Review - 'The Measure' by Nikki Erlick

Stories about glimpsing the future have always sucked me in. And The Measure is no different.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Still, the negatives don't take away from the emotional impact of this story. Even though it tackles a heavy subject, it does so with a never-ending optimism that I found both appealing and heartwarming. Not to mention, I walk away with some food for thought about what I'd do if faced with the choice to know the length of my life. For that, I'll round it up to 4 stars.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.