If you want your remaining brain cells to sizzle like charcoal, just flip through the pages of any John Marrs book and feel the ground shake under your feet as the smoke of your burning cells fills the air. His works are truly spectacular, some even more intelligent and mind-bending than episodes of Black Mirror. What's most horrific is that the scenarios described in these books, questioning the revolutionary progression of technology and AI controlling lifestyle, could all become true. If an author can imagine such an ugly truth, then the creators of the technology can too.

"The One" marks the beginning of Marrs' mind-bending tech saga, followed by my favorite sci-fi thrillers "Passengers," "Minders," and "Marriage Act." I recommend starting with these to better understand "The Family Experiment." Some characters, like Cadman N’Yu, appeared in "Passengers," and there's a storyline about an auto-controlled car accident related to other characters. To piece together the puzzle and get a clearer picture, start with the saga where people find their loved ones via DNA testing, which connects the stories of how the government shapes modern British families with regulations in the Marriage Act. Finally, in this book, we find out how genetics and technology change the way of parenting in the Metaverse Universe.

As the world population soars and economic crises increase, a growing number of people can barely afford to support their families, with some even resorting to illegal means like trafficking their children to pay off debts. In the middle of this crisis, companies find another way to protect the sanctity of family life.

Can you imagine having a child called “MetaBabies”? Pre-ordered children exist only in a virtual world called “Metaverse” where parents can pick and choose the age, sex, and design their appearances from eye to hair color, skin tone, body shape, accent, interests, and speed of their growth.

Awakening Entertainment company uses this technology for their latest reality show called “Family Experiment” where six couples are tasked with looking after children in different phases, from newborns to fully grown up. The AI-based created children are programmed to grow like real children, their experiences determined by the nurturing they receive from each parent.

Viewers can watch every moment the families experience in the Metaverse, and one lucky selected viewer can even join them for a limited time to meet the children. The participants will be pushed to the limits with monthly challenges to learn the difficulties of parenting, with virtual black and red hearts on the screen showing the viewers’ live responses to their actions and conversations with their children. Of course, there’s a big prize at the end, and the decision for the parents to keep their virtual baby or terminate the avatar to raise their own child with financial support for IVF treatments.

We are introduced to couples including Rufus and Kitty who left the competition shortly after a tragic event occurred during the live streaming.

I can honestly say none of the characters are likable, but of course, there’s a reason behind all these irritating character developments that serve the big picture.

Woody, a drone pilot, and Tina, a euthanasia nurse in 36 seem like a peaceful couple with their daughter Belle, but they hide something very dangerous in the basement. Is there a person? Are they putting someone there trapped without letting go?

Cadman N’Yu, a social media influencer in 36, and Gabriel Macmillan in 26, PA, are the only gay people. It seems like their financial inequalities and age differences have turned Cadman into the controlling man in their relationship, and he has leverage that turns Gabriel into the obedient one. Unfortunately, Cadman acts like their son River is a cash cow by monetizing his milestones in life with influencing business.

Dimitri & Zoe Taylor Georgiou, a couple in their late forties, already had and lost a son before. Both of them hide something from each other behind closed doors and are threatened by somebody who knows their secrets from the outside world but who?

Selena, a data analyst, and Jaden Wilson, her husband, a personal trainer, both in their early thirties, had hiccups in their marriage because of Jaden’s financial secrets. Now they have another chance to be a family. But Selena couldn’t relate to their child as much as Jaden did, and a dangerous stalker starts terrorizing their life that may open a can of worms revealing more truth that may risk their entire relationship.

And Hudson Wright, single, 22, raising Alice alone is the most controversial parent who needs to prove he can shoulder both parents’ roles in the family. Interestingly, Hudson is not in the contest for the prize. He has another motivation to raise awareness. But what is it?

As the competition continues, the secrets of the contestants start revealing, the tragic incidents keep occurring, and everything will change, from your perspective to the realities and the AI technology that may affect people’s lives more than you imagine.

Overall, my mind exploded. I only downgraded half a star because after the shocking twist of the book, the aftermath that shows each contestant’s lives was too long and lowered the tension of the entire settlement, even though they consisted of other small twists like Easter eggs you found hidden in the grass.

