Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick.

The Poppy Fields certainly lives up to the popularity of Erlick's debut, The Measure. Each book contains such an interesting plot that speaks to human curiosities and desires. Now, maybe it's because I just finished The Poppy Fields, so it's fresher in my mind, but I liked The Poppy Fields even more than The Measure. I loved the subtle nods to Wizard of Oz, the road trip aspect of the novel, and the layers of dealing with the different kinds of grief. If there was a way to sleep through the worst stages of grief, would you take it?

"Grief is the price we pay for love." Quoted by Queen Elizabeth, to me, this is a perfect way to sum up the pain of grief. I was so enthralled by the concept of The Poppy Fields and was thrilled to receive an ARC from NetGalley. The story asks the reader how far they would go to ease the heavy burden of grief. As anyone who has lost someone dear to them knows, what makes grief so daunting is that you must move through it, and it’s a journey you must do so alone. The Poppy Fields offers an end to this painful journey if you can handle the often-profound side effects.

Set in the California desert is an innovative center that offers the opportunity for those who are in the throes of grief to heal. The story is that of four strangers on their way to the center who decide to take an unexpected road trip after their flights are cancelled. A good portion of the book focuses on their trip to the center vs. the center itself. This results in a story told from many points of view and this had me struggling a bit.

Ultimately, I think I was just not in the right place at the right time for this story. Many parts of the story are heavy and melancholy. I found it to be a bit slow and character-driven, with some sci-fi and fantasy elements mixed in (genres that are not my favorite).

While it ended up not being my favorite, this book would make an excellent book club book as it is thought-provoking and will resonate with people in unique and personal ways. It is worthy of discussion and sure to generate thoughtful conversation.

This novel was a roller coaster ride of emotions. It is extremely thought provoking and reflective. It flowed well, had a clear thesis and was beautifully written. It has multiple point of views, with all of the main characters in the story having a strong character development. It has lovable characters that just draws you into their lives and what happened to them individually. I found it to be engaging, thematically structured and memorable. The way this author writes this book is just amazing and unique. Even though this is a book of fantasy fiction, it felt really realistic to me. I felt that the minor characters stood out to me as well. This centers around the theme of processing guilt and healing. Furthermore, it explores how different people go through loss and trauma. Don’t let this beautiful cover fool you, this book is very deep! Overall, I give this 4 out of 5 stars

“The Poppy Fields” follows four different strangers and a little dog. They travel into the poppy fields to seek comfort and connection. The poppy fields is a facility that gives people a chance to heal and find hope after a devastating trauma they experienced .

I think anyone that is looking for a deep emotional book to read would enjoy this one! It does remind me of the poppy fields in the “Wizard of Oz” movie. However, this book is unique in its own way. Content warnings include death, child death and grief.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Nikki Erlick and William Morrow for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on June 17, 2025!

This book hooked me from the start and just I gobbled it up. I’m a huge fan of THE MEASURE so I was so excited to read Nikki Erlick’s next book and it did not disappoint.

At its heart, this book is a road trip book which I love. The cast of characters is assembled in one of the wildest ways I’ve read and I loved how their personalities played off each other. The storylines of each are woven together so beautifully. Erlick has a way of giving you just the right amount of information at the right time to connect everything together in a way that feels surprising and yet somehow you already knew it to be true.

I really enjoyed how this book looks at grief and living life and what it means. The way that each story is portrayed as valid and authentic and yet each character’s experience is vastly different rang so true.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Nikki Erlick and William Morrow for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I didn’t like this nearly as much as I liked her debut, The Measure.

One thing I have to credit the author on is her original plots. Her prose is great, fast-paced, page turners. This was just missing something.

Multiple POV keeps it going.
And everything always has a weird way of intertwining.
Characters are always connected before they know it.

Maybe it was the sad theme of grief, wrong timing for this one. Maybe I’ll give it a go again in the future and see if I can’t read it in a different light.

I liked it. I didn’t love it.

3.5 ⭐️

Nikki Erlick's style of writing speculative stories is so unique and so special and so READABLE. I inhaled this book, and although I didn't love it as much as her last book (which is a very high bar to reach!), I loved every second of it.

I loved that we followed these four very different characters and got to know them while learning about their healing/grief journeys. I loved the way Erlick explored the many ways grief affects us and the ways we are changed by it. I loved the discussions about love and about remembrance and about the ways we keep the memories of those we miss alive. I loved watching these characters learn from each other and grow based on their experiences. It was such a fantastic story and made me so emotional!

“𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀. 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲.”

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4.5/5

𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 6/17/25

*Thank you @NetGalley and @williammorrowbooks and @harperaaudio for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

•Audiobook 🎧/ Digital book 📖 dual immersion read

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: There is a facility in the California desert that promises to allow people to sleep through their grief, and wake once the worst of the pain is over. Thousands of patients have participated with great results. Ava, Sasha, Ray, and Sky all have their own reasons for wanting to head to California and the Poppy Fields, each learning more than they bargained for along the way.

