This was my third book b John Marrs, but my first in his speculative fiction series. I thought it was such an interesting, albeit rather creepy, premise. I love anything that looks into the not so distant future and explores what could become of us and that's exactly what this does. It feels like a version of something that could potentially exist in our lifetime - and that's not necessarily a good thing.

I loved that this book felt like a semi-futuristic sci-fi, but it also had some thriller elements and great twists. As the competition evolved, learning more and more about each of the contestants and their past (and present) questionable decisions was fun too. It felt very multi-faceted.

That being said, the hardest part for me was the number of different characters and stories to follow. It got easier to differentiate and keep track the further into it I got, but the first half I really had to focus to keep track.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to diving into more of Marrs' books in this collection!

This was my first John Marrs book and it was phenomenal! This was basically a scyfi thriller game of thrones. What the heck just happened! Twist after twist. Each family competing in the family experiment was so interesting and flawed in their own ways. I did not see that ending at all. Each twist hit me so hard. Also the book was super fast paced, which I love for all of my thriller reads. Probably my favorite thriller this year so far. I need to go back and read the previous books in the same world. I like how John makes it so you can still understand what is going on without having read the others in the same world first. It can definitely still be read as a standalone. I am really blown away and can't believe it has taken me this long to read his work.

Holy! This book was insane! John Marrs books never fail to keep me occupied and have me absolutely powering through a book!

Set in the same universe as other books, such as The One, The Family Experiment is a reality show in which people are selected to try raising a child at an accelerated pace in the metaverse. The child will grow to 18 years old in a matter of months, all while viewers are watching a livestream that is available 24/7. We follow various couples (and one single dad) on their journey to successfully raise a child. The family that wins at the end of the experiment will get to choose to either keep their child in the metaverse, or have them deleted forever and take a cash prize instead to fund starting their own family. The families who don't win, well, their child will be deleted forever.

There were so many dark twists in this book. As it turns out, everyone has a secret they are trying to hide, some of them quote sinister. The big reveal at the end I did not see coming, at all! Although looking back I can see how it would be easy for somebody to pick out earlier on in the book.

I highly recommend you read some of Marrs' other books first. You can definitely read this as a standalone though and it will still make sense, but there are some pretty big Easter eggs if you can even call them that which reference storylines from other books. I believe you can find a list of what order to read the books in to get the optimal experience!

Overall, highly recommend!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

John Marrs does speculative fiction so well. He tackles issues that we're seeing creep up today and takes them to the next level in a way that rivals any Black Mirror episode.

Set in the near-distant future, the world is suffering from a rising population and an economic crisis, and more people than ever find that they cannot afford to start, or sustain, a family. Enter The Family Experiment, a new reality game show that challenges five couples and one single parent to raise virtual children, created by AI, in the Metaverse over the course of nine months. These children will grow at an accelerated pace and require all the love and care that real children do. The winner(s) of the show will have to decide whether to keep their virtual child or to "turn them off" and accept a cash prize to start a family in the Real World.
Naturally, all of the contestants have a secret to hide and generally are unlikeable people.

As always, I enjoyed the use of multiple POVs to follow all of the contestants. Marrs' writing and storytelling really kept the suspense on high for the entire novel, which is what I'm always looking for in a thriller. I also really liked the added elements of online comments, articles, broadcast scripts, etc. I thought I saw the twist coming and then was even more surprised when I was wrong! I also enjoyed how Marrs really tied up all the loose ends- I was left with no questions unanswered.

Even though this book is set in the same universe as multiple of his previous works, Marrs does a good enough job summarizing the important parts that I would say you could read this as a standalone. I personally haven't read The Passengers yet, which is referenced multiple times, and had no problem understanding the story. Though if you like this one I would highly recommend you go back and read the others in this series.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the digital review copy.

I am still trying to wrap my head around the mind bending, heart throbbing, and intelligence of this book!!! To say this book, its message, the insanity of it all, and the thought in the back of my mind that this could be our future is something that is hard to put into words.

John Marrs is truly one of the most powerful and intelligent authors I have come across. This book was a bit of a stray from what I typically read and I couldn’t be happier that I went for it because…. Wow..

