Tag: Grief

Book Review

The Poppy Fields

TheShelfLife

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick

Publication Date: June 2025 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: A wonderfully constructed speculative fiction novel that dives deep into grief and its impact on those left behind, with memorable characters.

4.5/5 Stars

Book Summary: An experimental and controversial treatment center has opened up in the desert of California.  At this center known as The Poppy Fields, those suffering from grief or heartbreak can choose to be put into a prolonged sleep to be awoken and cured of the pain they are feeling.  There is however a chance of a pretty significant side effect.  As four strangers join together on their separate journeys to The Poppy Fields, they learn about one another and come to terms with some of the heartache that has brought each of them to this place.

My Analysis: I am a big fan of speculative fiction, and this concept (and of course the author!) drew me in.  The characters shared in this novel are so individually unique and yet all going through various versions of loss.  They are all very well developed, and the story is constructed in such a way that you deeply come to know and feel for these characters.  I enjoyed that Erlick kept up her trend as with The Measure and made some connections among characters and plot points, which made for an interesting read.  If you are currently going through a loss, you may not want to dive into this one while the feelings are fresh, as the concept of grief is at the forefront of the story and is emotionally described throughout.  The only reason I did not give this one a full 5 stars is because I did find the pacing to be a bit slow to start out.  This is a thought-provoking novel, and if you are a fan of The Measure or of adult speculative fiction, I recommend this one. I also think this has crossover potential for mature YA readers.

Book Review

Grief in The Fourth Dimension

TheShelfLife

Grief in the Fourth Dimension by Jennifer Yu

Publication Date: July 2024 |Thanks Netgalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: Speculative fiction that dives deep into grief and the process of healing from a loved ones death.

3/5 Stars

Book Summary: After their deaths, Kenny and Caroline find themselves together in a mysterious white room. They come to realize that they are able to view their families and friends as they work through the process of grieving their losses. In addition, there are small ways in which Kenny and Caroline can influence the events that are currently happening to others back home. As the two connect further in the room, they realize their connection to one another and their deaths extended beyond coincidence.

My Analysis: The uniqueness of this plot made me want to pick this one up instantly. There are a lot of heavy themes within this one- content warnings for discussions of death and suicide. Yu does a nice job of making the topics of death and grief and their impact very accessible. If it weren’t for the depth of the topics, I would almost say this reads a little younger. The characters are interesting and I liked the connections that were made both in and out of the white room. The depictions of Kenny’s family restaurant were my favorite scenes. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I’ll just say that I’m not entirely on board with how things wrapped up for this one. I get where the author was coming from in how she had some characters react to certain situations, but I’m not sure if I totally agreed with some of it morally. That though is definitely something that could be subjective, based on the opinions of the reader. I was also able to figure out one of the bigger twists early on (which was a good one but I wish I hadn’t seen it coming) and another which I had not and was interestingly revealed. If you’re into speculative fiction and want an introspective look into grief, give this one a try.

Book Review

The Atlas of Us

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The Atlas of Us by Kristin Dwyer

Publication Date: January 2024| Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: A slow paced but intimate picture into the mind of a teenager consumed by grief.

3/5 Stars

Book Summary: Atlas lost her father after a battle with cancer. Now she is trying to pull her life back together when all she can focus on is what is missing. Following one of her fathers passions, Atlas works for a community service project rehabbing trails. On the trails everyone goes by a nickname and Atlas wants to feel immersed in nature while trying to start anew. Little did she think that the strangers she started out with would get to know her better than anyone in their month together.

My Analysis: This book has a lot of emotion packed into it. I really enjoyed the development of the characters – and not just Atlas, the secondary ones too. I would almost consider this a YA version of Wild by Cheryl Strayed, being in nature hoping to find answers. It is an intriguing premise and not one that you find a lot in YA lit. Let’s talk about what this book really is though…an extremely intimate look into a teenager actively working through grief. This is a constant throughout the book, almost to the point of it being a little too much. But, it does fit with the character and how she would be thinking and acting based on how she is feeling. I will say however, if you are a reader who is currently grieving, this may not be the best option for you right now. It is an accurate portrayal of emotions, but I can also see it being triggering for someone who feels too closely to how Atlas does. If you are a reader that would like to see this perspective from someone going through it however, this will accomplish it. The thing that I didn’t care for with this book was the pacing. It moves very slowly, slow enough to make me not super excited to keep reading, but not enough for me not to finish.