A review by sarahcurl
The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

"This was the other side of love. This was the aftermath, the cost, the opposite end of the bargain. This was the dirty, damp confetti and trampled flower petals, stamped into the muddy ground and tossed about by the wind, long after the parade had ended. This was the sad, lonely echo in the hall, now that the dance was over. Here, in this room, was grief. But grief was love in its second shape."

"Actually, poppies have a remarkable ability to grow in even extremely poor soil. After the First World War, they were one of the earliest flowers to begin growing again among the wreckage of the battlefields in Europe. They're often found in places where natural disasters or human behaviors have caused a massive disruption in the land. Their seeds wait in the soil dormant, until they can emerge in the wake of catastrophe and help make way for other plants to return. Like they've been sleeping, just waiting to wake up and bring new life to the earth. Poppies are a ruderal species, which means that they grow from the rubble. If something so spectacular can still blossom in even the most disturbed earth, then doesn't that mean there's hope for even the most battered hearts to heal?"

I wanted to love this! I thought The Measure was exceptional, and had high expectations for this novel, particularly as I have experienced such grief in the last few years. The premise of this story, a controversial medical facility where applicants can sleep through the heaviest parts of grief and wake up feeling (at least partially) relieved, held so much promise. Like The Measure, I thought there was so much that could be explored about how our society confronts grief, about the psychology of it, the stigmas around it, etc. Unfortunately, I personally felt like this novel lacked the depth I thought it was capable of. I didn't become attached to Ray, Ava, Sasha, or Sky, and it never felt to me like any of them were really grieving too intensely. Perhaps my expectations were too high, or my experience with grief too raw for this to be the right story for me, but I feel like it missed the mark.