Some might say this was an emotional rollercoaster. I would call it a soulful one.

The Poppy Fields opens with the most eloquently beautiful prologue I have ever read.

I chose to review this book in the beginning for research, despite it being unquestionably a work of fiction, and also in what others might deem strange—a healing resource for my own grief and trauma over the death of my partner, six years ago November 16,2025.

Unlike other reviews I have done in the past, I am treading hesitantly, cautiously, with admiration and respect. We all have trauma that we are enduring, so I’m reviewing this wholeheartedly with an open-mind and open to its journey into a place I have feared since that day he passed…living!

What Nikki Erlick has done with this book, no doctors, therapists, or medicine has been able to do with my own grief, grieving process, or the ultimate healing journey that I had hoped they would.

Erlick’s various characters take you through their own personal grief trauma, and the elegant way that she uses six degrees of separation to weave together this heartfelt story. While there are numerous characters, the ones I think stand out the most are Emmy aka Ellis, Ava, Ray, Sky, and of course the oftentimes sidekick PJ. These characters are ones that have been created with such deep thought paired with the author’s powerful abilities of compassion, empathy, and love.

Oftentimes as I was reading, I quite literally had to stop reading to regain my own emotional composure. Erlick’s “power of the pen” (keyboard, typewriter, whatever!) is so intense that her words helped me to unlock my own memories that were locked away due to my own grief. Many of them I was shocked to recall, and ever so grateful that I had the help to unlock those hidden away deep in my subconscious. As the chapters flew by, the journey of these beloved characters own healing also helped heal my own in some small way.

Without a doubt, The Poppy Fields deserves a 5* review, and a strong recommendation to purchase your own copy asap!

Thank you to Nikki for her exceptionally well written novel, and for encouraging to go down a rabbit hole in search of Pelorus Jack. For the kind words she shared with me privately, and to NetGalley for my ARC.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So, honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I read the synopsis and started this book, but it blew me away in a very pleasant way! Yes, the Poppy Fields revolves around the same titled place where people go to sleep for an extended period of time to recover from loses, but what the synopsis is doesn’t share is that this is an amazing story about three main characters, Ray, Ava, and Sasha who all find themselves heading to the Poppy Field for three very different reasons and how their lives all come together and heal in vastly different, yet very entangled ways. How they are still very connected by the end of the book and have such an intricate and amazingly interwoven character development happening along the way. I really enjoyed this read and would highly recommend for someone looking for a solid fictional story read to pick it up!

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick (book cover is in image) is an interesting spin on the Wizard of Oz. In this book, like she did in The Measure, she takes a component from an existing book, in this case the Poppies from the Wizard of Oz, and crafts a dystopian tale, but like the Fates in Measure, there is very shallow coverage of this component.

Like in the OZ book, 4 individuals and a dog go on a journey to a place in order to find closure. Travelling through the Midwest to the deserts of California they are seeking a treatment to help cope with their existing grief, testing how far they are willing to go to be healed.

The narration by by the cast of Marin Ireland, Dan Bittner, Stacey Glemboski, Graham Halstead, Mia Barron, Callie Dalton, Janina Edwards, Shawn K. Jain, Christian Barillas and Jason Culp are expertly done and allowed me to finish the book within 2 days. I highly recommend it for those how like tales of loss and healing with a dystopian twist.

Thank you William Morrow, Harper Audio Adult, and NetGalley for opportunity to read this ARC and listen to this ALC. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Jun 17 2025

#HarperAudioAdult
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Some interesting concepts in this introspective novel: If you could sleep through your grief, would you? The story doesn't quite live up to the premise, providing a road-trip narrative featuring strangers who bond over their journey to a mysterious sleep facility. There seem to be hints that something sinister could be afoot... but there isn't. The tone is uneven, and led me to expect a different type of story than what this truly is. I appreciated some of the characters and their backstories, but as a whole, I don't think this novel delivers as uplifting a message as it seems to be going for.

Nikki Erlick continues to write books with interesting concepts. This time she writes about the Poppy Fields where people come to sleep to heal their pain. I liked the book although I wasn’t as emotionally invested as I thought I would be.

THE POPPY FIELDS by Nikki Erlick

I loved The Measure, so I had high hopes going into this one. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the digital copy.

A mysterious field with the power to heal draws a group of strangers together, each carrying their own past and pain. As they make their way toward the Poppy Fields, their pasts, choices, and hopes unfold in a story about what we’re willing to risk for the chance to be made whole again.

I really loved the cast of characters and the way their stories unfolded. The applications to be considered for the Poppy Fields were such an interesting touch, too. But once they arrived to The Poppy Fields, I wanted more. The ending felt a little too quiet for the build-up. Still, it’s a unique premise and worth the read! Anything that makes me think and ponder. 💭

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book. I just knew I loved the measure, and I was not disappointed. I think I just really love Erlick's writing. As someone who knows the feeling of deep grief and heartache, this one hurt in only the ways a really good story can. This idea, that there might be a way to get around having to feel your grief, is something I'm sure everyone's thought about, but Erlick does an amazing job at writing such an eye-opening story.