I’m still rounding up 4.5 stars to 5 mind-bending stars and raising my glass to the extremely intelligent mind of John Marrs! Looking forward to reading his next journey in this heart-throbbing, grey cell-exploding saga!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Hanover Square Press for sharing this wonderful sci-fi journey’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an arc of this new title by John Marrs. The Family Experiment is set in the same world as previous books by the author, such as “The One” and “The Marriage Act”, but this time we follow 10 couples who are on a new hit reality show competing in the metaverse while raising a virtual child.

Each couple creates a child from scratch that they can only raise through a virtual reality headset, throughout the span of 9 months. However, during those 9 months each couple will experience the difficulties of raising the child from birth-18 years of age. The catch? You are being streamed live 24/7 and viewers are rating your every move and determining your next through polls. The winner gets a chance to keep their virtual child or start a family of their own with their cash prize. But are things as they seem, or only as presented for TV?

This book was a wild ride. It started off hard to keep up with each set of couples and everything they brought to the table backstory wise. There is a ton of information to process, but as the story progresses you get used to it. I had an early fear that I wouldn’t be able to connect with any of the characters just knowing how many there were, but that didn’t end up being the case! By the end, I had to praise this author for how he had everything fall into place with no stones left unturned! I will definitely be reading more by him.

The Family Experiment is a speculative thriller that falls into the future Marrs has built with previous books (The One, Passengers, Marriage Act, Minders). While this can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the others first as they all fit together. The book is about a reality show that takes couples and has them competing to who is the best parent of a meta child. In true Marrs fashion, there are wicked twists and horrific situations. No character is left safe! While I feel the writing of this book is slightly less flowing than the others, it’s still such an original idea and fun ride to be on. I really enjoy the futuristic concepts as it’s a genre that’s rarely explored. His stories are always so unique and he does not shy away from complex characters, mentally unstable characters or just offing ones here and there.
If you enjoy John Marrs books, you’ll definitely enjoy this one. If you haven’t read his books, do yourself a favor and pick them up. You won’t be disappointed

The population of the world is out of control. In the UK, families cannot afford to have a family. Enter a new company that can allow you to experience raising a virtual child in the metaverse. These AI children have unique personalities and seem so real. Just slip on your VR headset and care for this child like your own.

To promote this new program, this subscription-based company launches a reality show where 10 couples compete for votes from the public on how they parent their virtual child. In 9 months these virtual children age from infant to 18 years old. There is plenty of drama and horror along the way.

John Marrs stays faithful to the world he created in The One, The Passengers, and The Marriage Act, all sci-fi futuristic thrillers where AI plays a major role. I love his reminders and references to characters and incidents from these past books, especially from the adrenaline-fueled, twisted novel, The Passengers.

Told through multiple viewpoints, the story goes back and forth between the families as they struggle to love and care for their new child. Each family has secrets to hide, including one family with a real daughter locked away in their basement.

Marrs writes with the intensity and tension that I have come to expect from reading his previous sci-fi thrillers inhabiting this messed-up world. I highly recommend reading each one if you like creative, crazy stories set in an alternate reality.

The Family Experiment is well-written with plenty of dark twists that will keep you entertained and a little appalled.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hanover Press for the early review copy.

Absolutely incredible. I was utterly blown away, it was another unputdownable thriller by John Marrs. Set in the same universe as his other speculative thrillers, together they set the stage for this gripping new story (while still being able to enjoy this novel as a standalone). Multiple character viewpoints with staggering secrets and development keep you turning page after page long into the night. The plot itself is eerily frightening as you think about the future of AI and where it might take the world. As 5 couples and one solo parent compete in a 9-month long 24/7 livestream reality television event in the Metaverse raising an AI developed “Metachild” contestants’ limits are tested, and true colors are shown! The highly coveted prize for the winner of the show makes for a cutthroat competition and a quick read. I highly recommend The Family Experiment.

Wow! John Marrs has one creative mind! Once again, this story is the 5th book in his speculative fiction series. If you have read any of the others then you know you’re in for quite a ride!

There is a new reality show called The Family Experiment. Five couples and one single father are the contestants. They are given the opportunity to raise a virtual child through a virtual headset in the Metaverse. The children grow at a rapid speed within nine months total. The viewers vote for who stays and who goes.

