The Measure by Nikki Erlick - Audiobook ARC 

I will be thinking about this book for a while. 

One morning, everyone at the age of 22 wakes up to find a wooden box on their doorstep with a single string inside and the inscription "“The measure of your life lies within.” If you knew the length of your string corresponded with the length of your life, would you open the box to find out? And if you did, how would you live your life? In The Measure, we follow a cast of gripping characters who grapple with decisions of whether or not to open their boxes and what it means for their coming days if they do. "Short stringers" grieve for and resent their fates, and we watch as they're discriminated against by long stringers in power. This novel has elements reminiscent of They Both Die at the End and The Immortalists, both books I loved and still think about. 

The author provides incredible, moving perspectives with its various characters and the choices they make, and the weaving of the stories is told beautifully. And of course, Julia Whelan's narration is always an added bonus. 

I highly recommend this one, which comes out on June 28. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for this advanced copy.

Wow! This debut novel is so philosophically profound, yet incredibly consumable! It's an emotional, thought-provoking, and unexpectedly uplifting read! Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Audio and William Morrow & Company for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this amazing new title.

"The Measure" accomplishes the rare feat of being simultaneously sad and inspiring, without relying on excessive pathos to manipulate the reader. The book opens with a new and life changing event: each person on the planet over the age of 22 receives a box with a string representing the length of their life. The reader is expected to take this somewhat bizarre phenomenon at face value and not ask too many questions about its origin, because answers never come. This is where I anticipate some readers might be disappointed: the book is not about where the boxes come from and the characters aren't particularly intrigued by their background either. The book follows several characters as they reckon with their strings: a short stringer in love with a long stringer, an aspiring soldier with a short string now banned from combat, an architect with a short string who begins to attend a support group and acquires a mysterious pen pal. As the different story arcs progress, their lives begin to intertwine, against the backdrop of political and social climates increasingly hostile towards short stringers. This is where it got a little preachy for me. There is very little nuance or discretion in the author's "message" (every life has value, regardless of what it has to contribute, beware of selfish politicians). As much as I would have liked for "The Measure" to be a little less on the nose, I will forgive it due to being incredibly touching. I found myself so moved by the frank and difficult conversations about death. I finished the last page wanting to hold those close to me a little tighter, and embracing the gift of today.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was so fresh! What a cool idea to know the measure of your life (or choose not to). I loved the social and political aspects explored in this novel. My only wish was for more diversity. All of the characters are middle/upper class00and while some are POC and/or in the LGBTQIA+ community--they all felt very similar to me. I do love how everything tied up (get it?) at the end. It was really interesting to see how all of the characters crossed in and out of each other's lives. Great debut!

What an outstanding and thought-provoking debut!!! This is the perfect book club pick to inspire heated discussions. Imagine a world in which everyone learns how long they have to live - would it change how you choose to live your life?? This is the question posed in an alternate world where one day boxes arrive for everyone over a certain age with a string the length of which denotes a person's lifespan.

Following a cast of characters over a number of years, we get to see how people's lives are dramatically affected by these strings. As you can imagine the world quickly becomes divided by the 'long-stringers' and the 'short-stringers'. I really enjoyed this story. It's very cinematic in scope and would make a great movie!

Excellent on audio narrated by Julia Whelan, this is one I won't soon forget and I can't recommend it enough!! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance listening copy!!

An intriguing premise, masterfully executed. What would you do if you could find out how long you would live? Would you want to know? How would it change your choices in life, and how would those around you—and the government—respond? These questions are regarded from so many different angles and scenarios, and it is so well done. At first I thought there might be too many characters to keep track of, but the author does such a good job of giving each a distinct personality and story and enough information every time a particular thread is revisited that I found it easy to follow each character's story and become invested in each one. The narrator, Julia Whelan, was absolutely wonderful. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Harper Audio and NetGalley for an audio e-ARC of this fabulous book.