Certainly, a must-read for 2025.

A beautiful premise that makes you examine your own relationship with grief and its many forms. I expected this book to be something different, and was pleasantly surprised by what its was. A fantastic telling for 4 strangers from such different walks of life, dealing with their own grief in such vastly different ways- all discovering who they are after the hardest parts of their lives. this is the best kind of sci-fi because it makes you look inward and ask yourself what you would do if you were presented with an option to just get past the grief.

3.5 rounded down

A thought provoking read about grief and love and friendship. I loved the way Nikki tied all the stories together, a lot in unexpected ways. The journey to get there was fun, but also slooooowwwwww. The set up was great but the execution lagged. I wish we would have gotten to the poppy fields much much sooner. I understand why it played out the way it did but it just left me wanting more. I think had the story not been so repetitive that the slow journey wouldn’t have bother me so much. There was a lot of rehashing over and over for no reason. And there were a lot of characters to keep track of with the interwoven stories. Sometimes a name would be dropped and they had no defining moment (LOOKIN AT YOU ANNIE) so it made me even more confused about who did what and where they fit.

I liked just didn’t love. The Measure held a much bigger emotional punch. Still look forward to reading whatever Nikki writes. Her plots are unique and her message is always important.

The Poppy Fields is a thought provoking, interesting read. Nikki Erlich writes with such beauty and elegance. I enjoy how her books feel like multiple stories that are woven together to form one.

This book follows a small group of strangers who meet by accident. Each have a deeply personal reason to get to the famed therapy center called The Poppy Fields.

Grief and how to live with grief is a main focus of this book. Many characters share profound insight on what grief is to them. It’s an emotional yet evenly paced read. The big reveal seemed somewhat anticlimactic but that didn’t take away from the intensity of the book itself.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC in return for my honest review.

🌸 The Poppy Fields - Nikki Erlick

3.75 ⭐️ - I liked this! I just wanted some more! If you haven’t read The Measure by Nikki Erlick yet, you need to. If you have, you’ll enjoy The Poppy Fields too!

This was a really fun, interesting concept. Would you, if you could, sleep away your grief and risk the memories of loved ones? As someone who’s lost my best friend and grandparents, it would be something to consider! Idk if I really could do it, but I’d think about it. This has depth to its characters as they each grapple with why they are going to The Poppy Fields and how to address their grief. The found family aspect to these characters is strong, relatable, and enjoyable. I loved the cross country roadtrip aspect to this book. It did take me a litttttle bit to get into, but once I was in, I was in. I really enjoyed the audiobook!

Thank you William Morrow, Harper Audio, and Netgalley for the early arc and audio! This one’s out now!

It’s been said that time heals all wounds. For those who seek solace at the Poppy Fields, this theory is put to the test. Individuals grieving a significant loss in their life, be it from death, infidelity, etc. go to the Poppy Fields for a unique therapy – being put into a monthlong sleep. The thought is that the restorative powers of sleep and time can help ease the pain of grief.

Leading this controversial facility is Ellis, a highly-driven scientist trying to make a difference in the lives of others. While the reasons for seeking the Poppy Fields are varied, this story follows three individuals heading to the California facility for their own purposes. Ava is a risk-averse illustrator, Ray is a fireman missing his brother, and Sasha is an occupational therapist who lost her fiancé. The lives of these three strangers intertwine as they make their way west, and everyone’s beliefs will be tested as they hear each other’s stories.

This book is a beautiful exploration of grief and loss. The take away for me is that there is no right way to grieve and that we shouldn’t judge others for how they handle losses. We can’t possibly understand the intricacies of others’ situations, so having patience and understanding is the best way to support one another. I really enjoyed the way the lives of the characters interacted and the lessons woven throughout the book. A great read that makes you contemplate the losses in your own life and consider how you can help others with theirs.

‼️ REVIEW ‼️

Thank you to @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for the chance to read #ThePoppyFields by @nikkierlick and provide my honest review.

⭐️ Rating: 4.5/5 stars ⭐️

Emojis: ✈️🚖 💔 😴🛌🌸🌼🌵🏜️❤️‍🩹

And @nikkierlick does it again! I was so excited for the opportunity to read The Poppy Fields after loving the immersive experience of reading her first novel, The Measure. Her beautifully descriptive narrative style paired with woven story lines and exploration of challenging themes (such as grief and loss) draws readers in and shines a lighted path towards hope for humanity. I felt easily able to connect with the characters in this novel, and was rooting for each as they navigated grief and loss. Each made their own way toward healing and the ending left me feeling hopeful. Showing the power of connection and found family, Erlick has wowed me again!

Thanks to @storygraph ‘s latest personalized recommendations, here’s some insight: The Poppy Fields “strongly aligns with your frequent engagement with grief and loss (appearing in 9 and 3 matches respectively in your recent reads), and its exploration of healing through found family connects to a core theme you consistently rate highly (15 matches, including 5-star books like Black Cake and Weyward).”

