The Measure: A Novel – The Instant New York Times Bestseller About Hope, Destiny, and Living Life to the Fullest

By Nikki Erlick

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick! "A story of love and hope as interweaving characters display: how all moments, big and small, can measure a life. If you want joy, love, romance, and hope—read with us." —Jenna Bush Hager A luminous, spirit-lifting blockbuster of speculative fiction that asks: would you choose to find out the length of your life? Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice. It seems like any other day. You wake up, drink a cup of coffee, and head out. But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. The contents of this mysterious box tells you 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? This compelling book club fiction explores that very question. 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. Enchanting and deeply uplifting, The Measure is an ambitious, invigorating story about family, friendship, hope, and destiny that encourages us to live life to the fullest.

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Published May 28, 2024

368 pages

Average rating: 7.4

5,065 RATINGS

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Join a book club that is reading The Measure: A Novel – The Instant New York Times Bestseller About Hope, Destiny, and Living Life to the Fullest!

Pasadena Mamas Book Club

Welcome to the Pasadena Moms Book Club!


This is a monthly meetup for Pasadena moms to get together a talk about books while socializing and meeting new people. 


Meetups: Hosting, snacks and drinks will be decided on a monthly basis! If you want to host a particular month, let us know, or we can include it in a poll as well!


Discussion: We can use discussion guides provided in the app, or people can bring questions. If you'd like to lead the discussion for a particular book, let me know. I will do my best to find questions to bring for the group!


Choosing Books: Add a book (let's try to keep it limited to 1 per person😁) you want to read to the "Books We Want to Read" list. We'll vote on submissions each month in polls! 

The Croissant Chapter

Welcome to The Croissant Chapter — a cozy gathering space for lovers of books, coffee, pastries, and meaningful conversation.

The Evergreen Mind Book Club

Every Thursday we listen to great books together via Zoom, one chapter at a time. JUST HOP ON ZOOM. AND LISTEN ALONG. WHILE COOKING, COMMUTING, ETC.

Read between the Wines

A cozy women’s book club centered on great reads, meaningful conversation, and thoughtfully paired wine and food—because books are better when shared

Community Reviews

Adventurer
7/10 stars
“I arise in the morning torn between a desire to save the world and a desire to savor the world. That makes it hard to plan the day.” P. 314, E.B. White
qbyrnes
Suspend reality just a little what if everyone was given a string that determined how long your life will be? How will you measure your life
nessanarie
6/10 stars
I just found it incredibly depressing.
GCY
8/10 stars
Moderator: Shanna
thenextgoodbook
8/10 stars
thenextgoodbook.com

What’s it about?

Imagine one day the world wakes up and EVERYONE over 22-years-old finds a small wooden box with a string inside. The strings foretell the length of your life. Would you want to know? What repercussions would this knowledge bring?

What did it make me think about?

What makes the measure of a life?

Should I read it?

I read this for book club and I am so mad I am going to miss the discussion! This book was created to provoke thought. I am sure book clubs across the country are going to gobble this one up. Did I like this book- yes. Did I love this book- no. The stories seemed too contrived to make a great novel, and maybe this fact kept me from initially connecting with the characters. Some storylines were more compelling for me than others- but obviously all the stories were coming together to make a point. So the obvious question that will be asked at bookclub this week- would you open your box?

Quote-

“Last night, I looked at my own box for the first time in months. I didn’t open it, but I reread the inscription. The measure of your life lies within.

Sure, it’s pointing to the string inside, but maybe that’s not the only measure we have. Maybe there are thousands of other ways we could measure our lives- the true quality of our lives- that lie within us, not within some box.

And, by your own measure, you can still be happy.

You can live well.”

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