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.

Another novel from Nikki Erlick! If you enjoyed her book, “The Measure,” then you will also enjoy this one. Her writing style is copy and pasted between each book. Multiple POVs, all the stories start out seemingly independent but weave together in the most perfect way. Interesting concept and exploration of love and loss.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Audio for this advance copy for an honest review.

The audio of this book was simply amazing! The Narrators did a fantastic job at bringing this book to life! I reread this digital book with the audiobook and I highly recommend doing both! It was entertaining, enjoyable, engaging and conversational! I give this audiobook a 5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Narrators Marin Ireland; Dan Bittner; Stacey Glemboski; Graham Halstead; Mia Barron; Callie Dalton; Janina Edwards; Shawn K. Jain; Christian Barillas; Jason Culp, author Nikki Erlick and HarperAudio Adult for this early copy of the audio version of this book in exchange for my honest review.

After reading (and loving!) Nikki Erlick’s debut novel The Measure a couple years ago, I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of her latest novel The Poppy Fields. Like The Measure, Nikki brings an element of science fiction in a creative concept that invokes the reader to do some deep self-reflection into the world around us. In The Poppy Fields Erlick tackles the subject of grief by introducing the readers to a facility where those experiencing significant grief can choose to go, where they will enter a deep coma-like sleep for upwards of 8 weeks. Upon waking, the patient will have completely healed from their distressful emotions caused by their significant grief. Unfortunately for up to 25% of those patients, there is a permanent side effect which results in them feeling complete apathy towards the cause of their grief—even including not feeling any emotions about the lost person at all. Knowing this, The Poppy Fields explores whether the risk of apathy outweighs the desire to be free from the crippling pain of the grief itself.

Through a cast of strangers forced to travel towards the poppy fields together in proximity, we explore each character’s tie to the poppy fields—why are they going there, and how have the poppy fields shaped their lives, either directly or indirectly? I want to say that I absolutely loved the concept of this story—it is so unique and different like nothing I’ve ever read before. I think the author has a brilliant mind for creating concepts that are completely outside the box. While it’s not fair to continue to compare this entirely separate work to its predecessor, I also feel like this sophomore novel had big shoes to fill after The Measure. As a result, The Poppy Fields just didn’t quite get there fully for me. I didn’t connect with the characters quite as much as I hoped initially, and they felt a little bit flat for me. The pacing was also quite slow, but I did enjoy how all the characters’ stories ended up weaving together by the end.

I listened to this story in audio format. Maren Ireland did a fabulous job narrating this story. She was joined by an entire cast of narrators, many who were responsible for the snippets of patient interviews or newspaper clippings, which added depth and dimension to the overall story.

The narrators did a wonderful job, there were no issues with audio or production quality! Story itself was fantastic and a really great concept.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook! Wow is all I can say! This book is a beautifully painted masterpiece and, in my opinion, will be one of the most talked about books this year! Do yourself a favor and pick this book up! The audiobook is so well done, and made my mind just visualize it as a painting.

THE POPPY FIELDS
By Nikki Erlick

Narration was well done by the cast of: Marin Ireland; Dan Bittner; Stacey Glemboski; Graham Halstead; Mia Barron; Callie Dalton; Janina Edwards; Shawn K. Jain; Christian Barillas; Jason Culp.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the
ALC

I was drawn to the unique premise of this speculative fiction novel exploring grief and healing through the treatment center, The Poppy Fields. I liked it being told through multiple POV and transcripts from the various applicants to The Poppy Fields. Ellis the enigmatic founder of The Poppy Fields, just wants to leave her mark on the world, and with the Poppy Fields, she has done so. We get to meet four people traveling together to The Poppy Fields for various reasons. Could there really be a cure for the broken-hearted? Can you sleep through the pain and accept the shadowy side effects? How do we heal in the wake of loss? How far does one go in order to be healed? Touching upon heartache, healing, self-discovery, friendship, forgiveness, and hope.

Nikki Erlick’s portrayal of grief in this speculative fiction read was compelling and engaged me from the beginning. The characters are dynamic and complex, with each carrying emotional burdens and seeking healing. This book would be a perfect book club pick. Her debut, The Measure, was a brilliant read and The Poppy Fields is another solid, enjoyable read as well. I can hardly wait to see what Nikki Erlick has in store for us in her next hit.

The Poppy Fields was one of my most anticipated new book releases of 2025 and it certainly did NOT disappoint! This book + the audio is a 5+ stars for me. A new all time favorite that I will think about for a long time to come and definitely will re-read in the future! I highly recommend!!

Thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley, William Morrow and HarperAudio for both the E-ARC and the audio for The Poppy Fields in exchange for my honest review! I am still on cloud 9 that I got to read + listen to such an anticipated book for me before the release date! THANK YOU! 😊

The Poppy Fields by Nikki’s Erlick asks the question: What would you do if you could sleep away your grief via a treatment center?

OH MY GOSH! Nikki is seriously brilliant! The way her mind creates these very thought provoking concepts in her books then how she so masterfully weaves a story together around them just blows my mind.

Years ago I read The Measure by Nikki Erlick and it became an all time favorite book of mine. I knew back then that Nikki would be an “auto-buy” author for me, but The Poppy Fields just solidified that even more! This book was phenomenal!

