In the future, economic crises has led to some families unable to afford to have children. Enter the Family Experiment, a reality game show in which people compete to "raise" their own AI child in the Metaverse. The show lasts 9 months over which the child's age will be advanced from birth to 18 years old. At the end, the winner can choose to keep their AI child or claim a jackpot that they can use to raise a human child. As the ten couples compete, we learn about some of their dark pasts and the horrifying truth to how the AI children were created.

This is my first book my John Marrs and I think I might have benefited from having read some of his previous works. I liked the story but I never felt any connection to or sympathy for any of the character. With ten couples competing, lots of characters are thrown into the story all at once and I found it a bit confusing. Most chapters switched between characters but a few times chat logs of the viewers and news blogs were used to tell the story. I really didn't think these formats added to the story. The book did raise many thought provoking and ethical questions in regards to the use of AI. Overall I enjoyed the book. The world and plot is very creative and there are some great twists.

Thanks NetGalley for the copy of this book.

Overall, this book was fine. Although it can definitely be read as a stand alone, I do think it would have read better had I read the other two books set within this AI/Metaverse world Marrs has created.

The premise of this book is SO freaking cool and interesting, and I was beyond excited to read it! I think the problem I had wasn’t with the story, but was with the style. I find it difficult to become invested in a story when the chapters are so short, and jump from one POV to the next with every following chapter.

I was definitely invested in the characters and plot, however. I thought the story itself was definitely worth the read! Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC!

John Marrs has done it again.

Set in a speculative future dystopia, there is a reality show where families compete to be voted #1 raising a child in the "MetaVerse". Their AI child is remarkably human, and you follow each family's journey through the show.

But wait, it couldn't be John Marrs if it was that wholesome. What is each family hiding and what dark secrets are even the producers themselves a part of?

As a fan of John's speculative thrillers, I found this to be top-tier.. Written from multiple perspectives, each chapter ends on a cliffhanger that will have you dying to read more.

I will be telling everyone I know about this book. It's not even great just because I'm biased, it's just actually an incredibly unique story that is written incredibly well.

Cheers to John Marrs.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Family Experiment. Fans of John Marrs will love this book! We are taken back to the futuristic UK with ethical dilemmas and questions of right & wrong. A reality show set in the metaverse with parenting of AI children makes you again question both the merits and pitfalls of technology. Marrs makes connections to his previous books, which as a fan of his work, I loved. This book makes you think about the definition of family and how far people will go to keep their secrets safe.

I have no clue how John Marrs continues to build off of the world he created with The One and just kill it every single time. BUT HE DOES!! This one is probably the best one yet! This had short chapters, crazy characters, Multiple POV, fast and twisty turns, dark secrets and gave me an absolute fear of AI. I loved it so much and couldn’t put it down!

This is my third John Marrs book and while I enjoyed it, it was not my favorite of his. I read The Vacation and The One, which were both very different from one another. The Family Experiment was more like The One, which I preferred, only taken further in concept. Marrs writes suspense and with some recent novels, has ventured into science fiction plus suspense. I would also classify them (along with The Marriage Act which I haven't yet read) as dystopian. In this world, Earth with a dystopian twist, there is overpopulation and having a child has become prohibitively expensive (never mind that our birth rates are going down and I am waiting for him to write a book about the repercussions of that). The idea for virtual children is born: a company provides metachildren for those who are desperate to experience parenthood and not only that, they have a reality television show for its contestants to vie against one another to keep their metachild. The children belonging to the losers...
This is good a good dystopian concept and I was hooked; I had to see who got to keep their child. The book followed different parents (single or couple) alternately through the book, similar to The One.
I felt like it was a little more confusing to follow than The One. I also felt like there were little subplots; various things would happen that would either eliminate the families or make the reader think that it was going to eliminate the family. I also thought Marrs was trying to wrap things up too neatly at the end and create a message or theme that was a touch too heavy. However, this is just my opinion as readers seem to think differently from me. This is not to say that there were not aspects of the novel I enjoyed and I am curious to read his other similar and future science fiction/thriller/dystopian novels because I love the concepts.

