To be human is to experience grief at some point, and who hasn’t wished they could just go to sleep and wake up when the heartache has lessened? Erlick imagines that a place where this can happen exists, and as you might imagine, it’s wildly popular, so much so that people must apply for and be approved to participate. There’s just one catch—about 25% of people who opt for the program at Poppy Fields wake up no longer feeling any love for the person they were grieving (they call it emotional moderation). We meet three people traveling to the California facility when a tornado changes their plans: Ava hopes to connect with her sister, Sasha lost her fiancé shortly before they could marry, and Ray’s brother died after his sleep at the facility. Not wishing to wait any longer, the three decide to share a rental car and drive out together, guardedly sharing their stories along the way. Meanwhile, Ellis, the founder of Poppy Fields, grapples with how best to manage Poppy Fields and the “sleepers” under their care. I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely story about choices, sorrow, and recovery.

I loved The Measure, so I was really looking forward to The Poppy Fields. It did not disappoint! Nikki Erlick's writing makes you think about ideas you may not have considered before. What would you do knew how much time you have left? What if you could sleep through the grieving process? Her books are thought-provoking and deeply philosophical, and yet, they're easy to read and difficult to put down.

The Poppy Fields is a treatment center in the California desert where the heartbroken go to sleep through the pain of loss. They wake up healed, having moved through grief and come out the other side feeling at peace. 25% of those who sleep will wake up with the side-effect of no longer remembering the feelings they had for their departed loved ones. Is the sleep worth the risk?

Ava, Sasha, and Ray are three strangers headed for The Poppy Fields. They're thrown together in unusual circumstances, and at one point on their trip they are joined by the free-spirited Sky, forming connections none of them had expected. Their stories and reasons for heading for The Poppy Fields unfold as their journey continues. Their journeys are both physical and emotional, as they face their pain and grief along the way.

This is a though-provoking book on love, loss, healing, and connections, and it will stay with me for a long time.

3.5 rounded to 4

Maybe because Marin Ireland was a narrator, but The Poppy Fields was a Frederik Backman experience for me. (This a a compliment!) The Poppy Fields immersed me in a world similar to this one, but with the possibility of sleeping away the pain of grief. The novel follows travelers seeking a sleep at the Poppy Fields, as well as the inner workings of the running of the institution.

Each character was someone I wanted to hug, different reasons for each person. They were all in pain. Over the course of the novel, we learned more and more about each character and their backstory. Everyone had grief in common.

But that’s not to say the book was serious and droll. There were funny moments too. Each of the narrators brought a different piece of the story to life and their overall performance was impressively fantastic. I had to start over several times because the beginning just wasn’t grabbing me but I think that was more of a me issue than an issue with this audiobook. Overall, it was worth a listen.

'The Poppy Fields' weaves a compelling tale that sits at the intersection of speculative sci-fi and emotionally resonant drama. Nikki Erlick introduces a near-future therapy in which patients are placed in extended, medically induced sleep to reset their emotional state - a bold and haunting premise. As the novel unfolds, we follow several individuals - Ava, Ray, Sasha, Sky, and others - whose lives have been upended by grief. Their journeys converge on a road trip across California, setting the stage for connection, loss, and revelation.

Erlick's greatest strength lies in her character writing. Each voice feels distinct, grounded, and capable of carrying heavy emotional weight. The disparate travelers - struggling to remember lost loves, understand sudden numbness, or reconcile a within-the-heart ache - resonate with authenticity. Their shared travel forces unexpected bonds to form and creates intimate moments that sprout deep empathy in the reader.

The novel's speculative element remains grounded and thoughtful. What begins as a therapeutic promise soon develops moral undercurrents. The risk of waking from the slumber feeling disconnected - like your grief was swept away along with joy and love - adds real stakes. These questions persist well beyond the last page: how much of what makes us human are we willing to breach in the name of healing?

That said, at times the pacing slows as internal monologues build up. A few characters' backstories are only lightly sketched, leaving me wishing for more texture in their arcs - especially Sky. Additionally, some plot threads could have been tighter for greater narrative propulsion.

Yet, when the journey crescendos, the payoff is deeply moving. Erlick skillfully balances the big-picture ethical questions with personal, heartfelt moments - this is a story that lingers emotionally long after reading. The book is perfect for those who enjoy thought-provoking speculative stories filled with layered characters rather than high-octane action (think: The Midnight Library)

4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and William Marlow for an advanced copy of The Poppy Fields.

In the California desert lies an experimental facility called The Poppy Fields where you can sleep through your heartache or grief. People are able to do this free of charge after making sure they are a viable candidate. When you wake up you are “healed” from your pain and grief. The only downside is that in some cases people end up having the side effect. Ray, Ava, Sasha, and Sky are four strangers who end up on a journey to The Poppy Fields all for very different reasons. Along the journey they all learn from one another. Will they all get what they are looking for?

This book was so intense and thought provoking. It truly shows that grief, pain, and heartache look different for everyone. I loved the characters and how you learned about their backstories. I really enjoyed the multiple points of view. After I was done with the book I truly just sat and thought about so many things. I highly recommend!

To begin with, I would like to thank the publisher, #WilliamMorrow, and the author, #NikkiErlick, for giving me the opportunity to read this novel, The Poppy Fields, via #netgalley. All opinions following are my own.

This novel asks the question, "If there was a cure for a broken heart or grief, would you take it?"

Poppies. They are known for their somnolent powers. Perhaps one of the most memorable scenes in the movie, "The Wizard of Oz," is the field of red poppies where all the characters struggle to stay awake.

This is why the fictional facility this book is named after is called "The Poppy Fields." People come from all over the world to sleep away their grief and broken hearts. The owner of this company/experiment is Ellis. While working for another tech company, she became increasingly intrigued by the thought of restorative sleep. She finally left the company to start her own, The Poppy Fields. People experiencing grief and heartbreak apply to come sleep for a month or two with the idea that they wake up feeling like they are no longer drowning in their grief.

This facility is why four people all cross paths at an airport. Ava and her dog PJ are hoping to go and confront her estranged sister at the facility. Ray is looking for answers to avenge his brother's sudden death. Sasha is hoping to convince the facility that she needs to be a patient after her own loss.

When a tornado delays and cancels their flights, a yellow rental car takes them on the trip of their lifetime, where three seemingly different people share their secrets and become friends. Along the way, they also pick up Sky, an eighteen year old wanderlust, who also happened to be the airport, but now is looking for a ride. Perhaps the most unique in their ragtag group, she becomes their glue as they approach their destination.

Will The Poppy Fields provide all the answers they're seeking?

This book was breathtakingly gorgeous. From the moment I picked it up, I didn't want to put it down. An easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This book drops on June 17. Run. Don't walk to get it!

#BrenBreathesBooks

This books has so much to say about grief and memory. It’s beautifully written and maybe a little repetitive down the stretch but it packs an emotional punch! Highly recommend for readers who enjoy realistic sci-fi with a deep look at love and loss. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

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.