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.

A beautiful and unique story on grief and love. Very thought provoking. I enjoyed all the characters and their interconnected stories. I've been lucky enough not to experiance major grief in my life, but this was still relevent to me! Such a powerful read.

I thoroughly enjoyed the unique premise and thought-provoking tale of The Poppy Fields. Imagine a place you can go to sleep and wake up free of the heartwrenching grief that brought you there. The story is told from various perspectives, including several different characters and their association with The Poppy Fields. I love how we are introduced to each character, and how their bonds are created and told throughout the story. I especially enjoyed the road trip they embarked upon after their fateful meeting. Each character has their own story, but they meld together seamlessly with the overarching theme. In addition to the main characters, we also hear excerpts of interviews with potential and previous patients and bits of news articles covering the work done at the fields. This added such depth to the experience of reading this novel.

As with all treatments, side effects often come; the same is true of The Poppy Fields. We learn of the main side effect and see how it affects those unfortunate enough to experience it. There is a bit of a mystery surrounding the founder of the fields, Ellis (aka Emmy), and her sister Ava, who had a falling out shortly after the fields opened. The way I gasped when I realized what happened to create their rift - it was an excellent twist.

Nikki Erlick thought of everything in the execution of this novel. The way she approached grief and its devastating effects on those experiencing it was both introspective and tasteful.

Multiple narrators brilliantly performed the audio version to give differing voices dependent upon their perspective that brought this story to life.

The Poppy Fields presents a unique and thought-provoking premise for a book – what if there were a cure for a broken heart? This character-driven novel follows four strangers (Ava, Ray, Sasha, and Sky), each burdened by personal grief, as they journey to the California desert in search of the Poppy Fields, an experimental treatment center, and its founder, Ellis. The Poppy Fields promises to heal a grieving soul by putting particiapnts into a month-long "sleep."

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, and I'm still undecided on how much I liked it. A blend of magical realism, science fiction, and contemporary fiction, it explores the tension between letting go of grief and holding on to the memory.

I listened to the audiobook, which was superbly done. The always fantastic Marin Ireland delivered a stand-out performance, with strong support from a full cast for articles, letters, and news segments.

I loved Nikki's debut book and this one sounded even better. I was right. There is no sophomore slump here. The Poppy Fields are a new and experimental treatment center designed to help people cope with their grief. It is not without controversy but people still flock to the Poppy Fields seeking healing.


I loved that this book looked at grief not only in the typical sense but also other situations that could cause you to feel grief. Nikki really delves into human relationships and what it means to connect with those around us. She weaves the characters stories together, intertwining them in ways that feel surprising yet realistic. The multiple narrators did justice to the story. I'm such a huge fan of dual or full cast narration. These narrators were amazing.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and I hope we don't have to wait another 3 years for her next one!!

I liked the concept of this book. It was fascinating to think about the ramifications of sleeping through grief. What it does to your body, what it does to those you love. I felt like the middle of this story was slow, felt drawn out. Overall, I liked this novel. Would recommend to sci-fi readers. 3.5 stars

Such a great read. I loved The Measure, and I think I loved this more. The audio was well done and the multiple narrators and story lines were beautifully woven together. Don’t rush through it. Sit back and enjoy the character development.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio Adult for the ALC.

This book is more than fiction—it’s comfort. It’s for the ones carrying quiet grief, the ones who know what it means to lie in bed and wish you could just sleep through the pain. The Poppy Fields imagines a world where you actually can—a place where people go to sleep for months to process their grief. But, as with all healing, there are side effects.

This is a story about what it means to lose, to ache, to try to keep going. It’s about grief in all its raw, complicated forms. And for me, it hit deep.
The chapter with Audrey and Alan absolutely wrecked me—in the most beautiful way. Their story was tender, heart-wrenching, and unforgettable. Honestly, this book touched me more than Erlick’s first, The Measure. Maybe that’s because I’m still holding onto my own losses. Maybe that’s why it felt like this book found me exactly when I needed it.

What makes this book even more powerful is the way Erlick breaks up the narrative with unique formats—news articles, podcast transcripts, social media posts, and even fictional application forms for the Poppy Fields. These interludes give readers a chance to breathe while adding depth to the world she's created, making it feel all the more real.

