AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: 3.5 STARS ROUNDED TO 4. I was drawn to the cover and the premise of THE POPPY FIELDS, and though Nikki Erlick is a new-to-me author, I saw that her debut novel received a lot of praise. So, I thought I'd take a chance on reading her forthcoming release when I saw it offered as an audiobook ARC on NetGalley.

“Grief is an individual journey; everyone navigates it differently.”

To be able to feel grief means to have loved and cared about someone or something. THE POPPY FIELDS touches the surface in exploring how far we are willing to go to relieve heartache. In our society, we can pop a pill or take an injection for all kinds of physical ailments, and of course, there are drugs for plenty of psychological issues as well that numb pain, guilt, anxiety, and grief. But going completely comatose for a month? Two months? Waking up with time lost that can't be recovered and having those -- and potentially other feelings – muted or even wiped out permanently? Worth it? Worth the risk?

I had hoped and expected the book to be about The Poppy Fields (The Fields) facility, but the novel is actually more about how the existence of the facility affects people. We share in four strangers' journeys as they travel there together, and we share in the founder's journey of establishing and continuing to run the facility on her terms as long as she can. Additionally, there are a bunch of pop-in perspectives from podcasters, influencer, news and science papers, candidate interviews, and more. These give readers insight into wider views of The Fields, but these journeys and perspectives are full of grief and pain, and that made reading THE POPPY FIELDS heavy.

Throughout THE POPPY FIELDS, readers feel they are building to something big. While there are two surprises, there’s no big climax or full resolution – the stories of our five characters kind of just fade out, with a small epilogue-type conclusion -- courtesy of a character who really seems unnecessary other than for the purpose of one, last bring-to-date. While I feel empathy and sympathy for what the characters are feeling, I can't connect with them more deeply, despite sharing common experiences. That may have been the author's intent in not fully fleshing out each of them: she wants readers to connect with the shared experience of grief, regardless of who is carrying it.

ABOUT THE NARRATION: There are ten narrators listed, but I didn't really notice changes from the primary narrator except when the pop-in perspectives happened. Those narrators are more expressive and some even lively, depending on context. It's well-done, and the voicings are natural and seamless from voice to voice. I was never startled by a new voice, the narrators' pacing were perfect for listening at regular speed (1.2x on NetGalley's app), and the files were glitch-free.

“Ellis felt something stir…the sparking of an idea – an illuminated fuse at the very start of its crackling journey, still in search of its destination.”

THE POPPY FIELDS is somber reading and forces contemplation; honestly, it really holds too much grief for me to read without a balance of more lightness. I realized that the book was affecting me outside of its pages: I was crabby and felt overwhelmed until I finished, then it was like a weight lifted. This is a nod to Erlick's writing ability that she could evoke such feelings.

I think there are plenty of readers who will enjoy THE POPPY FIELDS, and it does have staying power after the last page is read. However, for me, it pulls too hard on my heart that’s suffering grief of its own. I crave and need hopeful, happy stories that have nice, neat conclusions that leave me feeling uplifted.

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.

Thank you to Harper Audio and Netgalley for allowing me this chance to read and rate this book!

Very thought provoking. My mind hurt in a good way, reading every word. Well done. Highly recommend!

Fantastic listen! I really enjoyed this book. The plot is interesting; people dealing with loss or grief can go to the fields and "sleep" (under medical supervision for several weeks). When they wake, they will have made it through the worst of their painful emotions. But what if something goes wrong? What are the potential side effects? This book isn't only about dealing with pain and loss. It is also about family, friendship, and how we deal with success. I enjoy Marin Ireland as a narrator and this book was no exception. Her tone and expression are perfect. Even if you weren't able to get into Erlick's last book, The Measure, give this one a try! She did a great job writing a fascinating story that is both thoughtful and heartwarming.

This was a story about grief, loss, love, friendship, and the journey that goes along with it. I enjoyed the characters and the found family they created as they spent time together traveling. Each characters story was unique and interesting and they all brought a different perspective to the idea of The Poppy Fields. The sci-fi aspect was well done and was believable. Overall, a great read that kept me interested. The narrators were great and easy to listen to.

3.5 stars

Thanks to Net Galley for the early preview of this audiobook.

This book had an interesting concept and explored various moral and ethical issues. The character building was great, and I really enjoyed the big reveals that were thrown in, here and there. The author did a great job of making these seemingly random characters all come together in the end.

Overall, I enjoyed this book but at some points maybe found it a bit slow and boring (perhaps a bit ‘forced’ as well with all these converging storylines). Maybe it spent too much time travelling to the poppy fields and not enough time at this climatic point of the novel. The ending was a bit so-so, but I am not sure how else to end a novel like this.

However, I did enjoy the character building, and she made the characters feel real and likeable. It is hard to assign a star rating to a book like this, so I’m stuck in-between at 3.5 stars. I will continue to read books by Nikki Erlick.

