought-provoking unique book that was such a quick easy read but it still lingers in my mind. It would make a great book club choice with so interesting topics to choose from. I thoroughly enjoyed this. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This books starts with an incredible premise and delivers on the content. This was a thoughtful exploration of what may happen when people know when they are going to die. While this knowledge exasperated some of the evils already plaguing our society, the author also left room for acts of courage and hope. This would make a great book club pick for some heavy existential discussions.

I don’t recommend reading Nikki Erlick’s debut novel right before bed, because it will leave you pondering life well into the night! In The Measure, the everyone in the world who is 22 years old or older receives a mysterious box on their doorstep with the inscription: “The measure of life lies within.” Curiosity gets the best of some people, who open their box right away, while others are more cautious and wait until they know more about them. Inside the box is a single string and it doesn’t take long for scientists and society to discover that the string measures the length of your life; short-stringers will die soon, while long-stringers have a long life ahead of them. The Measure follows 8 characters whose lives all end up connecting in surprising ways. Some of the characters have short strings who are dealing with the fact that their lives are much shorter than they ever expected, while others have long strings but have loved ones who they will have to say goodbye to too early, and some characters have never opened their box at all and still have no clue what their life holds. Erlick portrays the downward spiral that both individuals and the world as a whole experience after such a shocking discovery—something that unfortunately does not feel too foreign to today’s readers. However, she also captures some very beautiful moments that probably would not have happened if it weren’t for the strings. Every day that I read this book, I could not happen but think about how I would react, how my loved ones would react, to the possibility of knowing when we would die, and I’m confident all readers of this book would do the same. So I ask you, if you could know the exact month you were going to die, would you want to know? Or would you let ignorance be bliss and leave it up to fate? If I were you, I would read The Measure before answering.

Everyone over the age of 22 has received a box with a string. The boxes, delivered overnight and then to anyone on their 22nd birthday contain a string. The length of the string is different for each individual. It is quickly determined that the string forecasts the number of years one has left to live.

What I thought would be a sci-fi book explaining how the boxes arrived at everyone's doorstep (not a genre I really enjoy)was a story reflecting the value of life and how it is measured.

The novel invited readers into the lives of multiple characters and how their lives changed after receipt of the string. It shared the interactions among those with long strings, short strings, and individuals who chose not to open their boxes.

This thought-provoking, engaging, book was the first in a while that I have given five stars.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and it did NOT disappoint! At first I had a hard time keeping up with all of the characters but it didn’t take too long to keep them straight. The book felt extremely relevant for the current political climate and really had me thinking about what I’d do in this situation. I was so invested in all of the characters and I loved how it all wrapped up and came together at the end. I can’t believe this is a debut novel and I can’t wait to see what she does next

Would you want to know when you will die? What would you change or do if you knew you had only a short time to live? What would you do with the knowledge you have a long life ahead of you?

One March morning the entire world wakes up to a package with the note telling them that the box contains the measure of their life. From than point on, whether they open the box or not, their future is predetermined. The Measure follows the stories of eight protagonists faced with the choice of knowing when they will die or choosing to live their lives free of that knowledge. Regardless of their choices, their lives and the entire world will be changed forever.

The Measure is an interesting work of speculative fiction posing the question "what if I knew when I would die." Disturbing and hopeful at the same time, this book will find ample discussion topics for book groups and leave the reader contemplating their own choices long after turning the last page.

This was such an amazing book. It really makes you consider life choices and quality of life. I would recommend it for book clubs .

One of those books that has you wondering, what would I do? Such an interesting concept - the whole world changing when you found out how long you had left to live (or refused to look) and how the rest of the world responded.

I think it was a pretty realistic portrayal of how quickly people would categorize and discrimination would pop up - the ugly part of human nature’s desire to control and a portion of the population capitalizing on the opportunity to dominate. But maybe also the beautiful parts of humanity that desires to come together for each other when confronted with sorrow and grief.

While there was an overall theme that was heavy and sad, I enjoyed a very different look at the what ifs, figuring out to navigate something you don’t have control over, and the resulting caring community and resilience that was a result of bad news. That life can’t be compartmentalize by time, but by what you do with what you’ve been given in that time.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found this story to be unique and original. When faced with their life length revealed in a box delivered to doorsteps worldwide, people react very differently. Chaos ensues as the world reacts to this unexplained event. The book focuses on 8 people and how they handle the news. Definitely gives you something to think about.

