This was strongly recommended to me, and I can see why. This one is good. It’s also a somewhat quick read. Erlick depicts a world where everything changes one day when everyone in the world (ages 22+) receives a box marked with their name on it and with a string inside. The string tells you how long you’ll live. The story is timely as it quickly mirrors things going on in our world today. Apparently Erlick began writing the book before COVID and changed the course of the story once the pandemic happened. You can definitely tell where the shift takes place. That’s not a bad thing. You can just tell. There’s part of the story where Amie makes a decision that initially felt out of character, but once I finished the book I realized that her choice is consistent. The ending might be a little cliche, but it’s also satisfying.

The book leaves you with one question: would you open your box?