This is a super unique and interesting read, especially for myself as I have a background in medical research. The Poppy Fields follows several different characters and their respective journeys to a new medical center known as The Poppy Fields. This treatment helps people with varying forms of grief, by healing through a 1-2 month “sleep”. It has a modern and realistic setting, but also a very sci-fi feel.

I enjoyed this overall! The chapters are short and switch between the various characters stories (3rd person), so it’s a little confusing at first, but you catch on quickly. The characters each have a distinct voice which is really nice, and though they are so different from one another, they complement each other perfectly. I didn’t particularly love any of the characters, but didn’t dislike them either. The concept is really fun and unique. It also plays around with the idea of “the butterfly effect” and it was interesting seeing all the ties and connections between the characters in this book. I thought the ending was a bit anti-climactic and there were some slow parts in the middle, but overall this is an intriguing tale about friendship and overcoming grief. The journey to healing is certainly never linear.

Thank you to Netgalley, Nikki Erlick, and William Morrow publishing for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Content warnings: grief, death, abandonment, medical content/procedures, child death, death of parent, car accident/drunk driver

I really don’t even know how to adequately describe my feelings for this book.

“Memories without feelings are mere facts, cold and lifeless. It’s not enough just to say the names of our lost. The names must have power, must grab hold of our hearts, must remind us and teach us and inspire us.”

I loved this book so much. I loved the audio so much. The premise, the characters, the way the story made me feel and think, all just….so. Good.

This story explores grief on such a relatable level that I feel everyone needs to read it. If you can, I highly recommend the audio as its a full cast with mainly Marin Ireland at the helm and you won’t be disappointed.

This will definitely be a book people are talking about all summer long!

Thank you so very much to @williammorrowbooks for the arc and also stunning finished copy! I will treasure it
Thank you @harperaudio for the early listening copy. I devoured it.
Thank you @nikkierlick for this amazing story. It will live rent free in my head for some time to come

This one is out Tuesday 6/17 and you need to ADD TO CART IMMEDIATELY!

5 stars

This book is very touching and just a really lovely read. The Poppy Fields is an experimental method for softening and smoothing the grieving process: patients come to the facility and sleep for four to eight weeks, so they get to skip (in some sense) the worst period of grieving while their body and mind process and navigate all the emotions associated with a loved one's death. Through a series of travel snafus, four strangers end up taking a road trip to the Poppy Fields, all for different reasons. Throughout their trip, the strangers connect and share their stories.

This book reminded me of [book:The Seven O'Clock Club|216522745][book:The Shimmering State|55711676], both of which I loved and found incredibly moving. As with those books and other books I've read that deal heavily with grief, you would think this would be a sad read, but it's incredibly heartwarming and uplifting. Death and grief are facts of life, and this book explores how people react so differently to death and how people process unimaginable loss.

All of the characters in this book are lovable and full of heart, and reading as they got to know each other and supported each other was a true joy. It's also just a very well-told story: the road trip provides a solid and well-paced narrative arc, the characters are fleshed out and consistent, the story is full of surprises and warm moments, and the writing feels true and profound. We also get the perspective of the Poppy Fields founder, which is very interesting as she processes the successes and pitfalls of her experiment and reflects on what it's done to her personal life. Overall, this book was fun to read and also made me feel grateful to be alive and have people I love - that's cheesy, but what can you do. I highly recommend this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

I wasn’t head over heels for The Measure like many readers were, but I appreciated its premise enough to be intrigued by Erlick’s follow-up. The Poppy Fields also centers on a compelling “what if” – in this case, a retreat where people deep in grief can choose to sleep for weeks and wake up with their sorrow lessened.

While the concept itself had potential, but ultimately, the novel didn’t quite land for me. Despite the heavy themes of grief and healing, I found myself surprisingly untouched emotionally. I kept waiting for a moment that would really move me, but it never arrived.

It’s not that the book lacked interesting ideas – it just didn’t explore them with the depth I was hoping for. The characters felt more like vehicles for the concept rather than fully realized people, and as a result, their pain didn’t quite translate off the page. For a story about profound loss, I wanted to feel more than I did.

One thing Nikki Erlick makes me do is think outside the box. Both of her novels have an interesting premise and a different take on the world. Can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

I really liked The Measure, so I was excited to receive this ARC. What I liked about The Measure was it made you think. Would you open your box and look at your string?

This book was no different. It made you think. How do you deal with grief? By going to sleep for an extended period of time? Or by simply living? What if sleeping ran the risk of you losing all emotions towards a person?

Another great story full of characters whose stories were woven together in subtle ways, even if they never interacted in the story.

Nikki Erlick has quickly become a must-read author. I’d recommend this to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

As a huge fan of The Measure, I was thrilled to receive an ARC for The Poppy Fields, so thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the opportunity to read and review this book early!

The concept of this story was absolutely captivating to me, the idea that people could sleep away their greif at this location...however, they risked waking up with a devastating side effect. I was hooked! I thought our characters were very interesting, and I really enjoyed the fact that we got a POV from Ellis, the creator of the Poppy Fields. I liked reading about her intentions and the perception of her own work. And I always love how Nikki Erlick sneaklily intertwines her characters, and nonchalantly reveals their connections to each other, I get excited seeing that every time with her writing!