Audiobook narrator(s) Marin Ireland and Full Cast rating: 3.8 stars
The main narrator was pretty good at reading this book. It was interesting to hear other narrators (they were all pretty minor). Though, I had just finished reading/listening to All Better Now by Neal Shusterman| and in that book, whenever the minor narrator would speak, it would be a short chapter that would be kind of like a side note. This trained me to not listen as well as I should to these side notes, and I missed some important stuff when it happened in this book! Note to other listeners, pay attention to these stories that appear to veer off from the main story arc!

If there was a treatment for grief would you seek it out? This unique story follows the intersecting stories of 3 people on their way to The Poppy Fields, all for a different reason along with a free spirit of a girl attempting to live life to the fullest. The Poppy Fields is a controversial medical treatment where you can go when you just can’t get over your grief where they put you to sleep for an extended period in order to help resolve it. This was definitely an interesting concept and well written. I listened to the audio book and it was well done. I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher, William Morrow Publishing, for an ARC of this book which I had the pleasure of reading. All opinions are my own. Publication date: June 17, 2025

Thanks to HarperAudio I got to read this one. I’m a huge fan of Nikki Erlick and will read anything she writes. I liked this one. Definitely was thought provoking.

I squealed in delight when I received my approval for the advanced audio copy of The Poppy Fields and it did not disappoint! With a dual cast narration, Nikki Ehrlich’s thought provoking novel was a compelling and emotional listen. Four strangers are brought together when their flight to California is canceled due to a hurricane warning. As the passengers decide to share a vehicle and road trip to their destination, we learn where and why they are traveling to California. Part science fiction, part dystopian and 100% engaging, this story is PERFECT for book club discussions. Ehrlich explores the many sides of grief, recovery, and the unique ways individuals experience and cope with loss. I was completely invested in this book and found myself questioning some of my own beliefs and ideas. Nikki Ehrlich has quickly become an auto-buy author. I wholeheartedly recommend picking up a copy of The Poppy Fields. Audio production is outstanding!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Audio and author Nikki Ehrlich for my gifted audio copy. In exchange I have provided my honest opinion.

Audiobook Review: The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick

Nikki Erlick’s The Poppy Fields is a beautiful, thought-provoking novel that gracefully explores the many unique ways individuals experience and process grief. Set in a near-future world where science has begun to offer new ways of understanding loss, the story remains deeply human at its core. Erlick’s ability to blend speculative technology with raw emotion creates a powerful narrative that feels both timely and timeless.

The audiobook version is especially moving, thanks to a stunning performance by the narrator, whose sensitive and nuanced reading brings each character's journey vividly to life. The narrator’s voice captures both the fragility and resilience of those navigating their sorrow, enhancing the novel’s emotional resonance. The Poppy Fields is a tender reminder that grief is not something to be fixed, but something to be honored — and that even as science evolves, the heart remains our greatest guide.

Another thought provoking novel by Nikki Erlick that inspires readers to reflect grief, forgiveness, and found family. This novel is told from multiple POV and the audiobook includes an entire cast of narrators, which I felt truly brought this powerful novel to life.

When your life has been upended by loss/grief, would you choice to sleep through your pain to wake up renewed? Would you still select healing if it came with a controversial risk factor? Four strangers come together on their journey to the poppy fields but each is drawn to this location for a different reason.

I absolutely could not put this audiobook down, I found the plot captivating and the characters relatable and well developed. The pace of this novel is slow but I felt it enabled the reader to reflect on their own journey and choices.

Thank you William Morrow and Harper Audio for the advanced copy!

Actually 2.5 stars. It makes me so sad to say this, but this book just wasn’t it for me. The Measure was my favorite read of last year so I was thrilled when I got the ARC to review. I loved the premise of the book and couldn’t wait to dive in. I kept waiting for the book to pick up, for them to get to the Poppy Fields. I guess I wanted to know more about how that worked. And then the book just ended so abruptly once they actually arrived there with really no conclusion at all. I know I’m in the minority here, so I’d say still give it a try if you loved The Measure. Thanks NetGalley and the pub for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

How far are you willing to go to escape the grief over the loss of a loved one?
Would you be willing to risk the possibility a negative side effect from said escape?
Should we sit with our grief as to not discard any memories of a lost loved one?

These are the questions that you need to ask yourself in the Nikki Erlick’s “The Poppy Fields.”

Nikki Erlick has done it once again. She has created a book that sparks deeply controversial conversations. We follow the journey of several strangers who meet on their way to the Poppy Fields. In the Poppy Fields people can apply for the opportunity to stay at a facility to sleep away their grief of a lost loved one. It is completely paid for, but not everyone who applies is a candidate. A small cohort of people who wake up from the sleep experience an unfortunate side effect.

I love how the author is able to circle around and connect so many characters together in a six degrees of separation way. The writing and narration of the book was exceptional and kept pulling me in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for this ARC of the audiobook!

I overall enjoyed this audiobook. I can see the story line being helpful to someone experiencing grief or allowing for a new consideration regarding death and grieving. There were lot of audio narrators, however if was still hard to keep track of who’se view point we were in. I would have personally enjoyed a wider variety of voices to be able to identify whose thoughts we were in.

