“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.”
Book title
The Measure
Author
Nikki Erlick
Date published
28-06-2022
Date started
22-01-2024
Date finished
30-01-2024
Page count
353
Stars
3
Summary
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?
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.
My review
So, I picked this book to listen to next, because I like myself a good glimpse into the future. These strings intregued me and I’m secretly wondering how long my string would be. Who wouldn’t? We follow eight people through their stories and their strings, and eventually the story comes together. I could not identify with all of the characters, but there is one for everyone and that is an element I liked about the book. Their choices, the way of living, the world that adapts to this given fact of the strings. It is world building at its finest. Halfway through I felt like I already knew the ending, but that didn’t save me from a good cry. If you like a book that has someting to tell, please pick up this one.
Quotes
“Once you know something, you forget what it was like to not know it.”
“Sometimes we screw up, and sometimes the system screws with us, but if you live your life with enough passion and boldness, then that’s what you’ll be remembered for. Not the crap that happened along the way.”
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