3.5 stars ⭐️ The concept had me so excited to read this book! What if you could sleep away your grief and sadness. I thought the execution was a little lacking, but after loving The Measure, I had really high hopes for this one. That being said, I still found it very interesting and am glad I read it!

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Overwhelming grief pushes people to the Poppy Fields developed by Ellis to help them through the grief process where they sleep for weeks or months during their treatment. Three strangers all on their way to the Poppy Fields are derailed in the Midwest by a tornado at the airport. Ray rents the last car and ends up inviting Ava and Sasha to drive with them. They all explore their individual trauma and losses, become friends and support each other through their grief journey and their reasons for going. I love how Nikki Erlick explores the meaning of life and love but wanted to connect with the characters a little more.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC!!

I had such a hard time getting into reading Poppy Fields. I found the beginning so confusing and none of the characters had the depth that reeled me in. At times it felt preachy. I wanted to feel a big reflection moment like I did with The Measure.

I think my expectations were too high for this one. I was so excited to read this because I loved Nikki’s “The Measure”. However, this ended up being a big let down for me. The idea of the actual facility, the Poppy Fields, was so intriguing. Who wouldn’t be tempted to sleep off their grief? Unfortunately, the majority of the novel dragged with a lack luster (boring, I’m sorry!) road trip a la The Wizard of Oz - 4 found friends with a little dog- all on their way to the Fields for various reasons. I wanted so much more from this. It lacked the moral and ethical urgency of “The Measure”, which maybe is an unfair comparison on my part. I think this novel would be better suited to those who did not read her prior novel. It felt superficial to me and I didn’t end up caring about any of the characters. I just wanted MORE. Thanks so much to William Morrow Books & NetGalley for the ARC. Poppy Fields is out today!

Book Review: The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

The Poppy Fields is a place people go to sleep away their pain after experiencing deep personal loss. The story follows several characters who join together on a trek to the Poppy Fields. It’s imaginative, the kind of concept that sticks with you and makes you think.

That said, the pacing felt slow, and the narrative style, with frequent shifts between characters on one page, made it hard to keep focused. I am one of those people who hear a voice in my head as I read, and the change in characters threw me off - ha! Plus, I kept waiting for a big emotional crescendo, but each time it built up, it seemed to fade out… even at the end.

Still, Nikki Erlick is a thoughtful writer, and I can see how this book might resonate more deeply with others, particularly with those dealing with loss themselves.

Favorite Quote: "And yet it somehow felt better to find herself awash in all these contradictory feelings, all at once, than to simply feel afraid."

Thank you, @netgalley, for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

#BookReview #ThePoppyFields #NikkiErlick #TheMeasure #FictionReads #Bookstagram #ReadingReflections #arc #ContemporaryFiction

A hauntingly beautiful exploration of grief, healing, and the price of forgetting!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up The Poppy Fields. The premise felt so ambitious—grief therapy via a coma-like state?—but from the very first chapter, Nikki Erlick pulls readers into an emotional, surreal, and powerful journey. She invites us to confront one of life’s most universal yet personal experiences: loss.

But instead of focusing solely on the pain, she offers a quiet, strange hope in the form of found friendship, reflection, and the power of choice.

This is one of the most emotionally resonant books I have read this year. I found myself tearing up more than once, especially in moments where the quiet resilience of the characters really shone through!

Grief is experienced by everyone differently, but some people feel it so deeply, they can’t handle the crushing weight, and are therefore, desperately seeking a way out from under the immense pain.

What if there was a treatment that could provide just that ? A place where you could go and sleep away the pain for a month or two and wake up feeling much better ? There is only one problem- some people experience side effects, causing them upon waking to feel muted emotions towards the love one they lost.

This is the basis for the new speculative fiction book, The Poppy Fields, by Nikki Erlick, the author of the previous bestseller, The Measure.

The story follows three strangers- Ava, Ray, and Sasha, all traveling towards the Poppy Fields hoping it gives them the closure they seek. When travel plans don’t go as planned, they all end up on a cross country trip together determined to make it to their final destination.

Of course, their reasons for going there are all different and the secrets they are keeping from each other could potentially tear their group apart.

Also in the story is Ellie, the founder of the Poppy Fields, but not everyone agrees with her treatment methods, and the opposition to her facility creates cracks in her “perfect” life.