If you love John Marrs' speculative fiction world of The One, don't hesitate to jump into his next novel, The Family Experiment, set in that same near future. We meet a group of people on a reality TV show who have been gifted with virtual babies to raise (while on live 24 hr streaming) as they compete to win the grand prize of money or the virtual child. As always, Marrs explores all the sides of human nature and weaves a fascinating tale while doing so.

If you deal with infertility or have lost a child, you might have a hard time reading this book. I was surprised to find a woman with my exact struggle, which isn’t that common, so I had a hard time with that, just a little.

However, I believe that this portrays the desperation couples feel when they face infertility or the loss of a child well. The grief you feel makes you willing to do almost anything. It’s a unique kind of grief, infertility and child loss…and it makes you willing to do almost anything to fill that hole. Including entering a completely virtual world to have your own child. I can see why someone would want to do this just to fill that void.

That being said, it was a good story. I am a sucker for stories with reality tv plots, so I thought I’d enjoy this one. It has a lot of people to keep up with. As the story goes, a few of the characters leave the competition, so it makes it slightly easier to keep up with them. It’s a little hard to believe, but at the same time….nit that hard. If that makes sense? It’s very black mirror. Where you’re thinking to yourself, this is so far-fetched….bit is it really? Considering the AI and deep fakes we see currently, there’s honestly not telling what AI is capable of that we don’t know yet.

I have read a few of John Marrs books and have enjoyed the ones I have read. This one is a stand-alone, but I think if you have read his past books, specifically The Passengers, the One and the marriage act some things will make a bit more sense, however, I don’t think it’s necessary. I think it’s cool that he carries things over from the same universe to different books.

I actually figured out the biggest twist very early on in the book. I don’t know why it seemed extremely obvious to me, maybe it was obvious…but it was a good story nevertheless.

Out of the Marrs books I’ve read, this is maybe my least favorite, but if you enjoy his writing, I think that you will still like it. Especially if you’re also a fan of Black Mirror.

I’m a huge speculative fiction fan and believe it or not, this is my first John Marrs book. I was excited to dig into this one as the description sounded intriguing.

In a future United Kingdom, an economic crisis looms and people can’t afford to have and raise children. So of course a corporation swoops in on this “opportunity” and naturally exploits it!

This novel follows several families who participate on a reality game show. Each family is given an AI virtual child to raise in the metaverse. The experience is complete with goggles, haptic suits and all that futuristic stuff that is supposed to make the metaverse seem real. Ages birth to 18 are condensed into 9 months as the public watches, votes and even participates in the direction of the show/contest. At the end, the winning family gets to make a choice: keep the AI child they have bonded with or take prize money to have a family and start a real family.

I will say that for about the first half of the book, it’s a bit difficult to keep the families straight. I read the e-book and I find it a tad hard to back up and re-look at things in that format. But, as the story unfolds, it does get easier. The families take on unique characteristics and they’re easier to track. There’s a single dad who wants to show that a one parent family can be successful,, a male gay couple where one partner is a quasi-celebrity influencer and a few straight couples, several of which have controversial pasts. This gives the watching public plenty to engage in and gossip about.

The hardships and baggage that these families have was interesting to read about, too. Marrs gives away little tidbits as the book progresses, which is a good tool to make you want to keep reading, if you ask me.

This was a fun, not super-heavy read. It does delve into some touch topics, but nothing is too spicy. This book should appeal to fans of sci-fi, speculative fiction and mystery-thrillers with a futuristic vibe. To me, the second half of the book was better than the first, and as mentioned above, a big reason for that was that the story settled in and the characters were easier to track.

Thank you to Netgalley, Hanover Square Press and John Marrs for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, this book is incredibly intense! It had me completely engrossed, following the intertwined stories of five couples and one single person on a reality show raising a virtual child. Throughout the book, ethical dilemmas abound, keeping me on the edge of my seat with each unexpected turn. John Marrs, the author, skillfully crafts a thought-provoking world that feels eerily plausible.

