Author: Nikki Erlick
Published: 2022
Target Audience: Adults (appropriate ages 15+)
The measure of your life lies within.
One morning, everyone in the world wakes up to discover a box on their doorstep. On the box is inscribed their name, and inside the box is a string that tells exactly how long that person has left to live.
Immediately, the world is thrown into disarray. Governments scramble for explanations, the media explodes with theories, religious groups claim higher powers at work, and online discourse proposes hackers, aliens, terrorists, or even a global prank. However, no matter whether they open their box or hide it away, the message of the strings is soon proven true, and every person must figure out how to move forward in this new world.
'The Measure' follows the intersecting lives of eight characters, and the unexpected ways the strings change them; a couple who thought they would grow old together, a doctor who cannot save himself, two friends bound by a clandestine choice, a stranger's letter, a school teacher's reply, and a politician whose ambition becomes the powder keg that ignites everything.
Published in 2022, 'The Measure' is a speculative fiction novel by American author and travel writer Nikki Erlick. It is an emotive, thought-provoking story that asks, would you want to know how much time you have left? And what would you do with this knowledge?
Excerpt:
One at a time, like dominoes, each lab in each country confirmed it.
The long-stringers would live longer, and the short-stringers would die soon.
While the politicians were urging constituents to remain calm and maintain normalcy, the international research community was the first to confront the new reality. And no matter how many NDAs were signed, something this monumental could not be contained. After a month, the truth began to leak through the cracks in the laboratory walls, creating small puddles of knowledge that eventfully grew into pools.
After a month, people started to believe.
The strength of this novel lies in its focus on ordinary people and the impacts the strings have upon their regular lives. The story delves into the social, political, and cultural ramifications of the boxes' arrival - both in the USA and in the international sphere - but does so through the everyday connections between friends, family, lovers, and strangers. In this way, 'The Measure' succeeds in creating a grounded, realistic exploration of the different ways people react when faced with their own mortality, and the mortality of others. Nina and Maura's relationship is strained as they struggle to reconcile their differing life expectancies, short-stringer Ben joins a support group, Aime does not want to open her box, doctor Hank finds new ways to help people, and more. Through a variety of interweaving, contrasting perspectives, Erlick crafts a story that is both personal and universal, and heartbreakingly relatable.
The only factor that may adversely affect reader engagement is the straightforward manner in which the premise unfolds. There are the expected break ups and despair, social division, discrimination, and a politician trying to skew the situation to his favour, as well as showcasing the enduring resilience of the human spirit through community solidarity and small acts of compassion. These moments are well-written and will resonate with readers, but may also be argued to be a very safe and predictable way to develop the book's plots. In amongst many other stories which explore society and the individual's response when confronted with their own mortality, 'The Measure' does not have much novelty other than the box-and-string aesthetic of the inciting incident.
Overall, 'The Measure' is an enjoyable, moving read that encourages readers to embrace living life to the fullest, even in the face of whatever unknown time is left.