One day, the same box appears on every doorstep across the world. If you open it, you can learn how long you will live. Do you open yours?
This was a High concept , strange, compelling, mysterious, thought provoking, well paced and timely book and whew I could go on but suffice it to say I was wowed by this debut . With characters I was invested in, a plot that buzzed and filled with implications, consequences, and mind bending what if’s around every corner and throughout the story. Fantastic characterization because I was right there with these characters- not all of whom I liked- as they navigated what to do with the information once they opened the boxes and some who navigated life not opening their boxes – the sheer amount of conflict and ramifications these boxes caused within relationships but also throughout the world was mind blowing and staggering.

Perfect for book clubs- I predict this will be in beach and pool bags. I’m so excited for others to read this and explore the question of if we could, should we measure the time we have left in our lives

Probably my favorite book of the year - this one was phenomenal. I read it a month ago & I'm still thinking about it. I just loved loved loved so much!

Imagine you wake up like every other day, but today you find out how much time you have left on this Earth? On every adult's door step is a box containing a string that reveals the length of the life you have left. The world becomes divided into the short-stringers and the long-stringers and chaos prevails. It takes a movement to calm the world back down.
I really enjoyed meeting all the characters in this really moving story. Each had their own story to tell and they all found a great way to live out their string. The Measure is broken down into seasons and then individual characters have their own chapters. Each chapter is clearly titled and it is easy to follow the story line through these stories. I will be recommending The Measure to all my book loving friends. I would love to read other works by Nikki Erlick. Special thanks to NetGalley, Nikki Erlick, and William Morrow Publishing for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 4 .5 stars for me.
#TheMeasure #NetGalley

This is the BEST book I have read all year! To me, the best books are the ones that make you think, and this book does that. It made me think about what I would do if presented the opportunity to know exactly how long my life would be. Would I want to know? How would it change my life if I did know? The book tells the stories of eight people whose lives are changed by the appearance of a box with a length of string inside that shows how long his/her life will be. While the book left me in tears, the ending message is so hopeful and uplifting. I HIGHLY recommend this book, and it would be a fantastic choice for a book club!

This is such a clever book! It really makes you think about what would happen if we all knew exactly how long you had to live. So many aspects were addressed that I didn’t even dawn on me originally. This would be a great book to discuss with HS classes, church groups, ethics classes, etc.. Very thought provoking

This book has an original and interesting premise. One morning a box sows up for each adult on earth. It contains a string - the measure of one’s life span. Do you open it ? What do you do with the knowledge if you do? This is the story of eight people faced with this decision. It is also the story of how politicians, governments and the world will react to such knowledge. It is a very engaging read with good characters.

An amazing look at the humane psyche and how friends,family neighbors and strangers can chose to divide themselves or embrace one another in the face of change,
One morning everyone in the world 22 and older mysteriously receives a wooden box. This box is engraved with a saying; "The measure of your life lies within." Most people open their boxes. Every box has a length of indestructible string within. As the story progress two main groups form from this world wide phenomena; short-stringers and long-stringers.
The plot is largely linear and character driven. I love the way Erlick weaves her story in such a flawless creative manner. characters lives that one would never imagine converging end up intertwined in such a lovely way.

The only slight draw back for me was the small feeling of a certain type of political agenda from the author. She seemed to always "walk" right up to the invisible line but would gracefully pull back.

The reader never finds out the how,where,or why about the boxes or strings but I found myself oddly unfazed about that aspect of the novel.
The lovely way the eight main characters are described and the way they live out their truth surrounding the issues they face was just the ending this story ended.
"It is not he length of life but the depth of that life that matters." Emerson

This is such a departure from my normal read and a few days after finishing I am still struggling for what to write. The premise is you wake up one morning with a box at your front door that holds a string that represents the length of your life. It was so thought provoking. Would you even want to know? Would you believe it? Would this enhance your life? Would you do anything differently? How would you handle those around you with better or worse news? As you follow the characters, this is all intertwined in the plot. Do you owe anyone your answer? Does your government or health care owe you anything and should they intervene?

The book does a fantastic job handling the highs and lows, the tragedies and the triumphs. I went on a roller coaster of emotions reading this one. There are quite a few characters with differing situations and thoughts on it all.

If this one isn’t on your radar, it should be. While not your typical summer read, I highly recommend it. This is the perfect book club read. There are so many angles, you could discuss this all night

I absolutely understand why everyone is raving about The Measure. The story flows along beautifully and this was so thought-provoking. I kept putting this down to think about what I would do. This is the perfect book club book.