Thank you to NetGalley for the arc copy of this fun read by John Marrs.

It is thriller/suspense with AI and kind of futuristic- while reading I contemplated how likely this could actually happen & how scary advancement with AI really is.

The actual book told from multiple POVs following couples and one single father competing virtually against eachother to best raise their AI/metaverse created child. Each child grows from 2 weeks to 18 years old in 9 months with everything live-streamed during the competition- but the virtual reality only. The winner can pick prize money or to continue life with their metaverse child. Their real lives and the secrets they each hide seem to be protected from the virtual reality they participate in.

The book also references the book The Marriage Act written by John as well which I recently read and enjoyed. Just the idea/plot of the stories is interesting and kept me excited to keep reading and find out what REALLY happens and specifically for the family experiment who wins!

Overall, I liked it a lot. I haven’t read of or heard of any books similarly written which is exciting as sometimes books seem familiar and that is never the case with a John Marrs book. I definitely plan to recommend this as a fun read to friends and other book lovers- it’d be an awesome beach or vacation read!

Futuristic? Thriller? Suspense? AI? Desperation? Competition?

If even one of those 👆🏼 is for you, read this!!

John Marrs is back with another suspenseful tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Un-put-downable.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

This one was just not for me. I usually LOVE John Marrs novels, but I struggled to get through this one. I was so excited when I got approved and had high hopes. There were SO many characters. It went back and forth and there wasn’t a lot of time spent on character development. I think the idea of virtual reality children didn’t interest me, so it may partially be a personal experience thing.

This was a crazy read that kept me on my toes the entire way through! Full of twists and turns, Marrs keeps readers engaged and wanting more. Usually I don’t like books with so many characters and points of view, but Marrs keeps it easy to remember who is who and this only adds to the suspense.

👧 Book Review 👧

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

Publication: July 9, 2024

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I was sucked into this book and I couldn’t stop until I figured out all the secrets! I loved Marrs science fiction and even though this book is a series, it can definitely be read as a standalone.

I loved Woody & Tina and Hudson’s story the most. I felt they had the most secrets to them!

For fans of:
❤️ Dystopian
👧 Set in near future UK
❤️ Speculative fiction
👧 Popcorn thriller
❤️ Various POV’s
👧 Mixed Media (internet chats, articles, etc)
❤️ Secrets and twists
👧 “Reality” show

📕 Book Recs 📕
📚 Upgrade by Blake Crouch (genetic speculation)
📚 The Handmaid’s Tale (dystopian)
📚 Ready Player One (dystopian metaverse)

I love John Marrs & all his books & this one is no different. It’s a strange concept, the character development is great, & the ending was fantastic. It was one of those books where I was mad that I had to stop reading to get work done bc I didn’t want to put the book down! I can't say enough good tings about John's writing. It's easy to read & understand without being simple. I definitely recommend this book! Thanks so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC!

This book was SO unique and readable. John Marrs does such a great job with speculative fiction and this was no exception. It was set in the same world as The One and The Passengers (you don’t have to read them first, but it’s fun if you do, because there are lots of connections!) and grappled with the ethics of AI in our future. Specifically- what would it be like if people had AI children? It gave me a lot think about while being fast paced and entertaining. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a plot driven, speculative fiction thriller.

I have been a John Marrs fan for years, so when I was approved to read “The Family Experiment” I screamed! This one was a dark and twisty page turner, taking place in a futuristic world where AI has become the norm. There is a new reality TV show where families are each given a virtual child to raise in the metaverse. Each family is competing to be the winner, which would include prize money or the choice of keeping your virtual child. As with his previous work, nothing is exactly as it seems. Every family has something to hide, and a big reason to win. I loved how there were tie ins to his previous books as well. Thanks so much to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

This was an amazing concept and I really enjoyed it. I think that a lot of people are in fear of AI right now and this was a new take on how we might use it in the future. The book could be an entire season of Black Mirror. The reality TV aspect was very realistic and how people will watch it more then they would watch a King taking the throne. It's shocking how this social commentary, in this fake world, rang very true to today's issues.

I would absolutely recommend this book to friends, family, followers etc.

