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.

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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.

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.