Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I have to admit I put this book down several times and forced myself to keep going. The beginning is a hard start with all of the info and characters to follow. Once I got further into the story the easier the flow became. The premise of this story is frightening and Marrs did an excellent job! Great character development and descriptions throughout.

Does anyone else put off a super popular off for as long as possible in case everyone is actually wrong and they're terrible? Just me? Ok.

Anyways, I finally broke down and read a John Marrs book. Should I have read The One and The Marriage Act first? Uhhh, probably. Thankfully, John provides enough context in The Family Experiment that I didn't need to read them to enjoy this.

The Family Experiment is the newest reality show that that sets up 6 couples with a Meta child. They'll raise this child from birth to adulthood within 9 months Real World time. They're given £250,000, the estimated Real World cost of raising a child to adulthood, to use as they see fit. Each month brings about a new developmental leap, along with one couple receiving a monthly challenge. The winner will have the choice of keeping their MetaChild they've raised, or what's left of their £250,000 and put it towards starting a Real World family of their own.

I can easily see now why people love John Marrs so much now. He's a masterful story teller that not only had me on the edge of my seat, but had me questioning the logistics of if this could really happen in the future. It's believable enough for the most part. I absolutely loved this book and I'm happy to have started May off with such a banger.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Books, and John Marrs for this gripping thriller.

In a (not so) distant future, the world relies heavily on AI and the Metaverse. So much so, that a new program has been developed allowing couples to parent an AI child in the Metaverse. “The Family Experiment” is a look into a reality TV show based around the lives of people competing to win their Metachild or the money to fund their own ‘Real World’ family. However, escaping to the Metaverse doesn’t mean you escape your Real World secrets. With twists and turns throughout the whole story, this story keeps you invested and wanting to know what happens next. The third book that takes place in this (not-so) futuristic reality, it is a must read. It will leave you asking yourself, “What if…”

What a page turner! John Marrs has the ability to address dark, dystopian themes in a manner that keeps you intrigued throughout.
After reading the Marriage Act, this lived up to the writing expected from the author. The world building was great and the characters, although initially seeming like too many to keep track of, had interesting storylines.
Thoroughly enjoyed the various avenues explored in this era including the social and moral implications of not just the characters but the general populace living during that time.

A few of the tropes seemed familiar from certain shows / movies with similar themes but that is to be expected from a realistic portrayal of this theme as well as because of the fact that we are not very far from reality reflecting a lot of it already.

Great read overall!
4.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I absolutely love John Marrs but that is not why I love this book! I gave it 5 stars because it was the perfect mix of everything! It gave me series vibes. It kept me hooked like I was watching tv! I could not put this book down!

I absolutely loved The One and this is in the same universe!!

Reality show voting, we all know we love that!! Page turner!!

Love John Marrs and his brain that comes up with these stories.

3.5/5 stars for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and HTP for allowing me to review this book! This was a good book, it was my first John Marrs book and I’ll definitely be reading other books by him. There were some instances where I couldn’t keep up with all the characters, but that’s more of a me issue. The concept was pretty cool, and low key kinda freaky because I feel like this could happen in real life in the near future. I also feel like it dragged on in some parts, but other than that, I really enjoyed it!

OMG!! John Marrs absolutely do not miss when it comes to speculative fiction! This book grabbed me from the start. The way he creates these alternate worlds and put so much creative thought into every small thing is genius. I love all the tie-ins from previous books in this world too. The worse part of this book is when it came to an end. I am hoping to read similar books in the future!!

You know those books that are futuristic, but the idea is so eerily possible that it makes you wonder if this could be what the future holds? That's the uncomfortable feeling I have after finishing The Family Experiment. The Family Experiment is set in the future UK where the economy is terrible and many families struggle to make ends meet; including being able to afford a child. Many desperately want a child, so when the opportunity of joining a reality television show where participants virtually raise an AI child, many jump at the chance of a lifetime.

It was a little tricky in the beginning to keep all the characters straight, but this got easier as the book went on. Every family has a secret so this reads very much like a reality tv show with each chapter ending on a cliff hanger. Very suspenseful and thought provoking!

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Review posted on Goodreads.

Loved the continuation of “the one” match universe. This was especially thrilling with the characters deaths and how the plot was fast paced and engaging. As always, I love the multiple POVs and narration. The ending was very satisfactory and I’m already anxious for more.

John Marrs' speculative fiction gets me every.single.time! The uncomfortable plausibility, the intertwined stories, fantastically done.

Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read this e-arc.

