The Measure
A Novel
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4.0 • 1.3K Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick!
"A story of love and hope as interweaving characters display: how all moments, big and small, can measure a life. If you want joy, love, romance, and hope—read with us." —Jenna Bush Hager
A luminous, spirit-lifting blockbuster that asks: would you choose to find out the length of your life?
Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.
It seems like any other day. You wake up, drink a cup of coffee, and head out.
But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. The contents of this mysterious box tells you 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 deeply uplifting, The Measure is an ambitious, invigorating story about family, friendship, hope, and destiny that encourages us to live life to the fullest.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Fantasy and philosophy come together in Nikki Erlick’s thought-provoking novel. The sci-fi premise at the story’s core—every adult on Earth receives a box predicting the length of their life—may feel far out, but it’s really just a jumping-off point for looking at the ways we live our lives and what we prioritize. Erlick keeps things moving at a rapid-fire pace, switching perspectives between eight characters from all walks of life, with each chapter lasting no longer than a few pages. Each little snapshot of the characters’ lives is compelling and personal, allowing for social commentary as the divide between “short-stringers” and “long-stringers” widens. Full of tragedy, tenderness, action, and excitement, The Measure is a heady read that’ll make you think about your own choices.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
How would people behave if they knew the length of their lives, asks the moving but predictable debut novel from Erlick. One night, mysterious wooden boxes appear outside every door on Earth, each holding a string, the length of which corresponds to how long its recipient will live, which the recipients begin to figure out and share on social media. Erlick introduces seemingly unconnected characters as they grapple with the news. There's Hank, a physician who joins a support group for "short-stringers"; Jack, the long-stringed scion of a Kennedy-like political family; and Maura and Nina, a couple two years into their relationship, whose contentment is ruptured when they find that Maura's string is half the length of Nina's. Some people, like Nina's sister, Amie, choose not to look at their strings at all, but even conscious abstainers cannot deny the strings' devastating impact. Then, a charismatic and villainous presidential candidate looks to capitalize on an older generation's fears over the short-stringers and the hell they could raise. Late-breaking connections between the characters feel more schematic than revelatory, and details of diverse supporting players such as Jack's Latino college roommate, who "couldn't afford to be seen as failure," read like paint-by-numbers. Still, the scenes of grief and love are poignant. There's plenty of drama, but overall, it's a bit too anodyne.
Customer Reviews
Really interesting.
I did enjoy this book although it took a while to get to the point but you have to get to know the characters. The way the story strings (lol) together is really nice and cohesive. I think the way the lives of all these strangers come together is really special. Feels like a metaphor for Covid which was interesting to consider.
Great!
So so clever & thought provoking
Loved it
I lLoved the premise of this book so original, So interesting! Good ending.