UK has become overpopulated and in economic crisis. Soooo enter a competition in Metaverse that has 5 couples and 1 single Father competing against each other to raise “virtual children” that were created, turn it into an interactive reality show, and let the madness begin. Throughout the show the children do age at an accelerated pace for the sake of timing with the show. The viewers get to decide who “wins” and then the couples get to decide which prize they want : keep their virtual child back into the real world or leave the child behind and take a cash prize. The chapters alternate between the couples and children and their stories as well as short blurbs of actual online audience comments of what they are watching in real time. I will say because of the many couples and children and their stories in the beginning it’s challenging to keep it all straight, but once you start to learn more about everyone it’s impossible to put this book down. Each couple and character has their own unique well developed story… as unlikeable as they all are which just adds to the drama and desire that sucked me in. If thats not enough as the show moves along secrets of the contestants from their past and present start to come out, tragedy bombs drop everywhere, and your mouth will hit the floor again and again!!!

This is no doubt going to be one of my favorite books I read this year. Marrs’ ability to write these books that not only entertain you, suck you in, but also make you really think is astounding. I will be thinking about this book for …. Forever.

If I had to give one minor critique it would be the ending surrounding each of the characters was a little lackluster for me. However I believe it’s because the rest of the book and the characters stories were so explosive I didn’t want to come down from that !

Thank you to the Author, Netgalley, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!

The Family Experiment is an intriguing read where diverse contestants' experiences and twists in both the MetaVerse and the Real World make it impossible to put down. John Marrs once again delivers a gripping and unique story. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!

Another John Marrs absolute hit! I love his sci-fi/speculative fiction world so much and this did not disappoint. As someone who does not want to have her own children, I think the idea of a virtual child is really interesting. But also the issues that it can create.... The concept of this book was amazing and I will never stop recommending John Marrs books to literally everyone I know.

I’ve always loved John Marrs ‘black mirror-y’ style of fiction. It really makes you think about what our world is coming to. I love the little Easter eggs which allude to the other stories as well as our current reality as well. This is a thought-provoking thriller with a fantastic plot, twists and turns and important lessons. Kudos for another ball out of the park!

5⭐️s! John Marrs has truly excelled with his latest masterpiece, The Family Experiment, delving into the fascinating realm of the Metaverse babies. This captivating book effortlessly combines the thrill of a TV reality show with the mind-boggling concept of avatar babies maturing into adults within a mere nine months. It's like Desperate Housewives on an unprecedented scale, leaving readers on the edge of their seats, anxiously anticipating what twists and turns lie ahead. Without a doubt, this is a must-have addition to your to-be-read list.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC to review.

Another great book! I love how John Marrs connects all of his other different futuristic books together slightly. I thought the whole part of the place where the kids were taken to was slightly hard to follow. I wanted more details on what happened to the kids if they went left. I understand it was set up so we had to use our imagination on the hard things they must've faced. Overall, it was a great book!

WOW. I’m absolutely shook after reading this. I may need a few weeks to decompress after reading The Family Experiment.

After a week of reeling and one rom com later, I am ready to talk about this book. You must add this to your TBR immediately. John Marrs is one talented writer. I do not know any author that can write six seperate story lines from six different POV with total cohesion and ZERO confusion. Also, when it is multiple POV I tend to find favorites characters/story lines but with Marr's I really do love them all. He ends each chapter (and they are quick another bonus) with a cliff hanger that makes you just NEED to continue. Also, this book really talks about how AI/Technology has begun to creep into our lives and change the fabric of society. It really made me think of my own personal technology habits and how detrimental they are to my mental health.

Now onto the synopsis

The Family Experiment is a new reality TV show where 6 families (of all ages, sexual orientations, and varying marital statuses) will come together to create/raise their own meta child. Their meta child will grow at an accelerated rate and will face all of the developmental milestones that a normal child would. At the end of the show, the families will be posed with the ultimate question: keep your meta child or have them "deleted" for 250,000 pounds to start a family of your own. As the six families are introduced, they each have their own motive for coming on the show. From psychopath children, to gaining sponsorships, to pay off gambling debts etc. But little do they know, the metaverse will slowly begin to leak these secrets and the demise of their personal relationships and their meta children will be streamed to millions across the world.

A dark and twisty story that could have been ripped right from an episode of Black Mirror. In “The Family Experiment,” we’re brought to the near future when the population has skyrocketed and the cost of starting a family is out of reach for many. Desperate to build their dream family, six couples join a nine-month competition to raise a virtual child in the metaverse, for the opportunity to keep their virtual child or risk it all for the chance at a real world child. The catch? Every moment is being viewed and judged by the world as part of a reality TV show. Along the way, we’re slowly introduced to each family… what brought them to the competition, the secrets they’re hiding, and to what lengths they’ll go to win.

Things I loved: the variety of formatting in addition to traditional dialog (chat room conversations, interviews, news articles, etc.), the sprinkles of technological advancements that are so casually mentioned, the numerous ethical dilemmas introduced that really get your brain thinking (how is the metaverse legally governed?), and how the mirror was also turned a bit onto the viewers/readers.
What are the ethics of enjoying other peoples drama and pain in the guise of entertainment?

