I have never been angrier at a pile of unfolded laundry because all I wanted to do was read THE FAMILY EXPERIMENT! Ya’ll John Marrs did it again. His speculative thrillers are some of my favorite - The One, The Passengers, The Marriage Act. And now you can add this to the list. (His psychological thrillers aren’t bad either!)

With a number of POVs, this story follows five couples and a single parent as they compete in a 24-hour live stream reality show that takes place in the Metaverse. The goal - to successfully raise a virtual child from a baby to an eighteen year old in a condensed period of time. The prize - either keep your virtual child or delete it forever in exchange for money to help create a baby in the real world.

While this book can be read as a standalone,
I highly recommend reading Marrs’ other speculative fiction thrillers as this one had fun Easter eggs sprinkled in. The Family Experiment followed the same formula as the previous - several POVs, short chapters, and mini cliffhangers throughout. I had to jot down notes to differentiate all the couples but once I had them down, I was quickly flipping pages to find out the secrets behind each storyline. And super frustrated when real life responsibilities got in the way! Marrs delivers another fun, fast-paced, and unforgettable thriller that once again leaves you wondering - what would I do? Highly recommend. 5/5

If you enjoyed The One by John Marrs, then you definitely need to read this. This book grips you right from the start and will keep you guessing until the last page. Sometimes switching povs can be confusing, but he did it in a way that makes it flow so well. Once I started this book I could not put it down!!

4.5 ⭐️

ꭲꮋꭼ Fꭺꮇꮖꮮy ꭼxꮲꭼꭱꮖꮇꭼnꭲ
ᏼy John Marrs
Release Date 05/09/2024


This book is unputdownable!

Quick Summary -
The book follows 10 couples hoping for a change for a baby - all are doing the experiment for different reasons. Some really are yearning for a family and most have salacious secrets they’re trying to keep hidden.

My thoughts —

It’s really hard to write this review without spoiling the book.
I wanted to tell you you’d read about characters from Marrs previous books - but then you’d have to explain how and who - and I’d spoil it too much
And how you had a hunch about a character from a previous book, and it was confirmed in this one.
Or describe in detail
the ten couples that this book focuses on. But you can’t explain one without the backstory. Or their new story.
I will say that this is 100% going to be a best seller. No, seriously - which network will make this into a movie / series 🎥🎬!! ??
Marrs is on fire, and I can’t wait for the next! 🙌🏼

5 S̤̈T̤̈Ä̤R̤̈S̤̈🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
#unputdownablebook
💗#hanoversquarepress #macmillianpublishing
#netgalleyreader #suspensebooks #thrillerreads #bookshelves #bookblogging #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #igreads #instareads #5starbook #pageturner #johnmarrs#amazonpublishing

Addictive, disturbing and scarily believable!
The Family Experiment, the ultimate reality tv, broadcast worldwide and the most watched program in the world.
Each couple, plus one single dad who enter the experiment get to create a MetaBaby and raise it in the Metaverse. A totally digital world accessed via virtual reality headsets, along with masks, gloves and full-body suits that feel like a second skin allowing them to be fully immersed with touch, smell and sound.
They get to bring up the MetaChild as if it were a real life child, experiencing from a baby up until the child reaches 18 in a condensed 9 month period. All whilst being live-streamed to the world.
The public can also get involved by entering a prize draw to spend time with one of the MetaChildren and commenting on the contestants parenting skills.
At the end of the competition the winning contestants, voted for by the public, can either choose to keep their virtual child or essentially pull the plug on the child and take the prize money to potentially start a real life family.
But that’s not everything, each contestant has been hand picked for a specific reason unbeknown to anyone, even themselves. Because on this show everyone has something to hide!
As always the book is written brilliantly and completely pulls you into that world and everyone will end up routing for a specific family.
I love this world that John Marrs has created and have read all his books and this one is up there with some of his best work. It is definitely a book that you cannot put down once you have been sucked in from the very start. I absolutely loved it but I already knew I would.
If you are new to his other books set in this near future world then you are really missing out. But saying that, you don’t need to have read the previous books to get a fully immersive, compelling read from this one alone.
It has all the ingredients you need for a brilliant thriller. Fully fleshed out characters, some you love and some you love to hate. Suspense as there is no telling what is going to happen next and plot twists that will leave you shocked.
This is hands down an easy five star read and an ultimate contender for book of the year!
The Family Experiment will be published on the 9 May 2024 in the UK and on June 18, 2024 in the USA and is available to preorder now