I loved Nikki Erlick's last book and her newest is just as good. The Poppy Fields was awesome. Pick it up on publication day.

How do we deal with grief? Is there a right or wrong way to handle grief? The Poppy Fields explores how people cope with grief and the ethics surrounding it. In the novel, four strangers and a dog are all connected by the Poppy Fields, a therapeutic grief center where people go to sleep through the darkest stages of their grief. The plot of the novel was original and engrossing. The connections between the characters reminded me of a Fredrick Backman novel. However, that may have been due to both authors using Marin Ireland as their narrator. Ireland does a great job of bringing the characters and storyline to life. She added personality to each character of the novel and built a strong relationship with the reader. I recommend The Poppy Fields to anyone seeking a reading/listening experience that is a little different or unique. 4.5/5 Stars!

Speculative fiction is one of my favorite genres to read, and Nikki Erlick does such a great job with it. This was my second book I’ve read by this author and I will continue to seek out her work in the future. This book imagines a company that allows you to sleep through your heartache, grief, or trauma, and awake after your body and mind have processed it. While this new technology is helpful for many, for some it comes with a cost. We set out on a journey with 3 individuals set on finding The Poppy Fields, each for their own reasons.

Marin Ireland once again nails the narrative of this audiobook. She always delivers on a unique listening experience.

This book was heavily focused on grief and loss and how it can be all consuming for a person. What would you do to overcome those debilitating feelings? Each character in the book is dealing with those feelings stemming from very different reasons and it was difficult at times to go through the process of uncovering why. I thought this book was a great dialogue on grief and loss, the many forms it can come in, and the mental health crisis we can face because of it.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Audio for the ARC of "The Poppy Fields."

"The Poppy Fields" by Nikki Erlick is a speculative fiction novel that dives into the complex themes of grief, healing, and the lengths people will go to find peace after loss. The story revolves around a controversial treatment center, the Poppy Fields, located in the California desert. This center offers a unique solution to heartache: patients can sleep through their pain, potentially waking up healed. However, this treatment comes with a risk – some patients experience a side effect that causes them to lose affection for their loved ones.

The novel follows four strangers as they embark on a journey to the Poppy Fields. Each character is grappling with their own personal grief and seeking solace at the center. Ray, a firefighter, is driven by the mysterious death of his brother, Johnny, after he underwent treatment at the Poppy Fields. Ava, a children’s book illustrator, hopes to reconnect with her sister after the death of their grandmother. Sasha, an occupational therapist, carries guilt over ending her engagement. Along the way, they encounter Sky, a teenage hitchhiker whose zest for life encourages the others to confront their reasons for seeking help at the Poppy Fields. A friendly dog named PJ also joins the group on their travels.

Nikki Erlick, the author of "The Poppy Fields," is also known for her New York Times bestseller, "The Measure". "The Measure" was a popular book club pick and has been translated into multiple languages. Erlick herself is a graduate of Harvard University and Columbia University and currently resides in Los Angeles.

Reviewers have noted that "The Poppy Fields" is a thought-provoking exploration of grief and healing. The novel delves into the question of how far people are willing to go to alleviate their pain and whether the potential risks are worth the promise of healing. The story also explores the individual nature of grief, highlighting the different ways people navigate loss.

Some critics have pointed out that the novel has a slow start, with lengthy setups and detailed backstories for each character. However, the character development is generally praised, as the seemingly different travelers find common ground in their resilience. The interactions between the characters and their shared experiences create a poignant road novel that many readers find engaging.

While the novel explores the concept of the Poppy Fields facility, it primarily focuses on how the existence of the facility affects people. The story incorporates various perspectives, including those of podcasters, influencers, news outlets, and scientific papers, providing a broader view of the Poppy Fields and its impact on society. These diverse perspectives add depth to the narrative but also contribute to the heavy and emotional tone of the book.

Some readers may find the ending of "The Poppy Fields" somewhat anticlimactic. While there are a couple of surprises, the stories of the main characters don't have a grand resolution. Instead, their journeys gradually fade out, with a brief epilogue that provides a final update. Despite this, the novel evokes empathy and sympathy for the characters and their struggles.

