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kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Title: The Measure
Author: Nikki Erlick
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: June 28 , 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Intriguing • Original • Uplifting
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.
It seems like any other day. You wake up, pour a cup of coffee, and head out.
But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. This box holds your fate inside: the answer to 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?
💭 T H O U G H T S
Of course, I'd seen The Measure on so many 2022 favourites lists, yet it wasn't until it was recommended to me as part of my 12 recommendations from 12 friends project for 2023 that I really paid attention to this debut. And in short, from the very first pages I knew I was going to love this book!
I loved all of the characters (except maybe one...) and each of their distinct, yet interconnected lives. While the cast is vast, Erlick does a fantastic job at giving each character a distinct arc, so the reader is able to keep the plotlines straight. Getting to explore different reactions to the strings through a variety of POVs was an absolute gift. There's an underlying political aspect (that I know many won't love) weaved into the story, and I thought it was interesting to see the perspective of how people in power would handle such huge life questions.
This novel gave me way more than just entertainment. It dives deep into the meaning of life and what makes a good life. It explores priorities, the value of connection, and the importance of both the big and the small moments, while also contemplating hope and destiny. It is just so wholly human. Additionally, there were so many parallels to things that have happened or are ongoing (war, COVID, etc.) that it sparked even more deep thought and reflection on my part. This book is the reason I love reading.
I cannot finish my review without mentioning the anonymous letters been Ben and Amie. It was one of my favourite aspects of the book, an absolutely beautiful portrayal of interconnectedness and the power of strangers. Their communication and support of one another made me believe in the kindness and good of people. When there is so much doom and gloom, getting an uplifting (even if fictionalized) account of kindness brought tears to my eyes.
An ambitious debut, I simply could not put this book down! While it tackles themes of death and immortality, it does so in a very human and hopeful matter. I went back and forth between whether I'd want to open my box or not, and came away still unsure. As someone who has bared witness to the death of my person (himself a 'short stringer'), I honestly cannot say whether I'd have wanted to know or not. I don't think anything could ever prepare someone who such a loss. What I do know for sure is that no matter what I'd still feel the same - love would always be a constant. The Measure has found its way onto my favourites list and I will come back to it as a comfort read in the future. I cannot wait to see what Nikki Erlick writes next and I know I'll definitely be pre-ordering it.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• everyone!
• fans of The One and/or The Midnight Library
• bookclubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"The poster was covered with wrinkled photos of famous figures, all of whom has passed prematurely: Selena Quintanilla, Kobe Bryant, Princess Diana, Chadwick Boseman. A meaningful life, at any length was written across the top in cursive lettering."
"But you asked if everyone deserves happiness. I certainly think so. And I don't think having a short string should make that impossible. If I've learned anything from all the stories I've read - of love and friendship, adventure and bravery - it's that living long is not the same as living well."
"'It's easy to look at our time together and think that we were so unlucky. But isn't it better to spend ten years really loving someone, rather than forty years growing bored or weary or bitter? When we think of the greatest love stories ever written, we aren't judging them by their length. Many of them were briefer than my marriage with Maura. But our story - mind and Maura's - it felt deep, and it felt whole, despite its length. It was an entire, wonderful tale in and of itself, and even though I've been given more chapters than Maura, her pages were the ones you couldn't put down. The ones that I'll keep rereading, over and over, for the rest of my life. Our decade together, our story, was a gift.'"
"Dear B,
No matter what happens, I still feel the same.
-A"
Author: Nikki Erlick
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: June 28 , 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Intriguing • Original • Uplifting
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.
It seems like any other day. You wake up, pour a cup of coffee, and head out.
But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. This box holds your fate inside: the answer to 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?
💭 T H O U G H T S
Of course, I'd seen The Measure on so many 2022 favourites lists, yet it wasn't until it was recommended to me as part of my 12 recommendations from 12 friends project for 2023 that I really paid attention to this debut. And in short, from the very first pages I knew I was going to love this book!
I loved all of the characters (except maybe one...) and each of their distinct, yet interconnected lives. While the cast is vast, Erlick does a fantastic job at giving each character a distinct arc, so the reader is able to keep the plotlines straight. Getting to explore different reactions to the strings through a variety of POVs was an absolute gift. There's an underlying political aspect (that I know many won't love) weaved into the story, and I thought it was interesting to see the perspective of how people in power would handle such huge life questions.
This novel gave me way more than just entertainment. It dives deep into the meaning of life and what makes a good life. It explores priorities, the value of connection, and the importance of both the big and the small moments, while also contemplating hope and destiny. It is just so wholly human. Additionally, there were so many parallels to things that have happened or are ongoing (war, COVID, etc.) that it sparked even more deep thought and reflection on my part. This book is the reason I love reading.
I cannot finish my review without mentioning the anonymous letters been Ben and Amie. It was one of my favourite aspects of the book, an absolutely beautiful portrayal of interconnectedness and the power of strangers. Their communication and support of one another made me believe in the kindness and good of people. When there is so much doom and gloom, getting an uplifting (even if fictionalized) account of kindness brought tears to my eyes.
An ambitious debut, I simply could not put this book down! While it tackles themes of death and immortality, it does so in a very human and hopeful matter. I went back and forth between whether I'd want to open my box or not, and came away still unsure. As someone who has bared witness to the death of my person (himself a 'short stringer'), I honestly cannot say whether I'd have wanted to know or not. I don't think anything could ever prepare someone who such a loss. What I do know for sure is that no matter what I'd still feel the same - love would always be a constant. The Measure has found its way onto my favourites list and I will come back to it as a comfort read in the future. I cannot wait to see what Nikki Erlick writes next and I know I'll definitely be pre-ordering it.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• everyone!
• fans of The One and/or The Midnight Library
• bookclubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"The poster was covered with wrinkled photos of famous figures, all of whom has passed prematurely: Selena Quintanilla, Kobe Bryant, Princess Diana, Chadwick Boseman. A meaningful life, at any length was written across the top in cursive lettering."
"But you asked if everyone deserves happiness. I certainly think so. And I don't think having a short string should make that impossible. If I've learned anything from all the stories I've read - of love and friendship, adventure and bravery - it's that living long is not the same as living well."
"'It's easy to look at our time together and think that we were so unlucky. But isn't it better to spend ten years really loving someone, rather than forty years growing bored or weary or bitter? When we think of the greatest love stories ever written, we aren't judging them by their length. Many of them were briefer than my marriage with Maura. But our story - mind and Maura's - it felt deep, and it felt whole, despite its length. It was an entire, wonderful tale in and of itself, and even though I've been given more chapters than Maura, her pages were the ones you couldn't put down. The ones that I'll keep rereading, over and over, for the rest of my life. Our decade together, our story, was a gift.'"
"Dear B,
No matter what happens, I still feel the same.
-A"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Hate crime, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, War, Religious bigotry, Medical content, Death of parent, Cancer, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Bullying, and Terminal illness
Minor: Ableism, Pregnancy, Outing, Classism, Cursing, Drug use, and Car accident
death of partnerptoridactyl30's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Car accident, Classism, Grief, Terminal illness, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicide, Murder, and Lesbophobia
eeefann125's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Pregnancy, Mass/school shootings, Grief, Terminal illness, Death, and Mental illness
scrubsandbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was an incredibly thought-provoking story. A concept like this, where everyone in the world has the ability to figure out how long they will live through a tangible material object, can only be told best in multiple perspectives, and there was a wide variety in the character personalities themselves. Some were long-stringers, some short-stringers, some who refused to look, some who took advantage of their string to get to the top, etc. I loved how the storylines of some of the characters intermingled yet remained predominantly separate. My favorite thing about this book was the deep dive into the dark consequences and impact this event would have on society particularly about the corruption and bigotry. A dark thing to like, yes, but it really made you think!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Gun violence
Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Terminal illness, Car accident, and War
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
maggiekate's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Death, Grief, and Gun violence
Moderate: Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Cursing
Minor: Death of parent, Terminal illness, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
whimsykat's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Gun violence, and Grief
Moderate: Murder, Suicide, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
Minor: Death of parent, Car accident, and War
katrinarose's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, it was heavy on character development and I think it was done really well. All the main characters felt real and I cared about them all. It was heavy on political messaging and while the author and I clearly have the same political affiliation, I felt like at times she wasn’t giving the reader enough credit to read between the lines, and it was a bit overdone. I think the moral messages would be completely lost on someone who didn’t share political ideologies for this reason. However, the premise really makes you think about the far reaching effects of these strings would have in our society and I enjoyed how the author’s incorporated her speculations about this. It’s something I think I’ll be thinking about for a long time.
One thing that I felt like was never addressed which seemed obvious to me is determinism vs free will. The strings seem to mean determinism is the way the world works, yet no one in the book seems to think this, or has any sort of existential crisis about it. Everyone just seems to come to the conclusion that they still have free will even though they can’t stop their death (or life). I think this topic should have been explored more, or at least discussed.
Overall, a fascinating premise (just don’t expect a sci fi novel) which delivers on character development and societal commentary.
One thing that I felt like was never addressed which seemed obvious to me is determinism vs free will. The strings seem to mean determinism is the way the world works, yet no one in the book seems to think this, or has any sort of existential crisis about it. Everyone just seems to come to the conclusion that they still have free will even though they can’t stop their death (or life). I think this topic should have been explored more, or at least discussed.
Overall, a fascinating premise (just don’t expect a sci fi novel) which delivers on character development and societal commentary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, and Death
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Car accident, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Murder, Terminal illness, Violence, and War
ofpagesandparagraphs's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Violence, Grief, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Murder, Religious bigotry, War, Mass/school shootings, and Death
Minor: Drug use, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Drug abuse, and Terminal illness
Mentions HPkibbles15's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Animal death
Minor: Medical trauma, Cursing, Terminal illness, Outing, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Hate crime, Pregnancy, and Bullying