I love the idea of this book - the starting premise is intriguing, captivating and original - but I just didn't love the execution of the story and the fact that (spoiler alert) we never find out why the strings arrived and where they came from: perhaps I missed the point?

One day everybody on earth aged 22 or over receives a box with a string in it - the length of the string corresponds to the longevity of the recipients life. Moral dilemmas ensue, both personal (whether to open the box or not; how to cope if you have a short string; how to cope with friends/family with short strings) and worldwide (should governments and institutions and employers have a right to know the lengths of people's strings?). Lots of interesting questions but I feel the novel never quite touched on the big philosophical questions, and the story was taken in adifferent direction to the one I hoped to read.

An original concept, well-written in an easy-to-read prose, but for me the story was never fully-realised.

This is an amazing book about the meaning of life. I can’t imagine what I would do if I knew how long I had left to live. This is one of them books that will make you think about things more important to you. It will be one of them books that people will be talking about for a very long time. I really enjoyed this not only for the detail, but it made me think a little differently. It has a unique storyline and thought it is apt for this period that we have been living for the last 18 months, 5 stars from me.

Such a great novel that hooks you from the start. Really got me thinking about what would happen if I had a box turn up at my door. Would I open it? Would I want to know the length of my string?

People all over the world, who are older than 22, wake up one day to find a box waiting for them on their doorstep, inside the box is a bit of string that will inform them how long they are going to live…. From there we read through various different characters as they try to come to terms with whether or not they should open their box, and if they did, what will their life sentence be? I don’t know about you, but I think I would probably open the box, I would want to know when I was going to pop my clogs and expire.

This reminded me almost of a dystopian novel where different groups of people have different living standards, and they all resent the others and those with better living conditions are subject to harassment from those who wish to be them, but at the same time, they aren’t particularly nice or understanding of those who are living with less than them. All of this really comes back to the age old question of “does it really matter?” I mean people for centuries have believed that from the moment you’re born your fate has already been decided, so what’s the point in trying to fight it? There isn’t anything you can do to change it.

I don’t recall who sent the boxes, why everyone over 22 got one and not everyone on the planet, and I don’t know what the purpose was… maybe I missed something? I’m not entirely sure but I have no idea why all of this happened. Which, as annoying as it can be, is actually pretty entertaining to me, I can see this being a film at some point in the future.

The concept of gaining the measure of anything is explored in this engaging novel, which got off to a hesitant start but eventually came together in a gratifying manner.
Imagine a future in which the entire planet's population receives a delivery of a wooden box delivered on their doorstep one day. Those who open it will find a bit of string within. Nobody knows where the boxes came from or what the string means, which added to the initial bewilderment and terror.
We eventually figure out that the length of the string signifies how much time is remaining. Naturally, this raises some interesting questions about how we spend our lives and how much authority others should have over us.
It became easier to acquire a sense of kinship with the characters as we gained a better understanding of the setting and saw how they responded to events. This raises some intriguing topics, and I believe this book will appeal to a wide range of people. The final message was pretty solemn.

What a great read and a totally addictive storpline. As each person opens their box to reveal a piece of string. It becomes clear that the length is the same as the persons liife. This had me hooked from the start and kept me wanting to know more. Brilliantly written

This was an interesting concept poorly executed. I was wondering what kind of story could be woven around the premise. Turns out, no kind. Not a lot happens, so while it does pose the moral dilemma of whether you'd want to know the time of your death, it doesn't make for an exciting story.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

The idea for this story caught my attention, and I have to say I was not disappointed! It poses a really interesting question and I think tackles it well from a range of different viewpoints. There are not so many that the story loses focus or you forget who is who, but enough that you get to consider a variety of angles which helps give the overall story greater depth.
What would you do if you looked, or if you didn't? How would you react if you had a long string - or a short one? I thoroughly enjoyed how these dilemmas and how these and the others the characters faced were tackled. I found I devoured the book quickly as the story was always on my mind and I could not wait to finish!

Brilliant Black Mirror-esque concept.
One night, mysterious boxes appear outside people’s houses. Inside is only a piece of string and the note “this box contains the measure of your life”.
Panic sweeps the world, as these boxes have been delivered everywhere. People believe that the length of the string determines the length of your life. In fact, “short stringers” start to die young.
Some people refuse to believe in the idea. Some refuse to open their boxes, some going as far to throw them away.
Scientists start to study the correlation between length of string and existing pathologies. They study the boxes and the strings themselves, trying to determine an origin for the unknown materials. Where did they come from? And the biggest question- WHY?

Amazing psychological dystopian fiction.
Would you open the box if you got one?
I don’t know if I would!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me listen to an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my feedback.

Wow - what a rollercoaster of a read!!!

I absolutely loved The Measure and it’s a book that will stay with me for some time to come. It is highly original and very thought-provoking - raising moral and ethical dilemmas. It has spawned a lot of conversations between me and my friends and family when I’ve given them the hypothetical question and basis of the book - On your doorstep is a box. Inside the box is the exact number of years you have left to live. Do you open it or not?

The story’s characters are weaved together beautifully like the threads in said strings.

Huge thanks to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, The Borough Press, and NetGalley for making the ARC available to me.

A totally captivating concept, The Measure is a breath-taking debut asking an impossible question, would you choose to find out the length of your life? I read this book originally on submission and I was fascinated. This is one of those books that will hook you from page one. Beautifully written, thought-provoking, and at times, unbearably tense, this is ideal for fans of Emily St. John Mandel and Christina Sweeney-Baird.

