***** 4 stars
This book reminded me of the pandemic because it featured a premise of a world-changing event. One morning, people all over the world who were over 21 years old received anonymous boxes that contained strings of various lengths. The longer the string, the longer their lives. When the strings are examined and found to be accurate, data is collected and a site created to narrow down the age at which a person will die.
This story follows a few key characters who deal with the knowledge the strings portend. Some refuse to open their boxes. Others, make decisions based on the length of their strings. A politician running for president tries to uproot another by revealing that he’ll live longer than his competition. A soldier switches his string with his friend after the military is only allowing long stringers to enter active combat. Support groups for short stringers are formed. One of them includes a man who finds a letter in the classroom where the group is held and begins writing back to an anonymous writer named A.
As we follow these people and how their lives are affected by the strings, we contemplate the idea of what we would do differently if we knew how long we’d live and how the world would react. I found the premise interesting and understood why the origin of the strings was never revealed, whether they were sent by God or some supernatural force, but I was hoping for a better ending. Even so, I recommend that readers give this unique debut novel a try.
Ruff Drafts 