This is an interesting and thought provoking story about the mysterious delivery of packages to the entire adult human race which, if opened, could tell them the precise timing of their death or the length of their lifespan. The world is immediately divided into those who wish to know and those who don’t, and the impact that knowledge has on individuals and their families. Although the book is about individuals who either open or don’t open the box and the impact it has on their choices, it does raise interesting questions about what this knowledge means to society as a whole and governments with differing ideologies. A great text for book clubs or ethics classes as it will certainly provoke debate.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

An original and intriguing premise: that everyone over the age of 22 receives a mysterious box containing a string, the length of which determines the length of their life. It's pretty thought-provoking- would you look? If you did, would you live your life differently?- and has a lot to say about how society, and America in particular, deals with divisions in society and people who are deemed to be different and therefore threatening to the status quo.

A very enjoyable read and sympathetic, believable characters to invest in; my only (minor) quibble is that the big mystery for me (and I'll leave it vague to avoid spoilers) is never solved, though it is isn't the point of the book and it doesn't detract from a fascinating story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC- it deserves to be a hit!

Wow. What a unique, thrilling, and equally disturbing book
The book begins that each person in the world receives a box with a string in. The string identifies how long that person has to live.
Everyone above 22 and older receives the box. People who are under 22 will receive the box on their 22nd birthday
Some don’t open the box
Some do… and find out their fate

The book raises so many moral questions. Should someone be able to pursue their dreams even though they don’t have a long life. Should someone be declined medical treatment because they have a short string
Should someone be reckless with their life because they have a long string?

Whilst I loved the premises of this book, I make no secret that it messed with my head
After living through a pandemic and the current affairs. Part of me thought. Just how much is this dystopian.
I really did not like the politicians story

Part of me could not believe how good this book was and how much imagination this author had. But the other part of me struggled with the book. Struggled to read as I really don’t think I’d want to know my string

The author writes a unique book

This is a book and a story unlike anything that I've ever read before but in a very good way.
It really has such an interesting concept, one which will have you pondering how you would react if it were to happen to you.
I enjoyed how we were given the perspective of several different characters thanks to its use of short, snappy chapters.
Some parts did maybe feel a little bit long-winded but overall, I definitely liked this unique story and the way that it made me think.
This is the first book that I've read by Nikki Erlick but it certainly won't be the last.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Measure is an exciting and thought provoking debut thriller by Nikki Erlick. A story unlike any I’ve ever read before, I was gripped from the opening page right up until the final page had been turned. Thrilling, shocking and with a fascinating cast of characters, this is contemplative fiction at its very best.

Beginning just like any other morning, the world wakes up to a mysterious box on each and every doorstep. Inside lies the fate of everyone over the age of 22. What do you do? Do you open it and find out how long or short your life is going to be? Or do you keep the box firmly closed and remain in blissful ignorance? As boxes begin to open, the world shifts and changes forever. With people now knowing how long they are going to live, their lives begin to intertwine in unexpected ways.

What follows is an unforgettable story of human resilience, that’s as moving as it is hopeful. The Measure is an intelligent and suspense filled thriller that really does make you think, the story twisting in ways I could never have imagined when I started it. What impact does being a short or long stringer have on your life? Will people start behaving differently towards you when it comes to work, romance or just life in general? These are just some of the questions asked in this cleverly plotted, complex thriller that really does expose both the best and worst of humanity as the story continues.

Told from various points of view, the tension slowly builds as each character’s story begins to unfold. What decision will they make? And how will that decision effect their lives going forward? Nikki Erlick’s writing is excellent as she explores the many issues that come with knowing too much about what the future holds – and how society as a whole reacts to it.

Exciting, fascinating and at times shocking, The Measure is a superb and thought provoking debut thriller that I would highly recommend.

An interesting concept -if you knew the length of your life, would it change how you live? An unusual but very readable exploration of very different reactions to this information, from characters with very different lengths of string.

I feel like 2022 has had some absolute cracking novels. It has been an overly impressive year with the quality and diversity of the books that have been released and to be honest I thought I had already found the books that would be in my top ten by the end of the year but then I read The Measure and I was blown away.