Audiobook Review

I think this book would probably be best listened to! The narration is done by cast of characters and even has radio/tv narration which I found made listening so much better.

The story is about grief/loss and how we all deal with it differently. It’s about the “Poppy Fields” which is a facility that people can choose to apply to go to in order to sleep for 4-8 weeks after a traumatic event such as a death, divorce, etc. After they awake then they are able to deal with the grief and be themselves again, 3 out of 4 people anyway…. There’s the risk of the “side effect” but they all know the risk prior.

Overall I thought the story was thought provoking and cute. The characters are likable and relatable. Like I said before, I am not sure how I’d feel about a physical copy but the audiobook was great!

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Audio for an advanced download of the audiobook!

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick

Pub date June 17
Publisher Harper Audio

3.5 stars

Synopsis: there is a new treatment for grief and heartbreak at a clinic called the Poppy Fields. The treatment involves sleeping in basically a medically induced coma for 4-8 weeks and the “sleeper” wakes up free from the grief and sadness they were feeling. This story follows four people, three of whom have differing relationships to the treatment and have come together to road trip to the Poppy Fields and the fourth is the scientist behind the treatment.

Review: 3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

First, the writing style of this book is so great. Nikki Erlick writes absolutely beautifully. Second, the premise of this story is good and kept me interested to the end.

However, this story was way too character driven for my tastes. There is no plot to speak of and I wanted more plot. That’s a preference and no fault of the author obviously. This book is also all about grief and is a beautiful exploration of all the emotions that make up grieving. I wanted more to actually happen and I felt like the story became extremely predictable at a certain point.

The audiobook narration was wonderful and the added cast was effective for the format of the book. It was very well done.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harperaudio for the advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

The Poppy Fields dives into the deeply personal area of grief and how individuals process it. The Poppy Fields is a treatment for grief where people sleep for 1-2 months and wake up healed. This book is multi-point of view following a cast of characters. I'm so sorry, but this book did nothing for me.

I LOVED The Measure and was very excited for Erlick's sophomore novel. It unfortunately fell flat. I felt like it would have been a great novella, but the story ran long repeating the same messages over and over again. Ultimately this was a DNF for me.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced readers copy audiobook. My opinions are my own.

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

Wow! I really enjoyed this book. Definitely unique and a different take on overcoming grief.
I know for some grief is a sensitive and triggering subject. And sometimes hard to read. So keep your mental health in mind.

Nikki did a fantastic job when writing this story.
And the idea for the Poppy Fields was very interesting.

The Poppy Fields is a treatment facility when you can go to heal yourself from grief. All you do is sleep for 4-8 weeks. While under medical supervision.
We follow four characters who are on their own journey to the Poppy Fields. Ray, Sky, Sasha, Ava and her little dog too.

I definitely enjoyed the Wizard of Oz vibes. It made the story so enjoyable.

And we get a little mention from The Measure.

This would be a great book club choice! Just like the author's book, The Measure, Poppy Fields explores a controversial topic that will elicit strong feelings on both sides. I love how this book really made me think and process to form an opinion. There were some really powerful arguments for all sides of discussion, and some really great quotes pertaining to grief.
I really enjoyed the narration by Marin Ireland. Thankful to NetGalley for the chance to listen to this book.

3.5/5 Stars

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick offers a beautiful, surreal premise that pulled me in from the start: a mystical place where you can sleep for two months and wake up without the soul-gnawing weight of grief. Honestly, as someone who's lost someone close, I found the idea almost painfully tempting. Imagine being able to press pause on the hurt, just for a little while. To breathe again without every breath feeling like a betrayal of the person you lost.

Ellis, the enigmatic founder of the Poppy Fields, is one of the more compelling characters. Her intentions blur the line between healer and escapist cult leader, and I found myself both drawn to and suspicious of her. Her own loss shapes the fields, and while she offers peace, there’s this underlying question of whether it’s peace or just forgetfulness.

Ava, our protagonist, is raw and relatable. She’s grieving her grandmother (as well as her sister - the backstory there unfolds gradually and with care), and when she decides to travel to the center of the Fields with Sasha and Ray—two people she meets along the way who are also wrestling with their own pain—the book starts to feel like a grief pilgrimage, wrapped in dreamy prose. Their dynamic felt a little underdeveloped at times, but I appreciated how each of them brought something different to the journey: Sasha’s quiet resolve, Ray’s reluctant openness, Ava’s ache.

The book stumbles is in the pacing and emotional payoff. The journey inward (both literally and emotionally) feels a bit meandering, and while I didn’t expect every grief to be neatly sewn up, I wanted a little more clarity, a little more depth to the healing. The idea is huge, but the resolution felt a touch too dreamy to leave a lasting impact.

Still, The Poppy Fields gave me something to think about: What would I give up to stop hurting? And who would I be on the other side of that decision?

Not quite a full heart-healer, but a beautiful, imaginative meditation on loss and the strange paths we take to survive it.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for providing me with this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.