It took a minute to understand what was happening. I don't usually read "sci-fi" but I wouldn't say it's hard core. It's actually probably closer to our soon-to-be reality, which is scary. AI is taking over the world, including giving us MetaChildren, little avatar kids that learn and grow at a fast rate. You can take your kid around the world in just a few seconds, including letting them experience history first- hand. (Like attending Princess Diana's processional anyone??)
Anyhow, there's a reality show where you can win your AI child and keep him/her forever, or you can "kill" your child and take the prize money and go have a real family. As the contestants get caught up in their MetaVerse, some of their reality gets brought to light. This book was trippy, fun and quite frightening - not sure I want to live in the new AI world.

The Family Experiment by John Marrs is a masterclass in psychological suspense, blending dark family drama with chilling twists that’ll make you question what you’d do for the people you love. The premise is as irresistible as it is unsettling: a seemingly perfect family, but underneath the shiny surface, things are anything but picture-perfect. Think The Truman Show, but with much darker secrets and a whole lot more paranoia.

Marrs' writing is sharp, witty, and devilishly clever, keeping the tension taut without ever feeling like it's trying too hard. The pacing is on point, with each chapter peeling back another layer of the family’s carefully constructed facade, all while offering up enough twists to make your head spin—without feeling like it’s just twist-for-the-sake-of-twisting. There's substance beneath the suspense, and the character development is fantastic. You’ll find yourself getting sucked into their messes, rooting for them, and then doubting every single one of them in the next breath.

The concept of the "experiment" at the heart of the story is intriguing, and Marrs does a brilliant job of keeping you hooked as the layers of manipulation, control, and psychological games unfold. The ending, which I won’t spoil, had me audibly gasping (which is always a good sign). It’s one of those books that sticks with you long after the final page.

The only reason I’m not giving it a perfect five stars? The pacing felt just a tad uneven in places—there were moments I wanted things to move a bit faster, or at least for the stakes to feel even higher. But honestly, that’s a small nitpick in an otherwise fantastic read.

4.5 stars—The Family Experiment is a gripping, thought-provoking psychological thriller that asks, “How well do you really know your family?” Spoiler: probably not as well as you think.

One of my favorites of John Marrs! Anytime you think you figured things out, you don’t! The twists are great!

I really enjoyed this read by John Marrs!! The plot and storyline keeps your attention and the twists were great. I did not see the ending coming. There were quite a few characters but I still enjoyed the book. I look forward to reading more books from this author. If you’re looking for a good speculative sci fi you should check this out.

Absolutely adore this author and will read anything they have written or will write. New favorite! Will purchase for libraries.

I love John Marrs alternate worlds, it reminds me of Black Mirror episodes. It's sci-fi but not that far off from our real world. Creepy and introspective...and always thrilling.

The premise of this book sounded so interesting and after reading and liking The passengers, it felt clear to pick this up next.

The Family Experiment is set in the future and takes place in the universe of the one, the passengers and the marriage act. You don’t have to read the others to enjoy this one. If you read the previous books you just get some Easter eggs.

The last publication of John Marrs had all interesting premises and this one continued with that trend. But this one just didn’t work well for me. There was a big cast of characters, they just weren’t that distinct. I had also a problem how one plot point with mental illness was handled.

Still enjoyed the overall explorations.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed The One by this author so I was excited to read this. The writing style is great but I think there were too many characters for me to feel really attached to which kept me from enjoying this as much as I was expecting. Especially because it took most of the book to keep everyone straight. I’m still a Marrs fan but didn’t love this one.

Unfortunately for me the sci-fi element to this book wasn't for me. I think this type of genre is not something I enjoy although the writing and plot themselves are not a flaw of the author.

This was quite the wild premise - a reality series set in the future where families adopted AI babies and spent a fast-forwarded childhood raising them. A great book!

The Family Experiment by John Marrs is a gripping, thought-provoking thriller that explores the complexities of family dynamics through a sci-fi lens. The story revolves around a groundbreaking experiment where a group of strangers is selected to live together as a "family," their every action monitored to study human relationships. Marrs does an excellent job of building suspense, with each character hiding secrets and motives that slowly unfold throughout the book. The plot is fast-paced, filled with twists and unexpected turns that keep you hooked. While the premise is intriguing, some of the character development felt a bit superficial, and a few plot points were predictable. However, it’s still an engaging, tense read with a lot of clever ideas about identity and human connection. Definitely a solid 4-star thriller.

John Marrs does it again with this new release. The family experiment is not only a book about connection, but also a book about self discovery. I found myself digging deeper into the meaning behind the overall message in this book. 5 stars!

⭐️: 2
DNF. I tried to get into it, but it didn’t hold my interest Maybe I’ll give it another chance at a later time.

This book was wierd I’m still confused why they had multiple names. I didn’t understand half of it and I was super confused

What in the AI Maury Show did I just read?! I knew that a book about live streaming a reality TV show of couples competing and raising an AI child in a Metaverse was going to be strange, but this was completely unhinged.

I was hooked from the very first chapter, but found it hard to keep track of all the characters, so I had to stop to take notes and visit the Fable book club I read it with to fully understand what was going on.

After the big bombshell was dropped, there was still an hour left of the book where the author dove deeper into the character’s lives which I found unnecessary. Now looking back on the book as a whole, it gives readers a new look on technology and the development of AI and the frightening future.

The Family Experiment is a twisty near-future science fiction book. Technologically, it feels both feasible and unsettling (I believe that's the point of a lot of near-term sci-fi). However, there are a ton of characters and many of them you just don't get to know very well. Plot abounds, there's rarely a dull moment, and the resolutions were satisfying and helped justify some of the earlier events, but the combination of limited character development and the outlandishness of most of the main plot turns meant there was little if anything for me to really "connect" with. All that said, I would probably still recommend this (and possibly the other John Marrs books set in this same "universe," though I haven't read all of them) to readers who prioritize twists and turns and are looking for something with more layers than a domestic thriller.

(Note: I read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this novel through NetGalley)

What a binge worthy read! This is my first by Marrs and it won’t be my last. This was set in a dystopian future where the Ai and metaverse are very real and extensive parts of peoples’ lives. Honestly the way things have gone doesn’t seem that far-fetched. It’s quite the rough setting! At the same time this is a reality tv show! Couples get and raise an Ai baby who develops into a child .. and are voted on by viewers-who’s the best parents? Who deserves to win? Are these ai babies even real? What rights do they have? How has the ai learned to be human?

There were a few twists and turns. Some jaw-dropping moments. The very end that felt more like epilogue was too long. But I’d still recommend this one if these are topics that interest you!

The audiobook was done phenomenally.

I was unable to read this due to the formatting of the digital copy. I think it was a PDF so I was unable to change the font without the words leaving the page. I have poor vision so it made picking this book up very arduous. I did not finish it but I would like to get a physical copy of this one since Marrs books are usually standouts for me.

Very entertaining, edge-of-your-seat thriller. A little hard to keep track of all the families and names at first.

So good! It was a little difficult to keep the different families straight at the beginning but it got easier as I read on. Loved the twists as well!