OVERVIEW
This is Nikki Erlick's second novel. Her first novel, The Measure, was a huge success.
However, this book is not The Measure and covers a completely different topic - grief. It is speculative fiction, which may or may not appeal to the readers of her first novel.
I liked this book, but I didn't love it!
OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars.
Writing: 3.5 stars
The writing was the weakest part of this book for me. This is not "The Great American novel", but it was a nice escape from the heavy books that I have recently been reading.
Character development: 3.5 stars
The main characters are Ava (an artist traveling to connect with her estranged sister), Ray (a firefighter trying to find answers to a recent death), and Sasha (an occupational therapist recovering from her fiancée's death).
The secondary characters are Emmy (Ava's sister) and Sky (a young traveling free-spirit).
The tertiary characters are the mysterious "Poppy Fields", the clients, and the employees/scientists.
There were the appropriate number of characters, but they weren't developed as I prefer. The character development could have been stronger.
Storyline: 3.5 stars
The storyline is about the "Poppy Fields," where people with grief trauma can gain relief from the pain with a drug.
Ava, Ray, and Sasha meet after a tornado at the Kansas City airport. They rent a car to travel to the "Poppy Fields," which is their final destination. Along the way, they meet Sky, who joins them on the journey. They eventually arrive at the "Poppy Fields," and all is revealed (no more details as this is a non-spoiler blog).
The locations were primarily Kansas City, Missouri, and the route to the Southern California desert.
Memorable/Informative: 3.0 stars
The question is whether it is better to heal from grief naturally or try to take a shortcut. It really doesn't get fully answered for me.
Book cover: 3.0 stars
Pretty, but it wasn't what the storyline was about.
Book title: 3.0 stars
It isn't about the "Poppy Fields," but rather about the main character's journey to them.
Recommend
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: ebook
The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick
316 pages
William Morrow
Release date: 6/17/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)
TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Death, grief, child death, death of a parent, cursing
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
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