I have been eagerly waiting for the followup to "The Measure" for years and Nikki Erlick did not disappoint! Beyond her incredible prose, I love how Erlick makes each character unique. I was invested in all of their stories, which just shows her strength in character building. Now to wait for her next novel!

Nikki Erlick’s The Poppy Fields presents a thought-provoking premise: what if you could sleep through your grief and wake up healed? Set in a secluded facility in the California desert, the novel follows a group of strangers drawn to this experimental treatment, each with their own reasons for seeking or questioning relief.

Erlick excels at crafting a narrative that explores both sides of the choice without judgment. The novel doesn’t dictate whether healing this way is right or wrong; instead, it allows its characters and readers to sit with the complexity of grief and the different ways people process loss. The multi-perspective storytelling deepens the emotional stakes, making the novel compelling, though at times the pacing drags.

While The Poppy Fields may not hit as hard as The Measure, it still succeeds as an introspective, emotionally resonant read. Erlick’s ability to blend speculative elements with deeply human questions makes this a great pick for book clubs and fans of reflective fiction.

First of all, thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC. I was a huge fan of The Measure and couldn’t wait to start this. So let me begin by saying the audio was fantastic and kept me engaged. The writing was also beautiful and the premise so unique. Having said that, this book was basically about a road trip to the poppy fields. I would say only 10-15% was actually spent at the poppy fields and while that part of the book had the most emotional impact, it wasn’t nearly enough time. It was a huge letdown because I know so much more could have been done with this story but ultimately it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

4.5⭐️s rounded up. Such a thought provoking concept of how we deal with grief and what if you could essentially sleep it away. I’m always for a what-if story and really enjoyed how this played out. It was engaging and very well done.

I liked the different point of views both from each of the characters and on the concept of… not really avoiding the grief but sort of holding, stilling, letting your body heal… vs enduring and experiencing the pain and hard things. Because grief is such a personal thing, that neither option would necessarily be right or wrong, better or worse. But that they each offer their own benefits and drawbacks. To say one way should be for all people is missing the point and keeps us from supporting those who are grieving, creating community and allowing for others to bear the loss in their own way.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓝𝓲𝓴𝓴𝓲 𝓔𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓬 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝓮!
→The Poppy Fields←
Author: Nikki Erlick
Genre: Sci-Fi
Age Rating: 14/15+ (mainly due to heavier topics such as grief and such, younger ages might struggle to understand the concepts)
Spice: 0.5/5🌶️ (some mentions of kissing)
Cursing: 1/5 🤬 (two f-bombs)
Content Warnings: grief
<b>Will I read more books by this author if they have any?</b> YESSSSSSSSS!!
<b>LGBTQ representation?</b> A couple small mentions, mainly focused around one girl, paragraph including how she was interested in girls a couple times, one instance of a character asking her if she'd dated a girl
Summary:
<i>What if there were a cure for the broken-hearted?

Welcome to the Poppy Fields, where there’s hope for even the most battered hearts to heal.

Here, in a remote stretch of the California desert, lies an experimental and controversial treatment center that allows those suffering from the heartache of loss to sleep through their pain...and keep on sleeping. After patients awaken from this prolonged state of slumber, they will finally be healed. But only if they’re willing to accept the potential shadowy side effects.

On a journey to this mystical destination are four very different strangers and one little dog: Ava, a book illustrator; Ray, a fireman; Sasha, an occupational therapist; Sky, a free spirit; and a friendly pup named PJ. As they attempt to make their way from the Midwest all the way to the Poppy Fields—where they hope to find Ellis, its brilliant, enigmatic founder—each of their past secrets and mysterious motivations threaten to derail their voyage.

A high-concept speculative novel about heartache, hope, and human resilience, The Poppy Fields explores the path of grief and healing, a journey at once profoundly universal and unique to every person, posing the questions: How do we heal in the wake of great loss? And how far are we willing to go in order to be healed?</i>

~Thoughts~
HOLY COW
THIS BOOK WAS A ROLLERCOASTERRRRRRRRRR
The plot twists were twisting
I enjoyed this SO MUCH and highly recommend it!!!!
My rating: 4.5 ⭐(rounded up)

Very out of the box and provides unique perspectives on sadness and grief. Good character development.

Another winner from Nikki Erlick.