The story seems simple enough. It is almost a retelling of the myth of Pandora mixed with an allegorical tale of everything that has happened since 2020. Erlick has been clever because facing our mortality is a topic that we have all had to deal with since the pandemic so the story at its very basic level is relatable. And then you get to the characters and oh wow how Erlick tells their story is beautiful and touching.

Without going in to too much detail the story centres around knowing when you are going to die. If you had the option to know, to find out that information, would you do it? Or would blissful ignorance be the better option? If you do find out, what do you then do with that information? Does it change the way you live your life?

The way that Nikki Erlick explores this topic is masterful. The twists and turns along the way are breathtaking and heartbreaking in equal measure. There are some books that sit with you and make you think long after turing that final page and I know without a shadow of a doubt that The Measure by Nikki Erlick will be a book that I will keep with my for a very long time.

The Measure by Nikki Erlick is available now

For more information regarding Nicki Erlick (@nickierlick) please visit www.nikkierlick.com.

For more information regarding Harper Collins (@HarperCollinsUK) please visit their Twitter account.

It begins with a really novel concept but that is just the stage to explore some thought- provoking societal topics. The idea is that one day, the world wakes up and anyone over 22 has a box waiting outside their door, holding a piece of string reflecting the exact number of years you have left to live. And the box cannot be destroyed or changed. Its less about where the box came from, and more about societies response to them. Do we want the knowledge? Will we be treated differently with the knowledge? Will we live our lives differently?

It started off quite slow, and I was almost to abort, but that would have been a real shame. The author tackled the implications of such a phenomenon in so many different ways (from art to politics to even the military), showing great thought and consideration and really challenging the reader. The book has deceptive depth, with each phase of the book gathering layers and reflecting on social commentary. I appreciated the intelligence and found it quite thought provoking. Highly recommended.

I love the concept and there is a good grasp of some characters but it feels like everything - everything - is put to fate and the characters crossover and crossover and crossover some more. It felt like a bit much. If the themes around this had been a bit more explored then that might have worked better but otherwise a bit of a missed opportunity I reckon. Still, props for the concept for sure.

The Measure has to be one of the most unusual books I've ever read with an incredibly thought-provoking dilemma at its heart. If there was a way to find out, would you want to know how long you have to live?

Mysterious boxes are delivered across the world to everyone over the age of 22 on one single day and each box contains a string. The length of the string tells you how long you have left to live. Where did the boxes come from? Who sent them? Would you open yours?

Told from the perspectives of eight fascinating characters with a mixture of long and short strings as well as unknown lengths in unopened boxes, this is a book that really tugs at the heartstrings. So much so, that I actually cried at the end. I didn't realise how deeply invested I was in the book and I totally didn't expect to experience such strong emotions.

The Measure is sure to be the book that everyone is talking about this year so do not miss it! I can't stop thinking about it, long after I turned the final, soggy, tear-stained page. Nikki Erlick is an exciting new talent to hit our bookshelves and her stunning, mind-blowing debut novel is very highly recommended.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

It wouldn't be my usual genre of book to read but I did find this an interesting one. It roused my curiosity and got me thinking as to what would happen if the events in this book really did take place!

the concept behind this was strange and terrifying: everyone over the age of 22 receives a box on their doorstep, origins unknown, containing a piece of string that determines how long your life would be. the book follows a number of characters, some with long strings, others short, and how the world changes. it was interesting hearing how different countries dealt with these boxes, using them as ways to control their people. new laws are brought in to limit certain things for short stringers, now they're more reckless. however i feel like there wasn't much investigation put into where the boxes came from and the same scenarios kept getting recycled over and over meaning it could've been a much shorter book and packed a stronger punch. it was good! just not the most exciting

The Measure is an intriguing book.
. In this story everybody gets the chance to see how long they will live. What a great concept for a story. Your fate awaits. Worldwide, people aged 22 and over awake one morning to find a small wooden box on their doorstep. Inside is a string which shows the length of their life. Imagine !! Firstly do you want to have this knowledge or is ignorance bliss?
In this story the author introduces us to various characters who’s lives are drawn together due to what’s inside their respective boxes. It also shows us how this knowledge is like throwing a pebble into a pond and the rippling effect it has one everyone else.
I have to say I found this book interesting but not as good as I thought it would be considering the subject matter.
For me it was a 3⭐️ Book. Many thanks to #NetGalley for my advanced copy.

