The Poppy Fields is the name of a treatment center where grieving people can go to literally sleep off their grief over a month or two. Everyone wakes no longer feeling despair! Unfortunately, 1/4 of people experience “the side effect” and no longer feel the loving memories from those they’ve lost, either.

This is a story about a handful of travelers on their way to the center, the center’s founder, and several side characters from the story itself and from flashbacks. The relationships between characters may be even more healing than the sleeping treatment. Through these character’s experience, readers are left pondering in which situations might the gamble of the side effect be worth it, and what ripple effects it could have on the rest of one’s life.

This was a slow journey, more about the characters than the plot. The writing was easily digestible, touching but not destructive to my soul (considering the topic I expected a tearjerker instead!). I really cared for these characters and loved the ending.

4.5 stars 🫶

3.5 stars

If you could sleep for a month or two and wake up with your grief cured, would you do it?

That's the central question in The Poppy Fields, where a new specialized treatment center aims to treat severe grief through an induced month-long coma. Similar to Erlick's novel The Measure, we explore this concept through a variety of different characters with different touchpoints with the Poppy Fields center.

While I found the concept really intriguing, something in the execution did not hold up to The Measure for me. I didn't feel as attached to the characters we were reading from the perspective of, and the Poppy Fields itself felt more limited in scope. Erlick continues to be a fantastic writer, and I will definitely pick up future books fromher, this one just wasn't for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a character driven story and I was kind of waiting to see where it was going for a lot of the story. There is a lot of talk about grief, family, and friendship.

Then I had a “aha” moment about connections from this story to a classic movie/book and I just have to applaud the author in her brilliance! It was kind of like an Easter egg hunt after that realization and was quite enjoyable.

3.5 stars rounded up

I featured The Poppy Fields in my June 2025 new releases video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q31xhbo1tE, and though I have not read it yet, I am so excited to and expect 5 stars! I will update here when I post a follow up review or vlog.

This book!! Oh the emotions that I felt while reading this book were a rollercoaster in and of itself. I absolutely love all of the different characters and each of their stories. Im normally not too fond of this kind of storyline, I normally stick to dark romance, but man am I so glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and read this! I'm not one to cry or have any kind of big emotional reactions to books that I read, but this definitely got me out of another one of my comfort zones. I loved how reading this book made me feel! Please, if you're looking for an amazing read look no further, this is a must read book! Nikki Erlick is truely amazing at what she does. I can't wait to get my hands on her stunning deluxe limited edition hardback. I just love when authors color coordinate the sprayed edges to the front cover!

If you had the chance to sleep for a prolonged period of time after a devastating loss, would you take it?
The Poppy Fields are where people go for four to eight weeks for a long-term state of dormancy to help with grieving after loss. The catch? One in four patients could come out with the side effect, emotional moderation, where they have no feelings towards the person they lost.
I enjoyed the perspectives of the different characters throughout the book as well as their growth, including the founder of The Poppy Fields, Ellis. The Poppy Fields is an interesting concept and thought provoking. It makes you think about grief and love as a deeper concept. The book made me go back and forth as to whether I would ever sleep or not if given the option. It was slower paced in the middle, and I did expect more action, but I was pleased with how the book ended.
‘If we sleep, if we suffer the side effect, if we’re no longer shaped by the people we love…who are we?’

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick is another unique book like The Measure. If you liked The Measure you will most likely devour this book about loss, grief and trying to heal. Ava, Ray and Sasha meet each other at the airport after their plane is canceled. They learn that they are all headed to the Poppy Fields, a place to be put to sleep for a long period of time to try and heal after the loss of a loved one. The three of them are going there for different reasons. They decide to drive across the country together to get there. They slowly reveal their lives to one another and develop an incredible bond while spending three days together.

I started off loving the book in the beginning but felt that the book took a dip halfway through. This is exactly how I felt while reading The Measure. Both books had a unique story line and potential to be five star reads, but somewhere along the way they fell a little short.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you loved The Measure, my thoughts are that you will love this book too. I love that Nikki Erlich is trying to come up with unique topics that really make you dig deep and think. This would make for a great book club discussion.

……..SPOILER….. At one point I actually felt that nobody was going to end up at the Poppy Fields and that Ava, Sasha and Ray were going to heal each other on the drive there. I think I would’ve liked my ending better.

I loved The Measure, so was very excited to receive an ARC of Nikki Erlick’s latest book.

The premise of Poppy Fields is unique and made me think a lot about how we process grief and whether forgetting pain would actually help. I loved the speculative fiction aspect of this story, the multiple POVs, and the character development overall.

Thoughtful, emotional, and definitely one I’ll be thinking about for a while.

Erlick has once again created a world that feels just on the edge of possible. She delves deep into grief and how it feels and affects us. The concept of being able to essentially sleep away your grief is intriguing and she does a good job of examining it from all sides.