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
🌹Multiple POV
🛏️Strong character development
🌹Introspective look into grief
🛏️Strangers forming a friendship
🌹Life paths all crossing
🛏️A cute dog

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
Erlick is a master with her writing, she has a stellar way with words and her ability to weave in and out of different characters POV. The premise was unique and one that almost anyone can identify with at some point in their lives. The characters were lovable and well developed and the main narrator did a fantastic job with each characters voice, bringing their personalities to life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, more than Erlick's first novel, The Measure. There was even a little Easter Egg nod to The Measure mentioned in the book. Highly recommended read about grief, the forms it takes, how to push through, and come through on the other side.

#ThePoppyFields

✨The Poppy Fields ✨
By Nikki Erlick

Genre: Literary Fiction, Magical realism
Format: 📖+🎧
Steam: None
Publishes: 6/17/25
Publisher: William Morrow
Audiobook: HarperAudio
Narrators: Fabulous full cast- Marin Ireland; Dan Bittner; Stacey Glemboski; Graham Halstead; Mia Barron; Callie Dalton; Janina Edwards; Shawn K. Jain; Christian Barillas; Jason Culp

In a remote California desert lies the Poppy Fields, a controversial center offering a radical cure for heartbreak: a prolonged sleep to awaken healed, though not without potential shadowy side effects. Four strangers, each burdened by loss and secrets, embark on a transformative road trip to this mystical destination, forcing them to confront how far they'll go to escape their pain and what it truly means to heal.

As a huge fan of The Measure, I was incredibly excited for Nikki Erlick's new novel! The Poppy Fields did not just deliver, it surpassed my expectations. This beautifully crafted, thought-provoking story features a cast of such rich and complex characters. I loved discovering how their individual stories and grief journeys wove together throughout. The writing itself is stunning, filled with countless lines I found myself wanting to jot down and revisit.

The audiobook is brought to life with a full cast narration. I primarily enjoyed it during my solo evening walks after the kids were asleep, and it proved to be a perfect walking companion, offering significant food for thought during my sunset strolls. For anyone seeking a character-focused, thought-provoking exploration of the complexities of grief and loss and its diverse effects on people, this book is highly recommended. This will be a book that sticks with me. I loved it.

After taking a few days to reflect on 'The Poppy Fields', I've found it's a book that truly improves with digestion time. My initial rating was 4 stars, but upon further thought, it feels much more like a 4.5-star read for me.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

📖Read The Poppy Fields if you like reading about:
Complexities of grief
Magical realism
Character driven story
Complex characters
Ethical dilemmas
Speculative treatment and consequences
Multiple POV

🙏 Thank you to Netgalley, @williammorrowbooks, HarperAudio, and Nikki Erlick for this ARC & ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts. The Poppy Fields publishes 6/8/25. 💖

Please note that this ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I always get nervous when I know that a book is going to touch on the grief. In 2022, I lost my mom, my stepdad, and an aunt that I was very close with. Sometimes I read things that warm my heart, and sometimes I read things that make me angry and bitter. This book, fortunately, fell into the first category. While it touches on borderline-sci-fi, it also beautifully captures human emotion- sadness, anger, fear, the desire to numb, and also RESILIENCE. I love that the author addressed the need to realize that grief is so hard because it’s based on so much love.

I also loved the characters - I loved how they found each other by chance and bonded over circumstance.

Beautifully done. 5/5.

Wow, I can honestly say that I was not expecting this to be as PROFOUND as what it was. This was seriously a beautiful and amazing read. The way it tackles the difficult topic of grief is what really hit me, because I’m dealing with grief now, and it just really hit home and was a beautiful, HOPEFUL read

Nikki Erlick is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Having read and loved The Measure, I couldn’t wait to read The Poppy Fields. And it absolutely blew me away.

I haven’t read a ton of speculative fiction but Erlick absolutely shines at this. She can masterfully weave a story with a clever and engaging plot and complex, multilayered characters while truly making you think what if? What would I do?

At its premise, The Poppy Fields is centered on the concept of grief. An experimental medical center has developed a sleeping treatment to help people suffering from the loss of a loved one. Patients go to the Poppy Fields to sleep in a type of medically induced coma for a period of 4-8 weeks. When they awaken, the acute phase of grief has passed and they are able to start moving forward with their lives again. However, 1 in 4 people may also suffer a terrible side effect from the treatment.

Beyond the subject of grief, this book explores the complexity of human emotions. How we all react differently to grief. How it affects our loved ones. It questions love, loss, loneliness, isolation. Would you choose to sleep to process your grief? Is it selfish? What about those left behind?

The story is told through the experiences of 5 different characters. Three journeying to the fields for differing reasons, the founder of the fields managing demand for her treatments and guilt about the side effect and one free spirit along for the ride and some unexpected life lessons.

