The Measure

‘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

Genre: Literary Fiction

"Nikki Erlick has created an irresistible hook about a question that everyone asks but no-one ever wants to answer. With thoughtful and compelling detail, she crafts a strange--and strangely familiar--world full of new moral and political conundrums. And while the novel is full of ideas, The Measure has a strong emotional heart--with an array of characters exploring their frightening, but sometimes beautiful new worlds. Ultimately, The Measure is about the power of human resilience, a new world where people get to choose their own kind of freedom." - Luke Allnutt

"The Measure is utterly original and wonderfully mysterious. Through Erlick's deft prose and clever logic, I threw away all disbelief and fully plunged into the unsettling but life-affirming world she creates." - Jessica Anya Blau

"A compelling, heart-breaking story of life and love with a perfect, elegant premise." - Bridget Collins

"One of the most life-affirming novels I've read in a long while, The Measure is exactly what our world needs right now." - Christina Dalcher

"So often, high-concept novels are all conceit, no heart, but Nikki Erlick gives us both in spades, a fascinating and timely setup buttressed by a compelling cast of characters finding their hard way through unprecedented times. It makes The Measure a heartfelt parable for our own unprecedented times but also its opposite: a lesson in what doesn't change even when everything else does." - Laurie Frankel

"What an incredible book! It's truly original with an intriguing premise that's beautifully executed. I loved the fact that it was written from so many POVs, each adding depth and perspective to the overall narrative which made it a rich and satisfying read. I found it gripping, poignant, and intensely thought-provoking." - Ruth Hogan

"The Measure is an utterly original and hugely compelling story, which drew me in from the very first page with its beautiful writing. Weeks after reading it, I'm still thinking about this smart, uplifting novel and its wonderful characters." - Freya Sampson

"A brilliant concept cleverly executed. I couldn't stop reading." - Christina Sweeney-Baird