This one was a little harder to keep up with due to all the many characters. Plus, all the sci-fi futuristic stuff. I still enjoyed it and oh boy once again a wild ending that will blow your mind!!! 😱

Huge thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, NetGalley and the ever so talented John Marrs for the opportunity!
Publication date July 9, 2024
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Family Experiment is a science fiction tv reality story exploring how people could raise families online. The chosen families will raise their digital children under the watchful eyes of the internet 24/7. Families are chosen and for nine months they are given the gift of raising a child to adulthood. As in real life, the experience with the computer children are different. No two are the same.
Throughout the story you are drawn in not only by the virtual reality experiences, but also the families and how they came to be on the show. You see their lives and sense how they are feeling. When it finally ends, there's shock and sadness you don't see coming.

Throughout the story my mind kept referring back to the tv commercial with the parents out cycling, hiking, etc and the young girl sitting in her home alone on the computer incredulously saying her parents had around three friends. I kept thinking how sad it is capable people are choosing to live their lives alone on a computer.

"John Marrs' 'The Family Experiment' is like Fourth Wing meets Hunger Games meets reality tv. The story follows the lives of multiple characters whose paths intertwine as they each process the implications of a groundbreaking genetic experiment; raising virtual children. It took me a while to remember all of the characters that were introduced, but I really enjoyed each of their depths and perspectives throughout the book. Readers who enjoyed ‘The One’ will absolutely enjoy this book as well, as it follows a similar format. With its fast-paced plot, unpredictable twists (I did not see that ending coming!), and richly developed characters, 'The Family Experiment' will keep the reader engaged from start to finish.

Wow. What an absolutely wild ride! I have such a whirlwind of emotions right now…

When I tell you I quite literally couldn’t put this one down, I really couldn’t. The mix of sci-fi/ thriller and a dash of ‘all too realistic (yet terrifying) futuristic possibilities’ was such an amazing combo I could not get enough.

For fans of Marrs’ previous novels - The One, The Passengers, and The Marriage Act, you will absolutely DEVOUR this book. It was set in the same timeframe/ universe as these novels, and there all subtle mentions / Easter eggs throughout the story relating back to those books.

This was such a spectacular read, and would also make a phenomenal Netflix series (plz do this)

Pub date is July 9! Make sure you add this one to your TBR asap.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing / Hanover Square Press for an ARC of this amazing book!

"The Family Experiment" by the one and only John Marrs. Let me tell ya, this book? It's not just good—it's next-level amazing. Seriously, this book had me hooked from the get-go with its crazy twists and turns. John Marrs is no doubt the master of dystopian thrillers.

Marrs paints a hauntingly vivid picture of a society grappling with overpopulation and economic turmoil, where the dream of starting a family seems like an unattainable luxury for many. But there's this wild alternative. You can literally create a virtual kiddo from scratch, like, whoa! Just slap on a VR headset, dive into the metaverse, and bam—you're a parent. And get this, there's a reality TV show called "The Substitute" where couples raise these virtual babies in nine months flat. The prize? Keeping the digital kid or rolling the dice for a real one.

But here's where Marrs really shines: his writing style is outta this world. He effortlessly weaves together the drama of the reality show, audience reactions, and the lives of the main characters into one epic rollercoaster ride. It's like binge-watching your favorite series, but with the added thrill of flipping through the pages of a killer book.

Each character got their own deal going on, all twisted and tangled up. You'll find yourself rooting for your faves, holding your breath during their nail-biting moments, and maybe shedding a tear or two along the way.

Oh, and the ending? Marrs knows how to deliver the perfect conclusion, even if it's not what you were expecting. And those dark secrets behind the tech? Mind. Blown.

So if you're into mind-bending thrillers and dig pondering the future, this book is like a must-read. Marrs takes us on a wild ride through a not-so-distant future, where the line between reality and virtuality is blurrier than ever.

The family experiment by John Marrs

This book is a futuristic nightmare. In the United Kingdom the population has grown and now starting a family is a luxury. 11 couples become part of an experiment to create a family in the meta verse and be a part of a reality show. The catch is the viewers get to choose the winner, who ever scores higher gets the grand prize to either keep their avatar child or win a real child.

This book is scarily possible as to where our world is headed… people spending too much time online and obsessed with social media. This book was intense and such eerie look into a possible future.

What a brilliant, well written book! It can be read as a stand alone, but I’m glad I read The One and The Marriage Act so that I understood all of the references to DNA matching and the actual marriage act. At first, I was a little overwhelmed with all of the characters, but the way this book is written you quickly learn who everyone is and anticipate their next chapter. This book was so good with so many twists. I highly recommend!

