You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
readbyregan 's review for:
The Poppy Fields
by Nikki Erlick
🛌 ARC Review 🛌
Thank you to @williammorrowbooks for the gifted ARC!
Nikki Erlick has a signature style that is both familiar and effective! Much like her debut novel The Measure, she sets up a compelling “what if” scenario that immediately pulled me in and made me wonder what I’d do in the same scenario. This time in THE POPPY FIELDS, she poses a different but equally thought-provoking question: What if there was a cure for grief?
The story introduces a cast of characters whose lives eventually intertwine. It’s a character-driven narrative at heart and most of it takes place along a road trip. Our charactesr have moments of emotional introspection and quiet revelations along the way.
The idea of “sleeping through” grief is a concept rooted in the age old advice of “just sleep on it” or “tomorrow when you wake up, you’ll feel better.” Because of this, I felt the treatment’s pseudo-scientific basis was familiar and accessible, and Erlick used it as a launchpad to explore deeper questions about memory, emotional ties, and healing. I was especially fascinated by the potential side effects of this therapy, and how they challenge our understanding of memory and the emotions that are instrinsically tied to them. With that said, some aspects didn’t land as strongly for me. The character arcs, while thoughtful, often resolved a bit too neatly. Not a surprise since I felt the same way about the arcs in The Measure. Also, the characters’ epiphanies felt sudden, and/or too sentimental which read as a bit cheesy to me.
But overall, I appreciated its exploration of grief, healing, and the human need to connect through shared pain. It was a thought-provoking story that would make an excellent book club pick for lively discussions. Erlick has definitely found her niche in this speculative space and looking forward to the next “what if” scenario she conjures up.
THE POPPY FIELDS comes out June 17.
Rating: I liked it 👍🏼
Thank you to @williammorrowbooks for the gifted ARC!
Nikki Erlick has a signature style that is both familiar and effective! Much like her debut novel The Measure, she sets up a compelling “what if” scenario that immediately pulled me in and made me wonder what I’d do in the same scenario. This time in THE POPPY FIELDS, she poses a different but equally thought-provoking question: What if there was a cure for grief?
The story introduces a cast of characters whose lives eventually intertwine. It’s a character-driven narrative at heart and most of it takes place along a road trip. Our charactesr have moments of emotional introspection and quiet revelations along the way.
The idea of “sleeping through” grief is a concept rooted in the age old advice of “just sleep on it” or “tomorrow when you wake up, you’ll feel better.” Because of this, I felt the treatment’s pseudo-scientific basis was familiar and accessible, and Erlick used it as a launchpad to explore deeper questions about memory, emotional ties, and healing. I was especially fascinated by the potential side effects of this therapy, and how they challenge our understanding of memory and the emotions that are instrinsically tied to them. With that said, some aspects didn’t land as strongly for me. The character arcs, while thoughtful, often resolved a bit too neatly. Not a surprise since I felt the same way about the arcs in The Measure. Also, the characters’ epiphanies felt sudden, and/or too sentimental which read as a bit cheesy to me.
But overall, I appreciated its exploration of grief, healing, and the human need to connect through shared pain. It was a thought-provoking story that would make an excellent book club pick for lively discussions. Erlick has definitely found her niche in this speculative space and looking forward to the next “what if” scenario she conjures up.
THE POPPY FIELDS comes out June 17.
Rating: I liked it 👍🏼