Your fate arrives in a box on your doorstep. Do you open it?
It seems like just another morning. You make a cup of tea. Check the news. Open the front door.
On your doorstep is a box.
Inside the box is the exact number of years you have left to live. The same box appears on every doorstep across the world. Do you open yours?
THE MEASURE – IT’S THE DECISION OF A LIFETIME.
Reader review: “The premise of this book really caught my attention. All over the world everyone aged 22 and over receive a box with a string in it. The string denotes the length of time they have left to live. So where would the story go from here? I had no idea! But it turned out to be so much more than I could have expected. I LOVED it!
First, the story takes us through the first year of the lives of eight characters. Do they all open their boxes? Which ones have short strings, and which have long strings? And more importantly, what do they do with that knowledge? For some, the knowledge is a blessing and for others a curse. Then, after the first year, we are fast-forwarded to several years in the future so we can see how the decisions made that first year played out for them.
I loved reading about how the lives of these eight characters interweave and how their lives are changed because of these strings. Their stories are truly unforgettable. I was emotionally invested in these characters; a couple made me angry, some made me feel like crying, and others I rejoiced with. I thought this range of emotions was a realistic reflection of how people would react.
True to human nature, people quickly become labeled as “short stringers” or “long stringers.” These labels become symbolic of so many areas that divide out society: skin color, sexual orientation, immigrant status, etc. “Short stringers” soon encounter harassment and discrimination.
I was surprised at how optimistic I felt after reading the book. People genuinely reflected upon their lives and worked out their priorities. It made me wonder what I would do if I woke up tomorrow and found that little box on my doorstep.
This was brilliant writing for a debut novel or otherwise. Great discussion material for book clubs. I highly recommend it.”
