The Measure by Nikki Erlick
Review by Sabrina (Grade 9)
Rating: 3.5/5
In my opinion, “The Measure” by Nikki Erlick is a very interesting read. If you find the synopsis appealing, you will enjoy this novel. A brief description of the plot is as follows: One day, a box appears on your doorstep, inscribed with your name and your fate. In this box, is the exact number of years you will live. When faced with the decision to open your box, is ignorance truly bliss? Or will you regret it?
In the story, finding out what’s in your box doesn’t only send the world into shock, but divides the people. The story switches between eight different perspectives, which was interesting, but hard to keep up with at times. Each story within the story is beautifully crafted and carefully entwined, letting the reader gain a fuller sense of understanding the story in itself. The individual stories are all connected through something so simple as a string, and in ways that you might have never guessed.
All in all, “The Measure” is a very well-written book, just not something that particularly stands out to me, hence the reason why I did not give it more than a 3.5 out of 5 rating. Some areas that I think it could improve on include its slow pace connecting the stories together. If I knew how each story played a part in the bigger picture earlier in the story, I would have gotten hooked much more quickly. Personally, I enjoy stories that piece together bit by bit, stories that make you go: “It all makes sense now!” and “The Measure” is a perfect representation of this, which was my favourite thing about it.