When I first heard about this book the premise immediately fascinated me, it’s like you cannot even imagine such a thing happening but also you kind of can. Unsettling for sure. So going into it I assumed it would be deep and maybe even heavy at times and it was, but it was also super thought provoking and insightful. The amount of questions it raises is staggering, it explores a plethora of issues and I can see this being a fantastic pick for a book club. There is SO much to be discussed here, I actually wish I had a group of people to chat with when u finished myself. I don’t wanna get too deep into the plot but you get multiple perspectives from several characters and I enjoyed hearing from each of them. You may think this one would be pretty depressing and it’s really not, yes there were sad moments but also moments of hope. It was poignant and as usual Julia Whelan gives a fantastic performance in the audio version. Definitely check it out if you want something a little meatier this summer.

The Measure by Nikki Erlickleaves you pondering what you would do if placed in this situation. Around the world, people over the age of 22 are opening their doors and finding boxes waiting for them to open. In each box is a string that gives the recipient the knowledge of just how long their life is going to be. Would you open the box? Opening the box has ramifications for the person who receives it as well as their friends and family. Is this box a blessing or a curse?
I really enjoyed the audio format of this book and would recommend it. The narrator did an excellent job of narrating in a way that gave each character their own voice . Read and enjoy!

Amazing new literary concept- executed brilliantly! I loved this intriguing book filled with fabulous characters that are well developed, separately and then intertwined! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book!

The Measure is sure to be one of the best books of 2022! I absolutely loved this audiobook and could not put it down. I think the author did an amazing job tying together all of the narrators at the end of the book. I have already been recommending this book and know it will be a huge hit. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Wow! Just wow! This is absolutely one of the best, most thought provoking books I've read in a long time. It truly makes you think about your priorities, values, ethics, beliefs, and how you view others. What defines living a good life, living a long life or living a life where you make a positive difference in the world? It's absolutely a home-run. You will not be disappointed!

Let me start by saying I CANNOT BELIEVE this was a DEBUT novel. Cannot. This author is a gifted storyteller and this story sucked me in immediately! Keep your eyes and ears open for whatever Nikki Erlick does next!

The premise: all adults over the age of 22 years, I’m talking ALL OVER THE WORLD, receive a box on their doorstep with a string inside and a note that reads something to the effect of, “The Measure of Your Life Resides Within this Box” (not 100% certain of the text because I only have the audio).

Jack, Ben, Nina, Maura (sp?), Hank, Javi, Anthony, and Amy are the varying perspectives readers get to hear from in this incredibly difficult scenario of either having a “long string” or a “short string,” which per the box, is the actual measure of your life.

With more research from top scientists and calculating folks, the string is able to be measured much more succinctly, giving those who chose to open their box, with more details about when their life will actually end.

Of course, as with any dystopian/speculative fiction novel, we get two main camps of pro/against when it comes to the strings and political figures begin to involve themselves, squaring against each other and creating division, in the hopes of clinching a political win.

Then there are those who have made the decision NOT to open their box and live their lives without the knowledge of their imminent demise.

I can’t recommend this debut novel enough. I felt a connection to some of the characters and developed great disdain for others.

I am incredibly grateful to NetGalley and the publisher, William Morrow, as well as Harper Audio, for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in advance for an honest review.

PS Excellent choice using Julia Whelan for narration on this one!!

"Live your life like your string is short."

Holy guacamole! Speculative fiction at its finest. There is nothing about this book that isn't outstanding.

One day everyone in the entire world receives a box with a string inside. The length of the string measures the length of your life. Where did the boxes come from? What is their purpose? Would you open yours?

The story follows eight characters who all make different choices. Their lives are creatively interwoven and each person's narrative touches you in a different way. How do the strings affect the choices they make in their own lives? The years go by and string prophecy is fulfilled.

Globally, the fallout from the strings begins to be felt. The "shortstringers" become a marginalized group and a polarized world begins to form. The strings begin to dictate medical decisions, the economy, foreign policy, and relationships.

The novel is bittersweet. You'll laugh, feel joy, cry, and definitely think. It may be a bit anticlimactic for some, or even sappy, but it was perfect for me.

