From the second I first heard about this book, I was so excited to read it. I was hoping this would be similar to The Midnight Library—which I absolutely loved. Unfortunately, while I think I’m in the minority opinion, this book fell flat for me. 

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The premise of this book was very intriguing! The idea that each person receives a box with a string that represents the length of their life is a very interesting idea to explore. When thinking about this concept, I thought about it from a personal or individual standpoint. Nikki Erlick touches on some bigger, broader social issues that I hadn’t thought of (yet they would be very relevant). These include how the strings could potentially impact: government regulations/policy, the political scene and election process, occupations people are allowed to/choose to have, and how it could ultimately lead to divisiveness and discrimination against a new group of people—those with short strings. I know some people didn’t appreciate the political commentary, but it’s true that this type of situation would seep into all facets of life, government and politics included. However, I felt like the commentary on all these social issues was very brief and surface level. Had the author chosen just one to focus on and flesh out, it may have been better. 

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Characters and character development are so critical for me, and this is where I felt the biggest let down. This book follows the lives of eight central characters, focusing on how they navigate a new world in which they are able to pinpoint how long they will live, how they cope with their (and their loved ones) string length, and the choices they make in light of this newfound information. Sadly, I didn’t feel a deep attachment to any of the characters. Again, it felt very surface level and predictable. There were no big surprises and not a ton of personal growth, in my opinion. All of their storylines and how they were somewhat woven together was interesting. Though, I’m not sure if it was the way the characters were written or if eight characters is just too many to really create the kind of depth I was hoping for. 

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All of this said, there were some beautiful prose throughout this story that really made me pause and reflect on the meaning of life, the choices we make that impact the kind of lives we live, and whether or not those choices are in line with our  core values. 
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Warm-hearted reflective story on living and loving well. 

Last year I read The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier and while I absolutely loved its premise, the book didn't work for me. It was all too much for my liking: too many characters and too many ideas explored. This book was similar in many ways: its starting point is an inexplicable mysterious shift in the universe that changes life as we know it, on both a societal and personal level. Furthermore, this book also followed many characters while exploring philosophical and political ideas that resulted from the shift. The reason why I feel it did work this time, is because the plot actually acted as a supporting character, successfully tying people, ideas and events together. The result is a beautiful novel that succeeds in being thought-provoking as well. The way things played out around the country felt very real; even when it shifted to a more hopeful approach, it never crossed the line to becoming unrealistic. Enjoyed this one, and I am curious to see what future work this author will bring.