The Measure: The Instant New York Times Bestseller

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Would you marry a short stringer? Date one? Have children? Do you open your box or would you rather not know? If you open your box do you tell your loved ones?

Nikki Erlick - NYT-Bestselling Author of The Measure

This author so mimics our lives and our world that the book touches us in a way 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.” This story is clearly an allegory, meant to teach a lesson about what happens when humanity finds yet another way to divide itself. And the author is definitely passionate about her views, imbuing meaning into every thought and interaction between the characters. Unfortunately, it does come across heavy-handed and soppy at times, with everything so clearly spelled out for the reader again and again. Of course, we know that not a one of us escapes death, quite a sobering thought indeed, but the when stays hidden, mostly in fear of what's to come. How these eight handle the knowledge of the end, is the gist of the story told with compassion and empathy. There is a plethora of emotions, feeling, and reality, that one can't help being drawn into the story as we too, may not have a box with a string but in reality, we do. A story of love and hope as interweaving characters display: how all moments, big and small, can measure a life. If you want joy, love, romance, and hope—read with us." —Jenna Bush Hager First of all, what a premise! I'm sure I'm not the only one who has ever thought to myself, I wonder how long I'll live. Well, this story takes that idea, expands it into a thought experiment, and just runs with it. And the result is absolutely fascinating, if not wholly unexpected.One of the most life-affirming novels I’ve read in a long while, The Measureis exactly what our world needs right now.” This is an interesting and thought provoking story. For some reason every person twenty two or older gets a box. Inside the box is a string which represents how long a person will live. Would you want to know how long you are going to live? Would you open your box or leave it unopened? 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?

The Measure by Nikki Erlick - TODAY 11 Discussion Questions for The Measure by Nikki Erlick - TODAY

Chaos ensues — Are the strings real? Where did they come from? The unknowns result in a divisive nature across many aspects of life — Will short-stringers be discriminated against in the workplace? In health care? How about in their dating lives? Imagine waking up one day in a world where everyone age 22 and up has received a small wooden box, that inside, holds a string measuring the length of their life. When the boxes arrive, many people believe they are a hoax. Would you have believed in the boxes’ supernatural powers immediately? Why or why not? lastly… did i mention i am DYINGGGGG for this to get adapted?!?!? PLEASE book to movie gods!!!🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 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.You may think this book would be depressing, but despite the loss of some SHORT STRINGERS, it’s actually quite uplifting and hopeful. 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!) Overnight, mysterious boxes arrive on people’s doorsteps across the globe. The boxes, just six inches wide and three inches deep, contain a single piece of string. In this story, the length of your string is a measure of how long you have left to live. In other words, your fate is sealed by this string. I rooted for some of the characters and found others to be despicable. This debut author really drew me in to the story and it is memorable! I found this to be a fascinating concept and I really enjoyed this one. That being said, I’m not sure I’d want to wake up to a box on my doorstop tomorrow!

The Measure by Nikki Erlick | Goodreads

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. First of all, if this sounds too grim for you after all we’ve been through in the last couple of years and the people of Ukraine are going through right now and that’s understandable. However, the book looks at the impact over several years and its ultimate message is actually very positive and hopeful as it forces an examination of your priorities and what is the most important thing to you in spite of the length of your life. In places it is very philosophical and it does make you reflect on yourself and your hopes and dreams. It’s extremely good at looking at the impact on the recipients and we get a whole range of reactions from scepticism to grief, from sadness and impotence to despair and joy. I definitely enjoyed the premise of this book, and I did like the characters enough (well, all except Anthony- our politician). In fact, we have two pen pals in this story who I grew to love, and I loved their story (get the tissues ready 😭). Other than that, I think I was looking for something deeper. Maybe after I meet with my book club and hear other opinions, I can add to this review (and maybe change how I feel). Do you think Amie’s desire to focus on “the little things” is a healthy way to cope with the boxes? How is Amie different from other characters, who cope with the boxes by seeing them as a reminder to make the biggest possible impact with their lives?

The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, a doctor who cannot save himself, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything. How do people react to the knowledge of their status? Elation at seeing a long string vs despair with a short one? What if you are a long stringer but your spouse is a short stringer? This knowledge has the ability to bring out the worst in people, and the best. We meet Nina, who, along with her partner, Maura, decides not to open her box until science can explain the phenomenon. She is soon forced to face reality when the strings’ predictions are proven accurate. The dynamic of their relationship is altered when they both open their boxes. Nina’s little sister Amie, however, decides to live her life as if the boxes were never delivered. 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! Several sets of characters face these very issues, and they handle the news in different ways. It made for a fascinating thing to imagine, what would you do if you knew you really had to make the most of every day? What if spouses had different lengths?

The Measure: The Instant New York Times Bestseller

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. 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. In a narratively ambitious move similar to the arrival of the unexplained boxes in The Measure, Zusak gives his novel, The Book Thief, a unique narrator: Death, himself. If you enjoyed puzzling over the ethics of “fate” while reading The Measure, you’re sure to enjoy the expansion of this theme in The Book Thief.My only minor criticisms are that it got a bit ‘long winded’ in spots and I had a hard time relating to Amy. Her views and the choices she made just didn’t fit together. 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. She added, "I know it sounds like a book about death but really it’s a book about how we choose to live." To celebrate #NationalCookbookMonth, Jacqueline Hodges shares her favourite recipes from her top choice cook books!