The audiobook version of "The Poppy Fields" features a full cast of narrators, enhancing the listening experience. The different narrators bring the characters to life and add expressiveness to the story, particularly during the "pop-in" perspectives. "The Poppy Fields" is narrated by Marin Ireland; Dan Bittner; Stacey Glemboski; Graham Halstead; Mia Barron; Callie Dalton; Janina Edwards; Shawn K. Jain; Christian Barillas; Jason Culp

Overall, "The Poppy Fields" is a unique and original story that explores the complexities of grief, healing, and human connection. While it may have a slow start and a somewhat unresolved ending, the novel's thought-provoking themes and well-developed characters make it a worthwhile read for those interested in speculative fiction and stories about the human experience.
#Netgalley #ThePoppyFields

The premise of this book was intriguing. And I think it would have hit differently if I were currently grieving. But nothing really happened? Four people take a road trip, yes. But it was mostly reflections of relationships impacted by grief. It kind of felt like a Liane Moriarty book with the multiple POVs and simultaneously lived experiences. The writing is beautiful and the author is clearly talented. I loved her debut novel. But this one fell short for me. I think it could be quite poignant if I were in a different headspace, though. Maybe if you’re actively grieving, this a book that helps you process?

Grief is a universal emotion that affects us all at some point in our lives. What if you could accelerate the grief process? What if it meant sleeping for 4-8 weeks? Would you do it?

Ellis discovered a medicine that would lessen someone's grief. Unfortunately, they had to be asleep to allow the medicine to work. Thus began the Poppy Fields- a place to sleep for 4-8 weeks to be cured of your grief. If you are a suitable applicant, sleeping could pull you from the depths of despair and leave you with fond memories of your loved one without overwhelming grief. The book follows three people (and one cute dog) on their journey to the Poppy Fields. Each has their own reason for going to the fields, and each has their own unique grief. The ever cheerful and adventurous Sky joins the trio on their journey to California. Follow along on their quest for peace.

Nikki Erlick does it again! The Measure was a phenomenally written book exploring life and love. Every adult receives a box telling them how many years they have left to live. How would your life change if you knew how long you would live? The Poppy Fields proves that Nikki Erlick has a knack for exploring deep questions through captivating fictional characters. This book explores grief and love. For me, it was a bit of a roller coaster. I had never considered what I would do if I could skip the grieving process. Would the benefits outweigh the cost of disappearing from my life for weeks? I had to grabble with my own thoughts of grief and whether the process (and steps) are a necessary part of life or just something we suffer through because there is no alternative.

If you liked The Measure, you'll love The Poppy Fields! The book is perfect for those who wish to read an interesting book just for the vibes or those that are looking for a fiction book requiring introspection. Either way, this is not a book you'll soon forget!

I received an advanced copy of the audiobook. The narrators did a fantastic job. If you prefer audiobooks as your medium for reading, don't miss this one!

The Poppy Fields is where you can manage your grief by being medically put to sleep for four to eight weeks. You should wake up remembering your lost one, but feel less pain. You have to apply and be accepted. This book is about strangers coming together to travel to the Poppy Fields after their flight gets cancelled. They all have different circumstances of losing someone. You learn about their lives during their travels. I liked the way this author wrote. She had a way with words. I did feel like it was slow in some parts, and that nothing major happened, but there were some twists and a happy ending.

Such a unique and beautiful story. The Poppy Fields had me laughing, crying and full on sobbing. Grief is such a tough subject to approach and Nikki Erlick does so with grace and care. I loved the inclusion of science fiction, the little bit of romance, all of the tension, intrigue and emotion. The story had me reflecting on my own grief, thinking of my Grandparents and my Dad and imagining if I would want to step into The Poppy Fields to help lessen that pain of their loss. With the possibility of the side effect, I don’t think I could. As much as grief can strip you raw and lay waste to your very soul, at times, I wouldn’t want to risk losing those people, those memories even more. I can definitely understand why someone would choose to sleep though.

I enjoyed the multiple POVs, they added great depth to the story. All their different levels of grief, their different motivations, their different perspectives led to a greater understanding of the story as a whole. The ending for each character was lovely and I am so happy with how the last chapter played out. Simply beautiful. Erlick created an absolutely lovely book and allowed me not only see a different side to grief but to also take a look at my own grief. To reflect on my own memories with my Grandma like Ellis does at one point. I’m tearing up just writing this review and I don’t think a book has ever done that for me before.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for a chance to hear and review this story before publication on June 17, 2025.

Nikki, baby, another great novel. If you could sleep away your grief, would you? Not only was the book itself wonderful, but the narrator of the audiobook was perfection.

Big thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for lending me the audiobook!

What an incredibly powerful and poignant story. Beautifully written, the depth the characters, their pain, their grief, their joy, and their love truly shines through. I never would have thought a book with the theme of people grief would be something I’d absolutely love.

The audio narration was superb, and added even more depth to the characters and the story.

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

First, thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book! I was so excited to read the second novel written by Nikki Erlick, since The Measure is still a book I think about often.

