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chrismcott 's review for:
The Measure
by Nikki Erlick
How do you measure a life well lived?
Comparing The Measure by Nikki Erlick to the political divisions currently affecting the United States reveals striking parallels—particularly around identity, inequality, systemic labeling, exploiting fear for power and resistance.
In The Measure, society fractures into two groups: those with long strings (long life expectancy) and those with short strings. This arbitrary but immutable distinction becomes a basis for discrimination in employment, healthcare, relationships, and even civil rights. The novel explores how fear and prejudice can be institutionalized, with short-stringers facing systemic exclusion and suspicion and the rise of laws that restrict short-stringers’ rights (echoing real-life legislative battles over voting rights, reproductive freedom, and LGBTQ+ protections).
"But this is what humans have always done,” Maura said, her anger swelling inside. “We segment ourselves based on race or class or religion or whatever fucking distinctions we decide to make up, and then we insist on treating each other differently."
Despite its dystopian premise, The Measure offers a message of hope, and its characters remind us of what matters; to form communities, resist unjust systems, and redefine what it means to live your life meaningfully. Even in a divided society, individuals remain interconnected—often in unexpected ways.
Comparing The Measure by Nikki Erlick to the political divisions currently affecting the United States reveals striking parallels—particularly around identity, inequality, systemic labeling, exploiting fear for power and resistance.
In The Measure, society fractures into two groups: those with long strings (long life expectancy) and those with short strings. This arbitrary but immutable distinction becomes a basis for discrimination in employment, healthcare, relationships, and even civil rights. The novel explores how fear and prejudice can be institutionalized, with short-stringers facing systemic exclusion and suspicion and the rise of laws that restrict short-stringers’ rights (echoing real-life legislative battles over voting rights, reproductive freedom, and LGBTQ+ protections).
"But this is what humans have always done,” Maura said, her anger swelling inside. “We segment ourselves based on race or class or religion or whatever fucking distinctions we decide to make up, and then we insist on treating each other differently."
Despite its dystopian premise, The Measure offers a message of hope, and its characters remind us of what matters; to form communities, resist unjust systems, and redefine what it means to live your life meaningfully. Even in a divided society, individuals remain interconnected—often in unexpected ways.