I adore Nikki Erlick. Her books are so unique with the ability to crack open your chest and steal your heart I really enjoyed this story’s premise and our motley crew of characters. While I definitely wouldn’t chance the side effects of the sleep. I see why someone might!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book. I was excited to read this and enjoyed the premise. The first half was different than the second. I also had a little trouble remembering who was who and would have done better if each chapter was a different character. I still finished and enjoyed the book, and I felt like the second half was stronger.

The Poppy Fields presents a captivating premise—a remote treatment center where people can sleep through their grief and awaken healed. It’s a bold, speculative idea that immediately intrigued me, and the opening chapters promised emotional depth and introspection.

While the novel didn’t quite reach the emotional resonance I hoped for—some character development felt a bit surface-level—it was still a thoughtful, engaging read with a unique concept and beautifully written moments.

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

So this is basically a big fat bummer for me. After loving Erlick’s debut, THE MEASURE, I did have high hopes for her next book. I was also reasonable with my expectations…and while her signature style of taking something just *slightly* beyond our current realm of thinking and making it realistic enough to get us thinking is there, the execution fell way flat.

The first half and the second half of this book felt like two separate books to me. Admittedly, I did head into this one thinking it was more literary fiction…but the first half didn’t feel that way at all to me. It reminded me of Annie Harnett’s book, THE ROAD TO TENDER HEARTS. For a majority of this book, we are on a road trip across America and there is little talk about the actual Poppy Fields.

In the second half, we finally make it to the Poppy Fields and the books tone takes on a more serious tone. I’m gonna say - I much preferred the second half…and by then, I just really didn’t care.

Something just felt very off with this book…was it the marketing? My incorrect assumptions about the premise? Erlick’s execution of the plot? I’m not sure…but this was a huge fail for me and I’m really sad about it.

An unlikely cast of characters are in a yellow car all going to the same place but for different reasons. I liked the idea of this book but was very much waiting for something exciting to happen or something surprising. The measure was one of my favorite books of the year a couple of years ago and this didn’t compare to the greatness of the measure. It’s about love and loss and grief and how grief is different for everyone so it definitely had some very relatable parts and it was very well written. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This is one of the more profound books I’ve read this year. If you’ve ever lost someone you really loved and understand how deep grief runs, this book will resonate with you. The Poppy Fields documents how the main characters are on a metaphorical and literal journey and how grief is a very personal, individual thing.
Don’t expect fast pacing or crazy plot twists.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this book!

This speculative fiction novel offers a unique premise by introducing an unconventional grief treatment.

The Poppy Fields is where people (who apply and are approved) can go to sleep for a couple of months and essentially have their overwhelming feelings of despair lessened. Of course, such a treatment is not without side effects, and each participant must decide whether it’s worth the risk.

The story is told from the perspectives of the three people originally journeying to the Poppy Fields, plus a young hitchhiker looking for adventure, and also the creator of the place.

If The Wizard of Oz is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of poppy fields, you’ll appreciate the parallels.

In the novel, four strangers are stranded in Kansas following a tornado. After they all realize they’re going to the same place looking for similar things, they decide to take the journey together, including one person who happens to be traveling with a tiny dog. Sound familiar?

However, the author offers another description regarding the significance of poppies in the book, which I liked, although I wish there were a little more about the place itself. This comes only in the last quarter of the book.

Also, for a book that’s thematically about grief, I thought I’d feel sadder, but I was a little disconnected from the characters, which didn’t make the story any less interesting, just wasn’t what I expected.

Side note: The cover is stunning, and sprayed edges are becoming all the rage and are top-notch with this one.

Okay, so… let’s just get this out of the way: this book was kind of boring. Not in a “nothing happens at all” kind of way, but in that meandering, slow-burn style that thinks it's doing deep character work—but ultimately doesn’t go anywhere.

The story centers more on a road trip than any real plot progression, and while I’m all for character-driven narratives, the arcs here felt unfinished. The development that’s supposed to be happening never really lands. I kept waiting for that emotional payoff, for some turning point that would make it all click—but it never came.

That said, the idea of the poppy fields was brilliant. Sleeping away grief? What a hauntingly beautiful and creative concept. I was immediately hooked by that premise, and it’s exactly the kind of high-concept storytelling the author nailed in her debut, The Measure—which, by the way, was a five-star read for me. I recommend that book to everyone. It was poignant, thought-provoking, and emotionally resonant. This one… not so much.