This book follows travelers on their way to The Poppy Fields, an experimental treatment facility founded by the brilliant Ellis where people go to sleep off the grief and hopefully wake up on the other side of the mourning and be able to enjoy life again.

The book did a great job of diving deep into the meaning of love, loss, and grief in the world. It was very self reflective just like her first book where you constantly revisited the main question, would you visit the Poppy Fields if it meant possibly never feeling love for that person again?

I really enjoyed this book! I thought all the characters had such great stories and I loved the journey they took together. I also loved how the author sprinkled in podcast interviews, interviews from potential patients, and reviews online to show the public’s outside opinion on the controversial place.

At times, the story was a little bit slow but it was still overall enjoyable and I definitely recommend this book!

This was just fabulous. Having a cast of great narrators made this really enjoyable to listen to. I loved the concept and the mixed media of interviews along with the prose.

Thanks William Morrow Books and Harper Audio for the ARC / ALC.

This author writes stories that make you really think about what you might do if faced with the choices in the book, which I absolutely love. Like The Measure, this was another really interesting and unique idea that uses a near future technology but still relates to societal issues we see today.

I loved the use of mixed media and wish there had been a lot more it. It was an interesting way to get backstory, but also to know more about the poppy fields and how the world was responding do it. It helped break up the monotony of the many internal thoughts as well.

While the idea behind the Poppy Fields in the story was fascinating, the book focused mostly on the character’s pasts and their journey to get to CA instead, which just wasn’t as interesting for me. The characters were somewhat bland and Sky felt randomly added to the story compared to the other three. There are also some repetitive aspects to the writing which is never my fav. It’s uses the same word to start all sentences in a row (as if, as if, as if…) or repeats information told to us a few chapters back. It’s also very internal thought heavy, even with the characters traveling together it often is random thoughts or remembering things from the past instead of dialogue between the characters.

While this didn’t reach the same level as The Measure for me, it’s still a thought provoking, interesting and fun read that would make for an excellent book club discussion.

I split time between the book and audiobook and enjoyed both formats. A note on the audiobook - the multicast narration is only for the mixed media mentioned above, so 95% of the book is one narrator, Marin Ireland. She is fantastic, but given the multiple POVs which change mid chapter, I think having additional narrators for each character would have been easier to follow and more enjoyable to listen to.

The story was interesting and the plot was a fascinating concept. Unfortunately, it was a bit slow moving and anticlimactic for me.

The Poppy Fields is an experimental and controversial treatment center for those suffering from a loss in a remote area of the California desert. Patients at this facility are in a prolonged sleep while they heal, but only if they’re willing to accept the potential side effects. Four strangers (Ava, Ray, Sasha, and Sky) are on a journey to this facility from the Midwest where each of their secrets and motivations threaten to upend their trip.

I’ve been quietly raving about and continuously recommending The Measure, which was this author’s debut, since I read it in 2022. When I heard about THE POPPY FIELDS, I didn’t even need to know what it would be about, I just *needed* to read it. For me, The Measure was always going to be a tough act to follow, but Erlick stepped up to the plate and did and excellent job with her sophomore novel.

The premise of THE POPPY FIELDS is an interesting one, intersecting sci-fi and speculative fiction while discussing loss and each person’s individual journey through grief. This novel will make another excellent book club read as it leaves much room for thought and will open up discussion.

The novel is told in 5 POVs, Ava, Ray, Sasha, Sky, and Ellis; it also features snippets of interviews, articles, and commentaries throughout. The audiobook is read by multiple narrators and is executed so well. Each of the aforementioned characters are beautifully written, vibrant, flawed, and relatable.

Erlick’s storytelling is exceptional as she seamlessly weaves twists in that serve to pull the rug from beneath you, while simultaneously catching your fall. I can’t wait to see what she will write next!

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, HarperAudio, for the opportunity to read this advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.

Full disclosure - I maybe was not in the best headspace for this book. This is about a group of people who are unexpectedly road tripping to the Poppy Fields, a place where people sleep for 1-2 months to essentially bypass grief. While reading this, my dad passed away and my mind wasn’t super sharp. This started out overwhelming with too many characters, but eventually I found how they all were connected and it flowed really nicely. The narrator was pleasant to listen to, and the pacing was nice. I probably could have gotten more into it had I not been going through what I was going through.

With her second book, Nikki Erlick has solidified herself as an auto-buy author in my book. The Poppy Fields was a speculative fiction that bordered so closely to reality that I could easily imagine this story coming to life in the relatively near future. Because of that, the ethical and philosophical questions Nikki raises surrounding grief, coping, the true meaning of love and how we process it, the relationship between love and loss, human connection, and the role of science and experimentation in mental health felt all the more pertinent. But the best part of all the questions Nikki raises is that she doesn't answer them. She does not foist a right or wrong on either her characters nor the reader. It truly is about the journey and each individuals' self discovery.

