The Measure by Nikki Erlick
📏 The Measure by Nikki Erlick – Book Review
“The measure of your life lies within.”
Well, buckle up, because apparently it’s a piece of string. 🎁
⚠️ Spoiler Alert!
This review contains FULL SPOILERS, including the ending. If you haven’t read The Measure and want to go in blind (box pun intended), Grab The Measure on Amazon (affiliate link – supports my late-night blog binges), bookmark this for later! 📚👀
🚨 Trigger Warnings
🪦 Death (on and off page)
😢 Terminal illness
🚗 Sudden fatal car accident
📉 Discrimination / prejudice
🪖 Military violence
💔 Grief & loss
🧠 Existential dread
📦 Premise vs. Execution: A Life Measured in Inches
Let me start by saying: I wanted to love this book. The premise? 💯 Incredible. One day, people over 22 wake up and find a small wooden box on their doorstep. Inside? A string that represents how long they’ll live. No instructions. No explanation. No refunds. 🎁💀
And somehow… no other popular book has tackled this idea?
But unfortunately, while the concept was fresh and fascinating, the execution felt a little limp, like a short string left in the rain. ☔️ The story drags at times, the prose leans sentimental, and there’s no attempt to explain the boxes—like, at all—which left me feeling like the author took the easy way out.
Still, the overall message is sweet: “It’s not about how much time you have. It’s about what you do with it.” You’ve heard it before, but it’s a good reminder. Kinda corny? Yes. But I didn’t hate it. 🌽
🧵 Full Plot Summary (Spoilers Ahead!)
So here’s the full play-by-play of this life-sized thought experiment:
🎁 The Great Box Drop
One morning, the world wakes up and everyone over the age of 22 has a wooden box on their doorstep. People turning 22 from then on get one on their birthday. Each box reads: “The measure of your life lies within.” Inside is a string—its length indicating how long you’ll live.
Some strings are long. Some are short. Some people look. Some don’t.
👫 Nina, Maura, and the Fallout
Nina and Maura are in a happy relationship in NYC until their boxes arrive. Nina’s string is long. Maura’s is short. Cue: heartbreak and existential dread. 😢 Nina encourages Maura to join a support group, where she meets Ben—an architect with a short string and a fresh breakup.
Their group leader tells them to write anonymous letters expressing their feelings. Maura writes one and leaves it behind.
💌 Amie & Ben’s Secret Pen Pal Romance
Amie (Nina’s sister), who works at the school where the group meets, finds the letter and responds anonymously. Thus begins a months-long anonymous pen pal romance between Amie and Ben. 💕✉️
Oh, and Amie refuses to look in her box. Brave or delusional? You decide. 😬
🇺🇸 Politics, Strings, and Switching Identities
Meanwhile, a politician named Anthony Rollins is pushing anti-short-stringer policies via the STAR Initiative—requiring people to reveal their string lengths for jobs, especially in the military.
His nephew, Jack, and Jack’s bestie Javier (fresh out of military academy), get their strings. Javier’s is short. Jack’s is long. They switch strings, so Javier can serve in active duty. Jack takes a desk job and hides the truth.
Anthony exploits Jack’s (fake) short string to look inclusive. Javier gets mad. Jack gives a brave public speech against discrimination. ✊
🎄 Love, Death, and a Surprise Connection
Ben is given keys to Nina and Maura’s place to prep a surprise. While there, he meets Amie in person, not knowing she’s his anonymous pen pal. But eventually—he connects the dots, tells her the truth (including his short string), and she understandably freaks out. 😱
But love prevails. They reconnect at Nina and Maura’s wedding and start a life together.
💔 The Final Act
Javier dies during a rescue mission. Jack outs their string-switching scheme to the press. It becomes the catalyst to undo the STAR Initiative.
Ten years later, Maura dies. Ben and Amie are married with two kids. But then—twist!—Ben is diagnosed with a terminal illness… only to die in a random car accident with Amie before the illness even claims him. 😩
Nina, still alive, opens Amie’s box and discovers: short string. She adopts their kids, and visits a park bench engraved by Amie and a building designed by Ben.
She reflects: Short-stringers are now seen as brave. She hopes to live like one—even though she knows she has more time.
✍️ My Thoughts – Short String Energy
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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✅ Excellent premise
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🚫 Disappointing execution
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😕 Too long for what it delivers
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😴 Could’ve been 100 pages shorter
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🤷♀️ Zero explanation for the boxes?? Come on.
The best thing about this book is its book club potential—there's lots to debate, from the ethics of knowing your life span, to how governments and individuals would react. But the storytelling just didn’t wow me. The characters feel more like vehicles for ideas than fully developed people.
And that ending? Kinda sweet, sure—but also, meh. You could read this book… or just rewatch “Dead Poets Society” or “The Good Place.” 🪦😇
📚 If You Liked The Measure, You Might Also Like:
👉 The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin – Siblings learn the date of their death from a psychic
👉 Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore – Time travel meets life reflection
👉 They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera – Teenagers find out they’ll die that day
👉 The Midnight Library by Matt Haig – Sliding doors, regrets, and alternate lives
👉 The Giver by Lois Lowry – A society that controls life choices
📦 Final Word
I respect what Nikki Erlick tried to do with The Measure. It’s a unique idea with a lot of emotional heft—but it never quite soars. If you love philosophical fiction and don’t mind a little cheese, you might love this more than I did.
Otherwise, maybe just go live your best life without worrying how long your string is. 😉
Let me know in the comments:
💬 Would YOU open your box?
📏 Do you think you'd have a long or short string?
👇 Drop your thoughts below & happy reading! 📚✨
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