As far as characters go, I felt most connected to Ava. I didn’t feel much regarding Sky or Sasha. Ray I could only picture as Joe from Survivor 48 (and now 50–iykyk). Ellis was an interesting character as well and I would have been fine having more scenes with her and less roadtrip stuff. Were the connections between characters incredibly improbable? Sure. But so were connections in her first book, and that honestly didn’t take anything away for me.

Overall, I thought this book was really good. It made me think about grief in a different way and examine my own relationship with it. I’ve enjoyed both of this author’s books and look forward to whatever she puts out next.

Note: I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 🌟

Oh, where to start.

I enjoyed Nikki Erlick's The Measure, and the premise of The Poppy Fields sounded so intriguing that I had to request it.

I've unfortunately become too familiar with grief over the past few years, having lost both of my parents in separate situations and a couple of beloved pets. Reading The Poppy Fields, I kept battling with thoughts about what I would choose to do in this situation. It sounds so appealing. There have been countless times, especially since my mom passed, that I would have loved nothing more than to sleep for a month or so. Frankly, the thought still sounds appealing on many days. Grief is such a difficult, winding road. There's no one way to grieve, and somehow you feel alone even though many others are also suffering through losses.

Erlick really manages to capture the varying attitudes and what-ifs of grief, which I can only imagine she must have gone through a significant loss herself. My only problem with her writing is that sometimes the pacing is a little slow for my liking. It really is more of a character-driven novel. I did like the road trip characters, especially the dog PJ. But I also felt myself wanting more from them. Ellis wasn't particularly likable, but I liked her better by the end of the book. Overall, I put down the novel multiple times to do something else. It may have just been too heavy for me, though.

Recommended for fans of speculative but realistic fiction about grief and love.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you William Morrow for the advanced digital copy.

I went into The Poppy Fields mostly blind — I read and loved Erick’s debut novel, The Measure, but I didn’t even read the synopsis of this novel. It didn’t matter what it was going to be about. I NEEDED to read it! The multiple narrators made listening to the audio a superior experience.

That being said, I knew to expect speculative concepts, but I was not prepared for what The Poppy Fields actually were — an experimental and controversial treatment center that allows those suffering from the heartache of loss to sleep through their pain.

The journey to The Poppy Fields (not the path of grief and healing but the physical journey across the U.S. — Missouri, Massachusetts, California, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas and Arizona) really gave the map on my BUJO travel page a lot of color. I only wish the novel had spent a little more time at th fields once they got there.

Side note: It is set during the month of May, so it was fun to read the book during the same month in which it took place.

Throughout the novel, I kept asking myself if I would choose to go to sleep through my pain, consequences be damned. And at one point in my life, I would have said yes, absolutely. Now that I’m past that grief on my own, I say absolutely not. Grief is a unique journey and it’s never linear. But the question is … how far would you go to escape grief — the soul crushing kind that changes a person?

I read Nikki Erlick’s The Measure and knew then that this was an author I would read everything she wrote. When The Poppy Fields became available, I jumped at it so quickly.

In The Poppy Fields, those who suffer unimaginably from grief and heartbreaking loss go to the California desert where they can sleep away their pain and suffering. When they wake, they are able to continue through life with their heartache healed.

I found this to be such an interesting premise and I could immediately see how this could actually happen in real life. How many times do you hear of those who sleep for days following the heartbreak of losing a loved one?

I adored all of the characters in this story, as four strangers are thrown together each on their way to the Poppy Fields and each going for a different reason, including a sweet dog called PJ.

This is one of those books that even though I read it as an eARC, I’ll be getting a trophy copy for my bookshelves. I can’t wait to see what Nikki Erlick comes up with next!

*Thanks so much to partner William Morrow and to NetGalley for the gifted eARC!*

A story of grief and how we cope with it. A group of travelers, each with their own reasons, are travelling to the Poppy Fields to face grief.

A thoughtful, if slow read.

🌸𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰🌸
📖- The Poppy Fields
✍🏼- Nikki Erlick
Pub date- 6/17/25
★ ★ ★ .5

Read if you like
🥹Found friendship
🧬Science fiction
🧐Books that make you think

𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡? 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞. 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐭?

Thank you @netgalley & @williammorrowbooks for a e-copy in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏼

Immediately the story follows four different characters whom all meet at the airport. Ava, Ray, Sasha, and Sky. All with different intentions to travel and make their way to The Poppy Fields. The Poppy Fields offers a treatment that can fast forward the timeline it takes for one to grieve. However, it’s a big controversy, because people feel like you’re playing God/ life. These are things you’re supposed to feel and stay with you forever. But like any treatment there is a side effect, when they wake up some can experience emotional moderation which causes numbness toward the person they lost.

𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬💭
I always love a book that has me questioning life or “what if” and honestly I’m not sure if I’d sleep for a month to sleep off the grief. Overall, the story felt repetitive and at times I found myself wanting to DNF since it dragged a little bit longer than I anticipated it to. Yes it tied beautifully in the end and it had relatable quotes. I loved the road trip especially with Sky. She would’ve definitely been my inspiration growing up. I feel like this book would make a good BOTM for discussion. Audiobook may be the way to read this book.

Received as an ARC and actually give the book 3.5 stars….The idea of this book is quite fascinating: being put to sleep (medically speaking) for weeks to help you deal with grief but it fell just a little short for me. I still enjoyed it but it was lacking a little.

It started off very slow, I kept waiting and wanting to know more about our characters. Once we did get to the meat and potatoes (over half way through book) it was great! Loved hearing why the characters had made the decisions they had but it took so long to get there. It was not a bad book, it just took awhile to get good.

Nikki Erlick is an author who knows how to ask big questions in a novel and get people thinking. The Poppy Fields gets readers thinking about love and grief, and the benefits and drawbacks of trying to move past their grief more quickly. I loved the interconnectedness of the characters, their similar but very different stories and intentions, and the many beautiful reflections on love and loss. This book would be a great choice for book clubs because it will definitely inspire deep and meaningful conversations.

I lost a friend to cancer this week, and this book helped me process and even appreciate my grief. I will read everything Erlick writes!

How do you mend a broken heart?
How do you stop the rain from falling down?

Perhaps there is a place for you to rid yourself of a heart broken through loss? There is a place in the desert of California that can provide healing through sleep. Sounds amazing and something we might consider if we are among those that no matter how much time has passed find ourselves in inconsolable.

Ellis, the brilliant woman who created the Poppy Field is the destination for four travelers, Ava, a book illustrator; Ray, a fireman; Sasha, an occupational therapist; Sky, a free spirit; and a friendly pup named PJ. They bond together and as they travel, we learn of their sorrows, their hopes for the fields, and the secrets that may deter them from what they seek.

There are so many thought-provoking concepts in this story and it is one that you will continue to ponder after the last word is read. Would you go there if you could, if this imagined place was available, if what they promised could be yours?

The Poppy is a flower that is ever so resilient. It was the first flower to grow after the devastation of the war and so the center seems aptly named. Can people come back after a devastating loss, the loss of a child, husband, wife, parents, brothers, sisters etc. or do our memories of our lost loved ones become something we wish to hold onto throughout our lives?

I loved The Measure for the question it asked. I love The Poppy Fields for the same reason. The question is, if you could sleep through the worst of your grief, would you? What if there was a 25% chance you would wake up with no fondness or feeling toward the person or thing you were grieving? Is it cheating? Would it be helpful? These are all the questions in this novel. I have suffered a great loss and I think I learned a lot from that loss and grieving it.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow/HarperCollins for this e-ARC.

Nikki Erlick takes on aspects of the human condition--confronting death, dealing with grief--and addresses them in really unique ways through her novels. I really enjoyed The Measure and was excited to see her take on another of life's constants--the grief that comes after loss.

I found that this book took me a lot longer than a book of this length normally would to finish. However, I don't think it was because I was not engaged with the book. I think it's because I'm in the middle of coping with my own grief after the death of my grandfather. I think it was something that just hit close to home and confronting it head on with this novel was more complicated than I expected.

While this book is emotional and often makes you confront your own dealings with grief, it is not over the top or heavy-handed or in your face with it. The characters are relatable and feel authentic, and the complicated relationships that they have with the people in their lives that have led them to the Poppy Fields had me reflecting on my own relationships with people in my life. It reminds you that great grief is a product of great love--for me, it was a reminder that even though the hurt is overwhelming, it meant that I was lucky to love that person so much, to feel their absence in my life so profoundly. I think this book also deals with the other emotions found with grief--guilt, anger, resentment--and reminds the reader that it's okay to feel these things. There is no one way to grieve. I think Erlick did a superb job of guiding the reader through the emotions the characters were feeling and allowing the reader to empathize with them while still holding space for their own feelings.

If you are newly grieving, this book will likely be a little difficult to get through. However, I think it's worth the read regardless. I really enjoyed this book and I hope to see more from Nikki Erlick soon.

Well I feel as though I have died and gone to Heaven! This is a book about death, loss and grief in all their many forms but it is also so much more than that. I absolutely love books that give me really wonderful complex characters that I can find traits of myself in each one. I read The Measure and enjoyed it but this book is truly a winner of my heart. The premise of sleep as a healer is fascinating but also begs the question of what is wrong with our society if everyone is walking around in so much pain. Our loss of human connection is the real healer and that is what this book reminds us. I loved this book so much and cannot recommend it highly enough!