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.

What would happen if we all knew how long we would live? One morning, everyone in the world over 22 receives a box with a string inside. The string indicates how long one will live. The novel follows a group of people, loosely connected, some with short strings, some long, and some who decide not to look inside the box. This is a thoughtful, hopeful book with memorable characters. It challenges the reader to think about what is important in life. I had a slight problem with the ageism...describing some characters in their 50's as still active, really? But overall, it was enjoyable and would be the perfect book club book.

A beautiful, thought provoking, compassionate, heartbreaking book. This is one of those books that grabs your heart and doesn't let go. It also gives concepts that I don't think I will start thinking about for a while.

The book grapples with the main question: what if everyone in the world knew for certain when they would die (not the how - but then when)? What would humanity do with that information? What would that look like? What does that mean for the meaning/measure of a life?

Told through multiple POVs, the author explores the different possibilities and weaves together these different lives to give the full range of human emotions. While I could guess some of the plot twists coming that felt beside the point. It didn't matter if I could guess what was coming, it was the whys and hows that kept me worrying over this book over and over again.

A great book club pick, because all I want to do is put this book in people's hands so I can talk about it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was definitely one of my favorites from my summer reads. I wasn't expecting it to be so political, but it makes sense when you think about the evolution of the event that occurs in the book. There was even a little twist at the end I didn't see coming. Really enjoyed!

What of the most original al and exciting g plot li es I've read in a long time! Mysterious boxes arrivw on the yards abd doorsteps all around the world with the ti.elibe of the person's life. A unique look at relationships and life. Well done!

I received The Measure by Nikki Erlick from Book Club Girl early reads. Thank you!
This was an ambitious and thought-provoking read that I am still thinking about! The premise seemed simple enough, all people in the world, age 22 and over, receive a box with the inscription, “The measure of your life lies within.” And so it begins…
As you dive in, you realize it’s less about where the boxes have arrived from and more about whether you would open your box or not? Do you want to know how long your life will be? There are so many questions you ask yourself as you read. The amount of inequality and discrimination that quickly takes hold is sadly not as surprising as I once would have thought. There are a lot of characters to follow and it can get confusing to keep track of them and their brief backgrounds…time and life move quickly! Hopefully it makes more of us see there is still time to prioritize what is truly important in life, take time to stop and smell the roses!
A worthwhile read and perhaps one to share with a fellow reader or book group to ensure you have someone available for an in-depth discussion when you finish and compose your thoughts.

What is the measure of a life? Would you want to know how long you would live?

When boxes show up with a string in them measuring the length of a life, people are faced with a choice. Look or not? Then, what to do in the aftermath?

Brilliantly written and hauntingly beautiful.The Measure will stay with me.

Wow! I predict this will become a “most-talked-about” book. The author makes us care about the topic and the main characters in the story. The topic is whether or not you’d want to know how long you would live. What if you could narrow it down to the exact month you would die? I devoured this excellent book and I’m still not sure if I’d really want to know. Read it and decide for yourself.

When small wooden boxes containing a string that will tell you exactly how long you will live start arriving for everyone who is 22 yrs or older, the world as we know it is quickly turns upside down and panic ensues. Of course the government has to get involved and divisions occur between the long-stringers and the short-stringers causing some people to become reckless, desperate and dangerous; while others seek to live their best lives. What will you do with the time you have left? What is the real measure of a life?

Rather than dive into and answer the question of where these boxes came from, the story instead focuses on a handful of characters showcasing how they each react to their box/string, their choice to either open the box or not, their own insecurities about the decision and knowledge gained therefrom, how they choose to live their lives moving forward, etc... It's a fascinating story both character and plot driven. I loved how all of the POVs were woven together and how the story ended (there might have been tears). I think this would make for a great book club read as the poignant bits in the book offer great fodder for discussion. Excellent debut by Erlick and I'll definitely check out what she writes next.

Rating: 5 Stars

Thanks to @Netgalley and William Morrow for providing me with an electronic ARC of The Measure for review purposes, all opinions are my own.

