Wow, what a book! This is like nothing I’ve read before and is so clever and unique. It is set in the future where AI plays a huge role. It’s very well written, memorable and addictive.
It’s one of my favourite reads this year and is definitely worthy of 5 stars.

John Marrs is a genius. His latest book The Family Experiment is insanely addictive.
Imagine being desperate for a child and are given the opportunity to take part in an experiment where you can create your own virtual child.
Well in this book, this is exactly what they do!
An interactive reality show where couples create their own virtual child, programmed by AI. The prize is to keep your virtual child or win prize money to have one in the real world.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was very cleverly written, and you know that any book by John Marrs will be an absolute belter!
I was so hooked to this story and found myself racing through it. Pure brilliance.

Thank you to NetGalley, John Marrs and the publisher for an early copy of this fantastic book.

Wow. This is a rollercoaster of a read. Set in the same world as previous novels The Passengers, The One and The Marriage Act, author John Marrs has taken his readers to another level with this book introducing a game where “parents” compete in the virtual world to most successfully bring up an AI child.

The book follows the trials of each of the families as they struggle to compete in the game and win by becoming the most popular parents and ultimately be the ones who can choose to keep their “child” or win a cash prize. As we find out about the competitors, we see dark pasts emerge and they slowly become eliminated from the game, along with their AI progeny.

Absolutely fascinating to read and the level of detail that the author has given the reader is so absorbing I was hooked and could not wait to see how the AI children would progress and how the families would cope with the loss of their “child”, if eliminated. The stories and backgrounds of each in the real world made all of the competitors seem very real and the accompanying online chat room was full of individuals who felt they could praise or vilify based on their watching experiences.

As someone who has read and enjoyed all of this author’s previous books and apart from reading these and having no knowledge of AI this makes the possibility of it and the outcomes that it may bring scarily real. So well written and addictive I couldn’t put it down. The interwoven stories of the competitors and the final reveal is very powerful.

Highly recommend reading this for all who enjoy a thriller. Would suggest reading the other books set in this world prior to get a feel of the meta verse and the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

John Marrs is back with his latest book in the AI universe, and what a book it is!!
My mind exploded reading this one! The way that the story is told from each of the parents point of view really gives them their own voice and individuality. It is a very clever book, full with tension that sometimes has your heart in your mouth. I felt my jaw dropping at some of the twists and turns. I felt I became very invested in one character in particular all the way to the end. Speaking of the end, well wasn’t that a fab way to finish it off! All rounded off very well!! The surprises just kept on coming.
What I found horrifying about this book was that nothing in this book was beyond the realms of possibility, which makes it more scary. It is a very thought provoking, and shows us that we should not step out into that big wide world blind.
What I love the most about Marrs’ books is that with every one he always brings something different to the table. I loved all the little Easter eggs that were thrown in from his other books. Clever, very clever John Marrs has a very intelligent mind, and I can not wait to read more of his work!!
Thankyou to the wonderful people over at Netgalley and Alan Macmillan for sending me this book to read and review! It was fab!

I am already a huge fan of this authors work, particularly their speculative fiction books, so I was really looking froward to this one.

The Family Experiment comes after The One (DNA matching technology) The Passengers (self-driving cars) and The Marriage Act (smart marriages) and, while they are not a series as such, there is reference to these other stories so I would personally recommend reading these first, plus they are all brilliant!

This story was the one that pushed It the furthest for me, with the focus being on AI children and giving couples the opportunity to have a child in a 'metaverse' as part of a reality gameshow, with a very attracive prize for the ultimate winner. Following several of the contestants who are all participating for the own reasons, we find out hmthat they all have secrets that they don't want to be revealed to the world. But someone does know there secrets and we get to see how far will they go to make them known?

This was another excellent thriller in this 'series' and it is up there with the best of them. I did feel a bit uncomfortable with some of the situations and outcomes with regards to the 'children' but I am pretty sure that is the point. As the author states in the acknowledgements, this is something that could happen in the not too distant future and this gave a great insight, plus a brilliant story!

A group of couples sign up for a reality TV show in which they raise a virtual baby in the metaverse watched by millions. What could possibly go wrong? Well, everything, obviously.

Each couple has a reason for wanting to raise a virtual baby, and a secret to hide which means they really shouldn't be doing it on a livestream. At first I found it difficult to keep track of who was who, but once I was about a third of the way in I was hooked, the pace swept me up completely and I found it difficult to put the book down. The final twists and turns were shocking and brilliant, especially what happens behind the door on the left (IYKYK) and really got me thinking about how AI works, and whether the world really does need virtual babies.

