This book was not what I expected, but I loved it.

I loved following each of the characters journey to the same destination and how their stories intertwined and the beautiful way their grief gave them common ground but also separated them.

I loved the family aspects and the different pieces of interviews, and articles brought in to tell the whole story of the Poppy Fields and how it helps and hurts and it's all such an interesting idea of how grief could be handled. But I also love how it questions if that's really a way to handle grief.

This is really kind of a beautiful story even so different from what I thought it could be.

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick
Narrators: Large Cast
Publication Date: June 17/25

This is a stunning work of speculative fiction that asks: to what ends would you go to relieve yourself of crippling grief? The Poppy Fields offers a controversial and innovative treatment for mourning; a medically induced sleep lasting 4-8 weeks. Sleepers awaken with a renewed sense of wholeness, able to reengage with life with joy and vigour. But for some there’s a cost, a side effect, awakening emotionally detached from the person and memories they were grieving.

When a tornado threat cancels all flights, strangers Ray, Sasha, Ava and Sky are thrown together on a road trip from Kansas to the Poppy Fields. Each journeying to the fields for their own deeply personal and complicated reasons. What begins as a reluctant alliance evolves into meaningful connection filled with shared confessions, vulnerability and mutual healing.

This captivating novel offers a profound exploration of grief and loss and the diverse ways it is personally manifested. Through applicant interviews, podcast excerpts, and the raw honest stories of the MC’s, this novel presents one of the most emotionally intelligent depictions of mourning I’ve ever encountered. It will resonate deeply with anyone who has experienced the pain of losing someone they love.

Life, loss, and grief is a journey and all journeys are aided by connection and support. The road trip emphasizes the importance of trust and shared vulnerability, highlighting how essential connection, support and understanding are during times of loss.

Unique, inspired snd compassionately told, this novel challenges our beliefs about grief, healing and what it means to move forward. It honors the different paths we each may take without judgement and encourages us to be more empathetic.

The narration was excellent and perfectly voiced for each character, conveying great emotional depth that added intensity to the story.

Absolutely lovely. Nikki Erlick's books are so unique. This one had a very unique premise and the execution of the idea was remarkable. Just perfection.

The message & feeling this book leaves you with were just as powerful as those from her debut novel (The Measure). If you enjoy the novels with a road trip and friendships formed along the way add to your summer TBR. The main audiobook narrator was also one of my faves 🥰 thanks NetGalley and Harper Audio for the ARC!

This book Follows initially 3 strangers on their way to California to the infamous poppy fields. While in an Airport in the Midwest the most unfortunate thing happens. They end up hold up in the airport due to a hurricane. This makes them miss their flight and unable to make onto the next, like several others they decide to try to get a car rental.

Ava and Sasha assist each other while attempting to get a flight and a car after meeting in the women's bathroom during the hurricane. Ray managed to get the very last car just before Ava and Sasha get there. Sasha yells to the crowd asking for someone to give them a ride to California if someone else was heading that way. Ray was the only one willing to give them a chance. The unlikely trio (and Ava's dog PJ) make the journey and learn about each other along this track. Picking up one more person who was also at the airport at the same time and missing the same flight joins them by the name of Sky.

We also get point of views from Dr. Ellis the creator of the poppy fields and how she feels about it and the growth and problems it has.

There is also snippets of "breaks" in the book like news broadcasts dealing with the poppy fields or interviews and even a podcast update. Just bits of information. This book had the feel of almost a TV show or movie with the different point of views. You could even say it would do great for a radio show too. This definitely gets you in the feels and makes you think about the time we have together with others. Also gets you thinking on how everyone is different with handling grief as well as how others see how they handle their grief. It also gives you different looks of what grief can be seen as too. Not only a book to get you in all the feelings but thinking as well. Would you sleep at the Poppy Fields if you could? Would you Risk the side effect to get over grief? It's only a month or two of sleep, but is it worth it in the end?

This book was provided by NetGalley as an advanced reader copy. Thank you for allowing me a chance to read (listen) to this book.

4.5⭐️

What if you could sleep through the worst part of grief and wake up feeling healed? There is a 1 in 4 chance that you may experience an unfortunate side effect.

