The poppy fields is about grief and how we deal with it. If you erase the grief will you erase the love that goes with it. It was a different take on grief and love. The poppy fields even add a slight sci fi element to me.

I loved The Measure, and I loved this book just as much! It was such a different, beautiful, and thought-provoking story. Highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book knowing the premise, and was still blown away by the phenomenal writing. The depth of emotion you can feel from the characters. And also the authors ability to focus on about 5 main characters and be able to feel things from their view points. So many things to discuss and would be an amazing book club book. I will be choosing it for my local book club when it is released in June.

The Poppy Fields is a character-driven novel about grief, and the stakes we are willing to endure to cope. We follow five primary characters: Ava, Ray, Sasha, Sky, and Ellis, as they all have some connection to grief and/or the highly controversial Poppy Fields, a medical treatment facility where patients opt in to a coma-like sleep for periods of time in order to be relieved of their grief. As we learn about our characters' respective backstories, this story evolves into a "it's not always the destination, but sometimes the journey and people we meet along the way' storyline.

One of the things that Erlick does extremely well is the characterization of each character. I recall enjoying her characterization in The Measure, and that strength shows through again here. While each of our characters are bonded in their journey and exploration of grief, each character is unique and has a strong voice that sets them apart from one another. I felt like I could see myself sitting in the car as they made their long roadtrip, and at times was listening to them describe their stories. I also found that, despite this novel taking place largely in two primary locations: the car on the roadtrip, and the Poppy Fields facility, I found this story to be a digestible and quick read, which is particularly helpful in a novel that explores grief and pain. Further, I liked that Erlick incorporated different forms of grief: death, longing, grief of what could be, and vicarious trauma grief, and more. This incorporation invites readers in, and helps us see parts of ourselves in one or more of the main characters, and helps stick to the novel's core point that grief can look and feel different for all of us, and coping can and should look different for different people, even if we don't always understand it. The plot twists that showed us how each character is in some way connected to one person or another were also fun, and kept me engaged and curious to see how our five seemingly different characters' worlds connect. I also appreciated the small easter egg nod to The Measure!

There are two primary areas that did not work as well for me. First, while I felt that I understood our characters' stories and grief, I often felt like I couldn't connect with them. I think this is largely a personal element, because I can certainly see how other readers may deeply connect with one or multiple of our characters. Second, at times, I didn't always love the quick switching of POV in chapters. Again, this is largely preferential because I can see why Erlick did so, but as a character-driven novel, I often want a little more separation on page between our POVs to fully feel the impact of what that character is saying and feeling.

This novel is deep in feeling, and I think, if it finds readers in the right moments of their own grief, it could provide some levity, relatability, and perspective in their own healing processes. Pick this novel up on June 17, 2025!

Another absolutely beautiful novel by Nikki Erlick! Grief is not the same for any individual . If you love big you grieve big. The question is would you want to to chance forgetting that love from sleeping in the poppy fields! A story of love, loss , forgiveness and friendship! I will cherish this book for a long time! Thank you William morrow for the early read!

The Poopy Fields might be one to pick up in print. A great story within a beautiful book would look great on your shelves.

All the stars!

I was so excited when I was approved for this eARC on NetGalley. The author, Nikki Erlick, wrote one of my all-time favorite books, The Measure, so this was one of my most-anticipated reads of the year. I was also a little bit nervous that perhaps I was expecting too much from the author to be able to deliver another wonderful read. My anxiety was unfounded – I thought this book was magnificent.

This book follows multiple different characters on their journey to The Poppy Fields, a medical facility that aims to help people deal with grief through a sleeping treatment. Each character has a different reason for heading there. Erlick is so great at character development. I was invested in all the characters’ stories, even if I didn’t like them personally. Their individual stories reinforced the adage “you never know what someone else is going through”.

Despite dealing with the very heavy topics of loss and grief, this book left me with a feeling of hope. I shed a lot of tears along throughout my reading, but Erlick has an amazing ability to highlight the beauty of the human condition.

I will definitely read anything Erlick writes in the future. Her writing style and stories resonate so deeply with me and make me feel all the feelings.

