Book Review: The Measure by Nikki Erlick

The Measure
by
Nikki Erlick

I’ve been struggling with what to say about this super-hyped-up book that forces its characters to either confront their mortality or ignore it. Set in New York in present day, it begins when a mysterious box appears at the door of every living person in the world and inside the box is a string that shows the length of each person’s life. And every day, those who turn twenty-two receive a box with a string inside. I thought this was a great concept and enjoyed the inevitable problems that resulted, especially at the beginning. Erlick’s characters are mostly young professionals who seemingly have their lives in front of them, but of course, some don’t. How do you plan your life when your partner is a “short-stringer” and you have decades ahead of you? Short-stringers must decide what to do with their lives, but long-stringers must contemplate losing people they love. Some with only a couple years left become angry and violent.

I liked seeing how Erlick’s characters make sense of a world in which everyone knows exactly how long they will live, unless they choose to not look. The strings bring up many interesting ideas about purpose, risk, faith and fate. As the U.S. and governments around the world come up with policies, it’s not long before the strings become political. Is your string length anyone else’s business? Many say yes.

I read this book eagerly because I wanted to know how the characters would deal, but about half-way through, the story becomes heavy with political, social and personal messages. There’s nothing subtle about it, nothing left to contemplate and interpret, it’s just so plain and obvious. I can’t argue with the idea of living your life to its fullest. Carpe diem has been around since 23 BCE (Before the Common Era). And no one wants the government to force you to disclose your string length. And no one wants a president who supports that. I think the author wanted to find a way to express her political opinions and worked the string theory to symbolize these ideas. While some of the author’s characters initially struggle, in the end, they make brave and noble decisions.

So, personal taste, obviously, but I would have preferred more developed characters, much less message and maybe an explanation of the boxes’ origins. Sometimes I think popular authors feel like they have to hammer home a message because they don’t think we’ll get it otherwise. I’m giving it 3.5 stars because I thought it started out well and the idea is interesting.

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