One morning, all twenty-two-year-olds and over receive a box. Inside the box, there is a piece of string; it is either short or long and it indicates the length of life. This story follows eight people who are mostly based in New York as they decide what they will do and journey through their lives. Would you open your box?

In this extraordinary début novel, Nikki Erlick explores some complex themes around prejudice and discrimination in a tale that is full of warmth. Fascinating and providing abundant food for thought I spent a considerable amount of time dithering over whether or not I would open my own box, eventually concluding that I most likely would. An extremely enjoyable, unusual read told from several points of view, there are some very likeable characters you might root for and one you definitely won’t. The ending is an emotional one.

A special thank you to The Borough Press, Nikki Erlick, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read. This review is my unbiased opinion.

What an extraordinary debut novel this is, I couldn’t put it down. One morning everyone in the world aged 22 and over wakes to find a box outside their home inscribed with their name and the wording ‘the measure of your life lies within’. Each box contains a length of string which represents how long they will live. We follow 8 characters throughout this story as they contend with the decision as to whether to open their box or not.

Although this book focuses on the personal choices of the main characters and their struggle as to whether to open the box or live without the knowledge, the writer intelligently weaves in the impact the boxes have on society as a whole. She cleverly creates a new way of categorising people which inevitably leads to discrimination and prejudice with ‘long- stringers’ distancing themselves and discriminating against ‘short-stringers’ in many aspects of their daily lives.

There were those who supported people with shorter strings and sacrificed their life to save others. Some used their longer strings to their advantage but were reckless knowing they had a long life, such as politicians playing on the fears of anxious people. Others had to make decisions on marriage and children. Some relationships became fractured where others were strengthened. Society is divided and the young wait for their boxes to arrive.

Although this is dystopian fiction it’s not hard to imagine how this book relates to the world we live in today. Ultimately though this is a book about hope and love and how we all find our way despite our circumstances. I found it an uplifting read, the writing is beautifully crafted and is a wonderful reminder that it’s not the length but the depth of our lives that matters in the end.

I was really excited to get to this book, not only was the synopsis super up my street - but the reviews have been great!

However, I'm so disappointed - I had such high hopes and I just really struggled with this book. I just couldn't get into it. It just felt so slow and I couldn't connect to the characters.
Really did not like this!
Not for me!

On a completely normal morning, a box appears on the doorstep of every adult over the age of 22 in the world. Confused, bemused, scared, curious... the owners of the boxes firstly have to decide whether to open them, and then are then faced with the sobering realisation that the boxes contain the 'measure of their lives' - literally a piece of string which measures how long they will live.

The story then follows Nina, Ben, Maura, Amie, Jack, Javier, Anthony and Hank as they all navigate this new era where people are divided into two camps - long strings or short strings - and have to deal with the consequences of living their lives knowing exactly how long they have to do so.

When I read the synopsis for The Measure I thought it sounded like an interesting idea, quite quirky with a dystopian vibe but I was completely unprepared for the emotional rollercoaster that developed throughout the story as I began to get to know, hate and/or love the eight main characters. Splitting the chapters between these eight characters was the real brilliance of the novel, with each character being so different in their circumstances and also they way they dealt with their individual situations, there is someone here for everyone to relate to.

I don't think I've ever read a book before that conjured up so many questions or made me think about so many different things. If you knew how long you had to live would it change the way you led the time you had left? Would you be able to start a relationship with someone knowing that your time together would be limited? How much of a part does fate play in our lives? If everyone knew when they were going to die would it change the way we do everything - distribute jobs, elect politicians, introduce laws - and if so, why? What difference would it make, we wake up every morning not knowing what will happen, so would it be better to be prepared? I could go on...

The Measure is a fascinating and profound story which is relevant to absolutely everybody, exploring life and death, and how the world would change if we all knew how long our lives would be. It was unexpected and heartfelt. It was also very different to the types of books I normally read, so I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed this story, it was totally original and I loved the way the eight characters lives were all interconnected. I still don't know if I would open the box. That question is going to stay with me for a long time.

Not just a novel, but a novel approach to seeing into our future. It takes a while to settle into this book, as initially it feels far fetched and unrealistic, but what if we could know how long we were to live? This book has a diverse cast of players. How they deal with their life depends very much on whether their life expectancy is long or short. The concept that everyone over 22 years receives a little wooden chest inside which is their personal string. Whether to reveal it’s length and therefore their remaining years, is a tough decision. Easy reading, interesting characters, a touch of humour, a smattering of romance and not forgetting a bit of politics!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Harper Collins for this advance copy.

This was so not what I was expecting - in the best way possible! Okay, so the premise is pretty high concept: intriguing and well thought out. But it’s this book’s heart that utterly floored me. So much more than a clever idea, the way so many seemingly disparate character threads are woven together, how family, friends and strangers are stitched into a tale that broke my heart and mended it at the same time, made this a book I’ll be thinking about for a long time. Never mawkish or overly sentimental, just a perfect story set in an imperfect world , like our own, that gets straight to the heart of what being human, and humane, is all about.