This book is one that will stay with me for a long time. It raises so many questions that would be great for a book club discussion and I was an emotional mess by the end.

I believe this will be one of the best books of 2025. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. This book will be published in June 2025.

4/5 This is a story of love, loss, and road trips. Three people find themselves heading to the same place for different reasons, mourning the loss of someone. This is a great philosophy book and I tend to lean more with the character Donna. Lots to discuss, this would be a great book for book club. I found it a bit slow, just waiting and anticipating the ending, which is why I didn’t give it 5 stars. You’ll like this book if you liked Severance

"Poppies are a ruderal species, which means they grow from the rubble. They wait in the soil, dormant, until they can emerge in the wake of a catastrophe and help make way for other plants to return. Like they've been sleeping, just waiting to wake up and return to normal life on earth."
I loved Nikki Erlick's book, The Measure, and couldn't wait to read The Poppy Fields. I wasn't sure what to expect. This book explores grief and healing and makes you ask yourself how far you are willing to go to be healed. This is also a book about relationships. Four strangers are on their way out west to find The Poppy Fields and along the way they become friends. Each has their own reason for wanting to go there. Each has their own different type of healing needed. Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I loved it!

Multiple perspectives, character driven, and a journey story… count me in. Erlick follows the story of a handful of characters to explore how society would react to emerging technology

After a tornado strikes near an airport, three passengers embark on a roadtrip journey to their original destination, The Poppy Fields. It is a new way to sleep through the grief of losing a loved one or a relationship without having to suffer. The method is controversial and everyone has their own opinion on it. Along the way, the displaced passengers learn about each other's grief and what lead them to choose this destination. Each is going for a different reason and we learn about their pasts through their own viewpoint. Eventually they also meet up with a fourth passenger and learn her story as well although she is not headed to the same place. Bonding with each other helps them grow and make better choices by looking at their own grief and other's grief from a different perspective.

I love how Nikki Erlick's books leave you to ponder what would you do in certain situations. They are extremely thought provoking novels with great character development throughout the stories. She is a great storyteller and the plots of her novels are very different than most books out there which seem to be getting more and more repetitive. I enjoyed The Measure and I also really enjoyed The Poppy Fields. I hope she continues to come up with these well-rounded, brilliant, and unique stories. Thank you, William Morrow for the eARC and chance to read and review this wonderful book.

This book has a beautiful way of describing grief and loss. If you've ever lost someone and been devastated by that lost then the concept of being able to medically sleep away the grief would likely pique your interest. I would have liked a bit more of the science explained, but the emotions conveyed more than make up for my curiosity. Prepare to cry, perhaps several times. This is quite a lovely and moving book.

This one hurts to write because I love Erlick’s writing and The Measure was my favorite book from 2022, but this was kind of a miss for me.

Let’s start with the good, however. Erlick writes grief so well. Some of the ideas and musings in this book are deeply profound. Her characters are very interesting and well-crafted. And I love how unique the premise of this was.

That being said, while the concept was great, the details weren’t super strong. I wish the process of how the sleep works was more described. I also felt like there was a Wizard of Oz theme trying to happen that wasn’t quite fleshed out enough and resulted in this weird Mary Sue character being there who seemed to not have much of a point.

I think the bones of a great book were here, but the execution was lacking a bit. I still enjoyed it, though, and look forward to whatever she writes next.

Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for this ARC.

As was the case with Nikki Erlick's previous book, "The Measure," this book has an intriguing premise and is beautifully written. Four strangers are thrown together through different circumstances as they make they way to the Poppy Fields in the California desert, where they will undergo a controversial sleep cure to help them overcome grief. You get to know and feel invested in each character's backstory, and it's enjoyable to follow the growing friendships among the characters. I listened to the audiobook, which was performed beautifully by various narrators. Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow and Harper Audio for the e-ARC and audio e-ARC of this original and thought-provoking book.

I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This was 5 stars for me I loved the premise and the character development and the message was definitely next level thoughtful;

4 Stars!

I absolutely loved The Measure and was so excited to see Nikki Erlick write another book and with somewhat the same feelings as The Measure!

The Poppy Fields features a unique way to combat profound grief, but with that treatment can come a cost. I felt that Erlick truly understood grief in the beautiful words she has written. I can't recommend this book enough to those who have suffered a loss in their lives, it felt like therapy.

Overall, the story started out so strong with me and I felt that the same connection that I did to The Measure - multiple characters that are at surface level not connected, but then are strongly connected in the fulfilling way. In the middle, I felt that the storyline drug a bit while still creating relevant background on the characters. I didn't have as much time to read as I normally do, so I felt like I lost a little steam and it took me longer to pick up reading again, making it feel more drug out, so this feeling could have been unique to me.

Huge thanks to Nikki Erlick, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.