I listened to the advanced audiobook and it added so much. The narrators brought these characters to life with such honesty and depth—I felt like I knew them. It made everything even more intimate and emotional.

From the very beginning, I was hooked. I grew to care for every single character and their journey. This is one of those books that stays with you, long after the last page.

If you’ve ever experienced loss, if your heart still hasn’t fully healed, this story will speak to you. It spoke to me. And I’m so grateful it did.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! If you liked The Measure, you’ll like this one too. An interesting take on navigating grief. Funny and sensitive and sweet.

Crying so much! I adore the way Nikki writes books and showcases human connection. If loved her book The Measure definitely check out The Poppy Fields as well. Wonderful narration as well!

4.25/5. Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for the advanced listening copy!

What drew me to this book was the premise - what if you could sleep away your grief - and I think this book truly delivered on it. Those who apply, are chosen, and come to the Poppy Fields are given the opportunity to sleep through the worst parts of their broken-heart. When they awaken, the pain is gone and, for the most part, they can move on with their lives.

But there is a chance of a side effect that may make it all not worth the risk...

The novel follows a set of characters on their way to the Poppy Fields, and the creator of the Poppy Fields herself, and a twisty, entwined story that really reflects on what grief is, how individual it is, and how we all have to come to heal from it. It balances the two sides of the coin: do we have to be awake and aware of our intense loss, or is there more benefit to letting our body heal itself, relegated to the subconscious?

Going into this, I expected we'd focus more on the aspect of the actual process of sleeping through grief. Instead, Erlick takes us on a character-driven adventure to the west, creating memorable characters who work through their process in their own way. Just the fact that they have each other and the ability to talk through <i>why</i> they're choosing the Poppy Fields starts the process of healing.

I wasn't certain I was prepared for an introspective novel like this, but I am glad I took the chance to listen to it today. It was well worth it and the questions that it poses. The writing itself was beautiful and every character unique enough that none blended together. Marin Ireland (and every other narrator) does an excellent job of bringing them all to life. I find the novels like this with interviews, broadcasts, articles, etc. do really well with multiple narrators in an audio format.

If you're in the mood for a novel that makes you stop and look deep at part of being human, this is one for you.

How do you men a broken heart
How do you stop the rain from falling down?

Perhaps there is a place for you to rid yourself of a heart broken through loss? There is a place in the desert of California that can provide healing through sleep. Sounds amazing and something we might consider if we are among those that no matter how much time has passed find ourselves consolable.

Ellis, the brilliant woman who created the Poppy Field is the destination for four travelers, Ava, a book illustrator; Ray, a fireman; Sasha, an occupational therapist; Sky, a free spirit; and a friendly pup named PJ. They bond together and as they travel we learn of their sorrows, their hopes for the fields, and the secrets that may deter them from what they seek.

There are so many thought provoking concepts in this story and it is one that you will continue to ponder after the last word is read. Would you go there if you could, if this imagined place was available, if what they promised could be yours?

The Poppy is a flower that is ever so resilient. It was the first flower to grow after the devastation of the war and so the center seems aptly named. Can people come back after a devastating loss, the loss of a child, husband, wife, parents, brothers, sisters etc. or do our memories of our lost loved ones become something we wish to hold onto throughout our lives?

ARC - NetGalley AudioRead - Full Cast - Well Done!!

This book is shelved as a "Sci-Fi/Fantasy" story category. This is not your typical Sci Fi in my mind.

This is the story of the Poppy Fields, an experimental and controversial treatment center that allows people dealing with the loss of a loved one to sleep through their pain in a prolonged slumber. When they awaken from this sleep they will be healed. But there are some potentially shadowy side effects. The story follows 4 strangers who travel to make their way to the Poppy Fields. This was such a beautiful tale of love, loss and moving on in the most unexpected way.

What a beautiful story and characters. I loved Nikki Erlick’s The Measure and found The Poppy Fields to be equally enjoyable. Erlick has a special, unique way of sharing humanity’s struggles and celebrations and how we are intertwined with others. I’m excited for the publish date so I can share this with others.