I've never read anything quite like The Measure before and that is the BEST thing! Original, smart, unsettling, and examining, The Measure is a sure fire winner. Also, I need a TV show, like now.

Would you live your life differently if you knew how much time you had left? One day every adult (22 yrs +) receives a box with a string, and soon after the correlation to their lifespan becomes understood. Would you choose to open the box? How would that impact decisions that you make for yourself, for others, how you influence and interact in broader society?

The Measure takes us through that journey - the choices, prejudices and more. It's not an easy read given the times we live in today, but one that makes you reflect and think about your choices too - and isn't that one of the reasons many of us read after all?

#TheMeasure #Netgalley #bookclubgirls

Nikki Erlick is a debut author that will be one I watch eagerly for her next release! The Measure was so enjoyable - although there was a basic element of sci-fi with the boxes, I was so happy that the book focused on the socio-economic-political outcomes of people having, for the first time, an opportunity to truly know the length of their remaining life. The different characters storylines were woven together nicely, while still developing each character/pair really well. This is a perfect book club book - everyone I know that has read it wants to discuss it!

Wow! The Measure was a beautifully written tale that had me feeling all sort of emotions; anger, joy, heartbreak, awestruck wonder. What would you do if you had a choice of knowing how long you had left to live?? Every adult on earth wakes up one morning to a small box on their doorstep; inside, a string measuring the length of your life. No one knows where they come from. This story follows 8 people thru the choices they make and watching them navigate thru this new "normal" and how this information both positively and negatively affect the world in which we live. The best read I have read all year!

4.5 too much knowledge stars

Remarkably, one day everyone aged 22 or over receives a small box on their doorstep. Inside the box is a string. What does this mean? Why do some people have shorter strings and others have longer strings? And where did the strings come from?

As details emerge, it seems that the string represents how long you will live. Would you want to know? Or would you never open the box? What happens when those with short strings are prevented from doing certain things? Would you tell friends and loved ones how long your string is?

Several sets of characters face these very issues, and they handle the news in different ways. It made for a fascinating thing to imagine, what would you do if you knew you really had to make the most of every day? What if spouses had different lengths?

I rooted for some of the characters and found others to be despicable. This debut author really drew me in to the story and it is memorable! I found this to be a fascinating concept and I really enjoyed this one. That being said, I’m not sure I’d want to wake up to a box on my doorstop tomorrow!

When I heard the premise on The Measure by Nikki Erlick, I was very interested and when I saw @wacoreads recommend it, I promptly emailed the publisher and begged. Thank you @williammorrowbooks and @netgalley! I read it in a day! It’s available now so run out and get a copy!

Here’s the setup:
One morning, every human on earth wakes to find a wood box with their name on it. Inside contains a string that represents “the measure of their life”. Some strings are long (they will live long lives) some strings are short, well, you get the picture.

I don’t know why this kind of premise interests me but it’s catnip for my dystopian/apocalyptic world heart! So many mind-blowing scenarios are explored in this novel about what happens in the world when everyone learns how much longer they have on this Earth and the impact on society this information has. The “long-stringers” and the “short-stringers” find themselves in situations they never would have anticipated. This book touches on so many socially implicated concepts; family, faith, complicated relationships, career, politics, race, … all and more are explored in this fascinating debut novel by @nikkierlick

The Measure is exactly the novel I wanted it to be! I hate being disappointed when reading a novel that has such an original and interesting premise. Have no fear, this one is fantastic!

3.5 Stars
This book definitely had the interesting concept of everyone receiving a box with a string. The string indicating the length of one's life. I think that the author did a very good job of dipicting how the world would react and how people would be treated. I enjoyed being able to read from the different characters point of view. The reason I didn't rate this book higher was that at times the book dragged and I was a little bored. Ultimately, the ending was very heartfelt and the story ended in a good place.

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: 6/28/22
Genre: speculative fiction
In 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.

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!