I loved this story of grief, healing, and redemption. This book touched on the hard hitting subjects of loss and grief, but also made the reader think if grief is really such a bad thing after all? After all, isn’t grief only experienced by those who had something so wonderful in their life, that they now miss it ? Perhaps grief is just love moved into the next stage ?

I highly recommend this book to everyone, but especially fans of speculative fiction books ,like The Midnight Library, The Measure, and Here One Moment.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, William Morrow, the publisher, and Nikki Erlick, the author, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so thoughtful and emotional and really made me think. I’m definitely going to talk about it at my next book club meeting. I also loved that it was multi POV. I couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait for the next book by this author!

"But a new therapeutic center in southern California, named the Poppy Fields in a presumed nod to the plant's narcotic usages, has been attracting thousands of patients with its unprecedented sleeping treatment. Patients at the Poppy Fields enter a long-term state of dormancy, akin to a medically induced coma, that typically lasts four to eight weeks and is designed to help those recovering from a devastating loss. The Poppy Fields promise to the grief-stricken? Sleep here for a month and be healed when you wake."

The Poppy Fields is such an interesting concept for a speculative piece of science fiction. Nikki Erlick's writing is smooth, descriptive and, so easy to slip into and lose yourself in the story. This novel brings up dilemmas that the reader will find themselves wondering what they would do if put in those situations, and provides ample talking points for speculation and book club discussions!

The Poppy Fields a facility in the desert of California where people experiencing grief or loss can sleep the edge off their grief. Individuals must be 18 or older and if they qualify for this treatment, they are prescribed 4- 8 weeks of medically induced sleep in which they wake up feeling the intensified restorative benefits of a good night's sleep. Ethical concerns of this type of treatment as well as a discussion of the privileges of those with the ability to pause their lives for this amount of time are brought up within the story. It is not curative but instead intended to boost coping.

The POV switches between a person working at the fields, 3 main characters traveling to the Poppy Fields for different reasons, and a fourth traveler that is picked up along the way. As the travelers get to know each other, they slowly reveal their reasons for wanting to visit the Poppy Fields and start to understand how they have a deeper connection than they originally thought. In between chapters, we also get articles and interviews with characters who have slept at the Poppy Fields, and those who oppose its existence.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I will would recommend to readers who have similar reading tastes as myself! The concept of The Poppy Fields is intriguing and thought provoking, and as I stated earlier, it is very well-written. The only things keeping it from getting a perfect 5 stars from me is that I did expect the story to be more focused on the speculation of the treatment and of a facility like The Poppy Fields since it is categorized as science fiction. Instead, it was character-driven and heavily focused on characters that had not experienced The Poppy Fields treatment themselves. It also seemed a little repetitive at times as some of the same events were discussed in different points of view.

I loved The Measure by Nikki Erlick as well. That was a 5 star read for me. I look forward to reading from her in the future!

Three strangers are stranded in an airport in Kansas and when they discover they're all headed to the same place, for different reasons, they rent a car and begin the trek across the country. On the journey, we learn more details about each of them, their backgrounds, and their reasons for wanting to visit the Poppy Fields, a place in California where you can sleep through your grief and wake up healed from pain. As they inch closer to the fields, their motivations change and one by one, their desire to enter the fields changes as they learn about themselves through learning about each other. I loved this book. Much like The Measure, Nikki Erlick's debut novel, The Poppy Fields is beautifully written and gives the reader a great deal to think about. Highly recommend.

I am learning that one of the greatest things about a Nikki Erlick novel is how she makes you think. This time, she explores the idea of the Poppy Fields. In her world, people may travel to the poppy fields to help them recover from extreme grief. This is a controversial treatment, where you can apply and, if accepted, be put to sleep for months. When you awake, your grief from your loss is lessened. Throughout the book, we follow the creator of the poppy fields as well as four strangers who come together to travel across country to the fields after their flight is cancelled. Erlick does a great job of fully exploring all the nuances of grief and living with it. She is respectful and presents multiple points of view surrounding this idea. I love the ways in which she makes me consider and appreciate different aspects around the concept. This book would lead to a fabulous discussion. The writing is just as strong as the idea behind it. I could not put this one down. I highly recommend this five star read!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for providing the advance reading copy of the book for review. All opinions are my own.