I highly recommend this gripping, thought-provoking book. Although if you are sensitive about children (albeit virtual ones) being in harm's way in a story, read with care.

The Family Experiment by John Marrs is the latest instalment in a speculative series of books that take place in the same near future world. I personally don’t think it is necessary to have read the previous books to enjoy this one but there are call backs and easter eggs for the avid reader to find. I enjoy the linear progression of these books, dating, marriage and now child rearing. This story follows childless couples as they compete in a reality show to raise AI children. As always Marrs is the king of Multi POV and mixed media. Short chapters that end on cliffhangers make this a propulsive and exhilarating read. The speculative elements of this book are so believable as to be horrifying, this is one of the hallmarks of these books, it is all too easy to see the events playing out in real life. There are multiple twists and turns throughout this book, everybody has secrets and their own reasons for taking part in the show. These are parcelled out neatly throughout the story and ultimately lead to that big reveal at the end.
With thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this highly anticipated book in exchange for an honest review.

I read The Marriage Act last year and loved it, so I was excited to read John Marr’s latest – The Family Experiment.

Ten couples are given the chance to raise a Virtual Child in the metaverse, they are competing to win the prize of best parent and get a chance to keep the child… or keep any of the prize fund that they’ve saved from raising them.

The Family Experiment is set in the same universe as The Marriage Act, The One and The Passengers, so there are some nice Easter eggs for readers familiar with these books, but it works well as a standalone for those that haven’t. The book is interspersed with news articles and internet forum chats which keep the pace high. The babies also jump in development stages per week as well which is interesting and really shows the affect that parenting can have on a child.

With 10 couples and their children to keep track of initially, it is quite a few characters to get your head around, but this does decrease down further into the book. Each couple has their own secrets to keep and are well distinguished from each other. The plot builds well, and I was hooked throughout – powering through the pages to find out what would happen next.

Overall, The Family Experiment is another great read from John Marrs – perfect for fans of his other stories but a great read for those who haven’t read them as well. Thank you to NetGalley & Pan Macmillan for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan for this eCopy to review

Wow another great novel from John Marrs, I was hooked on The Family Experiment from the first page. A company creating virtual children is running a competition to launch their new product. 10 families will competing to either keep their virtual child or use their prize money to have a real life baby.

As the story progresses secrets in the families lives are revealed, who is behind this and to what end?

Told through multiple POVs with flash backs and characters from other novels by Marrs I was fully "immersed" in his world which is all to frighteningly believable. A must read!

I've not read all of John Marrs' speculative fiction books. I've jumped in towards the end. I would say to get the full blown experience it would be best to read them in order. There are references in this book to the previous books. And, also characters from previous books pop up.

But, that didn't deter me from enjoying The Family Experiment. What I do like about the whole speculative fiction genre is that, yes it is fiction and its not real. But oh boy it could easily be real if technology changes the way it does.

Here we follow a group of people in a reality show. They are all bringing up an AI metachild in the metaverse.

It's full of secrets, lies and shocks. Entertaining and a well thought out plotline.

The Family Experiment by John Marrs
I give this 4.5 stars

The world's population is soaring, and in the UK, breaking point has arrived. But for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an alternative. For a monthly subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch.To launch this new initiative a reality tv show is launching. It will follow couples as they raise a Virtual Child from birth to 18 but in a condensed 9 month time period. The prize: the right to keep their virtual child or risk it all for the chance of a real baby . .

The author’s talent at writing speculative fiction is excellent and horrifying in equal measure.I was gripped from the first chapter to the last and devoured this in 24 hours. Told through multiple POV’s and short chapters we have AI, reality tv,government and deceit.Did this book play out like I thought it would…..hell no! If you enjoy Black Mirror you will love all his books set in this metaverse. A thought provoking plot that would be perfect for a bookclub or buddy read. Who makes it to the end….. you will need to grab your copy to find that out!
.With thanks to John Marrs,Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for my chance to read and review this book.

The Family Experiment John Marrs

Fantastically Bonkers! Set in the same world as The One, The Passengers and The Marriage Act, if you've loved the previous books the buckle up!
Reality TV show where couples are raising a virtual baby, in the hope of winning a life changing sum of money. The winner can choose to keep their virtual child at the end.
Great character development, and by the end I couldn't decide who the winner should be. I'm a sucker for reality TV, so this book hit the mark at every level.
Would love to see this made into a movie, or better still a TV series.
I've read all of John's books so far, and just can't get enough.