Some constructive criticism:
- Adam's story felt really rushed and like a weird after thought to the rest of the story. I wish he were sprinkled in more throughout.
- I wish the Monthly Challenges were more explained. They were brought up many many times but only one couple actually had it and they killed their metababy. I just wonder if ,maybe I was missing something here but for it to be discussed so much to then not be able to recall any feels like an oversight.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This is my second book by this author, and sadly I almost DNF. The characters were just not for me, and some of the story line and the comparison between parents of terminally ill children and being parents of an avatar who may cease to exist after the experiment was such a wild comparison to me. The final chapter was a little bit of a shock to me, but that's it. Overall 2/5

John Marrs does it again with "The Family Experiment"

I went into this book as blind as possible. A book about AI children raised through the scope of a reality TV competition. That premise alone was enough to keep me turning pages until I reached the end. John Marrs doesn't just do straight forward plots. There's a lot of surprises in this story. Lots of twisted shocking moments. By the end of it, I was thoroughly entertained.

John Marrs is a auto buy read every time and "The Family Experiment" is a new favorite from his catalog!

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Marrs has crafted a unique and timely, futuristic mystery/thriller that was hard to put down.

Set in a futuristic version of the UK, The Family Experiment looks at the effects of population overcrowding, the use of virtual reality and AI, and many other timely topics.

I am a sucker for multiple POVs, short chapters that end of cliff hangers, and reality TV thrills, so this was right up my alley. I will definitely go back and read through Marrs previous efforts now.

Very different from my typical read but I was intrigued from the start, even though it scares me how plausible this seems!

I received this book from the Publisher in exchange for a honest and fair review via Netgalley.

Having read and enjoyed Marrs' book The One, I was excited to read this. I wasn't disappointed.

The book centers around a reality TV show titled ‘The Family Experiment’ and follows five couples and a single as they compete to begin their own family - they are to take care of a meta child until 18 years old, and if they win the contest, they will get the money needed for invitro to start a family of their own. If they don't win, the "child" is terminated.

The children's lives are not 18 years but shortened into nine months with nine life stages.

Each of these people have a story and some are pretty crazy. It was a wild ride, one I enjoyed. Highly recommend.

John Marrs’ speculative fiction has always been top tier, and this was no exception! I loved this book. His plots always feel like a real warning as to where society could end up if we’re not careful.

Pacing-wise, this book was perfect. Marrs loves his short sweet chapters that give you just enough plot advancement to keep you interested before jumping POVs, and because of that, this book flew by for me. I couldn’t put it down, saying “just one more chapter” for hours.

The characters were compelling, none of the twists felt cheap or drawn out, and I loved every minute of this ride. I can’t wait to push this book on friends and family looking for a quick thriller read.

I really enjoyed this new read by John Marrs! This was the first book l've read that is in his collection of books that are set in the same world. Not reading the others didn't hinder my experience of reading this one so it can definitely be read as a standalone. The chapters were short and each labeled so you knew exactly which couple's experience you were reading about.
I loved how this one combined science fiction and suspense. You didn't know what the couples were hiding nor how the competition would play out. This book gave me the same vibes as the show on Amazon called "Upload". I really enjoyed that one so this book was a hit for me.
Definitely an awesome read for those who love dystopian worlds, speculative thrillers, and science fiction involving Al!

What a wild ride that was. I have never read any of John Marra other novels, and I came into this ARC absolutely blind. I'm so glad I did because this book was GRIPPING.

The entire synopsis drew me in. An experiment with tamagochi like children in the metaverse. The millennial in me was super curious. Plus, plot twist it's a GAME SHOW!

I was in shock by how closely John paints a picture of today's society only just a little further along into technology. Everything that happened seemed like something that could happen in the near future, which added to the creepy factor of this book.

I really don't know how else to put this, but you must read this book. Fans that like mysteries, games shows, DRAMA, and a little bit of reality, and some sci-fi elements will love this book. It took me by suprise.

Thank you for providing an arc!

Definitely recommend reading The One and the marriage act before reading this one!

I still really liked it, I was just a little confused until I read the other books set in this world!

John marrs is quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors!

I normally very much enjoy John Marrs, but this book felt like it dragged quite a bit. Not my favorite.

I was so excited for this one and I enjoy John Marrs books but this one fell flat for me. I DNF’d this one. The plot was too weird for me that I couldn’t keep reading.