Nominated for best science fiction book in 2022, The Measure by Nikki Erlick takes us on a journey of eight different characters who each receive a box. The box contains a red string with the quote, “The measure of your life lies within.” Recipients of the boxes soon determine the red string indicates the length of their lives. The book unravels how each of these characters interacts with the news of their boxes (some opened, some intact), and how the string length impacts their lives moving forward.