“Each journey into grief was individual, and the lives of those left behind were never ever the same.”

The world population has become out of control. So out of control that in the UK people can no longer afford to have children, let alone raise them if they do. For a lucky few however, they have been chosen to be part of a reality tv show to promote Virtual Children. Whoever wins the show can either keep their virtual child, or use the won money for a chance to have a real child. For all others, their child disappears.

PHEW does John Marrs throw some crazy shit our way or what? Based in the same world as The One, and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a way to test these parents with a virtual child. It is at one point referred to as the Ultimate Tamagotchi and honestly, it’s not wrong! We follow along with each of the 6 sets of parents on the reality show and learn why they want a child, and what lead them to this point. The twists kept me on my toes for sure, but honestly, I just could not stop listening to this one! Marrs has built a very unique world here and I cannot wait to see what he adds next!

Thank you to @hanoversquarepress for my gifted copy of this book!

AI is terrifying. I'm just going to go out there and say that. This was my first John Marrs novel and it was so creepy because it feels like a not-so-distant reality. I don't think you necessarily need to read his other books, The One and The Passengers, but you would have more context and understanding of Marrs' world.

There's a lot going on here, but it comes down to our draw to reality television and the ethics behind AI. The Family Experiment is a virtual reality game show where people who participate have a child they raise in the metaverse. There is so much messed up stuff that goes on with this, but the backbones of the story involve how the AI children are developed using trafficked real children.

I didn't feel like this was too smart for me to get because AI is so prevalent now. If a book like this came about 10 years ago, I think it would be harder to grasp, but since AI is becoming more and more a part of our lives, it wasn't hard to envision this scenario actually happening. Which is what makes this book so creepy!!

INSANITY!

This book has all the twists, turns, surprises and connections you could ask for. The families compete on a reality tv show that they spend 9 months raising AI from newborn to young adult - they get a choice of IVF or keeping the baby if they win!!

I think the way these families interacted and blended together was great - the characters were written so well! I really enjoyed this one.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for this advance copy of John Marrs’s new speculative work The Family Experiment. This one is available now!

I. Freaking. Love. John. Marrs. His thrillers are fun and fast to read, but in my opinion, his speculative fiction stands out - he’s so unique with his story lines and I can honestly say his stories are nothing like I’ve read before. After feeling middle of the road on The Marriage Pact last year, I’m so thrilled that The Family Experiment provided me with everything I was looking for - fast chapters, questionable characters and plot lines that really make you think. If you’re not fully convinced on a totally “sci-fi” world, I would definitely recommend Marrs’ books, because they provide a perfect blend of real world and metaverse content.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for this review - highly recommend you check this one out!

Parenthood + AI + virtual children + reality TV - what could go wrong? Apparently, A LOT can go wrong, which is exactly what happens in The Family Experiment. People compete to win a competition based upon raising a virtual child over the course of nine months in the metaverse. Whoever wins the competition has a big decision to make at the end. They may continue life with their virtual child, or destroy the child and accept prize money to start their own family in the real world. Millions of people are watching the contestants' every move, and they are not holding back with their opinions. As the competition progresses, viewers are in for some surprises as they discover that the contestants are as perfect as they're led to believe. And let's just say that the show's finale ends up being quite grand!

The Family Experiment was such a wild ride! The book's plot is unique and unlike anything I've yet to read. While the summary may initially seem a bit far-fetched, it really isn't outside the realm of possibilities when you think about how much technology and AI play such a big role in our lives today. There was so much more going on behind-the-scenes than just a reality TV show. I loved how some of the characters and other story lines tied into each other. This book will really make you think about the impact of emerging technologies and AI. I couldn't put it down and loved how it ended!

John Marrs! I love this. This one kept me on the edge of the seat and turning the pages. Intriguing until the very end

Absolutely amazing, the multipler POV’s gives the reader a wide view of the world. Characters were well written and the plot had me at the edge of my seat.

Unfortunately i made the decision to DNF this book after multiple failed attempts to consume. I hope to pick it up again at a later time.

John Marrs never disappoints me - he does such an incredible job pulling in a reader and holding their face close to the proverbial screen from page 1 until the final sentence.