This story follows multiple characters as they grapple with the loss of loved ones while on a journey to The Poppy Fields, an experimental treatment center, where they might get the relief they are looking for. Tender and hopeful.

I love a good speculative novel that plays out an interesting thought experiment and Nikki Erlick does this really well. I enjoyed this one even more than The Measure. Definitely recommend if you’re into these types of stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an ALC!

I knew I was going to cry through most of this book 🤣 but in a good way. If you’re looking for an emotional read and a good cry, then this one is for you! This book discusses the hard topics surrounding grief and how to deal with it.

Imagine a world where you could just sleep through your grief, would you do it?

The audio narration was great as well!
Thank you for the ARC!

Growing up near The Poppy Fields in Southern California, I was drawn to the title of this book without researching what the book was going to be about and I am so glad that I did!!

From the start of the book I was pulled into the story of what these poppy fields are and how they change the lives that become part of them. This book challenges the status quo on how to handle grief and, perhaps, find a new path forward.

The audio also has multiple narrators to bring the story to light from the various perspectives!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

4.5 stars 💗

the poppy field was a fantastic novel revolving around how people manage intense grief, loss, and depression through going into an assisted sleep, or medically induced coma, for a specific amount of time as part of a scientific study.

there was quite a lot of social commentary throughout this novel, and i appreciated the author’s thoughtfulness behind specific aspects of the commentary.

as for the audio, the narrators did a fantastic job!

the poppy fields is about grief and how different people handle it. Each character has different view about how The Poppy Fields and about how it can help them or someone they know.

I very much enjoyed the concept of this book. Erlick is queen of plots that really make you think!! Ireland is my favorite narrator so that was only an added bonus!

3.5⭐️ rounded up

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick
Science fiction, women’s fiction
Pub day: June 17, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

“What if there were a cure for grief?”

This one initially drew me in by its interesting premise. There’s a place called The Poppy Fields where a person experiencing grief can sleep for 1-2 months, and wake up feeling like they’ve come out “on the other side” of that grief. But of course, it doesn’t end that easily for everyone.

It is one that makes you think. Anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one knows that you reach a point you’d do almost anything to feel even an ounce less of sadness. As I was reading the book I kept asking myself if I’d make this choice, if I had a chance, even knowing what else could happen (you’ll find out when you read).

The characters all are experiencing some kind of loss, from all different lives and backgrounds, and almost all are connected in some way. The reveal of these connections added another layer to the story.

I really enjoyed this book! I’d definitely recommend to anyone who is intrigued by the description!

Thank you @williammorrowbooks for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts are my own

Once again, Nikki Erlick has delivered a book prime for lively book club discussions, centered around a speculative moral dilemma likely to have readers on both sides of the court. If you could sleep through the painful grief of losing a loved one, but would risk losing all emotion related to that person permanently — even the good feelings evoked from memories — would you still do it?

I really enjoyed "The Measure," so I was giddy to receive an advance copy of "The Poppy Fields" for review (thank you, NetGalley, Harper Audio, and Nikki Erlick!). While I didn't enjoy her sophomore novel quite as much, it's not the book's fault. It's as well written and engaging as her first, it was just also so dang sad. With grief being a central theme, I found my mind wandering to thoughts of losing my own close friends and relatives, even those still with us. Kudos to Nikki to being able to evoke such strong emotions; unfortunately, they weren't emotions I particularly enjoyed. Still, it's a poignant novel with some satisfying character growth and I still recommend it. 4.25 stars overall.

What if you had the chance to erase your biggest loss? Your biggest heartbreak? Your worst experience. The Poppy Fields were created to help those suffering from all different kinds of grief. While some patients thrive after being treated, we soon see that a side effect appears in patients wiping those grief stricken memories, forever.

This was a good read. I really enjoyed the story. It really got me to think of if I would ever want to sleep at the Poppy Fields. I know how painful it is when you lose someone. I think that sometimes it helps to live with the grief. I liked these characters and I loved how they mentioned Nikki Erlick's first book, The Measure. I would recommend for anyone looking for a good story.

