4.5/5⭐️

This book was unlike any other I have read - and I absolutely LOVED it! It literally had me up until 4am reading last night because I could not put it down!

The way that John Marrs is able to take a sci-fi concept and combine it with a thriller aspect is absolutely mind blowing. There were twists and turns that I did not see coming and other things about AI that were completely new information for me. The concept surrounding this book and surrounding having an AI/metaverse child is such a unique concept that I have not read about before. I loved being able to see relationships form between AI and “real world” people in these unique ways.

There were many unanswered questions throughout the book, but I have to commend John Marrs as ALL of those questions were answered by the last page.

GREAT read!

The premise of this book was extremely alluring and I couldn't wait to dive in! This book gives us a glimpse of what AI could turn into in the future... scary to think about!

However, the book as a whole fell a bit short for me. I never felt a real connection to the characters and the relationships between the couples felt generic and flat. The emotional aspect was just lacking. It was hard to keep track of who was who, especially within the first 40-50% of the book. It seemed like every single chapter ended super abruptly on some sort of "cliff hanger". At the end of each cliff hanger, we had to cycle through 4-5 different character's stories, so by the time I got answers to said cliff hanger, I basically forgot where the story ended and didn't care anymore, because I was never really emotionally involved in the characters to begin with.

The plot was predictable as the story went on, and the last part of the book dragged on. There was never a full "aha" moment of resolution at the end... it just kind of... tapered off and ended?

Pretty disappointed in this read, but definitely enjoyed some other of Marrs' works. He's done an excellent job in other works with multiple storylines and POV's, but this one just didn't do it for me.

Holy moly, @johnmarrs.author just keeps getting better and better with each new release. This is another speculative fiction stunner that takes place in the same universe as “The Passengers”, “The One”, etc. and even has some crossover characters. Told in his trademark structure highlighting multiple characters and slowly revealing how they’re all connected, this one had me hooked immediately. I love how each chapter ends in a cliffhanger (even if it makes me a zombie the next day for lack of sleep) and would highly recommend this if you’re in a reading slump. Having said that, I do think it’s a good idea to read some of the other books in this “series” first, as this story references them several times. I sincerely hope Marrs isn’t done writing within this world. As long as he keeps writing them, I’ll keep reading them.

Damn! I loved the book, but none of these characters are likable and honestly the whole book scared me, but it was a really good read. The topic just was intense and a little bit scary for me.

3.5 stars! This book blends family drama with psychological thriller. The premise was definitely unique: a reality show where people raise virtual children. John's books tend to be thought-provoking and this could make a great book club selection. It was a little tough keeping track of all the characters at times but it kept me engaged for sure. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review - pub day is 7/9/24!

What an incredible book! This was the 3rd book I’ve read by John Marrs, but was easily my favorite! Set in the same world as The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment brings us to the next level where due to economic crisis the cost of starting and raising a family is too high, so the alternative is to start a family in The Metaverse with Virtual Children. So many ethical dilemmas are brought up in his books and this was no exception. I finished this book in less than 36 hours because I could not stop reading it. Be warned, it is dark and not for the faint of heart, but a fantastic journey! Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for this ARC!

John Marre has a very creative mind. His new book The Family Experiment is another fun futuristic read. Parents are participating in a trial 9 month reality show with meta children. they are hooked up in a AI world with avatars and haptics to fully experience the child rearing process. The lives of these children are sped up so they can experience various ages. Viewers can vote their favorites and also vote to have hardships placed on parents. At the end of the experiment the winner can choose to keep their meta child or be given funding in order to try traditional ways (IVF, etc. ) to have a real child. What an interesting concept. A great read.

“Why leave it to chance or genetics when you can have the perfect baby you’ve always dreamed of?”

The family experiment is a new reality tv show where eleven contestants compete virtually raising children. For nine months their lives will be broadcasted twenty four hours a day for viewers to see how they’re handling being a parent to an AI child. The prize for winning this competition is one of two choices, they can choose to keep their virtual child alive or pull the plug on them and use the earnings from winning to finally starting a family in real life.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Although I did enjoy this book I think it was a bit too long,I do appreciate everything being explained and thought out well.

This is the first book in months that I’ve been able to finish without it feeling like a chore,so for that I thank John Marrs.

There were some good twists I didn’t see coming and overall I think it’s a fun read. I won’t lie this made me really sad,the story itself ended on a light note but now I just want to go hug my kid super tight.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publishers for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I got this ARC having never read a John Marrs book, but I quickly realized that this book expands on a world created in other books. I went back and read The One and The Marriage Act which were both referenced in this story. The Passengers is also referenced, but I have not yet read that one and did not feel lost. This followed the same format as the other books in this world where there were several different points of view alternating throughout the book that take you through twists and turns until it all comes together in the end. I liked the futuristic aspect and I definitely did not know what was going to happen at all in any POV until the end. It does get a little dark at parts so check your trigger warnings. Overall it was an entertaining read that continued on from the other books in this “world.” Thanks to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for this digital ARC! Another fantastic speculative thriller from John Marrs. The perfect mix of what happens when you elevate the importance of the virtual world in the real world. Families compete against once another while raising a virtual child. Will they win and accept that child as their own? Or will an outside force interfere with their plans? The Easter eggs from Marrs’ other speculative thrillers make for an added amount of enjoyment although it is not necessary to read those first. This was an amazing book with lots of slow burn action and thought provoking ideas.

