4.25 stars!

This is my second book by John Marrs and everytime I read him, I wonder why I haven't read more. I had such a great time with this between the constant POV switching and the mixed media inserts and the timely commentary about artificial intelligence. I also thought it was so fun that it was set in the same universe as The One, The Marriage Act, and Passengers, and has really pushed me to read the other two books I haven't (The One was a five star read).

I thought it was really interesting to watch each parent/parenting duo go through the struggles of parenting each age range of child, while also balancing their real world and metaverse lives. Also, in true John Marrs fashion, it felt like every chapter would end with some sort of cliff hanger or secret revealed, leaving me absolutely surprised before going to a new point of view.

My only gripe was that it was a little confusing to keep everyone straight, and it took me a decent amount of time to remember who was who and what their individual secrets were. Definitely not my last John Marrs and its so fun to see him mix science fiction and thrillers!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

5 stars is not enough for this book!! And I’m convinced that John Marrs cannot write a bad book. This was so good! I liked the references to his previous books The One and Passengers. Although if some people read this book before the other two books, it could be a bit confusing. So I recommend reading those books before diving into this one. The last 20% is mind blowing! So many twists and turns I got whiplash lol. I like how the technology described in this book isn’t too far off from where we are now. Which makes it equally relatable and scary! I can’t wait to read his next book.

I always enjoy Marrs’ books set in this universe and The Family Experiment did not disappoint! AI is becoming a huge part of our current world and the whole Metaverse is fascinating, yet a little scary. But it all totally worked in this book! I loved how each couple in the experiment had a different backstory and how their secrets slowly unfolded and how everything came together in the end! Which blew my mind. Definitely recommend picking this one up!

John Marrs is a very intelligent author. He creates a world not too dissimilar to our potential future. He takes a probing look at our society and just takes it a step further to create a very scary future for us. The premise starts with a group of people competing on a reality tv show with a child in the metaverse. Lots for my students to examine and discuss. The ending could have been a little shorter or tighter but overall a very effective book 4.5

I’d only read one book by the author before and it wasn’t the most successful for me, so I hesitated before reading this. However, I was intrigued by the plot and decided to go for it – and I’m so glad I did!

This was so compelling! In this world full of social media clout, reality TV, and fascinating but scary scientific achievement, this one hit hard. I was so involved in all our little families, scandalized by some of their secrets, and completely floored when I found out what was really going on.

The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star read for me was that it seemed like it ended about 10 times. Each time I thought it was over (and was really quite satisfied), it kept going! I recognize that some loose ends were being tied up, but it got a little exhausting.

However, I really did enjoy this read and I’m going to try the author again in the future!

• ARC via Publisher

In the UK, overcrowding and costs are causing problems with families who want children. But, in the metaverse for a monthly subscription, you can create your own child. There you can raise them with the help of a haptic suit. To create a buzz, the company responsible decides to create a reality show where ten couples create a child that has a quickened life. All the couples are filmed 24/7 as they raise their "child" through several key developmental stages. At the end.. the winners get to choose to keep their virtual child or take the money and try to start a “real” family.

Holy cow this book. I COULD NOT put it down. I was invested from the beginning over who was going to win, what the secrets were that each contestant had, and how their lives would be affected. I loved each and every reveal, especially the big ones at the end. I did not call ANY of them. There were also several shocking incidents, one of them right away, that had me gawking and wondering what in the world was going on.

This was my first book by John Marrs but it certainly won't be my last. Thank you so much to NetGalley, John Marrs, and Macmillian Publishing for giving me an ARC of "The Family Experiment!"

The Family Experiment follows five couples as they are given the chance to raise AI Children in the Metaverse for a Reality TV Livestream show. As the Experiment progresses it isn’t as good of an opportunity as everyone expects. Set in the same universe as The One and The Passengers (but not necessary reads before this book), John Mars does it again with the Black Mirror-esque story, this time with AI children. This is a perfect blend of suspense while revealing kernels of information as the book progresses. Each set of couples are essentially telling their own stand-alone story set within the same setting. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the twists, and the pace at which everything was revealed and would love to read more set within this dystopian society.
Thank you to Net Galley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and the Author for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well now, John Marrs, you've done it again. This book is an example of what Marrs does best. It's a dark and twisty tale of complex characters and of course those "Finn" moments (if you are a fan of Marrs, ya know). This one still has me wondering what I would have done. I highly recommend it! Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

John Marrs does it again! This book keeps you reading and won't let you stop. Crazy to think this could actually become a reality someday. Very well done

I haven’t read any books by this author prior to this one but I greatly enjoyed it! I thought the premise was super interesting and loved following the characters throughout.