The Measure is a colourful epic. A sharp, smart outlook on the depravity of society. A propulsive plot with hidden undercurrents. An author that has her pulse on the future of dystopia fiction.

The Measure is going to make you cry! It came out of the left-field for me. One minute I’m reading and the next I’m imagining their positions. My husband, my children, me…what would I do if I was faced with the same fate? Life would of course change, but I would change everything too – my lifestyle, my way of thinking, I’d want to take advantage of every day, every moment, the little stuff would feel like a shooting star…committing its stardust to memory, a piece of history.

Told through multiple perspectives we get to see how other people come to terms with the mystery box that arrives on everyone’s doorstep above the age of twenty-one. Inside contains a piece of string, everyone having differing lengths depending on how much life they have left to live. Each character is different. They are a partner, a daughter, a son, a brother, a sister, a colleague, a mother, a father, the list goes on. They are defined by many things, but will they come to be defined by the length of their string alongside the feats they have achieved.

As more information is released about the contents of the box, it becomes apparent that people are struggling with the magnitude of what it means. It means the end of life for some, destroyed marriages, and relationships. Is it all the better to not know how long we have left? I really do think ignorance is bliss.

I enjoyed the road this story took me on. So many forks in the road, take the wrong one and I would be left floundering for recognition. Is it supernatural or some higher power at work? I thought it was brilliant how Nikki Erlick examined the deep-seated religious beliefs in human nature and sprung doubt and FEAR in the most religious of beings.

The Measure makes you think about How and Why. Will this narrative allow everyone to come back to a point when we didn’t know what was to come? How could it be reconciled? Many of the voices didn’t know each other, they had much in common… nothing but pieces of string, and yet I knew it all had meaning.

My assumption of what The Measure was really all about was wrong. This is not a story to be taken at face value. The author directs you one way but distracts you with a large Boom, and another road appears from nowhere. The story takes a dark turn, a dark pool that drags you below the surface.

This is a story that is unforgettable.

A box lands on your doorstep that when opened, the length of a string would tell you how long your life is going to be. Would you open it?

The Measure is told from multiple viewpoints of a loosely connected group of people with different 'string lengths' and the paths their lives take after seeing how long their life is going to be (or in some cases, not looking at their box).

Erlick executes the multiple viewpoints was remarkably well - each character is so well-drawn and had their own unique voice. The book draws some very real parallels as to how power systems can affect marginalised people (in this case, 'short stringers') – very relevant given events in the world today.

It does gloss over how the strings did 'magically' arrive on people's doorsteps, but given the overall power of the storytelling, it didn't detract from the story at all for me.

I loved reading this and I'm still thinking about it days later.

Oh, and I'd definitely open my box.

If a box arrived on the doorstep that contained a string which foretold the length of your life, would you open it? What would be the consequences if you did?

The Measure is a unique and intriguing premise and is a strong debut novel for accomplished writer Nikki Erlick. Each chapter changes perspective through a group of loosely related people as they try to navigate love, loss and moral dilemmas that the strings have brought onto the world. It’s one of those books that brings up a lot of truly puzzling questions and allows you to ponder what you would do or feel in a similar situation. Some of the ideas explored, such as short-stringers being classed as secondary citizens, political mandates being introduced to make them unable to partake in certain jobs or the splitting of society as short-stringers are shunned or fight back seemed (sadly) realistic in today’s world.

Not much is explored about the strings themselves, we have no idea where they came from or why and this isn’t focused on throughout the narrative. It’s much more a domestic thriller with a sci-fi or dystopian setting. You really get into the minds of the main characters; from Nina and Maura: a couple with very different string lengths, Amie who doesn’t want to look at hers, Ben who had his fate told to him by a leaving lover or Jack and Javid who swap strings to escape the futures they feel unsuited for. It’s a story of loss but also a story of hope and although the ending reduced me to tears, it really brings home the importance of using the time we have left to spend with those we love.

Overall, The Measure is a heart-breaking but uplifting read and I highly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley & Harper Collins UK – Harper Fiction and The Borough Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

I have seen this book mentioned so many times over the last couple of weeks on must read summer lists.
You wake up one morning as normal, go about your morning routine, open your front door and there lies a box. Inside the box is a string, the measure of your life. Once you open the box, you know exactly how long you have left to live. Would you open it? Would you want to know? 
One normal morning, every adult aged 22 and over all across the world, wakes up to a box waiting for them. As a result, the whole world changes. Some people choose to learn their fate, others decide to leave their box unopened. The fallout from the boxes cause division, strife , opportunity and heartbreak.   
The Measure is told from multiple viewpoints from several quite well drawn characters whose lives interlink as they live their lives, some with the knowledge of when  but not how their lives will end.
I thought this was a really good idea for a book. The idea of  knowing the measure or length of our lives , whilst outlandish, is undoubtedly interesting and I really liked the first third of this book but being completely honest, the rest of the book felt like a bit of a missed opportunity, this could have been great but instead it was only ok. It is well written with believable characters but I don't know I just felt it could have been so much more. Thought provoking and engaging in parts and it is well paced but it swerved too far into the over the top emotion for me and lost its potential to be a really good read.
Nonetheless, I am glad I read it. An easy enough read and a well written one but overall I was left with the feeling that it could have been great rather than good.
I'd open the box but then again, I open presents before my birthday. I wouldn't be able to resist. 


3-3.5

We decided to read this as a sort of mini adult only book club read (usually the children only read together in our family ) and we almost didn't finish it. It caused some very heated discussions . Even laid back grumpy grandad read this and had some very strident opinions. We all agreed that it was a brilliant premise for a book and so well executed. Many discussion still ensue, considering buying a ball of string and some postal boxes.

Such an original concept and a stunning debut novel. It left one thinking constantly of what one would do if this actually happened. Great characters and their stories kept this story moving at pace and stopped it being one dimensional

Unique, clever and unputdownable
I can’t quite believe that this is the author’s debut book. In addition to its brilliant uniqueness it’s beautifully written. Such an unusual premise. One day all around the world everyone 22 and over wake up to find a box on their doorstep which contains a piece of string and never before has the line ‘how long is a piece of string’ had more meaning. Through the concept that the measure of your string is the years you have left, an excellent tale is weaved showcasing just every human emotion
A definite contender for the “if you read just one book this year” spot

This fascinating read is different to anything else I have read recently, and I cannot praise this debut enough.

Completely captivating and riveting, this is a flawless story that will be a momentous success. The concept of knowing how long you have in this world is a controversial one, but this author’s smooth and gripping writing style makes this a book I struggled to put down.

Full of emotional and realistic characters, this centres around the relationships we have in life with others. This is thought-provoking and will make a terrific book club read as there are various subjects to dissect and discuss.

It is hard to review this, without adding spoilers, but this is a must-read for 2022. This is one of the easiest five-star reads of this year after completely blowing me away! I guarantee to be looking out for future work by this author. ‘The Measure’ is highly recommended to all!

Live life as If you have a short string…. Would you want to know how long you are going to live? All across the world people are being given individualised boxes with a string in them. The length of the string indicates the length of your life. What would you do? Thought provoking and timely

The Measure is an impressive debut novel with a unique concept that is both beautifully written and genuinely thought-provoking. I had heard great things about the book, and was certainly curious, but must confess I approached it with a little trepidation, as dystopian fiction is not really my thing. I needn’t have worried – it is so much more, an emotional read that blew me away and is one of those books that I am still thinking about long after I finished reading.

One day a box arrives for everyone aged 22 and over on their doorstep with the inscription “The measure of your life lies within”. If they choose to open it, inside they will find a piece of string, and the length of that string correlates with the length of their life. Would you open it? How would you react to the knowledge?

The book follows eight people as they deal with that dilemma, and we see how it impacts each of their lives and those of their loved ones. An eclectic group whose lives interwine, Erlick’s skill lies in bringing them all to life as they navigate their way through this challenging new world, ensuring the reader is fully emotionally invested in each of them. It also looks more broadly at the societal impacts of how we treat those who are different as “short stringers” become pitted against “long stringers” and the short stringers face endless challenges in their daily lives. It is a book full of heartbreak and of hope in equal measure and a reminder never to take life for granted, and one I found a truly compelling read.

I'd been excited to read this book for so long. The premise is right up my street - the almost sci-fi element and multiple perspectives gave me 'The One' vibes which is a book I loved.

Unfortunately I decided the book wasn't for me at the halfway mark. The beginning of the book was brilliant and I was so excited to learn more about the mysterious strings and impact on the world. But once the scene had been set and it became clear no one was going to really question where the boxes came from, it lost that sparkle for me. There were too many characters and none that I cared for. It became too sugary-sweet and I found I was struggling to pick the book back up. It wasn't quite how I'd perceived the book to be - more reflective/self-development than sci-fi/dystopian - but really appreciate being sent an ARC to try it out.

What would you do if you received a box with a string inside, the length of the string determining how long you would live. So obviously the longer the string the better, would you open the box ? The Measure is what this book us about and I thought this was such a good and thought provoking read.

I loved the concept of this book and was really excited to read it. I found the first third of the book really interesting but then I felt it dipped from there on. It wasn't what I was expecting and didn't really work for me.

This book is like a bundle of all the things I love - love in all forms, friendships and found family - along with matters of seriousness like othering, prejudices, ignorance, h@te cr1mes and political agendas that take advantage of severe situations.

It is a story that symbolises a lot of things we see around ourselves. It hurt my heart to read how humans divided themselves into 'short-stringers' and 'long-stringers' and the injustice the short-stringers had to face. At the same time, reading the story of 8 people whose lives subtly intercross, the story of how the short-stringers decided to fight to curb the injustice they face, made me feel hopeful. The book encourages me not to lose hope even in dire times and fight for what is right, even if it is difficult.

If I had the physical copy of this one, I simply KNOW that I would be hugging it. Five gleaming stars for this one⭐