This whole concept and how it played out had me so hooked! Virtual children and a reality tv show - shockingly I can see how this could become reality. How John Marrs comes out with his ideas for hos speculative thrillers I don't know but am so happy he does. This is a rollercoaster ride and kept me reading many late night till the end. Well recommended and would be a great tv series too.

This was my first John Marrs novel and wow was I missing out! Like an episode of black mirror this sci-fi thriller truly shocked me. The story was well paced and the short chapters made it a compulsive read for me. I think this would be a great option for a book club due to the ethical dilemma. I will be picking up another book by John Marrs very soon!

This is one of favorite John Marrs books so far I finished in one day nothing is as it seems great book

I feel honored to have been chosen to read this book. It was incredible! I want to take a dive into John Marrs’ brain a see what’s going on in that head of his. This is only my 2nd book by him and it will not be my last. Fast paced and engaging! Just when you think the book reached its limits there is always more! You are a genius John Marrs!

I love John Marrs! This book was great. Not your typical thriller, which I liked. It was medium paced. Not a slow burn but just enough suspense to keep the pages turning quickly. The end was spectacular and in true John Marrs style, there was quite a bit a mind bending.

I thought as a thriller, The Family Experiment, also touched on important topics regarding AI and our future. Told in multiple points of view and showcases several couples hoping to participate in a family experiment. Deep in a metaverse that only exists in VR, these couples compete in parenting. Each child is AI as well and the winner of the show gets to keep their child AI or take a sizable sum of money.

John Marrs never disappoints! I'm a big fan of his variable timelines and multiple narrators. I also think JM does a great job tying his stories together, he weaves small details
In to the story in such a way that if you're not paying attention you might miss it. I enjoy this technique and always feel accomplished for catching them. Can't wait to read more JM

The Family Experiment by John Marrs took me on a virtual reality trip where families could "adopt" a virtual reality AI child and parent them from birth to an accelerated 18. Not only can you have the parenthood experience, if you win, you can keep your virtual reality child for life or win a butt load of money instead!

How do you win? Well, by being the best parent you can, oh, and by wooing the subscribers/voters throughout your parenthood journey! Subscribers can join you on your virtual parenthood journey whenever you engage with your AI child. There is no privacy on this journey. Every action taken or better yet, not taken, is a judgement deemed.

Several UK couples join the Family Experiment for their chance to have a virtual child and win money. Every single participant has a secret. Secrets that could destroy lives. What is everyone hiding and will their secrets be revealed? Who will win The Family Experiment and what prize will they choose?

Backstory: raising children in this futuristic time, has been a financial burden that some parents are unable to meet, therefore, child trafficking/selling is rampant in recent years. Promised to give their child a brighter, better future, families have been selling their offspring to have them shipped oversees into a better life.

My thoughts:
Exciting, thrilling and page-turning! This book had me HOOKED and engaged! I was so SHOCKED throughout the whole story! You can nver go wrong with a John Marrs read!

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early digital copy of this book. I have heard a lot of positive buzz about John Marrs, so I figured what better book to start with than his newest one. This is the first book that I have read by John Marrs, but it definitely won't be my last. I can definitely say that this book was a wild ride from start to finish. After reading this book, I am very excited to go back and read his other books. I went into this one blind and I didn't really know what to expect, but it definitely exceeded my expectations.

This story is set in the future where it is possible to have a child in the Metaverse, a place where you can interact and feel things as if you were in the real world. Each of the families in the competition have their POV. I enjoyed the plot and many of the ideas being in a metaverse. This is one of three books the author set in this world and I can’t wait to read the others!

John Marrs knows how to write a speculative thriller and he killed it again with this book. I’m amazed by his ability to capture emerging tech concepts and fold them into his stories in a way that makes you say “ what if”. This story had all the twists and turns and kept me gripped till the very end! If you are looking for a well developed storyline with a complex cast of characters, look no further. This gave me all the Black Mirror vibes.

Contestants compete to prove who is the best suited parent(s) to an AI child. The winner is chosen by an audience that are able to stream 24/7 while the contestant experience parenting an AI child that has various development leaps and ages at an advanced rate from newborn to adult — all in less than a year. Each parent or couple has secrets that they would rather keep hidden. This futuristic story involving AI keeps you reading with the never-ending cliffhangers that end each chapter as you jump into the point of view of the next couple.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Thankyou Netgalley for my kindle copy! I immediately purchased the hard cover once i started reading, I could tell early on that it was going to be a favourite of mine. I am excited to read more of his books, especially the ones that exist in the Metaverse. Short chapters are my favourite and he ends almost every chapter on a minor cliffhanger or a reveal. There was one twist towards the end that made me audibly gasp. SO GOOD! This is by far my favourite read of 2024! BRB going to buy more John Marrs books!

John Marrs can do no wrong in my eyes — 100% love everything he writes. Auto-buy author! I appreciate the author and publisher for this gifted copy! Definitely will be telling all my book friends about this one!

Man, John Marrs just does not miss. If you love sci-fi/speculative thrillers like I do, add this to your TBR now.

Similar to Harlan Coben, John Marrs has such a talent for introducing seemingly disparate characters and then making your jaw drop to the floor when you start piecing together how they might all be connected to one another.

I was waking up early and staying up late for this one. I was on the edge of my seat and just couldn’t wait to see how it’d end, especially once the action really picked up.

The Family Experiment explored the idea of virtual family planning by allowing families to raise an AI child via VR headset. To make matters more intense and to gain public and media traction on this new virtual parenting opportunity, the launch is made via a reality show in which 10 couples will attempt to raise their child over a condensed time period for the chance to win a cash prize or keep their virtual child.
This book was very entertaining and I enjoyed reading it until a certain point. I am of the opinion that this book could have ended earlier than it did and with a stronger cut off if the author hadn't decided to move past this and proceed to explain each POV rather than just let the suspense settle and leave the readers’ imaginations to run their course. I think with better editing this book could have been revised to have a more jaw-dropping conclusion.

Unfortunately this one was just not for me. It started off ok and toward the middle of the book I just was not into it anymore. I have loved all of the other John Marrs books I have read, but this one just didn't keep me going like the others.

I feel like John Marrs knows something we don’t about the future. This book was insane! They way we follow the characters and their diffrent yet similar lifestyles with Artificial intelligence is something that gets you thinking that this could be our “regular” in a near future! I mean we’ve seen movies read books, about what happens when you mess with AI. Marrs gives us an incredible storyline and he makes sure we know to what lengths some humans will go to have a “family”. It also makes you question who and what you confident family. Really makes you think is blood really thicker than water?

I didn't find Marr's writing as strong in this novel as I did in The One. I think it might have to do with the story being a bit more drawn out than I would have liked. That said, The Family Experiment is an interesting story that tackles some what ifs that don't seem so far fetched. This novel is great for fans of Black Mirror. I'll be coming back to Marrs' work again in the future.

I am obsessed! John Marrs has yet to disappoint me, and this book was no exception!
A new game show it's beginning. A handful of people are selected to participate in raising a virtual reality child. Whoever wins, can choose to keep the child or receive money to begin their journey to starting a family.
This book was interesting to see from all the multiple points of view. Each family has theories l their own reason for wanting a part of the action... but they all have their secrets too.
This book calories my attention, made me hate or love the characters, and introduced a concept I have not read which was half the fun!

Everything this author writes is amazing. The twists the turns, the depth, so so so good. I loved this one so much. I could not put this book down. Highly recommend.

I just love John Marrs, and this book didnt disappoint. It's written in different POV's which I'm a big fan of. I also love a good reality TV angle so this book just checked all the boxes!