The Measure by Nikki Erlick

I am forever in awe of an author who can imagine a plot line for a novel especially one that is unique and mind bending. Nikki Erlick did just that in her debut book, The Measure.  The premise, “would you want to know exactly how long you will live” is one that we probably have considered in a hypothetical way over the course of our lives, but one we really do not want to face in reality.  But Erlick forces us to think about the length of our lives and how we respond to the knowledge of the exact time of our death.  In The Measure, fantastically, everyone on earth over the age of 22 opens their door one morning and find a box.   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?  So, the question becomes, “would you want to know”?  Through the eight main characters, we see the results of their decisions to look at their string and the choices they make after looking at Pandora’s box. These characters made decisions based on their own strings. Some made choices because of their reactions to the strings of their families and loved ones.  Some made the choice to live out their “bucket list” desires, some just went on with their life as it had been.  The individual choices were juxtaposed to the reactions of governments and religious leaders. The author cleverly shows us how the collective reacts with mistrust and fear to the unknown. This universal manipulation for political gain or control and the fear and prejudice that ran rampant made the lives of the short stringers unnecessarily complicated and painful. (Think back to the beginning days of AIDS.  We fear and shun what we do not understand).  Erlick found a unique way to open discussion on this sensitive issue of how humans treat those who are different.  If you are in a book club or if you have reading friends who like to discuss books, this is a terrific choice.