I really appreciated the way this story explored grief, honest, layered, and deeply human. The audiobook narrator brought this story to life beautifully. The pacing felt uneven at times, which made it hard to stay fully engaged, but the emotional depth carried it through. 3.25

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperAudio for the advanced audiobook version of this book. I really enjoyed "The Measure" and the synopsis of this book had me intrigued. I could not have loved this book anymore! Great premise, characters and overall story. There was so much to unpack and digest from the characters and it kept me wanting more every time I was able to hit play. Well done!

Nikki Erlick has solidified herself as an instant-read. She does a phenomenal job of showing how grief can take different shapes, and it really struck a chord with me. Erlick's prose is so beautiful, and many of the lines will stick with me. I'm so glad that The Poppy Fields lived up to my expectations after reading The Measure.

I love the way Erlick weaves the story of these strangers together. Like The Measure, I had to stop what I was doing several times when a connection or reveal was made because I was knocked out by it (even when I saw the connection coming).

Would I sleep in the fields? Probably not, but the story made me ask myself the question several times and I completely understand why someone would choose to sleep there.

Regarding the narration, I was sad when I saw that Julia Whelan wasn't narrating this one after she narrated The Measure, but this narrator did just as good of a job. I also love the additional narrators in the news reports. It's a very well-produced audiobook.

Another phenomenal read from Nickki Erlick!

So, as I’m reading this one, I’m thinking….this is the author of ‘The Measure’, right? and yes, it absolutely is!! And she even mentions it IN THE BOOK! Hysterical, and kudos to you!!! [And, may I add that I read a lot, and I clearly remember that book!!!)

So, we open up at an airport. And multiple people are sharing their lives… as well as their part of the story. And while they are all there, preparing to board, the news of a hurricane passing through the area comes about… and all flights have been AT BEST, delayed.

So as the characters are beginning to explore other options to get where they are going, well, a Godwink appears! (If you haven’t read any of THESE books, please look them up! Also phenomenal and beautiful!) As the car rentals run out of cars, one very outspoken woman speaks up and asks if anyone who was ABLE to get a rental might be heading towards California?? And that she and her friend will split the driving, and gas with them… and so, a whole new avenue opens up with this crew now!

And it goes on…and on. And I’m going to 🛑🛑 STOP right here! 🛑🛑

Just know that the basis of the whole story revolves around a bright woman who initiated a ‘sleep mode’ kind of thingy that helps those who are grieving to HEAL! And isn’t that just amazing??? and wouldn’t we all like to actually have something like this for real? …. Or, would we??
“
#ThePoppyFields by #NikkiErlick and narrated Beautifully by a FULL CAST including: #MarinIreland; #DanBittner; #StaceyGlemboski; #GrahamHalstead; #MiaBarron; #CallieDalton; #JaninaEdwards; #ShawnKJain; #ChristianBarillas and #JasonCulp.

*** THIS ONE HAS NOT YET BEEN RELEASED!! *** LOOK 👀 FOR IT ON JUNE 17, 2025!!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #HarperAdultAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

Title: The Poppy Fields
Author: Nikki Erlick
Format: 🎧
Narrators: Marin Island, Dan Bittner, Stacey Glemboski, Mia Brown, Callie Dalton, Janina Edwards, Shawn K. Jain, Christian Barillas, and Jason Colp
Publisher: Harper Audio Adult/ Harper Audio/ William Marrow
Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy
Pub Date: June 17, 2025
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages 320


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.

An experimental and controversial treatment center located in a remote area in the California Mojavi desert helps allows those suffering from the heartache of loss to sleep through their pain.
The sleep is for a prolong period of time. After patients awake from their sleep they are healed.

Story is very character based as the patients share grief the discovery healing as well as friendship.

I read Nikki Erlick’s "The Measure" back in June 2022.
I really am not a big Sci-Fi person nor do I always follow “Read with Jenna’ but I do love audiobook performer Julia Whelan so was willing to give it a try.
“The Measure” was great” I could not put it down”.
SO here I am three years later.

However, this story is entirely difference.
I loved that there were multiple performers. Only the narrator dominated the story with the characters have a very minor part.
I believe this story will find the right readers unfortunately it wasn’t a story I loved.

Want to thank NetGalley and William Marrow / Harper Audio Adult/Harper Audio for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date Scheduled for June 17, 2025.