I gave The Measure by Erlick 5 stars so I was excited when I heard she had a new book coming out. Where The Measure dealt with the premise of death and life, The Poppy Fields is about grief and love.

The Poppy Fields is a place in a remote desert in California where people can go to sleep away their grief. The treatment was developed by Ellis, who has put her whole life into it. For some it is a miracle, for others it comes with a cost, as 1 in 4 people suffer from a side effect after they wake up from sleeping.

Ava, Ray, and Sasha meet at the airport after a tornado has cancelled their flight. When they realize they are all headed to the same destination, they rent a car and travel to California. During this road trip across the country they all share their stories of why they are going to the Poppy Fields: Ava is grieving both her grandmother's death and her older sister's absence; Ray is looking for answers after the sudden loss of his brother Johnny who died shortly after his stay at the Fields; Sasha is running from the death of her fiancé and wants to sleep away her pain at the Fields.

During the road trip they begin to become more friends than strangers, especially when they pick up Sky, a free-spirited 18-year-old who has some very wise thoughts about living despite her youth. I really loved how Erlick developed all the characters - how each character arc intertwined with the others and what they eventually learned from one another.

The book is an interesting soliloquoy on grief and has so much to say about the human condition. Grief is something to escape - it's too painful and sad. I loved what Erlick called grief - the other side of love, "the sad, lonely echo in the hall, now that the dance was over." And yet, she says, as we move through grief we find "love in its second shape" when we learn to appreciate and treasure our memories of the ones we miss over the pain and grief of their passing.

This was a beautiful book about loss and pain and connection. The nuggets of wisdom and aha moments really started kicking in at about the two-thirds mark, when the heart of the book was beginning to reveal itself.

4.5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins | William Morrow and Harper Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this wonderful novel by Nikki Erlick, with the audiobook narrated by a fabulous cast. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

The Poppy Fields is a place of hope for battered hearts to heal. In the CA desert, it's an experimental and controversial treatment center that allows those devastated by grief to sleep through the pain for a prolonged period of time. But there are some side effects. Four different strangers and a dog find themselves on a journey to the Poppy Fields for different reasons.

What a concept to ponder - in the woes of staggering grief, would we take the chance of alleviating some of that pain and waking up feeling healed and hopeful? I really liked the way this book focused on these 4 different individuals, letting us in on their private grief paths and stories. While a speculative fiction book, it felt real because all of us have experienced grief, and everyone processes loss in such vastly different ways. Just as she did with her wonderful debut novel, The Measure, the author explores experiences and feelings that are very personal yet universal. I alternated reading and listening to the audiobook, but the narration cast is spectacular and I felt more immersed in the story listening to individual voices. Both are highly recommended - just like The Measure, this would be a great book club pick.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy!

I must say I was hesitant about this one because I read The Measure last year and thought it had so much potential but ultimately was a letdown. So when I saw that Erlick had a new one I was curious but also a little gun shy!

I did like this one better! I enjoyed the premise and the characters and felt like she did a good job walking with each person and their specific grief and response. There ARE lots of things happening in the world today that elicit strong responses and opinions from people and although this specific scenario in book isn't something happening currently, you can absolutely see parallels.

I'm not going a full 5 because I think the element of the "side effect" wasn't fleshed out enough to warrant such strong reactions from some people. I felt like the side effect should have maybe been more impactful on someones life to where there was a more obvious argument against the treatment.

But overall, I liked that this book made me think and that I enjoyed and connected with pretty much all of the characters. I'd recommend!

Follow the story of four individuals all dealing with some sort of grief and all wanting to get to the Poppy Fields for a different reason. The concept of the Poppy Fields, to sleep through your grief. You'll either wake up with a sense of acceptance or for 25%, wake up w no feelings for the reason you went to sleep at all, nothing, as if it (or the person) were never tied to you emotionally.
The concept was beautiful, the writing was beautiful, and I could very much relate to the characters. However, I did want to know more about the Poppy Fields facility. I was hoping that would be the focus, but I feel that the subject of grief and the characters story was the main focus. That being said, if you're looking for a book that talks and deals with grief this is the one. Definitely an emotional read

Thank you NetGally and William Morrow for letting me experience the eARC of this book