However, the pacing of this book was a bit slow for me. I was under the impression that maybe half of the book would be the journey, and the other half would be when the characters had arrived, and the actual percentage of the roadtrip was a little too high for my liking. I just couldn't wait for them to get there! Sometimes it just felt like not much was happening each day on the trip, and I sort of felt like I was constantly waiting for something big, whether it be surprising, sinister, tear-jerking, or angering, to happen, and none of that really was the case, in my opinion.

Overall, if this concept is interesting to you, I would recommend giving this book a go! There are excellent discussions surrounding familial relationships, grief, and heartache. Watch as a group of weary strangers become much, much more.

4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the ARC of this brilliant read in exchange for a honest review. I loved The Measure and was so excited to get this early copy of The Poppy Fields. What a fascinating, thought-provoking book. I changed my mind many times throughout the book on whether or not I would choose to be a patient at The Poppy Fields, and found myself wanting to ask family and friends what their choice would be. I loved the multiple point of views throughout the book and found myself very invested in each character’s story arc. I will definitely be reading whatever Nikki Erlick writes next!

Thank you to William Morrow for the ARC of The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick.

After absolutely loving The Measure, I’ve been eagerly anticipating Nikki Erlick’s follow-up for three years, and The Poppy Fields brings that same kind of thoughtful, high-concept storytelling that made her debut such a standout.

This time, Erlick asks a new question: What if there were a cure for the broken-hearted?

Set in a remote stretch of the California desert, The Poppy Fields centers around a controversial treatment facility that offers people suffering from profound grief the option to sleep through their pain. After this prolonged slumber, patients are promised healing if they’re willing to accept the possibility of shadowy side effects.

Told through multiple POVs, the novel follows four strangers, Ava, Ray, Sasha, and Sky, and one little dog, PJ, as they make their way to the Poppy Fields. Each of them is navigating a unique loss, and their emotional journeys explore both the deeply personal and collective aspects of grief.

While I didn’t love this quite as much as The Measure, it’s still absolutely worth reading. This is a book that makes you think and feel. It explores the many faces of grief and how we navigate a world after loss, individually and together. It’s beautifully written and deeply introspective, and would make a fantastic book club pick. The discussions it will spark, about memory, choice, escape, and healing, are rich and timely. Nikki Erlick has proven once again that she knows how to take a bold premise and explore it with heart and nuance.

This book tugged at my heart in ways I didn’t expect. It’s a tender, powerful story about grief and the long, winding road to healing.

Much like in The Measure, Nikki Erlick asks the impossible question: What would you do?

Grief touches all of us differently. But if you could sleep for a month to escape the pain—would you?

This was a good one! Nicki Erlick writes books that make you THINK, and I’m so fascinated with her ideas. She writes in a way that makes you feel like it these crazy things could really happen. This book deals heavily with the idea of grief, particularly with losing loved ones, so be aware of that going into it. I didn’t find it overly emotional or difficult to read, just intriguing. I also enjoyed the road trip plot and the cute pup!

Another interesting premise from the author of The Measure - what if there was a cure for grief? For the broken-hearted?

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

Much like The Measure, The Poppy Fields follows a handful of different characters who are all loosely connected... by their interest in the Poppy Fields, an experimental and controversial treatment center that allows those suffering from the heartache of loss to sleep through their pain.

It's a story that makes you think, makes you consider your own life and the decisions you might make in the wake of an unimaginable loss. And while you may think you know the answer to that already, I promise you'll grapple with your own choice as you read about each of the characters' experiences.

Another well-written book by Nikki Erlick! I look forward to reading whatever she writes in the future.

4.5 stars

I really liked this book. I enjoyed each characters story and reason for visiting the poppy fields. The depictions of grief were accurate and very moving. I have never highlighted so much in a book! The road trip storyline was a good tool to show each characters back story and motivations.

This will make an excellent book club book - many parts of the story as well as real world implications to discuss. Two days later and I am still thinking about this book - I will probably re-read it to see nuances that I most likely missed on my first read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-arc.

This book was unlike anything I’ve read in a while- with such a unique concept. The Poppy Fields pushed me outside my usual reading lane, and I’m so glad it did.

The story follows four strangers on a cross-country road trip to California. Each of them is carrying their own version of grief, hoping the journey—and maybe the Poppy Fields—will offer relief or release. What unfolds is a layered, emotional, and introspective exploration of pain, connection, and healing.

One of the things I appreciated most was how subtly the book draws attention to the small, seemingly insignificant moments in our lives—the chance encounters, quiet gestures, or missed opportunities—and the ripple effect they can have on others. It’s a quiet reminder that we’re all more connected than we realize, and that even the tiniest acts can leave a lasting impact.

The writing is beautiful and thoughtful, with plenty of lines that made me pause and reflect. I kept coming back to one central question the story poses: If you could sleep through the hardest parts of grief, would you? And while the author never gives a definitive answer, you are left to sit with it long after the final page. Perhaps there is no right answer and only different paths for each person.