The Family Experiment is a gripping story that will have you on the edge of your seat. As more characters are introduce you realize all of them have secrets they don't want getting out. It leaves you wanting more at every turn. With its clever take on our society today giving us a glimpse of what it could look like in the future, you question everything there is to know about AI.

Interesting idea with lots of twists and thrilling situations as virtual families are created in a world of over-population. Seems to me that you get all the same issues plus even more in this unique sci-fi tale.

This is absolutely unhinged! This book had me submersed and invested in all the different storylines. 5 couples and 1 single are participating in a reality show to raise a virtual child. The entire book is just a huge ethical paradox. The twists keep coming, some moments tug at the heartstrings and many more moments my jaw was on the floor. John Marrs - Author did an amazing job creating a frightening world that doesn’t seem so far out of reach.

I love a good sci-fi read, and this futuristic thriller truly hit the mark. The Family Experiment tells of a future dominated by AI, a very real possibility closer than we think. As you advance through the multiple POV’s, more is uncovered of a society in which families can purchase a monthly prescription to create a virtual child with any features of their choosing. I was so fascinated with the concept of a Meta-verse and the present day issues intricately woven throughout the entire book. 10/10 recommend to anyone who wants a dark, twisty, Black Mirror-esque page turner! Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

Pub Date: July 9th, 2024

I've always heard great things about John Marrs and had his books on my to-read list. The Family Experiment stood out to me with it's storyline of a reality competition based in the metaverse in which real-life families would be raising VR children. Many webinars recently have focused on AI and how we can adjust to these changing technologies. Seeing what could be a glimpse into the future (maybe?!) is creepy, thrilling, and fascinating at the same time.

Due to context, I assume I should have read the Marriage Experiment first, but it's not a requirement, you can definitely understand the context without it. Although I will likely go back and read it now.

I highly recommend this book to fans of thrillers, especially those who enjoy a touch of a futuristic post-pandemic twist.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book for an honest review.

FANTASTIC! As expected from John Marrs! One of the most creative and unique reads with such a relevant topic. It really made me think after finishing the book - which is when I know its been a good read :)

I expected to have trouble keeping all the different characters and families straight, due to the large number of them, but this was not an issue at all! The writing of each family differed so greatly that I was hooked into each family from the start. I would have finished this in one sitting if I could - constant twists and turns kept me guessing right until the (literal) very end!

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This is definitely not something I would typically read, but the concept behind it sounded fascinating so I gave it a try. It is a little unsettling when talking about raising AI babies in a virtual world and how something like this could actually come to be. It took me awhile to figure out who all of the characters were in the virtual now and then I still had to figure out their stories in the real world back in time. After that the story started to get better, the ending wasn't my favorite but if you're looking for something a little futuristic and creative then give it a try.

John Marrs doesn’t miss.

I love his books. The way he weaves the plot for his speculative thrillers is perfection.

Imagine you have the opportunity of a lifetime. You’ve always wanted to start a family but due to a number of reasons you’ve been unable to. Now you and 9 other couples have the opportunity to raise a virtual child from birth to 18 over a period of 9 months while the world watches. If you win the reality show you can keep your virtual baby or you keep the money and have the chance to start your own real family. What could possibly go wrong?

This would KILL as an audiobook with the numerous POV’s, commercials, advertisements, and television voiceovers that take place.

There’s something very very wrong with each couple which makes for the ultimate dark and twisty story. The hidden secrets, the lies, the nods to previous books, and the way it all ties together at the end? Obsessed.

This was my first book I have read by John Marrs. I have heard great things about him as an author so jumped at the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. Man did this not disappoint. It took me a little bit over a day to finish this. It was a little bit hard to follow at first just because of all the characters, but due to the nature of the books (trying to avoid spoilers here!), it became a lot more manageable. This was just a creative concept for a book and definitely had some very relatable points as a parent. Overall, a great read!

John Mars never lets me down, he’s always providing me a quick reading page turner that keeps me on the edge of my seat. The Family Experiment lived up to all of my expectations and beyond!