Great book! John Marrs never disappoints. It was written from a futuristic point and very different from his other types of books.

This was a slow burn that took me a while to get into. Knowing John Marrs’s work, I powered through and I’m so glad I did! Once the premise of the game was set and you learned about all of the families, it became easier to be invested in everyone’s secrets and finding out what drove Awakening Entertainment to create this reality game show in the first place. I loved the unique concept of the book and all of the twists that just kept on coming. I appreciated the connection between the author’s past books into this one. It was like little Easter eggs to find while reading! Definitely recommend the read! Four stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4 stars-There are kind of 2 worlds in this book, the reality show and the lead up to the creation/plot to expose the media company. The second wasn’t as interesting to me, but I see how it needed to be included. Now for the good parts…the general premise is that in the metaverse (the internet in 3d) people who cannot afford to have children among others, have Metachildren. They put on suits with sensors and link to apps to allow them to create a home, buy things for their nursery, and have experiences together as a family. There is so much to unpack here in terms of what is possible and what might become of the metaverse. Is killing someone in the metaverse going to be governed by laws? Will society just retreat into itself abs live only virtually, leaving the mv only to eat, shower, and use the bathroom? The moral questions are unlimited. This was a very thought provoking read that makes for a very interesting discussion about the future of AI. Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Another fantastic speculative fiction book by John Marrs. I loved that this novel is set in the same universe as “The One” and “The Marriage Act” as well as “The Passengers.” I did enjoy the references to those three books as well even though it is a standalone.
Reality TV show where couples are raising a virtual baby in the hope of winning a life changing sum of money. The viewers vote who stays and who goes. The winner can choose to keep their virtual child at the end or get a sum of money to start their own family.
I have read all of John’s books and couldn’t wait for this one. I enjoyed this one and it did keep me guessing. This book does not disappoint!!


Thank you so much to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I liked this book but 3.5 stars because it was too long. While I enjoyed all the elements of the story it dragged on for much longer than necessary.

The Family Experiment explores the world of AI and Metaverse by casting 6 couples and one single person as contestants in a new fan-fueled reality TV show. Each contestant/couple is desperate for a child but because of circumstances beyond their control, they’re unable to conceive naturally. The show allows them to raise a Meta [AI] child over 9 months in the Metaverse. The winner, [chosen partially by viewers and popularity] will receive 250 euros and the chance to keep the Meta child alive or use the money to have a human child in the real world.

As we meet each couple we learn that they all have hidden secrets that threaten to eliminate them from the game. The secrets are quite scandalous and along the way, we find it’s someone on a mission to take down each contestant and perhaps the show itself.

This is an excellent speculative fiction that makes you consider how AI and Meta technology can impact life as we know it.

I enjoyed the premise of the story and the presentation which made reading it more interesting and interactive.

Overall it’s a good story but could have been about 100 pages shorter.

WOW! This sci-fi thriller will have you skipping all of your responsibilities to read!

Set in a futuristic society, multiple couples will be raising a child (newborn to 18 years old) in a reality competition show called “The Family Experiment”. However, this is not your traditional child, it is an artificial intelligence, virtual child. The entire world can tune in to watch each couple raise their children in an accelerated 9 month time frame. The “winner” of the The Family Experiment gets the option of keeping their virtual child or having the chance to have a real baby.

Multiple POV’s made it a little difficult to keep the characters straight, however, Marrs does an extraordinary job creating distinct and evolving characters. I highly recommend this book!

Not only my first ever John Marrs book, but also my first Sci-Fi book. I was taken on a rollercoaster ride with this one!! Kept me on my toes and I had/still have no idea who to trust. Think if The Sims and Tamagotchi had a baby in the black mirror universe!

I thought the plot was awesome. This one was unique and very creative. This author has a great imagination and his plots are so different and thought provoking but this one just didn’t do it for me. All of the characters made it hard for ME to keep track of everybody. I think it was a little too long and a little complex and including topics from some of his other books without much background makes it hard for some as well. Thank you so much! I rate it 3.5 I’ve added the link to my Booktok where I don’t give my rating but discuss the book. It has over 3,000 views.

The Family Experiment
by John Marrs
Pub Date: Jul 09 2024
One more month and this crazy ride will be out!
Imagine Survivor but with couples raising an AI child for 9 months (but each month includes a time leap so that at the end of the 9 months the AI child is 18)...oh, and everyone in the world is watching 24/7. Challenges can be given at anytime (colicky baby, bullying at school, teen dabbling in drugs, etc.) and the world votes on how you are doing (like we all want the world seeing our parenting screwups!😬) This is all in effort to promote the newest in child rearing coming soon! AI children!
The winners can choose to keep their AI child for free or terminate the child and receive the funds to start their own live family.
Among the competiting couples are an influencer and his partner, a couple who made headlines when their real son was lost in a bog and never found, a couple who's been thinking about having a child but haven't made that leap yet, a couple whose first child has issues, and a single father out to prove a family doesn't have to have two parents.
But, true to Marrs' style, there's something much more sinister going on beneath the surface...real children have been disappearing at an alarming rate while everyone is busy watching the virtual world. Twists, twists and more twists!
#TheFamilyExperiment
#JohnMarrs
#Netgalley

John Marrs doesn’t disappoint in this new novel. Marrs has a way of writing about science fiction topics that hit very close to home. The Experiment kept me completely captivated. I loved every part of it. I thought about this book for a long time after I read it.