Each character’s arc felt deeply personal and raw. Even within the short span of the road trip, their emotional growth and the bonds they formed felt honest and earned. I was truly invested in their journeys.

Quietly powerful, emotionally rich, and deeply human—this is one that stays with you.

This book was a great story of how grief can affect everyone differently. The story follows three main people who are looking for answers to help navigate their grief journey. A sci fi place called “ The Poppy Fields” is each of these characters destination but at various costs. I appreciated the diverse story lines which helps to depict how as humans, we feel differently, and think differently which ultimately leads to making decisions that other people may not feel is best for them. This book left me thinking about my own grief in my life and if the sleeping fields were real, would I too look to visit for a month or so.

Is your heart broken beyond repair? Would you like to sleep through it? In The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick, we find a treatment center that offers just that. Sleep that heals your heart and helps you manage your grief but there is always a cost. This novel is an exploration of grief, friendship and adventure as we follow a group of strangers on their journey to the fields. I enjoyed this book, it was wonderful in the exploration of each character's thoughts and feelings through their grief journey. Each new destination brought for a new light or way of thinking in terms of how to heal, and how each person experience grief on their own. It was extremely thought provoking and made you wonder which choice you would want to make if given the opportunity. Nikki's writing was good and flowed extremely well. Her characters each had their own personalities and I felt drawn to them. Every scenery was better than the last and I loved all the road trip pit stops. I did feel that with such a long journey to their destination that the ending was a bit rushed and I didn't get the closure for the characters that I would have liked. With that said it was still a wonderful read that I would highly recommend. I wouldn't be surprised to see this a movie one day with the unique concept! Bravo Nikki! 4 Stars for me!
Thanks to NetGalley and HarporCollins Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
To be published June 17, 2025

After loving The Measure, I was eager to read Nikki Erlick’s latest, The Poppy Fields absolutely delivered. Though there’s a science-fiction premise at its core, the book isn’t about the technology. It’s about the people. At its heart, this is a novel about grief, memory, and the bonds we form with strangers when life throws us together. The road trip structure was perfect for slowly peeling back the layers of the three main characters. I loved watching them open up, clash, connect, and grieve together.

Each character brought something different to the story, yet their guilt, longing, love, and vulnerability resonated in a deeply human way. Erlick captures that feeling of being lost and searching for meaning with incredible tenderness.

Thoughtful, moving, and beautifully written. A quiet but powerful book about what binds us.

I am embarrassed to say that I totally missed the nods to The Wizard of Oz when I read this. Someone should rescind my English Lit degree.

This is a road trip book. It kicks off with a tornado at the Kansas City airport. After flights are grounded, a motley group of strangers band together to share a car. They are each traveling to a place called The Poppy Fields in California for purposes unique to each of them. On the way, they get to know each other but, more importantly, they get to know themselves and discover that the answers they have been looking for might be closer to home than they think. Sound familiar?

This is Nikki Erlick’s sophomore novel after her wildly successful The Measure. This book was hobbled out of the gate by reader expectation, and I am guilty. The Measure gave us a unique plot that had readers engaging in conversation. This book will not do that. This is a quiet book. It is a story of friendship, self-discovery, and navigating loss told through a narrative gilded here and there with shades of Dorothy and her companion’s journey to Oz – complete with her little dog, too!

I liked this story well enough, but I wasn’t bowled over by it. There were excellent descriptions of the grief experience. So excellent in fact, that I was convinced Erlick must have undergone some deep grief trauma herself and this book was her therapy. The characters were interesting, if not inspired, but I was never totally invested in their journeys. For me, this was a classic summer read in that the story was pleasant, the characters were engaging, the narrative didn’t tax my brain, and the ending leaned towards happily ever after. I do suspect that I would have gotten more out of it had I been aware of the Wizard of Oz component prior to reading it.

The Poppy Fields is a touching story that combines fiction with deep human emotions. It takes place in a unique place where people can heal their broken hearts through sleep. The novel follows a group of strangers united by their grief and hope as they seek something almost mythical. Each character's story reveals their pain and strength, creating a powerful picture of loss and the struggle for peace. Although some parts of the story might seem unbelievable, the core message about the challenges and costs of healing feels very true.

This is a stunning, thought provoking exploration of grief, healing, and the emotional cost of forgetting. The concept is instantly compelling: in this world, grief can be “slept off” in a place called the poppy fields, a dreamlike landscape where mourners go to rest and, ideally, heal. But there’s a catch. Some people wake up having lost not just their pain, but their emotional connection to the person they’ve lost. The question the book quietly, but powerfully asks is; what is the price of peace, and is it worth it?

This would make an incredible book club pick. Every character feels vivid and distinct, with layered backstories and rich emotional arcs that invite conversation. Erlick handles heavy themes (grief, love, memory, and identity) with remarkable care, and there are some beautifully crafted twists that add depth without ever feeling manipulative.

While the story revolves around loss, it’s not a bleak book, it’s deeply human, and ultimately hopeful. It speaks to the universality of mourning and asks what it really means to move on. If you’ve ever struggled with grief, or simply want a novel that will move and challenge you, this one was fantastic.