John Marrs can be hit or miss for me, but I really enjoyed this one! If you loved The One, you'll definitely love The Family Experience. The plot is incredibly unique, and the short chapters make it easy to stay hooked from start to finish. Marrs keeps the story engaging throughout, and the fast pacing is a definite win. A great pick for anyone who enjoys a suspenseful and thought-provoking read!

I just started reading John Marrs book and I'm totally addicted this book had me addicted by the first chapter.. totally awesome read.. I don't want to give too much away You're the people who has not read this book. Awesome characters just 100% great read..

I really enjoy reading John Marrs books and for the most part, this book is s good read. However, the dystopian feeling I get is not one of my favorites.

This was a good read! John Marrs is so great at what he does. He always draws you in and keeps you wanting more. Great read!

This book is SO good! It blends my love of reality tv shows with a frightful futuristic possibility in all the best ways. John Marrs is one of my all time favorite authors, and The Family Experiment does NOT disappoint. Set in the same world as The One and The Marriage Act, families who cannot have a baby naturally and cannot afford IVF enter a contest on a reality tv show to try to fix their situation. On the show they raise an AI generated child from birth to adulthood with an accelerated growth timeline. The entire thing is filmed in an AI world, with viewers voting, commenting, and having their own input into who wins. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, it would take a twist and it was surprise after surprise after that! Don’t miss out on this fantastic read! 5 stars ⭐️

This was a really interesting premise and I liked how it switched between characters and kept slowly revealing their stories. I read The One as well and appreciated the connections to that book, although I don’t think it is required to read that one before this. I think the ending wrapped up nicely too.

I love the melodrama of a reality TV show especially when it involves participating in competitions for money from Top Chef to Survivor and Big Brother. This story follows a group of contestants on a reality show in a dystopian UK society where couples can no longer afford to start families or raise them. A new technology company has created virtual children and for their big ad launch, they are holding a reality competition following prospective parents who will raise a Virtual Child over an accelerated time period from infant to eighteen with the grand prize of choosing to keep their virtual child or receive a cash prize to start their own biological family.

The parents are watched on feeds around the world and the audience gets to participate in giving them challenges they must overcome and feedback on their parenting skills. I’m not a parent but how would you like an audience to judge your parenting skills every second of the day? LOL. With eleven parents, their virtual children and the host to follow plus the story of a child sold by his family into some kind of scientific testing facility, there were a lot of characters to keep track of here. I quickly made notes about each set trying to remember who they were but of course, in true reality show form they started dropping like flies at some point.

It was a very entertaining and twisty ride. Recommended to thriller lovers that enjoy reality TV shows.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hanover Square Press for a copy provided for an honest review.

I ended up listening to this on audio after it had come out, and I highly recommend the audiobook! It's done with a full cast and some sound effects to make the different interactive parts of the story more realistic. At first, I was hooked into this story completely. I loved the idea behind it and as always, I loved that each chapter ended on a huge cliffhanger that left me wanting to keep going. But as I kept going, I kind of felt like there wasn't a ton happening and I found myself having a hard time differentiating the characters and their storylines. Then by the time it all started to come together, so much happened all at once that I was left a little confused overall. But overall I did really enjoy it, and would recommend it, it just wasn't my favorite I've read by him.

Mr. John Marrs did not disappoint me with this book. I normally do not like this genre of books. I did enjoy this one and it was very well written so that it kept my interest. I could not put the book down! I would definitely recommend this book.

I don't even know where to begin with this review other than to say that John Marrs has once again done a brilliant job of creeping me the hell out. The Family Experiment takes place in the same universe as The One, The Marriage Act, and The Passengers. In this world, families are able to have virtual children that live in a virtual world. You are able to interact with your virtual children via suits you wear in your home that provide realistic biofeedback (think like Upload on Amazon Prime). Just like Marrs' other novels, nothing is as it seems. Everyone has something to hide and the ethics of The Family Experiment are questionable at best. I could not get enough of this book and flew through it in just a couple days. Highly recommend.

Like pretty much all of John Marrs work, The Family Experiment is a great thrill ride. He always manages to keep me on the edge of my seat and needing to read just a little bit further. Highly recommend!

Thanks to Harlequin, NetGalley and the author for this digital ARC.