In similar taste to her first book, The Measure, Nikki introduces us to a wide cast of characters, many with their POVs shared throughout the book (though some much more than others). This can create distance between the reader and the characters seeing as we don't get extended time in any one person's head, but Nikki creates connection in two other ways. First, not only do we get to see characters from inside their own heads but also from the points of view of other characters. Take, especially, three of the primary characters in this book, Ava, Ray, and Sasha. We get to know these characters by how they see themselves but also how they see each other. As the three travelers get to know each other, we get to know them too. Second, Nikki strings together the characters' stories in a six degrees of Kevin Bacon sort of way with the Poppy Fields at the center. At various points throughout the book, we are given these connections--be they big or small--and those revelations provide a great deal of empathy with the characters (as well as anticipation and surprise)!

I flew through this book, unable to stop reading. It is not a book full of action, but there is a sense of anticipation throughout the entire story that kept me listening well into the night. The character development was subtle and small but profound. The interjections of different media (such as newspaper articles, letters, and interviews) broke up what could have become mildly monotonous character POVs. They also served to provide insight into the Poppy Fields in a way that was interesting rather than expositional. I found the pacing to be perfect, getting little pieces to the character collage at just the right moments throughout the story.

The Poppy Fields are located in a remote stretch of Californian desert, the brainchild of a woman who sought to help those with a broken heart, stalled by grief, to find a way back from the darkness that comes with loss.

The process is simple: agree to “sleep” - best related as a medically induced coma - during which time the memory of the loss is lessened. After a month, you’re awoken and, while you remember the person, your sadness has abated.

Making their way across country to the Fields is a ragtag crew of three, and then four; veritable strangers brought together by circumstance.

Ray, a firefighter, Sasha, a therapist, Ava, an illustrator, and her dog PJ, and eventually Sky, a free spirit.

As they make their way across the Midwest, each begins to reveal their reasons for the trip. All hope to, ultimately, meet Ellis, the brainchild who created the Fields, each with a different request for her.

Again, Erlick approaches speculative fiction in a way that is highly engaging. In The Measure, the question was, “If you could know how long your life will be, would you want to know?” In The Poppy Fields, she asks, “If grief were optional, if loss could feel less overwhelming, would you choose that path?”

(In case you wonder, my answer to both is a resounding no.)

The book is masterful, again, hitting all the hallmarks of humanity, connection, and loss that make her writing standout. Erlick does a fantastic with large casts, weaving stories for each that are full and realized to a depth you crave.

I was given an audio ARC from @harperaudio and the full cast, lead by Marin Ireland, was phenomenal. I think audio is a fantastic choice for this novel.

I loved the opportunity to delve into the motivations of each character while questioning my own experiences with grief and wondering if I would choose differently. The unexpected twists, the minor reckonings each character endured - all of it was fulfilling and fantastic.

Highly anticipated for me and it didn’t disappoint.

• 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝑭𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑵𝒊𝒌𝒌𝒊 𝑬𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒌 •
★★★★★ 5/5 stars
pub day : June 17, 2025

~ Read if you like :
•speculative fiction
•multiple POVs
•roadtrips
•excellent on audio
•thought provoking + emotional reads
•character driven stories
•asking the question “what if?”
•would be perfect for bookclub discussions

~ 𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 :
The premise itself is one of the most intriguing I've ever come across: “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧?“ That question alone hooked me, & what followed was a story that resonated deeply, especially for anyone who has experienced loss.

Told through multiple POVs & timelines, the story unfolds slowly. It's nuanced, messy, & real — capturing how loss can look different for everyone, yet still connect us in unexpected ways. The road trip mirrors the emotional journey. The mixed media elements-news articles, comments, interviews—add a unique & realistic layer, making it all the more believable. I think listening to the audiobook really enhanced the experience & helped with pacing during the slower moments.

There's a quiet intensity to the story that builds so beautifully, & by the end, I was left both heartbroken & hopeful in the best possible way. Nikki Erlick has done it again. I wasn't sure how she'd follow up 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦, but let me assure you-there is absolutely no sophomore slump here. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up as one of my top favorite books of the year.

Thanks to NetGalley, william morrow books + Harper audio for the opportunity to read this arc ◡̈

The Poppy Fields is engaging, emotional, and thought-provoking. I enjoyed the characters and the author does a beautiful job of painting a picture of each character's trauma and how they process their grief.