This book releases on 17 June 2025 and I highly recommend it. I have already pre-ordered a physical copy for my shelves. Also, a big thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for a free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved The Measure and have been eagerly awaiting to see what the author would come up with next. The Poppy Fields was an interesting commentary on grief and its impact on people. I struggled a bit to get into this one and didn't connect with the characters as much as I had hoped. I still enjoyed her writing style and the little twists and turns as the plot came together.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I can confirm for certain that @nikkierlick has done it AGAIN! No sophomore slump for this novelist, whose debut, THE MEASURE, was an instant bestseller and @readwithjenna book club pick! Her ingenious genre-bending and speculative nature are a combination that always make a thought-provoking reading experience. Onward to see where else this book takes me… how delightful!

This book was great from start to finish. I was a fan of Erlick's previous work, so this was a must-read for me; it did not disappoint. The way that the author portrays grief and loss and incorporates the idea of an advanced technology that works within this concept is extremely well done. I love the characters, their development throughout and the connections they make with one another. There is a continual message of hope throughout, even when discussing such a heavy and emotional topic.

The Poppy Fields is a story of love., loss and road trips.

While It was probably not the authors intention, the book beginning with a tornado in Kansas and the characters traveling together for various reasons to get to The Poppy Fields, made me think of The Wizard of Oz.

Like The Measure, I enjoyed the ending best.

This will lead to great discussion for book clubs.

Nikki Erlick is back with another family drama with a bit of futurism and magical realism. She tackles death, grief, and cryo in "Poppy Fields" which feels much more severe and weighty than "The Measure." While the genres are similar, the stories themselves are quite different in tone. This is a sad, straightforward novel that doesn't necessary impress but succeeds in conveying an eerie atmosphere.

Another beautiful book by Nikki Erlick. The Measure is one of my favorite books and I recommend it everyone I know. I was hoping this book would live up to the bar it set. Once again the characters started out simple enough, all grieving in unique ways. They didn't seem to have much in common, except their presence in the airport, but by the end I was rooting for each and every one of them and totally engrossed by the ways their lives intertwined. Erlick comes up with unique plots that keep you asking yourself, "if this were real, what would I choose to do?" I really enjoyed this book and wished it had kept going.

I'm unable to share a written review for this book as I'm the publicist working on it and have bias. That said, I loved it :)

This will be a good book to use for book clubs, as it will provide lots discussion. Between this book and The Measure, this author has become an auto-read for me.

Grief is a sensitive, deeply personal, and often triggering subject. Everyone experiences it differently, and the process is sacred, painful, and unique to each individual. While it’s said that grief has five stages, some people never move past the second or third, unable to find closure or a way to move forward.

Poppy Fields explores this profound question: What if you had the chance to sleep for one or two months in a specialized facility and, upon waking, no longer felt crushed under the weight of your grief? What if you could finally breathe without feeling like glass shards were stabbing your heart with every inhale—moving on without wearing your pain like an invisible scar? Would you take that chance, or would you still cling to your grief, even as it slowly eroded your sense of self?

Ellis, the enigmatic, fiercely dedicated founder of this remote treatment center in the California desert, believes she is helping people process their pain. The facility, an innovative yet highly controversial institution, was never about financial gain—she personally selects each candidate through a rigorous application and interview process, shaping the program based on her own life experiences. But her work is not without its critics. Protesters challenge the ethics of the treatment, and some former patients report an unsettling side effect: a small percentage emerge emotionally numb, detached from their past and memories, stripped of sentimentality.

Ellis’s sister, Ava, resents her for prioritizing this work over family. Determined to confront Ellis, Ava embarks on a journey to the facility, only to be rerouted by a natural disaster. Along the way, she finds herself traveling with two strangers—Sasha, a young Korean occupational therapist who was on the verge of becoming a runaway bride, and Ray, a firefighter grieving the loss of his brother Johnny, who underwent the treatment and came back… different. Convinced something sinister is happening behind closed doors, Ray is determined to uncover the truth. They are later joined by Sky, an adventurous 18-year-old taking a gap year, as their paths converge on the facility.

What awaits them when they arrive? Will they find the closure they seek, or uncover something far more unsettling? Most importantly, if given the chance to heal simply by closing your eyes and disconnecting from the world for two months—would you take it?

Overall, this is a thought-provoking, deeply moving, and philosophical journey with well-developed characters and unforgettable emotional depth. A compelling exploration of grief, healing, and identity, this book will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to move forward while holding onto the past.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with this incredible digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The authors first book was really tthoughtful and the story interesting. I really ejoyed the characters and their building and lasting friendships and awakening but the whole poppy fields concept was a bit unrealistic and silly.