Instead, what we get is a flat, aimless journey. Just engaging enough to keep me from DNF-ing, but not compelling enough to feel satisfied by the end. Speaking of the ending: what even was that? I genuinely don’t remember how it wrapped up, and not because I wasn’t paying attention—I was just that underwhelmed. There were all these breadcrumbs for side plots (like Ava maybe having a thing for Ray?) that led absolutely nowhere. So many threads that could’ve added dimension, but they were either dropped or never fully fleshed out.

On the positive side, the narrators were excellent, and I did enjoy the inclusion of articles and interviews scattered throughout—it gave the story a little more texture. But ultimately, the book lacked momentum, emotional depth, and clarity in its character arcs.

This had the potential to be a profound exploration of grief and healing, but instead, it just kind of… dragged. I really wanted to love it, especially based on the author’s past work, but it fell short in a disappointing way.

Okay, so… let’s just get this out of the way: this book was kind of boring. Not in a “nothing happens at all” kind of way, but in that meandering, slow-burn style that thinks it's doing deep character work—but ultimately doesn’t go anywhere.

The story centers more on a road trip than any real plot progression, and while I’m all for character-driven narratives, the arcs here felt unfinished. The development that’s supposed to be happening never really lands. I kept waiting for that emotional payoff, for some turning point that would make it all click—but it never came.

That said, the idea of the poppy fields was brilliant. Sleeping away grief? What a hauntingly beautiful and creative concept. I was immediately hooked by that premise, and it’s exactly the kind of high-concept storytelling the author nailed in her debut, The Measure—which, by the way, was a five-star read for me. I recommend that book to everyone. It was poignant, thought-provoking, and emotionally resonant. This one… not so much.

Instead, what we get is a flat, aimless journey. Just engaging enough to keep me from DNF-ing, but not compelling enough to feel satisfied by the end. Speaking of the ending: what even was that? I genuinely don’t remember how it wrapped up, and not because I wasn’t paying attention—I was just that underwhelmed. There were all these breadcrumbs for side plots (like Ava maybe having a thing for Ray?) that led absolutely nowhere. So many threads that could’ve added dimension, but they were either dropped or never fully fleshed out.

On the positive side, the narrators were excellent, and I did enjoy the inclusion of articles and interviews scattered throughout—it gave the story a little more texture. But ultimately, the book lacked momentum, emotional depth, and clarity in its character arcs.

This had the potential to be a profound exploration of grief and healing, but instead, it just kind of… dragged. I really wanted to love it, especially based on the author’s past work, but it fell short in a disappointing way.

Deep in the California desert lies an experimental treatment center dedicated to easing the pain of grief. Every year, thousands of people travel to this remote place, where they undergo a months-long therapeutic sleep designed to help them heal. When four strangers cross paths on their way out west, a chance encounter creates unexpected friendships and sets them on a shared journey- one of reflection, forgiveness, and transformation.

I loved The Measure by this author, so I couldn’t wait to read this one! Like The Measure, this is a speculative fiction novel that explores several powerful themes such as grief, loss, and healing. The story unfolds through the perspectives of four strangers: Ava, an artist accompanied by her dog PJ; Ray, a firefighter; Sasha, a woman coping with heartbreak; and Sky, a free spirit. It’s very much a character-driven novel rather than a fast paced story. The story also includes Ellis, the founder of the Poppy Fields, offering insight into why people choose to go there and the dark secrets surrounding that place.

Told through interviews, articles, podcasts, and multiple perspectives, the story examines the complexities of grief and the healing process. Many individuals in this story are grappling with the loss of a loved one, seeking solace in sleep as a way to reduce the intensity of the sadness and pain they are experiencing. Struggling with anger, guilt, and fear, many people ask themselves the same question: what could I have done differently and how do I move forward with this heartache?

This book was incredibly thought-provoking and I found myself attached to the characters by the end of this story. It’s a slower-paced book that touches on some very heavy topics, but if you’re interested in a story that explores existential questions about life, death, and our relationships with others, definitely consider reading this one.

The Poppy Fields was beautifully written and emotionally rich. I loved the lyrical style and how the story explored memory, grief, and connection. Some parts were a bit slow, but overall it was a moving, thoughtful read that stuck with me.

Having read The Measure I was thrilled to be approved to read The Poppy Fields by the same author.

The Measure offered so many ideas and sparked great conversation in my family since many of us read the book and recommend it to each other.
But I was very disappointed in The Poppy Fields. I feel the author used a formula, overlaying too many similarities of her first book to come up with this premise.
I had a hard time finishing the book because I just didn't 't think it held up to her first novel and to re-read a version so similar to The Measure was just too much.

It's very possible that the reader who starts with The Poppy Fields will be very intrigued, but if you want a better book with a more interesting and compelling premise, read The Measure.

3.5-4⭐️

As a true LOVER of The Measure, this was definitely one of my most anticipated reads of the year. The story was thoughtful, hopeful and sad at times but I did enjoy it! I think the issue for me the pacing overall. Based on the synopsis, I was not expecting this to be SUCH a slow-burn but it was still a great story and the writing was BEAUTIFUL.

As a first responder, I absolutely loved Ray’s POV. I was able to connect with his character on a personal level. Ava & Sasha were also extremely lovable characters.

While there were times when I wasn’t itching to pick this up, it did finally pick up the pace around the 60% mark and I was able to fly through to the end.

The Poppy Fields is a story about grief and what you do after losing someone special to you, specifically how you deal with the grief from that loss. The concept of this is very intriguing, thought provoking and technologically advanced, at first understanding this concept, I made the parallel to the passengers movie and those sleep pods..
this novel had a tremendous amount of emotional depth, but in my opinion lacked character depth. There were four main characters that we followed on their path. It felt as the connection built between reader and character was there, but in my opinion it was missing something.

If you lost someone… would you go to the Poppy Fields?

Overall it was a good book and I enjoyed the thought provoking read!

Thank you NetGallery and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting, emotional story of attempting to erase grief in your life.
Imagine if this were possible?
Would you truly want to not feel the sadness, memories and love that once were present or would you rather detach from it all?

Four young adults go on a journey down the road to find this so called "Poppy field". They once were strangers and along the path become friends that share secrets, friendship and life. All are looking for something different from this trip.

Without going in to too much detail and spoilers; I truly enjoyed this book and how it really made me reflect about my own life,losses and what I would choose if this magical place were real.
It reminded me of “following the yellow brick road”.
Good story and very well done!

Thank you to @NetGalley and to @William Morrow for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.

The Poppy Fields reminds me a lot of how I felt about The Measure, Nikki Erlick’s debut book. Her ideas and questions are very unique and interesting but then execution is just not there.
The Poppy Fields tells the story of three strangers traveling together to The Poppy Fields, an experimental site in California where grieving people can go to sleep for up to two months and subsequently forget their grief. The story of this road trip is interspersed with learning more about the Poppy Fields and Ellis, their mysterious creator.
My main criticism of the book, though it is well written and asks really smart questions about grief and memory, is that it’s simply boring. Really nothing happens. There are a few surprising reveals but they all prove ultimately inconsequential and the characters on the road trip are like paper cutouts. It may just be that Nikki Erlick is not for me.
The multi-narrator audiobook is excellent and really made listening to this book enjoyable even though I didn’t love the story. The different narrators are engaging and make the story go by very quickly.
Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow and Harper Audio for an advanced reader/listener copy of this book.

The Poppy Fields was a little difficult for me to connect with at the start, but was tugging at my heartstrings by the time I was finished. I had a harder time connecting with the characters than I did with The Measure, but I did finally find my way there as I followed along with their journey.

Each of the novel's characters is navigating their own loss and path through grief when they are unexpectedly thrust together. They learn to build friendship while on an impromptu road trip amidst all kinds of tumultuous feelings that their individual struggles present. These new friendships help them to grow and to recognize just how much they still have to be grateful for.

My only small disappointment with the book was that I wanted a little more from all the Wizard of Oz nods, as that had been a healthy part of my initial interest in the story, but putting that aside it was a spectacular journey and absolutely worth the read.

3.5 stars rounded up. I really wanted to love this book but it didn't live up to The Measure which was 10 stars in my opinion. While I think the premise of this book is so creative/fascinating and loved how she wove the characters stories together I felt some of it was a bit repetitive and slow. I also didn't think the sleep to me was as controversial as she was trying to portray it to be so it was a lot of justification/controversy felt forced. I think it is still worth the read but I had high expectations going into it that weren't met.

This was an excellent follow up to Nikki Erlick's first novel The Measure. Like The Measure, it is thought provoking and will make an excellent book club discussion book. The relationship between Sasha, Ray, Ava and Sky is very real and you really understand all the characters' motivations. The book is well written and the stories of all the characters are interesting. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

I could not wait to get my hands on this one and it did not disappoint!! The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick is such a unique concept and I could not get enough! If given a chance to do this, how many of us really would? This one makes you think and sticks with you! Excellent narrator.


Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.