Well, this didn't measure up to The Measure. It was a good read, but a weird cross between a road trip book and speculative fiction. I think I would have preferred more on the speculative fiction side and less on the road trip side. Or, perhaps if I had gone in knowing it was more of a character driven road trip book I might have better aligned my expectations. Either way, the reader spends a majority of the book following the people on their way to The Poppy Fields, a sleep therapy center in California. It is very obviously an homage to The Wizard of Oz with the four characters (one who isn't even actually going to the Fields), a little dog, and then of course the wizard at the Fields. But whereas TWOZ has action throughout to keep the reader engaged, The Poppy Fields meanders along at a much slower pace. That was a drag for me! Not enough that I am not still looking forward to the next creative endeavor from Ms. Erlick, but just enough to feel that this was a missed opportunity for a really great book!

4.25 stars

"A stunning speculative story of healing, self-discovery, forgiveness, and found friendship.

What if there were a cure for the broken-hearted?

Welcome to the Poppy Fields, where there’s hope for even the most battered hearts to heal.

Here, in a remote stretch of the California desert, lies an experimental and controversial treatment center that allows those suffering from the heartache of loss to sleep through their pain...and keep on sleeping. After patients awaken from this prolonged state of slumber, they will finally be healed. But only if they’re willing to accept the potential shadowy side effects."

This is a brilliant look at love, loss, and grief. Erlick's writing is masterful with beautiful, philosophical prose. Her character development of four strangers who become fast friends on a road trip is excellent and a nod to The Wizard of Oz. The characters are all fully fleshed out. I loved the characters, and Erlick's insights on love and loss are a beautiful work of genius. The comparison of poppies to human resilience is also groundbreaking - pun intended! This book will provide for a fantastic discussion as a book club pick. I did want to emotionally connect with the characters more. That said, this is another important thought-provoking read from the brilliant Nikki Erlick.

Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Nikki Erlick for an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Similar to Erlick's debut novel, "The Poppy Fields" tackles a deep and complex topic--grief. If you were grieving the loss of the person who loved dearly, would you want to sleep the grief away? Like any remedy, there are pros and cons to this 'treatment' and this novel wrestles with it all. For me, this book was beautiful yet slow. I did, however, have the benefit of having both the print and audio ARC versions and the audio version was absolutely phenomenal! This narrator will now rank up there with my top choices!!! What a soothing voice! Overall, this book grappled with the human condition. It would be a great book club book! For me, this was a 3.5 star read. *I received a complimentary e-ARC and audio ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved The Measure so much, I can't tell you how many times I've recommended it and gifted it. I anxiously awaited the author's follow-up and here it finally is. As speculative fiction goes, this was a truly interesting concept. We have all been hit by grief in some way. Whether we've lost someone we love through the passing of that person or a distancing of someone, the loss of a pet or divorce, we grieve the loss. Time eases the pain, but it never truly goes away. What if someone could just sleep through the first, most difficult weeks or months of pain and wake up still feeling love but having the worst of the grief behind them? It is definitely an interesting concept. But there are consequences and you have to decide whether it is worth it. Four people on different journeys come together to perhaps teach us about not only loss and pain but joy and beauty of life. This was a good story that, at times, made me look at my life just a little differently, but didn't capture my imagination quite as much as the string of life did.
"Isn’t that what everybody wants, in the end? Just to feel a little less lonely?"

I absolutely loved The Measure and was excited to receive an ARC of Nikki Erlick’s new book. The Poppy Fields is an experimental sleeping treatment, founded by Ellis Jones, where patients, referred to as “sleepers”, are put to sleep for 4-8 weeks to help heal from loss.

I would consider this book to be more sci-fi “lite”, as the book was mostly grounded in reality. The book focuses on grief and healing with a diverse cast of interconnected characters whose storylines weave together, which I enjoyed. However, the majority of the story focuses on three people - Ava, Ray and Sasha - who rent a car and decide to drive cross-country hoping to reach the treatment facility after a tornado causes their flight to be delayed. I wish we saw more of the Poppy Fields themselves as the road trip felt drawn out and I started losing interest. Also, I don’t feel like Sky, the fourth character, added anything to the story and could’ve been left out. Overall, I enjoyed the concept and I think the book is meant to be thought provoking, but it fell a little flat to me.

4/5

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.