The writing is poetic and beautiful, and the characters are well developed. But the uniqueness of this book lies with it's questions. An excellent choice for book groups! I cannot wait to discuss with mine.

And of course, the phenomenal Julia Whelan makes this audiobook stellar. As always.

Wow this book was fantastic. I listened to the audiobook which Julia Whelan narrated it and she is just fantastic. I loved the concept of the short and long strings. At first it was difficult to keep up with the different characters but by the end of the book they felt like old friends. This was so well written.

If given the choice, would you want to know how long your life would be? How about the people around you or those in power? This is exactly how this book begins. A story that places people directly in conflict with their fate, if you can call it that, this novel involves everything from romance and love, friendship, family, trust and what is most important in life. Such a powerful and moving story, I found myself deeply invested in every character, constantly pulling at my various emotional strings (pun intended), Nikki Erlick had me questioning what my own reaction would be and what ethical obligations a society would have in this position. The story deals with deeply conflicting societal reactions that are reminiscent of the discrimination and fear we have experienced throughout history, but very specifically throughout the 21st century up to now. Erlick forces you to look at society, mirrored, in a way that lets you contemplate what your reaction may be from a safe distance, while also telling a story and developing characters you would want to meet and hug in real life. The audiobook is beautifully narrated and puts you right into the middle of the conflict, intimately feeling and seeing the strings everyone else does, who have a choice: do you look at your string or don't you? And how will this one action change your perspective on nearly everything for the rest of your life, regardless of its length? A book I will be thinking about long after finishing it and have already recommended it to my fellow booksellers, friends, and English professors alike, this would make an incredible bookclub book.

While there are multiple version of the storyline in which the possible outcomes of knowing your death date is explores, The Measure is unique in both its variety characters and circumstances, and the depth of emotion throughout all of the storylines. Ms Erlick has created a detailed tapestry of lives, social trends, and unexpected consequences which is woven through with love and compassion.

Thoroughly enjoyed this unique concept and the characters. This story gave me a lot to think about after reading which I always appreciate.

The Measure
by Nikki Erlick
Pub Date: June 28, 2022
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the audio version of this book.
I really liked it and have already had some great discussions about it with others. I think it would make a great book club read.
I really liked the concept (everyone receives a mysterious box with a string, the length of which dictates how long you are expected to live), and execution was solid. I think the author raises a lot of interesting questions.
This is a solid recommendation for me and we will be purchasing it for our library.
5 stars

Very unique & impressive debut!

How would you react if one day you received a box containing a string that represented the length of your life? Would you open it? Would you leave it unopened? How would you react to its length? How or would your life choices change? Oh, I love novels that make me think… what if?

The characters story’s were woven together very well. I thought that their reactions to the ‘new normal’ was conveyed in a very individual and believable way. The societal reactions/discriminations would’ve felt much less plausible if the past several years had not mirrored it so closely.

My only minor criticisms are that it got a bit ‘long winded’ in spots and I had a hard time relating to Amy. Her views and the choices she made just didn’t fit together.

Throughout this I kept thinking of Julia Roberts character, Shelby, from the movie Steel Magnolias where she states, “I would rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.”… this is how life should be lived regardless of how long or short it turns out to be.

I listen to this on audio which I enjoyed a lot. Very thought provoking and timely, I think that this would be a wonderful book club choice. A solid debut. 4.5 stars.

***ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! First of all let me start off with the narrator Julia Whelan, she could read me the back of a cereal box. This novel has a ring to today's global pandemic. The story core is, one day everyone in the world over 21 wakes up to find a wooden box with a string in it at their doorsteps or by their waking bodies. The string be it short or long was the length of years you have to live on this planet. Would you open it? Would you throw it away or not look in it. This and many questions were what humans faced. The main characters I learned to know and love. With all their strengths and reasons many opened their boxes some happy and of course some not so happy with their short strings. Some conform to the string, some short stringers do not. The government gets involved using it as a platform for elections, The story fellows the main characters through their years of joy or sorrow. I learned to grieve with them and think about our own world and the state we are in. This was definitely one of my best commutes I have had in a while. Bravo LibraryReads!