I love John Marrs' writing style - the short chapters from multiple character points all drawn together, slowly revealing each individual plot line, is great! He does such an amazing job establishing and then revealing each character plot bit by bit. Every time I start one of his books I'm hooked right in and can't stop until I reach the end! I also really loved that this book referenced his previous book and some of those characters as well.
The Family Experiment follows 6 families as they compete in a reality show/competition for a chance to raise a virtual child. John Maars spins a future state like world where overcrowding, poverty, and societal problems make it hard for want to be parents to raise a child. AI technology companies propose virtual children as the solution and as part of the rollout pick 5 couples and 1 single parent to compete for the ultimate prize - a chance to keep their AI child or they can walk away with the cash.
It took me a bit to get the characters all straight in this one and while I loved that it referenced past plots of the previous books I've read of Marrs', I still had trouble remembering those previous characters. But as I got deeper into the plot line I was able to start keeping them sorted. Overall was a great read!

Well John Marrs you have done it again. You have hit this outta the world. It’s into the metaverse.
John Marrs doesn’t disappoint! If you enjoyed the Marriage Act you will definitely enjoy this one. A story about families who are in a reality show which follows 4 couples and one single person who want to complete to see which will win the chance of either money to start their own family or to keep an AI child they have raised. It takes you thru each of their lives and thru their dark secrets
You don’t have to enjoy sci-fi to enjoy this book. If you enjoy reading the psychological thriller and the possibility of what could happen in the future this book is definitely for you.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC and of course John Marrs for writing

John Marrs does it again! After spending some of my favorite reading hours absolutely engrossed in his near-future world, I was delighted to hear about the newest addition - The Family Experiment, coming to the US in July 2024! The Family Experiment can absolutely be read and enjoyed as a standalone, but John Marrs fans will appreciate the frequent references to other works set in this world - The One, The Passengers, and The Marriage Act. Get them all along with newcomer The Family Experiment for the best reading binge of your life!

Trust me when I say that John Marrs' near-future "sci-fi" world is the scariest setting you can imagine - because you CAN imagine it. Set after the COVID pandemics, after William becomes King of England, and during a time of economic hardships for many, you'll wonder exactly how "fiction" this "scientific future" really is. In any case, we are dropped into social media and reality television's new mega hit - The Family Experiment, where real people raise an AI child in the Metaverse while the world votes on how well they're doing. The winner can choose to keep their Meta-child or cash in for $250,000 to go towards having a baby in the real world. Having children is something that has become financially impossible for many families, so this opportunity is too good to pass up. However, all the contestants have major real world motivations, secrets, and conflicts...who can live in one world and parent in another? Will their real lives stay separate from their virtual ones? And how far will they go for their families?

In addition to being a fun work of fiction set in a super believable world, John Marrs also confronts some major ethical questions that will surely be facing us more and more as our world becomes more infiltrated with artificial. If something is coded, is any of it real? Can we love something that is virtual, and can it feel or give love? Can a crime be committed towards artificial intelligence? There are so many concepts that will have you thinking "huh..." as we may be near to grappling with these same questions ourselves.

All the characters are flawlessly written, and you'll fall in love with some while empathizing with the desperation and regret in others. Towards the end, just as you think you know everyone involved, the twists will come at you so fast that you'll feel whiplash! I finished the book feeling disturbed and off-kilter, though I couldn't exactly put my finger on why. John Marrs, you are a genius! I anxiously hope that there are more pieces of this fictional world yet to come - I'll be watching!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This will be one of my favorite reads of 2024!

The Family Experiment is set in the same universe as "The One", "The Marriage Act" and "The Passengers", and if you loved those 3 you will love this one! Marrs does it again with a phenomenal book that really makes you think and wonder if the future will really be like that. It is utterly terrifying!

I love the multiple point of view short chapters. I think every chapter ended on a cliff hanger. A true page turner and a wonderful thrillet.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Publishers for providing me with an ARC

John Marrs is a master at creating a future world filled with advances, threats and human connections. Set in the same world as "The One", "The Passengers" and "The Marriage Act" this book is tackling the idea of creating a child who is AI. A television company has created a new game show called The Family Experiment and several couples and one single man have been selected to receive an AI child created in what they call the megaverse and accessed through a virtual reality suit. They will each nurture the child for nine months where the child will grow from a newborn to eighteen years old and the public will watch and vote on how well they parent. The winners will receive the chance to win enough money to have a real life baby and most of the contestants badly need the money.