This book is about grief and, given the choice, would we avoid the grieving process and move straight to healing even if it can leave us numb? I loved that this book didn’t attempt to push a narrative on perseverance and strength. It has a very accepting and non-judgmental tone of the various decisions its characters make. It is a gentle exploration of the complex emotion of grief and the different ways it affects everyone.

Ellis is a brilliant scientist who launched a therapeutic experiment to deal with grief. After rigorous screening, willing subjects are put into a sleeping state for the course of one month during which they are given a medicinal element that helps their minds and bodies process grief so when they wake up, the crushing devastation of losing someone is gone and acceptance is achieved. It is a very controversial method that has a proven track record of working, but there is a catch: a potential side effect that could leave the subject apathetic and numb. As a group of strangers journey together to this compound called The Poppy Fields, motivations, secrets, and emotions are explored.

The writing is beautifully evocative. It is a stunning work of speculative fiction that is accessible to anyone and relatable to everyone who has dealt with grief.

I wish there was a bit more of the success stories and how they integrated back into life after the sleep, but it may have made the book too long. Although, I could have kept reading.

I loved that the audiobook is narrated by an ensemble cast. It gave each character and story its own strong identity. All the narrators were great and gave fantastic performances full of emotion that felt individual and unique.

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick

Wow, What can I say about this journey. That's what it was. Three strangers share a rental heading to The Poppy Fields for different reasons. They p8ck up a recent high school grad along the way. Let me say, the authors previous book, The Measure is still one of my all time favs and now this one will be added to thr list. The story was less about the actual Poppy Fields IMO and more about the relationships that shape up and how we become a slightly different version of ourselves when those relationships change. I related mostly with Ray and Sasha. I find that Nikki Erlick writes in a way that is thought provoking and challenges your way of thinking without shoving her vie2s d9wn your throat. Wow, what an amazing story that I read. Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow. What a joy.

I received this ARC audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautiful book on grief. I am blessed to have not lost anyone I’m super close to, but I have lost people in life. It’s hard to navigate that initial shock and it doesn’t get easier. The best part of this book is that it really shows that grief is dealt with differently by each person. It was truly a beautiful journey listening to this book. The plot is simple and straightforward; the writing is easy to read, and the characters resonate with an average person dealing with grief. I picked this up based solely on the premise of the book, but I ended up really loving the journey and details in each person’s life.

It was a bit predictable in the way that a lot of inspirational style fiction can be, but I have no complaints. This was a wonderful book really highlighting that everyone grieves differently and that there is no linear way to grieve. Everyone deals with it differently and there is absolutely no shaming in this book regarding each person’s decision.

This is different than my normal read, but I’m glad I picked it up. 4.5⭐️

What an incredibly unique and thought-provoking concept! The idea of a place where people go to sleep away their grief is both imaginative and poignant. It was fascinating to see how each character, despite being strangers at the outset, was so intricately connected through their shared experiences of grief.

I really appreciated how you navigated their individual journeys, blending their stories in a way that felt organic and real. The emotional depth was moving, and I found myself reflecting on the nature of loss long after I finished reading. Overall, a beautifully written and thought-provoking exploration of grief. I’m rating this 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fresh, heartfelt take on human connection and healing.

"What if there were a cure for the broken-hearted?"
"Welcome to the Poppy Fields, where there's hope for even the most battered hearts to heal."
The California desert became the home of Ellis's dream. The founder of Poppy Fields created an experimental and controversial treatment center that allows those suffering from heartache to sleep for 4-8 weeks. When they awaken, they will be healed....but the side effects...
Human resilience is met when 4 strangers take a road trip to the Poppy Fields after their flights were delayed. Each one of them suffers some type of heartbreak, but one of them has a different mission.
Their story and why will be throughout the book so I will not divulge what their pain is from, introduce you to these four: Ava, a book illustrator; Ray, a fireman; Sasha, therapist; Sky, the free spirit and a dog P.J.
Some might say the treatment center crosses a moral boundary that grief must follow its process and allow time to heal, but who are we to say what level of pain someone else suffers. It was well written and thought out on the wider spectrum of thinking. Very interesting taking in the personalities of our road travelers and blending their different aspects on life and pain.
A great job on behalf of all the narrators Marin Ireland, Dan Bittner, Stacey Glemboski, Graham Halstead, Mia Barron, Callie Dalton, Janina Edwards, Shawn K. Jain, Christian Barillas, and Jason Culp.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult | HarperAudio for the audio in exchange for my honest review.

