The Measure: The Instant New York Times Bestseller

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do you want a creative book? thought-provoking book? character driven book? emotional book? beautiful book? good book for discussion? epic on audio? LOOK NO FURTHER! This author so mimics our lives and our world that the book touches us in a way that others do not. It enjoins us to practice human emotions like empathy, joy, and happiness and eliminate those who try to place us in states of anxiety and fear. The characters story’s were woven together very well. I thought that their reactions to the ‘new normal’ was conveyed in a very individual and believable way. The societal reactions/discriminations would’ve felt much less plausible if the past several years had not mirrored it so closely.

The Measure by Nikki Erlick | BooknBrunch Review: The Measure by Nikki Erlick | BooknBrunch

That the beginning and the end may have been chosen for us, the string already spun, but the middle had always been left undetermined, to be woven and shaped by us.” Do you think the strings were intended to be used to make such precise measurements? If you received a string, would you rather know exactly what it means or have a vague idea of what it means? Zumas, Leni (2022-06-28). "How Would Your Life Change if You Knew When It Would End?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-07-11. And don’t forget, if you enjoyed The Measure, we can recommend similar reads. Scroll to the end of this guide for 3 suggested read-alikes. One day, a little wooden box arrives for each person on the planet, no matter where they are. Inside is their name and a piece of string. It soon becomes clear that the length of the string stands for the length of their life. How will society cope with such knowledge? Will it ultimately strengthen bonds or break them apart?For some who received a short string, it was a chance to talk about, and contemplate death with their loved ones, a chance to say their goodbyes. Other ‘short stringers’ decided to just end it all, whilst some even chose not to open their box, quite happy to get on with their lives without that knowledge, to be free to be themselves. Knowing you’ll die sooner rather than later tends to make a person live life differently. There are two amazing love stories in this book ( if you include Gertrude’s, it will be three) a big twist at the end made me cry so much! It seems that lately I’ve either been reading books that I absolutely think are wonderful and beautiful and inspiring and all encompassing—

The Measure by Nikki Erlick | Goodreads The Measure by Nikki Erlick | Goodreads

But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small box, holding the answer to the number of years you will live. This book earns all the stars. While The Measure may sound depressing, it is a story that is truly uplifting and hopeful. The premise is original, and you’re bound to be left questioning what you would do with your own box. That being said, I am not sure I’d want to wake up to a box on my doorstep any time soon. Nina agrees to open her box, against her better judgment, because she doesn’t want Maura to have to open her box alone. Later, national hotlines are set up so that people can speak to counselors while they open their boxes, rather than opening them alone. Why do you think it’s so important to have a friend present when you open your box? Would you want to open your box with someone else or alone?There is a bit of everything here there is happiness and sadness, tragedy and sacrifice, it’s poignant and there’s a good message about prejudice and injustice. There are some very likeable characters to pin your hopes on and root for and one you definitely don’t. The ending is emotional but it feels right. I loved the author’s perspective to the boxes’ traumatic reflections to people’s regular lives but I mostly enjoyed the powerful POVs !

The Measure (A Read with Jenna Pick) by Nikki Erlick The Measure (A Read with Jenna Pick) by Nikki Erlick

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? Today, every person around the world over the age of 22 awoke to find a box at their doorstep. Inside each box is a string. The length of that string represents your life span. ( no anxiety here!) You wake-up to begin your day like any other, but today you find a mysterious box outside your door. Inside is either a short string or a long string that measures the remainder of years in your life. Would you open your box?I read a lot and while I enjoy most, in the end many are forgettable. This is not one of those books. It is a creative and thought-provoking debut that will be on my 2022 favorites. It would make an excellent book club selection. How would you react if one day you received a box containing a string that represented the length of your life? Would you open it? Would you leave it unopened? How would you react to its length? How or would your life choices change? Oh, I love novels that make me think… what if?

Book Review: “The Measure” by Nikki Erlick - The New York Times

Where this story really shines is its focus on the characters. Even though this is speculative fiction, once the premise is established, this feels more character-driven than anything else. We have a large ensemble cast, and we slowly get to know them and watch them grow, even as their lives intertwine and touch each other. What would happen if basically everyone in the world at the same is given an opportunity to find out approximately how long their own lifespan will be? It's a bit of a sci-fi premise, but this book is more of a character study novel because it mainly focuses on how this one piece of information impacts several different characters, who intermingle in surprising ways.

a little politics, religion , family, education, longevity, illness, violence, being ultra rich—a little about our comforts of inner peace - our clean house — yummy foods - friends - books - gardens - birds — joy - death - health. I listen to this on audio which was well narrated by Julia Whelan. Very thought provoking and timely, I think that this would be a wonderful book club choice. A solid debut. 4.5 stars. The other issue I have is that by the time you reach the halfway point, it's pretty clear what's going to happen for the rest of the book. You can see how each storyline will play out, who will learn their lessons and who won't, and even how each character's life will end. All the subsequent conversations and thoughts really just spell out in long form what is already obvious, with no more surprises to be had, which does feel a bit disappointing for speculative fiction. Inevitably, some people deal with their new knowledge honorably, while others go off the deep end. Discrimination rears it’s ugly head. Relationships change. How do you manage life’s risks if you know your string status?