The Measure has at its heart a great premise - that everyone, overnight, received a box containing a string of a length equal to their allotted lifespan. It's improbable - and probably impossible - but taking the concept forward it offers a bullet point list of issues that could/would arise:

* should people look at their string or not?
* should the state have a right to see the strings?
* should prospective employers be able to ask to see the strings?
* should election candidates be able to use their strings for political capital?
* if lifespans are predetermined, is someone culpable for ending a life?
* should people with short lifespans be able to have children?
* can relationships work between people with different lifespans?
* should people with short lifespans be entitled to legal protections?

Each one of these questions is then addressed in turn using characters specifically created for the purpose. These characters never feel as though they have any life beyond illustrating their particular dilemma. The world in front of us seems to be populated in equal measure between people with short and long strings when the real (American) world would have almost everyone with a lifespan of between 65 and 85 years.

So the great idea (3 stars) kinda falls flat on execution. It feels like a series of ethical essays rather than a novel. It's perfectly readable and does provoke thought, but there is very little emotional engagement.

What if you knew how long you had to live?
This will be a book that will spark the imagination and will spread through word of mouth and could well be one of the most talked about books of 2022.
It is thought provoking, intriguing and allegoric - though that is no where near enough to describe this book.
The concept on first read is simple but once you start to get into the story it raises many questions and parallels to so many areas of life. It will raise questions and make you think about what is important.
To say much will give the areas away and this is such an incredible book every reader should discover them and get their own thoughts from the reading of it. The characters are well drawn out and drag you into their stories each of which are different.
I really can not recommend this book highly enough it is such a great work of fiction and one that I will think about for many years to come.

I very much enjoyed this book. The premise intrigued me and it did not disappoint. I loved the way the character’s lives intertwined, all coming together in the end. The writing is clever but simple and it certainly made for interesting conversations with others who have read it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

A box you never asked for arriving on your doorstep - is probably not a good sign. Humans are curious by nature and so some open the box and... some don't. The contents contains a string which tells you how long you have to live. The social and political ramifications of this unfold and obviously influence the lives the author brings into focus. This dystopic novel was a wonderful read with a good balance of gloom and hope.

This was such an intriguing concept and the world building was excellent. I enjoyed the different narratives and the story pacing worked well.

The idea of getting the measure of something is toyed with here in an intriguing book, which got off to a slow start but which drew together in an eminently satisfying way. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this before publication in exchange for sharing my thoughts.
We are asked to imagine a world where the world’s population is, one day, given a delivery of a wooden box left on their doorstep. For those who open it they discover a piece of string. Nobody knows where the boxes have come from or what the string signifies and the initial confusion/panic was well-presented.
Introduced to quite a number of characters, this made it quite hard for me to get into. I felt a certain disconnect initially, perhaps mirroring the sense of unease and uncertainty about the boxes.
Over time we learn that the string length represents how much time you have left. This, quite naturally, throws up some interesting ideas about how we live our lives and the extent to which others should control our lives.
As we develop our knowledge of the scenario and see how characters respond to events, it was easier to feel some affinity with them. This raises some interesting questions, and I can see this book proving a hit with many readers. The closing message felt rather earnest, though in current times where we are facing (potentially) further restrictions it will certainly resonate.

I have just finished reading this book and have mixed feelings.

The concept of boxes arriving containing an indestructible piece of string the length of which is a direct correlation to the length of your life, The idea is very interesting.

The characters were real and likeable but I did find the first third rather laboured with not a lot happening. When the relationships started up and how they were connected to each other it became really good and certainly made me think if this was for real would I look in the box or not? It also made me aware of how minorities of any kind religious, racial or indeed short stringers become scapegoats for abuse and prejudice.

I did enjoy this book it did hook me in about half way through..

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC.

After reading the synopsis to this book I have to say I was very intrigued - I will let the description say everything:

“Your fate arrives in a box on your doorstep. Do you open it? It seems like just another morning. You make a cup of tea. Check the news. Open the front door. On your doorstep is a box. Inside the box is the exact number of years you have left to live. The same box appears on every doorstep across the world. ...”

The story is written from the perspective of several different characters and it is very clever how these individual stories cross over, sometimes obviously, sometimes in a much more discreet way. The concept is potentially so simple, you are told the date when you will leave this world, and I can completely understand how this would affect people in so many different ways.

This is a really enjoyable book that makes you question what would happen if this was indeed the world we lived in, shows how different people would react and how the media, politics etc would use the power of these boxes to their advantage, something I can truly believe could happen should this have been a true story - which is pretty terrifying really! Maybe reading this through a pandemic brings the content much more relevant but still, a very interesting read that will definitely get you thinking! Would recommend!

I was keen to read this having read the premise, what would you do if you could find out how long you had to live, would you want to know?
I was instantly hooked, but I still couldn't decide for myself if I'd want to know, Even having seen it from both sides of the people who found out and those who didn't want to and especially seeing what a polarising issue it was between the short and long stringers.
I liked the characters and particularly Ben and Amy's story and I enjoyed how chapters were told by different people and at different points in time, I found it a little slow in parts and I would have liked a bit more information on why the boxes turned up and where they came from.
Overall and enjoyable and interesting read which had me starting from one viewpoint and then changing my mind throughout and broke my heart a few times.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for my eARC in return for my honest review.