This story is perfection! I love Marin Ireland, and her narration is divine. The characters and their connection to the poppy field made me love this story, and I’m choosing for my local book club choice when it releases in June.

I love a story with multiple characters whose lives are connected but they don't know it.

Welcome to The Poppy Fields, where you sleep away your grief.

Ava a book illustrator and her little pup PJ. Ray -a firefighter. Sasha-a therapist and Sky a young free spirit are all making their way from the Midwest to The Poppy Fields. They are each coming for their own reasons, however secrets and motivations for the visit might be enough to derail their trip.

All four characters are connected- though they do not know and this is really how the story unfolds. I enjoyed this book. It's tagged as fantasy/sci-fi/magical realism and while that is a TEENY bit true it really doesn't venture into those three categories much. There is just a *touch* of that here.

This book is really about finding yourself and learning to cope with an endured hardship, healing and moving on with life.

I had the Audio version and really enjoyed it, I found it hard to stop listening. I have not read The Measure by Nikki Erlick but plan to grab it on Audio!

3 stars for THE POPPY FIELDS. I was so intrigued by this book given the smashing success of Nikki Erlick's most previous release, THE MEASURE. It's a lightly sci-fi tale that is mostly about familial relationships, grief, and how the broad expanse of human emotions that we experience is what in fact makes us human. I liked the concept, I liked the message, I liked the writing style, but the execution felt stale and the story was boring at times.

I was lucky enough to get a free ARC of this book. Nikki's other book The Measure is my all time favorite book. So I was so excited for The Poppy Fields and this book did not disappoint. I love the idea of the poppy fields, the character development was incredible. Really got you thinking about if you were in some of these situations. Loved this book. 5 stars!

** Spoilers***
Wow! Erlick outdid herself with this story. The Poppy Fields is more thought provoking and interesting than The Measure was by a mile. If you could sleep away the hurt, pain, shame, anguish, would you? And what if it caused you to just feel numb about it all? This story is a twist on the principal that with happiness comes sadness, with love comes pain. It was great! This one should. be on your TBR shelf this year.

This story was a surprise for me. I thought the plot sounded like a pleasant read…I didn’t know I was in for a thought provoking, life-changing novel about what it means to grieve. Grief touches everyone, but it is very personal. We all grieve in different ways. It can be argued that grief is one of the many things that makes us human.

Logistically, I did find a few of the perspective switches a little confusing. It would seem to be one chapter would start in a MCs perspective then switch to another. It’s possible that because I was listening to the audiobook version of this story and the single narrator played into this.

Thank you to Nikki Erlick, HarperAudio, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thought provoking! Easy to follow along. Even though there were a handful of character stories to follow, the pacing of the book does well to not confuse you or let you forget about anyone. While I didn't feel overly connected to the characters, I was fascinated by the idea of the Poppy Fields. It made me wonder what I would do, and how I would feel if something like that existed in society. I honestly can't imagine our world not corrupting or abusing something like the Poppy Fields, and the author does a great job painting a realistic picture of all the pros and cons.

I initially thought this book would remind me a little bit of the Wizard of Oz, when they are journeying to the Emerald City and along the way they learn things about themselves, and that was totally the vibe! This would make for a great Book Club pick, and I'd recommend it to anyone who would be fascinated and open to an explorative discussion!

A well-done sophomore novel with a fascinating concept. This one definitely had a similar tone to The Measure in the sense that it makes the reader think, What would I do if this were to happen in real life? There were a few twists that were unexpected, as well as a few that I predicted due to the breadcrumbs that Erlick was feeding us. I was hoping for a little more from the ending, but it was an overall great read.

I read this book as a digital ARC, supplemented with the ALC audiobook, both from NetGalley.

There's something about contemplative stories that always draw me in. I love being inside "other peoples" heads while they ponder on how to proceed forward while making these extremely difficult life-altering decisions. And I love sitting in the story and wondering what I would do were I in their situation.

In full disclosure, I was a huge fan of Erlick's previous book, The Measure, so I was already diving in with somewhat high expectations. And I am glad to report that my feelings for this one are no different. I found The Poppy Fields to be a fabulous and emotional read. However, I can totally see how others would react completely differently to this story or to these characters based on their own life experiences. Honestly, this book would be an amazing Book Club pick as it would encourage so many discussions.

This audiobook had a HUGE cast narration led by Marin Ireland, which was absolute perfection!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.