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A review by sarahweyand
The Measure by Nikki Erlick
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. I'm hesitant to pick up books where death is one of the presiding themes and isn't merely ancillary to the plot - they tend to make me anxious and panicky and I'm not looking to have a panic attack or existential crisis while reading. However, I thought this book handled its themes and topics well, and I was okay while listening.
It's clear to me the author did a thorough job of planning and theorizing the fallout and outcomes of her plot idea, because this book seemed well thought-out and complete in its premise. I enjoyed the look into the politics, military, and societal consequences of the strings, and felt like everything discussed was a realistic reaction. I liked all of our characters, even if I didn't feel extremely emotionally attached to them, and I was pretty equally invested into all their storylines, which is a feat for an author writing so many POVs.
The only part where I felt this book was lacking was the lack of discussion around religious implications. I understand that that might not be where the author wanted this plot and theming to go, but it did seem like a clear oversight to have little to no mention of religion. I got over the question of "where did the strings come from" pretty quickly when I realized the author wasn't going to explain, but I was surprised that every person in the book seemed not to care either. There was talk about scientific research, but it was fleeting and didn't touch on what would have clearly been high amounts of religious fallout.
Overall, I'd recommend this book if you feel you're in the headspace to read it! Higher rating than anticipated for sure.
It's clear to me the author did a thorough job of planning and theorizing the fallout and outcomes of her plot idea, because this book seemed well thought-out and complete in its premise. I enjoyed the look into the politics, military, and societal consequences of the strings, and felt like everything discussed was a realistic reaction. I liked all of our characters, even if I didn't feel extremely emotionally attached to them, and I was pretty equally invested into all their storylines, which is a feat for an author writing so many POVs.
The only part where I felt this book was lacking was the lack of discussion around religious implications. I understand that that might not be where the author wanted this plot and theming to go, but it did seem like a clear oversight to have little to no mention of religion. I got over the question of "where did the strings come from" pretty quickly when I realized the author wasn't going to explain, but I was surprised that every person in the book seemed not to care either. There was talk about scientific research, but it was fleeting and didn't touch on what would have clearly been high amounts of religious fallout.
Overall, I'd recommend this book if you feel you're in the headspace to read it! Higher rating than anticipated for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, and Death