If you had an option to overcome grief with a new, specialized treatment, would you? What if you weren’t fully aware of the risks involved or what about the family you are leaving behind while you are sleeping away your grief? Poppy Fields, like The Measure, is a very thought-provoking book and tells the story of multiple people to gain perspective from each on this new form of treatment. I enjoyed the intrigue that this book brings and the way the characters interact with each other and how their lives, some of them, even intertwine. I listened to this on audio and didn’t love the narration. I don’t feel that the narrator gave personality to the characters or maybe the characters just lacked in personality, but it made it difficult to care about them. I look forward to more books from this author because she gives you something to think about and ponder on. I still am thinking about The Measure. These books are great for discussions and book clubs.

The Poppy Fields was such a lovely listen. From the very beginning, I felt drawn into the warmth of the story and the lives of the characters. The main characters were incredibly likable, genuine, kind, and easy to root for. Their journey felt authentic and emotionally resonant without being overly heavy.

This was one of those audiobooks I found myself flying through. The pacing was just right, and the story had a comforting, cozy quality that made it hard to stop listening. It’s the kind of book that wraps around you like a soft blanket.

The narration was also a highlight, engaging and well-paced, with just the right tone to match the emotional beats of the story. It added an extra layer of connection that made the experience even more enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. The Poppy Fields is a quick, heartfelt listen that I’d definitely recommend to fans of character-driven stories with warmth and charm.

What an interesting concept this is. The grief these participants are experiencing is profound and they have very different stories from one another. Grief comes in many forms and I thought the author did a great job of having characters with different kinds of grief and interesting storylines. The story also makes you think about if you’d be willing to risk the side effect of a treatment to rid yourself of your grief. At first the side effect sounds like a fair trade off, but is it?

The narration by a large cast with Marin Ireland voicing the majority of the story is excellent. This is a beautiful and thought provoking story that will stick with me. Oh, and that cover is gorgeous!

If you could sleep away your grief, would you?

Nikki Erlick weaves a story so wonderfully, I went in expecting a pseudo-thriller and got a human story of grief and growth. I loved the characters and their intertwining stories. It really is a delve into the human psyche and what makes us tick.

Definitely a great read and I loved the speculative fiction side to this story. It seemed so rooted in reality and I could imagine a world in which the poppy fields were real.

DNF at 25%

The Poppy Fields definitely has a place in literature, encompassing themes of grief, healing, and found friendship. However, the pacing is so slow and uneventful for the first near three hours of the audiobook that I'm having to force myself through the trenches to buy-in at all. If you enjoy leisurely strolls through heavy content and a mix of characters, this may be the book for you. The Poppy Fields has a sort of beauty to it, but sadly, it's just not my cup of tea.

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.