The Measure by Nikki Erlick

352 pages

Science Fiction

5/5*

Available: Book, CD Book, Libby eBook, Libby eAudiobook, Hoopla eAudiobook, Hoopla eBook, Playaway, Large Print

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.

Rent’s “Seasons of Love” famously asks us how we measure a year. Is it just 525,600 minutes? Or is it more than that; is it the small moments of our lives, is it the journey we are undertaking, or the love that brings us together?

When everyone in the world is suddenly faced with the knowledge of how long they will live, there are more questions than answers. How the boxes got there is really the least of anyone’s concerns when faced with sudden mortality. Should one open one’s box? How do we treat each other knowing that our time together is going to be shorter than we had planned? It’s wonderful to read a novel that explores these (and other) questions about what life means and who we share it with.

We classify this book as Science Fiction, but if that isn’t usually your genre, don’t shy away. This book is more than its genre and is perfect for anyone looking for a book of love and loss.

(The Kokomo-Howard County Public Library has announced “The Measure” by Nikki Erlick as the 2023 Howard County Reads book.

The Howard County Reads program was founded in 2004 to foster a sense of community through page-turning togetherness. It is an annual community-wide reading program sponsored by the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library and the Indiana University Kokomo Library. Each year, library staff members and community members collaborate to choose a title.

“The Measure,” released in 2022 as Erlick’s debut novel, instantly soared to the top of the New York Times Bestseller list and has received widespread acclaim. In the novel, everyone on earth who is 22 or older mysteriously receives a small wooden box with a length of string that depicts exactly how long they have left to live.

Erlick will visit Kokomo from 7 to 8 p.m. Oct. 12 at IUK’s Kresge Hall. Copies of “The Measure” will be available for purchase during the event, and Erlick will sign copies at the end.

Tickets to this event are free but required. Tickets will be available starting Sept. 11 at any KHCPL location and the IUK library.)

Justin