Can you imagine receiving a box telling how long you have to live? This is the story of “The Measure”; where around the world every human older than 21 years old on Earth one morning receives a box telling how long they will live.
So, the main question will be, do you want to know how long you will live? Years, months, days, hours…
This is a very special book; even if it’s a fiction book it’s impossible to not feel connected with the characters, I really think this book puts the reader in a difficult position. Seeing how you have the difficult decision to make, open the “Pandora Box” or hide it. I am not sure which option is the worst, because even if you don’t open it you know that it’s there, your destiny is closed in a box…
But it’s interesting how the author shows the reader the different situations of the characters; friends, lovers, politicians… all with the same difficult decision to make… and when you know the answer, the most difficult comes, what would you do with the time you have left?
I really loved this book, I also have to say that with the world situation that we are living in it’s not easy; the wars, the Covid, the climate change… Do you really want to know when you’ll die? This is the question you need to ask yourself before starting reading, because once you open the box, there’s no comeback.
Ready to open “The Measure”?

As a child I loved Greek mythology and the concept of The Fates; three old women who are charged with the destinies of all living beings, these destinies were represented by a string. Their names were Clotho (spinner), Lachesis (alloter) and Atropos (inflexible). Clotho spun the thread, Lachesis dispensed it and Atropos cut the thread (determing the person’s moment of death). Now imagine this thread arrives in a box on your doorstep – this is the premise of The Measure. All around the world, people aged 22 and over receive a wooden box with the inscription “the measure of your life lies within”. Inside the box is a length of string which represents their life span. Some people choose to open the box and look at their string, others throw them away unopened or keep them locked up without ever looking.

I love a book that makes me think or opens up a discussion and The Measure definitely does that! I could not stop thinking about this book and what I would do. As a family we all decided we would open the box and live our life to the full regardless of the strings length. I’m not sure how easy that decision would be in real life.

The Measure gives us the perspective of several characters using short chapters. Hank is an ER doctor who has dealt with death his whole career but must now confront his own. Amie and Ben (my favourites) become pen pals where romance blossoms. Nina and Maura (one has a short string) must decide wether to marry and have children. Jack finds purpose to his life when his uncle (a presidential candidate) begins a hate campaign against “short stringers” attempting to change their rights.

The Measure would make a fantastic book club choice, there is so much to discuss! Highly recommended and now tell me – would you open the box…?

Such an intriguing concept - one morning, every adult in the world receives a mysterious box containing a string. Eventually, it becomes apparent that the string shows how long you will live - a long string means a long life, and vice versa. Rapidly, divisions fracture society: those who refuse to look at their strings; those who look but won't tell anyone their length; short-stringers find themselves discriminated against; long-stringers begin to assert more control. It's a fascinating exploration of the ways in which we divide ourselves and set ourselves against those who are different, and it raises so many interesting points.

Sorry but my review is so against the general opinion but I found nothing very interesting about this book. The characters chosen as representatives of the whole world are from too similar a background to provide much depth. I suppose it comes under the genre of sci-fi but I’m not even sure if that’s what it is.

I really wanted to love this book and I did think it was a really clever book but I just couldn’t get into the flow of it.

I think this is the kind of novel which appeals to fans of The Notebook or Tuesdays With Morrie. Unfortunately, I’m not that demographic and I found this hard going: sentimental and overly long despite a compelling premise and mostly likeable characters. It’s actually quite well written; the issue for me was in the fact that I just didn’t feel the tension. Once somebody found out they had ten or 15 years to live, I felt that was pretty good, but apparently it’s occasion for much misery, so maybe I’m just not emotionally available for this type of book!

I loved the concept of this book, and its execution did not disappoint.

Every adult over the age of 22, receives a box. Inside the box is a piece of string. And its length determines your remaining years.

How does the world react to these boxes?

As well as getting an insight into the global reaction, we get deeper insights from the characters who form the backbone of this story. Some have opened their boxes, some haven't.

The overriding message I took from this book is that it isn't length of time, but depth of time that truly counts. Approaching each day with kindness and compassion, and living in truth is how to make the most of every precious day.

Would you open your box?

I love a book that makes you think, and The Measure definitely does that. I loved it.