Everyone’s a critic when your life is on display. Are you going to let that criticism impact your actions, or can you truly “be real” for reality TV? And what is “real” when you have so many secrets to hide.

John Marrs is a new-to-me author, and I will definitely be checking out his other bestselling novels from the same universe, “The One” and “The Marriage Act.” If you’re a fan of Black Mirror and want your brain to be tingling from constant stimulation, this one’s for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this advanced digital copy of “The Family Experiment.” Publish date July 9, 2024.

WHAT A BOOK! 👏🏻 Gripping from the very beginning.

John is the master of to be continued bombshells with his characters and their development. It keeps you salivating for more to see what’s going to happen. I loved everything about this book. The storyline, the characters you love to hate, their story and no questions were left unanswered. I will definitely be buying it once it’s released.

Well done, John. 🥳

It was exciting! I loved it! I gasped so many times by the unexpected twist and just outcome of some events. It really goes into each character which I throughly enjoyed.
I would definitely read again!

Phenomenal! I couldn't put this one down. A little bit of Hunger Games, a little bit of Surrogates plus some EdTV and you've got yourself a really riveting story.

5 couples and 1 single man participate in a 24/7 reality show where they are given a virtual child to raise. The winner can keep the child or choose to "delete" them and take the money to try to conceive a biological child.

My favorite of John's so far!

Fantastic!!!! As a girl that typically does not enjoy sci-fi , I really love John Marrs futuristic sci-fi books and this is no exception in fact its my favorite of his! I could hardly put it down and when I did have to I would find myself thinking about it and sometimes wishing I could go to the metaverse how cool!!! I love how he referenced his other 2 books The One and The Passengers in this one too. Like they all were a part of the same futuristic world! I highly recommend this book to anyone John Marrs once again hits it out of the park!!!!

Insane!

The twists, the turns, the way everything connects together, the ending!

Families complete on a reality tv show where they spend 9 months raising an AI from new born baby to teenager. If they win they get the choice of keeping the baby or receiving funding to have their own real life baby with paid for IVF treatments etc.

The way each of these families implode and the endings for each of them is cray cray.. the drama! A definite must read!

Side note - I’m not someone who’s into sci fi or AI topics but I enjoyed this regardless, so don’t let that put you off reading!

Thank you to John Marrs, Harlequin trade publishing and NetGalley for the EARC!

Publish date: July 9th 2024

what an interesting and unique concept, I greatly enjoyed this. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. As my first John Mars book, I'd gladly sign up for another.

This book takes place in the same universe as The One, The Passengers, and The Marriage Act. I loved being back in this world. It is dark, weird, a little scary, and compulsively readable. I loved it! It had several twists and turns I was not expecting. There are aspects of this book that I can totally see happening in the future and that is kinda scary. This is another great story!

Publication date: July 9 2024

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the digital arc and allowing me to share my thoughts.

Oh my goodness, it’s 1am, I’m usually asleep by 9pm, but I HAD to finish this book. I have read and loved all of John Marrs’ books, and The Family Experiment is no exception.

Imagine a world where you have the ability to raise a virtual child within the metaverse. Through highly advanced technology, you can see, hold, and feel this virtual child as if it were in the real world with you. To launch this revolutionary program, the company behind this tech has created a reality show that gives 10 couples the opportunity to raise a MetaChild from birth to 18 years of age within a compact 9 month time period. Viewers will be able to watch in real time, send likes or dislikes, and ultimately vote for the couple they feel is the most capable of raising a child. The winning couple can then choose to either keep their virtual child, or take the prize money and use it to help start their real life family. Are all of the couples’ motivations sincere? As the show progresses viewers are given front row access to the contestants lives and relationships with their MetaChildren.

I haven’t read a book in a long time that has made me feel happy, hopeful, angry, vengeful, hopeless, and sad all at once. As a mother of young kids there were parts I had to skim through because they were just too hard to read. Trigger warning: if you’re uncomfortable reading about human trafficking, child abuse, and child death, there are parts of this story that will definitely upset you.

As is typical with his books, the twists and reveals at the end were perfection. I believe all the characters had appropriate endings, and felt satisfied with how everything wrapped up.

This book is set in the same universe as Marrs’ other books, The One, The Passengers, The Minders, and The Marriage Act. You don’t need to read these prior to this one, but it helps provide context for some parts of the story. Also, they’re really good books so you should read them anyway.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy.