Eleven contestants, Nine months to win the perfect child.

Families are given the chance to raise a virtual child with the ultimate prize of keeping it. Except it’s far from easy, their journey’s are streamed across the internet where viewers can vote for their winner and add difficult challenges. Faced with this plus their own battles in the “real world” each family face their struggles along the way and exactly what would the ultimate prize mean to them.

Well, he’s done it again, John Marrs is behind one of my ultimate all time favourite books which is The One and this book gave me the chance to revisit that setting. Raced through it and enjoyed every minute, it’s almost like reading lots of different stories where you are invested in them all straight away. Fab book and thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan macmillan for this ARC.

Well I know I’m definitely going to have a book hangover after this one. This is my first John Marrs book and certainly will not be my last. Finally an author who lives up to all the hype. The Family Experiment takes place in Marrs’ speculative fiction universe. It can however be read as a stand alone.

We join 5 couples and one individual as they battle it out in a reality tv competition like no other. Their aim is to raise a virtual child in the metaverse from birth to 18 years whilst the nation watches and votes. The winner of the competition can choose between 250,000 to use towards having a real world child or they can choose to keep the virtual child they have raised.

Marrs tells the story from the perspective of each contestant. As we get deeper into the story we begin to question their motives for taking part and do some of them have less than honourable intentions.

The story really had me questioning whether society as a whole really takes into consideration how reality television can be damaging for those taking part. Reality television especially at the moment has become so addictive and some individuals forget that there are real people involved. What is the true cost of entertainment and could that cost be too high.

For those that love John Marrs other books and for fans of Black Mirror this is the book for you.

My favourite from this author so far. What a thought provoking vision of what the AI world could be. Well developed characters, interesting back stories, and continually keeps you guessing what comes next. Loved it!

John Marrs returns with easily his best book till now. It’s gripping, it’s creepy, its full of interesting characters. All characters harbour secrets but not the kind of secret you would think.

The Family Experiment is the latest in reality tv and it is set in the same universe as The One and The Marriage Act and although its not necessary to have read these titles, it helps a little with understanding how Marrs thinks and how the story will unfold.

Four couples and one single parent are the lucky people who have a chance at winning a large amount of money. Money they will need to set up a family by themselves – and how to win this money? By ‘raising’ , within 9 months, a virtual child from birth to their 18th birthday. The contestants are carefully chosen – but soon it appears that they are no ordinary people.
The story begins with a quite surprising, not to say shocking scene which immediately pulled me into the story and it was very hard to leave the book every now and then to do something else – like sleeping. However, this story was so far out of my comfort zone, I needed a breather now and then. I have no children, nor did I ever want any. I’m in a very happy marriage and above all else: I hate reality shows because they are as fake as they come. Sometimes I see a short trailer of a show and it never ceases to surprise me how many horrible dumb people there are who think other people would love to follow them in their meaningless lives. And there are apparently even more people with meaningless lives who spend time to watch these ‘shows’. I’m also creeped out by the so-called ‘newborn’ dolls who all look like dead babies to me – and one of these plays a big role in the story.

Anyway, you cannot say the couples who are in this show are dumb. They are overall quite clever but sadly made some (very) dumb decisions earlier in their life. Some things they were able to hide before the show, some things not – such as one contestant who admitted to have been on drugs, and needed their partner to overcome the habit. But there is more, much more going on in this book and when inevitably hidden things come to light, it’s no longer just watching happy people raising a happy child. On the contrary.

What binds alle these people is the deep longing for a child. A child of their own, to bring up and to love. Well, some of the contestants get more than they hoped for, while others face disappointment. But giving up is not easy, because in the end, somehow, they all prefer to take away the prize money and (again) start over again.

The plot is very surprising and so is the ending. I began to suspect something earlier in the book and I was partly right but I would never, ever have guessed the truth.
A masterpiece in characterization, plot, atmosphere and suspense. Not to mention the fact that the latest innovations in AI seem to go a little bit further than most people are comfortable with.

Thanks to PanMacMillan and Netgalley for this review copy.

