finished re-reading

This book group re-read was as good the second time around.  What really stood out to me were parallels to The Wizard of Oz--the four main characters' found family feels reminiscent of Dorothy's adventure, although there is no wicked witch, there is an enigmatic "great and powerful Oz".  The book begins with a tornado interrupting travel plans.  When Ava, Ray, and Sasha set out with the little dog PJ, Sky eventually rounds out the band of travelers.  I especially enjoyed that this group of mismatched strangers shared their heartbreak and innermost thoughts, creating strong bonds.  The poppy fields themselves are what came to mind for the Oz-like sequence of sleeping.  The yellow-brick road takes the form of an ugly rental car.  There's even a hot-air balloon ride!

It will be fun discussing this with my book group.  Maybe I'm seeing things that aren't there, but we'll have a good time dissecting my theory.

From my original post:  

This book is an absolute must-read for a book club, offering themes and elements ripe for discussion. At its core, the novel introduces an intriguing speculative premise: a carefully vetted process designed to offer grief relief by allowing those who have suffered tremendous loss to essentially sleep through their pain.

While the concept touches on heavy topics--including medical ethics, the complexities of grief and loss, and the role of social media in modern life--the book never feels weighed down. The novel centers on the journey of four main characters who are drawn together on their quest toward the Poppy Fields. It's in creating this found family that the book truly shines. Each character brings a poignant and unique experience of loss, estrangement, and hope, which humanizes the abstract themes. This focus on personal, character-driven storytelling is a major strength, setting it apart from other, often more clinical and distant, works of speculative fiction in the same vein (I'm thinking Never Let Me Go or The Memory Police).   

The audio is particularly well done.