Wow. This is a brilliant and totally gripping read, but also terrifying as we may not be far off some of the events described in this futuristic, speculative thriller.

In a world where many Brits can’t afford to raise a family in the real world, they can enter a reality show, “The Family Experiment”, where they will raise an AI child from newborn to 18 years, sped up so that the child reaches 18 in just nine months. The winner can keep the child or take money to start a family in the real world, but each contestant/couple has secrets and someone else knows what they are.

Absolutely brilliant writing, fascinating characters, a stunning plot, and the ending was mind blowing! Some seriously epic twists in there that didn’t let up until the very last page.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, John Marrs and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I love John Marrs’ work and although this is a fantastic book, I don’t think it’s one of his best. It is missing *something* that I can’t put my finger on. I think maybe I put too much expectation on The Family Experiment. I wanted massive twists, but didn’t really get them. I loved the concept and the characters are mix of extremely likeable to absolutely vile people. An enjoyable read.

This book was so different to anything I've read! I really enjoyed the writing and the storyline! It was such an interesting read

Another five star book from this incredibly talented author who never fails to intrigue us with his stories set slightly in the future while remaining credible and somewhat scary. Following on from The One, Passengers, The Marriage Act this new one, The Family Experiment takes us into a world beyond reality tv where AI is prevalent and almost mundane. We follow five couples and a singleton through the televised experience of each parenting an AI child from birth through to adulthood with the most popular being chosen by the viewing public at the end - the prize being to either continue the relationship with the AI entity or terminate them and take a big cash pot.
The book is, as always, well paced with each character having a distinctive voice. John Marrs is my go to writer and I’m always excited to read what his slightly warped mind has conjured up. I’m greedy so I’m already waiting for my next fix - hurry up John!

Due to overcrowding and the rise in cost of living more and more people are unable to have their own children. To launch a new company which offers people the chance to raise AI children in a metaverse, a reality tv show follows the journey of 11 people as they raise a virtual child.

Told from the POV of the contestants along with snippets from online chat rooms and news reports it took a while to remember who was who (I should probably start keeping notes!) but once I did I was totally hooked! Although quite a long book I sped through this disturbing and scarily probable read. It brought up lots of questions about the use of AI and to what extent we should be letting it into our lives.

I absolutely love the dystopian world that Marr’s has created and am hoping I picked up a few hints of what might be coming next … 🤔

The book was very well written - John Marrs' writing style is second to none! However, I was expecting a bigger twist that just didn't happen on this occasion. The characters were developed well; at times it was a little confusing as to what was in the real world and what was in the Metaverse though. I did still enjoy this book and would recommend if you enjoy futuristic thrillers!

This was a great read as others have mentioned a real black mirror esque read that will captivate you

4.5*

A companion novel that stands as part of John Marrs' 'Oneverse'. It can be read as a standalone but I recommend reading others in the universe as they make for great reading and add an extra dimension to the story the various Easter Eggs dropped in throughout.

Our setting is a speculative dystopian landscape in near future Britain where people can no longer afford to start or raise families. There is an alternative however, virtual children! For a monthly subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch who they can access via the metaverse and a VR headset.

To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children (VC) has decided to create a reality TV show - one of my favourite tropes in the thriller genre. It will follow ten couples as they raise a VC from birth to the age of eighteen but in a condensed nine-month time period. The prize: the right to keep their child or risk it all for the chance of a real baby.

I was introduced to John Marrs through The Marriage Act and loved the twisting, science fictionesque dystopian story and setting and this book is no different. We get multi-POVs as we are introduced to, and follow, our 10 contestants and watch as one by one they are eliminated, culminating in a thrilling and extremely satisfying ending.

We, the reader, are the viewers of the show - willing couples and children to thrive and succeed, gaining favourites and changing our rankings of who we want to win as the story unfolds. There are sudden changes throughout the story that make you realise that no couple or child is safe and much like when watching reality TV you switch allegiances as the numbers dwindle.

Like all reality TV and multi-pov novels there are weaker story elements. I didn't particularly like the Woody and Tina storyline and the Cadman character was every influencer that I dislike. I will read The Passengers in future however to get a better connection to his character to see if I come round to him more.

Despite these quibbles I really enjoyed this immersive, funny, and disturbing thriller. There's great social commentary and I love how plausible it all is when reflected against the current world. It's fast paced and an absolute page turner and has made me want to continue reading more in this book universe.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan | Macmillan for a digital review copy of "The Family Experiment" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.