
Member Reviews

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!

I was very excited to get to this book. Unfortunately, this was not for me. I kept getting so confused throughout the book and just didn't enjoy it. I do look forward to reading more of John Marrs in the future though.

There are no words. This was the most unique thriller I think I’ve ever read. If you’re looking for unique, something that’s unlike anything you’ve read before, this is it!

The Family Experiment is such a fascinating idea for a book. John Marrs has the ability to suck readers in and keep them constantly guessing. This one is no different. Highly recommend this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Family Experiment by John Marrs. What a ride. Metaverse and AI collides with human brokenness. The jealousy, greed, selfishness, desire, addiction, all the things we struggle with are broadcasted in a live competition in the metaverse while colliding tragically with real world events. Couldn’t put it down.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC.
#TheFamilyExperiment #NetGalley #harlequintradepublishing #hanoversquarepress #johnmarrs @johnmarrs.author #scifibooks #thrillerbooks #fiction #bookstagram #fictionbooks

What a great concept- families competing to have the chance to raise an AI baby so they can get money to raise one in the real world. I definitely didn’t predict where this was going. I love the way Marrs thinks.

How thought provoking!
How imaginative!
How entertaining!
The writing and storytelling are terrific!
The development of the storyline has a wonderful flow and I didn’t want to put this book down.The topic was interesting and so original.
This is probably my favorite book by John Marrs so far.

John Marrs does it again returning to his speculative/dystopian universe with The Family Experiment. This time we get to experience a reality TV show mixed with the AI angle. I really love being able to return to the same universe over and over. They are interconnected stand-alone books that can be read separately or in order. The world is richer and the Easter eggs are interesting if you’ve read them all but you won’t feel lost if you begin with this one.
As a bit of a reality TV junkie, I found The Family Experiment show a clever way to explore the MetaBaby concept. There was a somewhat large cast of characters but using the reality show framework was a logical and interesting way to introduce them all and have all the varied POV’s. It did take me a little while to keep track of all of them. Most of the characters had few redeeming qualities and were not very likable. I didn’t find that it took away from me enjoying the stories. It was liked watching a trainwreck. You didn’t love it but you couldn’t look away.
John Marrs does such a great job building up of suspense. The pace was started out a little slower compared to some thrillers but definitely picked up and I found the plot twists satisfying. I just always love returning to this universe.