5 stars
Holy hell what did I just read? It’s scary cause it could become true.
This was intense and unputdownable.
I’ll definitely be picking up a physical copy for my bookshelf when it releases.

Obsessed with John Marrs. This book was so good. He did it again—created a compelling thriller while artfully incorporating social commentary. I could not put this book down!!

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC. Are families going to have their children in the metaverse in the future? This book begs that question. Contestants fight to be the best cyber parent and win the prize money, but as it turns out reality and their background keeps interfering.

John Marrs never disappoints, and this book is no exception. The book itself was super fun. I enjoyed that the chapters were split up between the different characters, some ending on a cliffhanger making it so hard to put down. I really found myself enjoying the sci-fi elements in this story, even though I am not usually a sci-fi reader. I enjoyed that it refers back to different aspects of his other speculative fiction novels.
The story had great pacing, and a really interesting plot. The characters were well developed, so I was able to find myself rooting for some, and not so much for others.
This is something that I think can be enjoyed by all different readers, so I am excited to recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy!

This was very different to what I normally read and my first forage into John marrs and I was pleasantly surprised.

I chose this as I felt the blurb was enticing and it was certainly worth the punt.

The book is based around AI and has a few strong topics in regards to fertility and death so it may not be to everyone liking.

It kept me turning the pages and I will definitely look into other John marrs books from now on.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC of ‘The Family Experiment”. I devoured this book. The premise drew me in and it was everything I hoped it would be. No questions left unanswered, a satisfying ending, great character development. In the scariest way this could absolutely be the reality of the future. This novel held my interest the entire time and I didn’t spot any of the twists and turns throughout the way. Highly recommend to anyone who likes the show Black Mirror.

This book is WILD. I want to be inside John Marrs’s brain.

I was already a John Marrs fan. His books are so clever, so twisted, so unexpected. The Family Experiment is all this but more.

The Family Experiment is about a reality TV show where people who want to be parents can have an AI child and raise them from birth through age 18, but at an accelerated rate over 9 months. During that time, viewers watch their every move and can vote on who gets a monthly challenge, as well as determine the winner at the end. The winner gets a choice to either keep their AI child or money to start a real world family. But this is a John Marrs novel so nothing happens as expected. Every participant comes with their own backstory and there is way more than meets the eye about them all and why they are participating. There were countless surprising twists, right up until the end. This was a mix of fun to read while also being stressful. I absolutely loved it. I don't understand how Marrs thinks of this and I don't understand how his mind works -- but I LOVE it.

The Family Experiment takes place in the same world (near future) as many of his other books, so you will find references to them, such as people finding their DNA Match (The One) or self-driving cars being hacked (The Passengers) or how towns changed as a result of The Marriage Act. If you haven't read the others, you won't be lost but if you have, you'll enjoy those references.

I highly recommend this one if you enjoy dark stories that seem like they really could happen in the not-too-distant future. I can't wait to see what Marrs does next.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book follows families competing for the chance to have a family of their choosing- real or virtual. For 9 months, they are broadcasted to the world as they raise an AI child in an immersive universe who starts at 2 weeks and ages to 18. At the end of the experiment, they choose whether they want to turn off their virtual child or start a family through alternative methods like IVF or surrogacy. In typical John Marrs fashion, the twists in the story are unexpected and brilliant!

Thank you Harlequin for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Set in a near-future UK, dealing with overpopulation and economic crisis, a reality TV show follows ten couples as they raise a Virtual Child from birth to eighteen. The prize? The right to keep their virtual child or risk it all for a chance at a real baby.

As a first-time reader of John Marrs, I was pleasantly surprised by "The Family Experiment." Despite the complexity of numerous characters, the story weaves together beautifully. The concept of virtual children and the high-stakes reality TV show kept me engaged throughout. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this thought-provoking thriller.

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I'd like to express my gratitude for the advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Another fucking awesome book by Marrs. I stayed up late last night to finish this and man it was so good. It’s even creepier when it feels like it could actually happen. Even though I read the Ebook I’m still buying this as soon as it comes out for my trophy shelf lol.