If this resonates with you, I feel confident that you’ll love The Poppy Fields too.

I love The Measure by this author so I was thrilled to get to read this. I was so intrigued by this premise, but the story fell a little flat for me. I was hoping for more about the fields and the people who went than the story provided. Overall, this was interesting and I will continue to read works by this author.

How far would you go to make grief easier? With the advent of the Poppy Fields this process has gotten a little easier. If you qualify you can spend 1-2 months sleeping off your grief. Four strangers and a dog on their way to the Fields meet and become an unlikely set of friends. Grief is complicated, so is this story.

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4⭐️
THE POPPY FIELDS
🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: dystopian/fiction
📖 324 pages
𝗘𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶𝘀: 🌵😴🌺🥼🛏️🌪️🛩️💔🚙💤🐕🥺
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: 6/17/2025

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
◽️ road trips
◽️ found family
◽️ multiple POV
◽️ grief & how to heal

💜𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲💜

Thank you @netgalley @librofm @williammorrow @harperaudio for the #gifted copy!

When I heard that the author of THE MEASURE was releasing another book, I knew I had to pick it up immediately. The story follows 4 strangers—Ava, Ray, Sasha, & Sky—who, after a tornado strands them, end up sharing a car on a cross-country road trip to an experimental treatment center in the CA desert. Each has a different reason for seeking out this controversial place where people can sleep away their heartbreak, & I was eager to see how their journeys would intersect.

I really enjoyed the found family dynamic that formed along the way & thought the idea of sleeping through grief was both fascinating & perfect for a book club discussion. True to Nikki’s style, a complex moral dilemma anchors the plot, & there are plenty of twists as the characters’ real motives come to light. The multiple POVs kept things engaging, & I loved the unique touches—interviews, podcast transcripts, reviews, & even applications to the center—that added realism to the story.

At its heart, this book explores grief, fresh starts, complicated family relationships, & the messy path to healing. While I loved the concept & characters, I did wish a bit more happened once they reached the center—it felt like a lot of build-up for a somewhat quieter conclusion. Still, it was an intriguing, thought provoking read that I’m glad I didn’t miss!

𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁: The Poppy Fields is a secretive treatment center in the CA desert offering a radical cure for heartbreak—deep sleep that helps patients forget their pain. But healing comes with a cost, & shadowy side effects may linger after awakening. 4 strangers—Ava, Ray, Sasha, & Sky—set out from the Midwest on a journey west in search of this mysterious place. Each carries hidden wounds & private motivations, & their emotional baggage threatens to upend the trip. Alongside them is a loyal little dog named PJ, & all roads lead to Ellis, the enigmatic mind behind the Poppy Fields.

#ThePoppyFields #librofm #giftedbooks #audiobook #netgalley #kindle #contemporary #magicalrealism #bookaddict #whattoreadnext #botwxbs #bookcollector #booksaremylife #booksonbooks #crimewithaclaw #readdrinkandbeMary #cozycorner #dystopian

4.5 stars:
This book is a thought-provoking look at grief and how the people who are left to live after a loved one dies handle their loss. It made me consider the experiences of others in a new way and reframe my own experiences. If you have suffered a debilitating loss recently, consider waiting to read this book. Otherwise, read when you want a book that reframes your perceptions of loss and grief.

This book touched my heart in a way that I was not at all expecting. As someone who has recently suffered the loss of a loved one and I am in my own stages of grief, I felt so connected to so many of the stories of the people in this book. Yes, they are all fictional, but they represent people in the world with similar stories. Experiencing love and loss in life is just something that touches every one of us at some point. Nikki Erlick has done the most incredible job of weaving the stories together and creating this tapestry of lives that are all tied together by one main feeling, grief. Perhaps it’s my own personal bias and experiences, but I found myself crying so many times while reading this. Not necessarily because the stories exactly reflected what I’m feeling, but because I found comfort in knowing that I’m not alone in what I feel, that love and loss can come in so many forms. While this is not a genre that I typically read, I am so grateful that I got the chance to read this because it will be something that I think of probably for the rest of my life. I highly recommend this book to literally anybody anywhere.

4.25 STARS

I loved this book... The amount of emotions I felt throughout this story is one of the reasons I love reading so much. This is a story that's not just about grief, but love, connection, and a true workshop in how we work through our personal experiences. Because these seemingly unconnected people come together and find out they are not only unique but similar in a lot of ways, you learn right alongside them how connected we truly are. This is especially true in the fact that we all experience loss, just maybe not in the same way. And that's ok. I loved the way the story unfolded and you learned more about each characters story, their secrets, and how everything did not turn out exactly as planned by the end. But that's life and the parallels really worked in this book.

Nikki's writing style is beautiful and 5 Stars overall. Immediately I'm going to be picking up anything she writes from now on. 10/10 would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Nikki Erlick for the eARC copy.

It was amazing! So much thought was put into grief, love, loss, family and friends.
Life is hard sometimes and I feel like this book did a wonderful job of highlighting what it's like to experience these hard times in life while also celebrating things we have lost. Love, love, love!