What I love so much about this book is not only the thought provoking concept, but also the way Nikki tells this story surrounding that concept. You get snippets from multiple character’s stories and throughout the book you get to know each of these characters more and more and see how their stories intertwine while also having news articles and interviews peppered though that add even more to the story- it’s done so impeccably well, not to mention it is so wonderfully written that the imagery of the story plays out in your mind so vividly. Nikki explores both sides of the coin with the concept of sleeping away your grief and it is just fascinating and really opens your mind to so much about life itself and the grieving process. I could seriously talk about this book for hours (it would be a SPECTACULAR book club book) but I do not want to spoil anything here in my review!

I also had the pleasure of not just reading this book but also getting to listen to the audio which was phenomenally done! The audio features Marin Ireland and a handful of other amazing narrators! This story has snippets of interviews and news articles layered through it as well and the way it is done via audio is perfection! If you love audio books this is a great one to add to your list!

The Poppy Fields was one of my most anticipated new book releases of 2025 and it certainly did NOT disappoint! This book + the audio is a 5+ stars for me. A new all time favorite that I will think about for a long time to come and definitely will re-read in the future! I highly recommend!!

Thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley, William Morrow and HarperAudio for both the E-ARC and the audio for The Poppy Fields in exchange for my honest review! I am still on cloud 9 that I got to read + listen to such an anticipated book for me before the release date! THANK YOU! 😊

Grief. Love. Loss. This was a different read for me & I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. It does move at a slower pase, but It’s easy to follow and each character has their own characteristics and reasons for heading to this “Poppy Field”. Even though there is not a lot of conflict through out the book, you still want to get to the end of it to know more about this place and if it truly is as good as it seems. I was happy with the ending. Each character does come to a resolution of what they were facing in the beginning. Overall it is an easy and pleasant read.

The narrators do a great job at bringing each character to life. The fact that there are so many involved made the story really pleasant to listen to. Thank you to Harper Audio for the chance to listen to this audiobook prior to release.

5 ⭐️!!!
🎧

“There is only one reason anyone would sleep at The Poppy Fields. Love. Love makes people do wild things. Things they can’t understand. Things they have sworn they would never, ever do. So.. were they ever to lose that love, I imagine they might do just about anything. But here’s the thing: They haven’t lost that love. They’ve lost the physical, the visible, the tangible layer of love. But not the love itself. The love itself endures. The love itself is baked into our memories. The love itself is what slips across our cheeks when we cry, it’s what tugs at our lips when we smile. It’s the yearning pit in our stomach. The urge to make them proud. It’s the gratitude in knowing we were gifted something real.”

What. A. Book! Where do you even begin? Besides the intriguing storyline, the characters, the writing… the THOUGHTS it provokes are truly amazing.
Ava, Ellis, Ray, Sasha, Sky.. I love them all in their own unique way. I feel like I know them and THAT is a sign of good writing. Not to mention the question, “If you could sleep for a month or two to rid yourself of unbearable grief.. would you?” We’ve all felt it. Whether the loss of a loved one, a betrayal, or what feels like both… we’ve all been there. Would YOU risk the *side effect* for a chance at normalcy and peace?

Nikki Erlick is a force to be reckoned with. I will read every book she writes, and my next stop is The Measure, as I didn’t start with that. The Poppy Fields could have been her debut novel but I know how the former has been raved about.. and now I see why.

Chefs kiss. 😘

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for this ALC.

I found this to be an interesting book with a unique concept. I enjoyed the audiobook as it was paced perfectly and kept me engaged and entertained.

Many thanks for my gifted ALC.

So of course I heard about Nikki Erlick and her debut "The Measures" (which is still on my TBR). Nikki is a very talented author and she does characters so well. Really interesting concept and great characters and character relationships. I really felt like I was going on a journey with Ava, Ray, Sasha, Sky, and Ellis. I thought each of their personalities and personal stories were so interesting and gave different perspectives on grief, heartache, hope and human resilience, as promissed in the description. There was just enough information on each of them to really get to know their story without going too far into their history. Great focus.
Also, absolutely great narration and loved the cast of narrators. I think it really elevates the book when there is a narrator for each character, especially since there are so many main characters in this one.
The four stars comes from the fact that this is characterized as a sci fi and fantasy genre and I didn't get that at all. Sure, what the Poppy Fields offer is not something "normal," but was it completely out there, not enough to be sci fi in my opinion. Also, the side effects, again not "normal," but didn't feel all that weird or even unrealistic. I kept waiting for something truely out there or fantasy like to be revealed and in the end I personally didn't think there was anything. Just really threw me off and I kept thinking I missed something. Now, normally I probably wouldn't have even noticed the genre thing because I don't really pay attention to that, but I find when requesting an arc I tend to notice it so it stood out.
This does not take away from the story and the characters. If you like books where the focus and drive of the plot is character building and growth, then this is a great read.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult | HarperAudio for the arc.

I loved the The Measure by Nikki Erlick so much that she will always be an auto-buy author for me. And this book did not disappoint! After reading, and considering, I still don't know if I would want to go to the Poppy Fields - but it is an interesting conversation to have with others. When this comes out I will be recommending it for my book club to read.

4.25 ⭐️ another deep, thought-provoking concept from Erlick for this book. If you had the chance to cure or minimize your grief after a loss, would you take it? Even if the cure meant you may not feel much affection towards the person you lost? It sparks endless discussion opportunities so would be a great bookclub choice. Loved the quote “but grief was love in its second shape”. Very poignant story that will leave you asking yourself “what would I do?” I’m in awe of the author and how she comes up with these life-altering concepts and how she examines them from every angle. She does a beautiful job of interweaving characters’ stories and revealing information and twists to the reader at just the right time. The audiobook version was well done and I enjoyed.