It took some time before I could keep all the couples straight and I did wonder how they could develop the proper feelings when their AI children aged at such a rapid rate but the advanced technology made it possible to interact with smell, touch, and every other thing a real life parent experiences. Each of the contestants had secrets which were slowly revealed and I found most of them difficult to like. Along with the stories of the contestants we receive some social media updates about he project and there is a side story involving human trafficking that is horrifying and also really possible. The author had a very clever way of tying everything together. I found this book fascinating and flew through it in 24 hours. This would make a terrific movie. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

4.75, could be moved up to 5 stars if I continue to think about it

Where to start? I was fully hooked from the synopsis alone and the book did not disappoint. The premise is that 5 couples and 1 individual are in a reality show where they raise an AI child as if it was a real child. The child ages quickly and goes from birth to 18 in 9 months, with each month being a jump in age. People watch them in real-time and the book integrates social media reactions with the perspectives of the people raising the children. It was super interesting as each couple/individual had a complex backstory and some secrets/problems in their past that was unraveled as the book went on.

At the start, I had a really hard time keeping track of what details went with which couple, and if I was more motivated I would have kept notes, but eventually I figured it out and it was very engaging. Of course, some people were more interesting than others--Hudson, Gabriel/Cadman, and Zoe/Dimitri being my favorites to follow.

I loved the discussion of AI and the way the world's AI was delved into. It was very complex and while I think it played into some conspiracy theories/fears that people had, it was a fascinating issue to learn more about. As such, this book felt like a sci-fi book first, and a thriller second.

My one complaint was that the book was writing in third person omniscient (I think?) and switched from one person of the couple to the other's POV from one paragraph to another. It was mostly okay, but at times I was very confused about who was talking and had to backtrack.

Also the ending! I saw some of the twists coming but surprised me. The Left Door thing! Very satisfying and chaotic ending

Also, I wish I had read The Passengers and The One prior to reading this book, but I don't feel like I missed out on too much. I will 100% be reading those 2 very soon as I am super invested in this world now.

Characters bc it's so hard to keep track:
Rufus Green & Kitty Carter (Olivia)
Selena & Jaden Wilson (Malachi)
Woody and Tina Finn (Belle)
Cadman N’Yu & Gabriel Macmillan (River)
Dimitri and Zoe Taylor-Georgiou (Lenny)
Single Dad-Hudson Wright (Alice)

Thank you to NetGalley + Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC!

Wow what a crazy rollercoaster. I meant to read a little bit after dinner to unwind and instead stayed up bc I could NOT put it down.

It feels very black mirror-esque, and I think it would be neat to see this book on screen too. There are so many topics interwoven in this book, and it was so cool to see how everything connected together. I think it’s also interesting how John shows the aftermath of all of the contestants. I feel like a lot of times it’s left open to interpretation, but it was very spelled out here, and I think this will get mixed responses from the masses. Personally, I was okay with it bc I liked knowing and seeing people get their “deserved” ending. Some others might argue this is too on the nose and the world isn’t always fair but whatevs!

It was my first John Marrs but I’ll definitely be picking up more now.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐨-𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐝.

I remember the moment not long ago that I realized the fantastical, futuristic events of the sci-fi novel FAHRENHEIT 451 that I read so many years in high school had come to fruition. I believe in the not too distant future, people will have that same feeling with this book.

Set in the same universe as his other speculative fiction titles such as THE ONE and THE PASSENGERS, participants in a reality show called The Family Experiment compete to raise a virtual baby while trying to win over the viewers who are watching and casting their vote for their favorite. The winner will win enough money to raise and support a real child. Each participant has been carefully chosen based on criteria that the reader is initially unaware of.

The participants are all flawed, and some elicit more sympathy than others, but what I loved most was guessing about what motivated each one to compete. Slowly, secrets begin to emerge, and the tension mounts to near unbearable levels before we get an ending that is incredibly explosive, shocking, and uncomfortable.

If you weren't wary of all things Meta and AI before, you will be after reading this book. You are also left to ponder many moral and ethical dilemmas that events in the book bring to the surface. An incredible read courtesy of HTP Books that will publish July 9, 2024.