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  • The Measure

  • By: Nikki Erlick
  • Narrated by: Julia Whelan
  • Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (148 ratings)

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The Measure

By: Nikki Erlick
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
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Summary

‘GRIPPING AND POIGNANT’ RUTH HOGAN, bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things

‘CLEVER AND ENTERTAINING’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

‘A THOUGHT-PROVOKING READ’ PRIMA

Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.

It seems like just another morning.

Around the world, people wake up, check the news, open the front door.

On every doorstep is a box. Inside that box is the exact number of years that person has left to live.

Whether they open it or hide it under their bed, each person must learn to live in this new world: a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush their life together, a doctor who cannot save himself from his own fate, best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything…

Enchanting and deeply uplifting, The Measure is a sweeping, ambitious and invigorating story about family, friendship, hope and destiny that encourages us to live life to the fullest.

‘EXAMINES THE BIG LIFE AND DEATH QUESTIONS IN A CLEVER AND, DARE WE SAY IT, ENTERTAINING WAY’ WOMAN & HOME

‘INTRIGUING’ WOMAN’S WEEKLY

‘LIFE-AFFIRMING’ CHRISTINA DALCHER, bestselling author of Vox

‘DESPITE ITS CHILLING PREMISE, ERLICK’S NOVEL IS AN ESCAPE FROM — RATHER THAN A WINDOW INTO — OUR OWN TERRIFYING REALITY’ NEW YORK TIMES

‘COMPELLING AND HEART-BREAKING’ Bridget Collins, bestselling author of The Binding

'A SHARP LENS FOR REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS' DAILY MAIL

‘A HEARTFELT PARABLE FOR OUR OWN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES’ Laurie Frankel, bestselling author of One Two Three

‘BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED AND HUGELY IMAGINATIVE’ Claire North

‘BRILLIANT – I COULDN’T STOP READING’ Christina Sweeney-Baird

‘UTTERLY ORIGINAL AND WONDERFULLY MYSTERIOUS’ Jessica Anya Blau, author of Mary Jane

‘HUGELY COMPELLING’ Freya Sampson, author of The Last Chance Library

‘AN IRRESISTIBLE HOOK AND A STRONG EMOTIONAL HEART’ Luke Allnutt, author of We Own the Sky

©2021 Nikki Erlick (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

What listeners say about The Measure

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

It was a great idea, being presented with the knowledge of the length of your life.

The story was rather boring and concocted and many times I felt like giving up on it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Don't miss out on this incredible book!

So would you open your box? That's what a friend asked me when she recommended this book to me. I was intrigued enough to buy the book and I have not stopped talking about it since! The premise is simple but stunning, if you could have a glimpse of your future, would you take it? Would you allow it to shape you and what you did with that knowledge? The book has led to some fascinating conversations with friends and family about life, death and everything in between. Highly recommended.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Quite original, pulls you in quickly

Recommended to me by a friend, who said it had made her think and was one of those books might kept taking you back too long after you finished reading it. I could see how that is true. Began really well, enjoyable. Could imagine it as a film.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

had me hooked from the start

I generally don't listen to novels, but the idea of the boxes had my interest peaked. The book didn't disappoint. Loved the characters and their stories, loved the twists in it all.
It definitely made me question some of life's perceptions.
Highly recommended.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A really enjoyable thought provoking listen

I really enjoyed this. It had a few areas that could maybe have been explained more fully but I just went with them and enjoyed the story and it’s message about how precious our time here is and parallels with other world issues. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narration was pretty good other than a couple of accents which didn’t detract from my listening.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

a nice surprise

Really enjoyed this narrative and the way it was developed. It could’ve been more emotionally fleshed out but I appreciated the concise display of events and their repercussions. I could do without the accents in the narration, however.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

Loved the book. Don’t think it would have worked as well before covid arrived. Definitely going to re-listen.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great premise

It had a great premise but unfortunately fell short, I was a little uninterested in the characters and the fact that everybody around the world received stings it was just so unbelievable that I struggled all the way through.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Really clever

I really enjoyed everything about it. Clever and different. Easy five stars. 100% would recommend.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Boring

A novel idea, but I had to force myself to finish the book. All of the different elements represented I’ve seen done better. Lots of characters with connections that slowly unravel. Science Fiction element in how did the mysterious boxes appear (I was waiting for an explanation that never came). mystery/thriller not really. out what happened about switching boxes properly (unless I missed that bit because I wasn’t terribly motivated to concentrate)

All in all it was a bit like an Agatha Christie - disappointing

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