This was a wild book! It took me a minute to get into it. There were a myriad of different characters to follow and it was very set in the future. I did enjoy it once I got into the storyline. I like how it played off of his other book about finding your DNA match. The plot was definitely unique and I liked the way the book tied together in the end. However, almost all these characters were just horrible people, which honestly probably made this book even better. I would highly recommend if you love John Marrs and suspense. This had me on the edge of my seat once I got pulled in. I couldn't look away from this train wreck!

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

If you enjoyed The One and/or The Passengers by this author, I think you will like this too! This has a fast twisty plot with extremely short chapters from all different perspectives. It’s a very easy read and it’s engaging. Is it a little over the top? Definitely. Are there probably one too many reveals and twists along the way? Sure. But that’s kind of what makes these books fun. I got a tiny bit lost in all the details towards the end, but overall this was entertaining and a good time.
PS: If you’re planning to read The One/The Passengers, read those first to avoid minor spoilers.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

THIS BOOK!!!!!

I honestly don’t even know where to begin here. This plot is so crazy and so unique but sucks you in as soon as you begin reading it. I thought the beginning was a tad confusing when they introduce all the couples/participants - but the author does an excellent job of separating them and continuing their stories.

The plot twists are wild - but actually believable. My one small complaint would be the fact that they include some of his other works throughout the book (it seems to all be the same “world” so to speak) without explaining what some of those things actually mean (ie The One, Marriage Act, Passengers). Although it made me add all these books to my TBR - so maybe that was the point. Touché John Marrs Touché.

PRE-ORDER AND READ THIS BOOK

4.5/5

I have read 4 other books by this author and really enjoy his writing. The Family Experiment is a stand-alone book, but it is set in that same dystopian near future world as his previous speculative thrillers (The One, The Passengers, The Marriage Act). He does reference those other books but you don't have to read them; you won't be missing out on too much background information (I do recommend them though).
The premise is intriguing; a reality TV series set both in the real world and in the AI universe. This book is written from multiple points of view of the contestants on the reality show. It took me a few chapters to get them straight; it was helpful they were written in pairs (a couple's point of view). I don't think the characters were likeable, which made it difficult to care about them but I did still want to keep reading what happens. It was written so that we were slowly revealed each character's secrets.
There was so much building of suspense and plot twists that it kept my attention and wanting to ignore my everyday life responsibilities to keep reading. Highly recommend this book especially if you are a John Marrs fan.

AI and the Metaverse are a very controversial subject and this book does a great job of shedding some light on that. With the premise of AI and the Metaverse being an advancement and a way for families who have lost a child or cannot have a child being given a way to do just that, this book poses the question to what cost are we paying for the technology and the "real life" experiences we can receive in the Metaverse. When I first started reading this book, I thought it was absolutely insane, but in reality, I can see this exact scenario playing out in our society in the direction we seem to be heading and to be honest, it scared me a little bit. If the concept of AI or the Metaverse or the future of where we are going interests you at all, I highly suggest you pick up this book. It is probably one of the most realistic psychological thrillers I have read in awhile because it has real life relatability. The plot is so well developed and thought out and although it jumps between the perspectives of characters, the author has made it extremely easy to follow. John Marrs knocked it out of the park with this one! Add it to your must read list! You won't regret it!

If you are a fan of The One and The Passengers you will also love The Family Experiment! A very interesting subject about AI and where it could lead in the future! I enjoyed most of the book but found my mind wandering a bit at the end. Thank you for the early access on NetGalley!

I am a HUGE John Marrs fan. The concept of this book was so interesting and had my attention the entire time. The first book I read by John Marrs was The One so I was excited that this was going to be in a similar style and it did not disappoint. The last 2 twists at the end had me completely shocked. There was no way I suspected the way this would end. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. I highly recommended this read.

John Marrs is a must read author and this book just confirms once more why I love his books!

Like his other works, Marrs mixes technological advancements with a thrilling, action-packed storyline that will leave your heart racing as you get caught up in this pulse-pounding read.

I love the connections to his other books too.

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time.

In a future world, having a family is prohibitively expensive. A company develops 3D child avatars and special suit adults can wear to simulate all aspects of parenthood. To introduce these children, the company holds a reality show, The Family Experiment. Five families each begin with an infant which will age to eighteen years in nine months. The audience will determine the winners who will receive a large cash prize and the opportunity to start a biological family or to keep their avatar child. John Marrs is the master of melding plots based on futuristic technology with captivating characters. This book is both disturbing and engaging. It would be a great book club choice. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.