The Measure follows the story of several characters in the aftermath of the whole adult world receiving strings in boxes that indicate their lifespan. Some receive reassuring news, others not. Some choose not to open their boxes. I found that not knowing how & why the boxes appeared frustrated me.

One ordinary morning in March the entire world wakes up to a box on their doorstep, inside the box is a string which will tell each person how long their life will be if they choose to open the box.. would you open yours?

The story was told through multiple POVs including a doctor, an architect, a journalist, a teacher, friends, partners and family, some opened their boxes and some chose not to look.

This was such an interesting and thought provoking book, unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I was immediately immersed in the story and eager to see how it would all unfold. Although it could be classed as a dystopian tale, it is very easy to imagine this could happen in real life. Particularly the social consequences of short strings vs long strings and how it changed society for everything from politics to reality tv.

I’ve had many interesting discussions with family and friends while reading this book so this would definitely make an excellent pick for a book club.

My only slight negative was the ending, it felt a little rushed and unsatisfying, so that knocked my rating down slightly.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I started this book without really knowing what it was about. Everyone in the world, over the age of twenty two, receives a small box with their name on and a piece of string. Everyone’s string is a different length, and it is proved that the strings show how long you have left to live.

“The measure of your life lies within.”

The story is set in New York and follows quite a lot of different characters, showing how they cope. Some look at their strings and some don’t. It becomes political and those with short strings are discriminated against, not allowed to have certain jobs or adopt children. The strings affect relationships, people’s mental health, and it is a number of years before people adapt to their existence.

I liked most of the characters and some of them are connected, so in a way they link up and the story feels a bit more cohesive. It took me a little while to remember who was who and how they were linked to other characters.

I found the book easy to read and the chapters weren’t too long. Each chapter is from the point of view of one of the characters.

The book was thought provoking and it made me wonder what I would do if I got one of the boxes.

“Once you know something, you forget what it was like to not know it.”

The cover for the edition I had didn’t fit with the story for me. There’s a box of matchsticks on the cover, one burned down more than the others. Unless it’s meant to be symbolic, it would probably have been better to have had a wooden box or a box with a string inside for the cover.

Overall, the book held my interest and is certainly a different premise for a story.

3.5 stars rounded to 3.

One day in March, everyone across the world wakes up to find a box outside their home. On the outside it explains that this box contains 'the measure of your life' - inside is a string and the string length corresponds to the total length of the box owner's life. A long string - a long life. A short string - a short life.
This was a very well written story - I particularly liked the way that the author used the idea of long and short strings to develop parallels between the imagined future world and our own world and in particular how it used the idea of 'short stringers' as being somehow different, less trustworthy, less stable to explore the issue of prejudices in our current society. I felt that the links between some of the characters were carefully crafted, whilst others were slightly more clunky. Overall though this I really enjoyed this book and am grateful to Netgalley for providing me with an advance review copy.

This style of storytelling, from multiple perspectives, is one of my absolute favourites. On this occasion, it was slightly more than i bargained for as there were so many people, however after a few rounds and working out who was who, i got totally caught up in the storyline and couldn't wait to read more.

A beautifully told story, spanning over many years, that shows us just how important it is to treasure those around you and to make the most of every day.

How would you feel if you knew exactly how long you had to live? Nikki Ehrlich’s electrifying debut novel The Measure catapults the reader into a strange world where every individual above 21 on Earth receives a box containing a string indicating the measure of one’s remaining lifespan. Politicians, scientists, commentators, press, medicals – everyone is caught in a frenzy in trying to understand, analyze and validate. You’ll find those who choose not to open the boxes, those who do and compare, those who run to the hospital, those who attend support groups organised according to the length of the thread. The novel does an amazing job at capturing the mass hysteria and the sensation of living through times of inexplicable phenomena that go beyond our understanding and reminded me of Tim Morton's elusive hyperobjects, which would serve as a good interpretive framework. Told through multiple perspectives, it does not really focus on grasping the phenomenon – way too mysterious and all-encompassing to be grasped -- but it is primarily focused on the interactions and reactions of an interesting, vibrant cast of characters. Deeply engrossing and immersive.

A thought provoking dystopian romantic drama. This book is well written and is a story that will certainly make you wonder what you would do... FYI I would definitely be opening my box, I have no control!
I enjoyed the different view points of how people reacted to their strings and what that would mean for them, it made me realise that in some ways you may be better off having a short string. I think there were probably too many characters without enough really happening for me to truly get into this book but i did like how they were all interwoven and that felt like another piece that was making it feel so realistic.
The politics of it were going to be a make or break and whilst I dont think they could have been left out, there's just no way in this story there wouldn't be politics and politicians playing with people's lives and trying to manipulate how something like this can either bring people together or divide them but it was my least favourite part and my least favourite character, I'm not sure if that is the character or politicians in general though

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

All around the world everyone over 22 gets a box delivered with a string in. This is soon revealed as how long each person has left to live. But for the characters in this book life will never be the same again.

Oh wow this book was good. The idea for this was fantastic - ive not read a book like this before and the idea isn’t too far fetched in my opinion. This book was multi POV from so called short-stringers and those that had long strings. I really struggled to put this book down and I wanted to know exactly what was going to happen. The ending shocked me too - I just wasn’t expecting it at all. The stand out thing for this book was how life can change in an instant and how people change. Such a great read.

I really wanted to like this book, it's a great idea and would probably prompt much discussion at a book group. But there was something about the writing style that put me off, I didn't care for any of the characters so I found it hard to keep track of who was who. I admit, I gave up about halfway through.

How long is a piece of string? It turns out that it is as long as the length of your life. One morning all of the Earth’s population wakes up to discover they have an individual box outside their door. Inside the box is a piece of string that measures the length of their life. What would you do with this knowledge? How would this information change society? Would you even choose to open your box and find out how long you’ve got left to live? Does depth of life matter more than length and can that be measured? These are all questions explored through the lives of a cast of characters within this novel.

I really enjoyed reading this and was gripped to the story from the beginning to the end. Despite there being quite an array of characters I found myself able to sympathise with each one in turn. The book is really well written treading the line between dystopian, philosophical conundrums and yet remaining a light enjoyable book to read perfectly.

This is the authors debut novel and I hope, having read this book, that she will go on to write many more!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely devoured this book and couldn't put it down. It's set in the future when one day everybody over the age of 22 receives a box with a piece of string inside, which is the measure of their life. They are either long or short strings and they both measure how much longer you have to live
I thought this was such a thought provoking idea and made me wonder what I would do faced with the same predicament. The length of a string brought up so many issues in society including discrimination, politics, revenge, hate, love etc
Would you want to know how much longer you had to live and would it change how you approached your life?
It made me think of a quote "In the end, it's not the years in your life that counts. It's the life in your years"

Dystopian novel where at the age of 22 a box with a length of string is found. It’s made of diseases and predicts your life span. Told via a few people it’s a strange and solemn tale. Very good and read in 2 sittings.

“Live each day as if it’s your last”, “You never know how long you’ve got so make each day count”, but what if you could know exactly how long you have left? Would you want to know and what would you do with the knowledge? And how would it affect us if we all knew exactly how long our lives would be?
One day; every single person on the planet aged over 22 finds a box on their doorstep. Inside the box is a string which is the measure of their life. The strings are indestructible and can’t be lengthened or shortened - what you’ve got is your destiny.
The book explores how this knowledge changes society. Short-stringers face discrimination on top of their struggles to accept their shorter life expectancy. Long-stringers take more risks because they know they have many years ahead, forgetting that quality of life is also important.
At the beginning of the book, I found it difficult to read because it brought up a lot of difficult questions. It’s definitely a thought-provoking read that leaves you pondering the meaning of life. It ends on a much more uplifting note. A life well-lived doesn’t need to be a long life. We can fill our days with meaning, however long we have on this planet.

If you could know how long you had left to live, would you want to know? Would you do things differently? Would you be prejudiced against people with shorter lives? Maybe not hire them? Or not date them perhaps?

The Measure asks many of these questions. The eight or so main characters are in different phases of their lives, with different priorities and backgrounds, whose lives are affected by the arrival of strings that indicate how long you have left.

The story was good, with many interesting questions posed, but I felt the writing was too loose and rambling. Nothing a good edit couldn't have cleaned up, but I did find myself heavily skimming towards the end.

Really glad I read this, it's a book that makes you think.

If you received a box with a piece of string inside that is the length of your life would you look.

Would it it them determine how you lived the rest of your life.

Interesting read about a group of people where some open theirs and some don't. Following how it affects themselves mentally, their lives, their relationships, their jobs.

Thank you so much for approving this e-ARC for me - I completely forgot I requested it and when I found it in my shelf, I was so happy!
This is the book that took me out of my two-months long reading slump, so extra points for that!!

I liked everything about it, I liked the characters (all of them! although I hated Anthony, but we were supposed to hate him); I liked the writing and the ending, even though it was a little sad.
I liked that all the different characters were somewhat linked to each other and even when it didn't seem like it, the author managed to put all the pieces together at the end.

Maybe it's me reading too much into it, but in some ways, it reminded me a lot of the pandemic in a metaphorical way: the sudden appearance of the boxes; every government in the world trying to cope in their own way; those with short-strings casted out as the dangerous ones; the craziness that took over once the boxes arrived...

I gave 4 stars rather than 5, only because I didn't think it was particularly full of surprises or events that made you stop to catch for breath. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful story.

If a small wooden box arrives on your doorstep inscribed “the measure of your life lies within “, would you open it? This is the scenario as every adult over the age of 22 is confronted with a small brown box, inside is a length of string denoting your lifeline. The Measure follows 8 individuals as they grapple with this new world, their strings, and decisions about how to live their lives.

This is the book I’ve been waiting for all year. Something that had me laughing, crying, rejoicing, empathising and firmly puts me in the characters shoes.

This is a multi-character driven exploration of human emotion. The characters stories were woven together very well. I thought that their reactions to the ‘new normal’ were conveyed in a very individual and believable way. It does move at a slower pace after around the halfway point as all the storylines unfold and these characters grapple with their new realities.

It makes you think & I guarantee you will appreciate life even more after reading it. A true reminder to live every day as if it’s your last. It is thought provoking, heartfelt and compassionate, with a realistic sense of tension surrounding uncertainty, and a reminder of life’s fragility.

I really liked this book, it was hard to read in places and I didnt always fancy actually reading it because it does get heavy but I think thats because you fall so in love with the characters and the world and it all feels so real.

Ive been trying to decide if I would look at my own string - I think I would.

I really liked this story, I was hooked from the beginning. I liked the short chapters and the different points of view from the main characters which encouraged me to keep reading. I'm on the fence as to whether or not I would open the box, and it was good to explore the various thoughts of characters who had or hadn't opened the box, and those who had short and long strings. A great concept.

Reviewed on Amazon and Twitter.

This book poses the kind of question that I just had to ask of my other reading friends - if a box arrived on your doorstep with a length of string that could tell you how long you would live your life, would you open it? And would your life be well-lived?

What worked so well about this book is how clearly restrictions of the strings were explained - yes, they arrived mysteriously, but they would be the full length of your life. And living might just be surviving - it doesn't guarantee immortality or quality of life. And when your string ends, whatever form that may take, it's just unavoidable.

We follow a set of characters (who turn out to have their own string tying them to each other), who have varying lengths of string - from long life to six months max. We see their individual reactions as they choose or choose not to open their box, and how this impacts their relationships, careers and friendships, as well as their own character traits that are just an innate part of them.

There's something about a set of characters who have a clear, finite and unavoidable date with death that makes it harder to read - you know there's no getting out of it, no matter how 'good' or 'worthy' someone is.

I loved the idea of this novel. Some parts (such as around race and governmental policy) felt a little shoe-horned in and, although they added to the story, they didn't demand particularly big questions from the reader. At times the characters were a little bland, and I'm glad we jumped ahead in their stories at the end to find out what would happen after this first year. And some parts were devastatingly, and not unexpectedly, sad.

But a sign of a good book is needing to talk about it, and I could imagine this being a brilliant book club topic. And it still poses the question - would you open your box, and what would you do then?