This book is going to be big! It deserves to be big! Marrs is definitely at the top of his game in this book - it’s one that you won’t be able to put down. Every time you think things are slowing down, it speeds up again and more twists and turns are revealed. I can see this being adapted for TV as well and really hope that it is!

The Family Experiment is set in the future where a service to get an AI-Child in Virtual Reality is about to launch. To advertise the service a reality-tv show with several families raising an AI-Child called „The Family Experiment“ is created. Each of the families have a dark secret.

This book is set in the same world as three other of Marrs‘s books (The Marriage Act, The One, Passengers), I‘d only read Passengers before reading this book and I can say that you don‘t need to read any of these three books before starting „The Family Experiment“. Yes there are references to these books but they don‘t spoil these books and feel more the a part of the worldbuilding.

I took me some time to remember all the characters because there are simply a lot. Every single parent gets to tell their perspective so there are >10 perspectives in these books and tbh for the first 100 pages I didn‘t really remember every one, but the more I read the more familiar I became with everyone and I wouldn‘t say that this overflow of POVs has hindered my enjoyment.

There are also some questions posed on the humanity of the AI-Children but the book doesn‘t go to much into that, it‘s more about the families and their secrets.

The world's population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, breaking point has arrived. A growing number of people can no longer afford to start families, let alone raise them. But for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an alternative. For a monthly subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch who they can access via the Metaverse and a VK headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children has created a reality TV show. It will follow ten couples as they raise a virtual child from birth to age of eighteen, but in a condensed nine-month time period. The price: the right to keep their virtual child, or risk it all for the chance of a real baby.

This is a cleverly crafted story. Contestants take part in a reality TV show. They have to bring up an AI child to win themselves the chance to keep the AI child or get the cash to bring up their biological child. The characters are complex, and each contestant is hiding a dark secret. This is a thought-provoking read that will have you questioning everything. We follow each couple's highs and lows as they are set their monthly challenges. The twists were sinister, the book is disturbingly entertaining.

Published 9th May

I would like to thank #NetGalley #PanMacmillan and the author #JohnMarrs for my ARC of #TheFamilyExperiment in exchange for an honest review.

I have read all of John Marrs books so was expecting good things! I am pleased to say he did not disappoint. This book is along the same vein as The Marriage Act but was basically reality to for people to have a baby and see it through to adulthood in order to claim a prize. Their baby however is an avatar, but, a highly sophisticated one. The child will grow “fast” and have developmental stages going from newborn to 18 within 9 months. All the contestants, it becomes apparent, have things to hide.

Although this book is set in the future, it does beg the question of how far away this future is. Some things still seem so far fetched but I’m sure if they were researched, they are not that far away.

The book absolutely held my attention all the way through and bar the first two chapters, the rest was read in one sitting. I won’t rehash the “blurb” or say what happens as I think it will lose some of the amazing tension Mr Marrs manages to put into his books

John Marrs delivers with another near future thriller. In the Family Experiment, nine people compete to raise a child in the metaverse in this reality tv show. The winner will then choose between their virtual child or to switch their child off and receive £250,000 to start their own biological family. As ever, people aren’t as straightforward as they seem and secrets start coming to life.
Marrs writes a book which will keep you guessing and is scarily possible. He questions the ethics of AI and how what happens in the metaverse impacts the real world. Highly recommend.

With reality tv becoming more prevalent this tells a scary and potentially realistic story of people who are desperate for many things but this focuses on AI children. It’s utterly compelling from the first ‘incident’ to the end. Each child has a story with their parent/s. It’s really addictive as you follow the stories to the climax. Absolutely brilliant.

"The Family Experiment" is an enthralling science fiction book set in the near future, that will take you on a thrilling journey through a reality TV game show. The game show chooses ten contestants, comprising of five couples, who are given the task of raising a virtual child, commonly known as a meta child, for a period of nine months. During this time, the meta child is programmed to grow from birth to the age of eighteen, and the couple who raises it the best wins the game show and gets to keep their virtual child and win a substantial amount of money to help them raise a real child.

The book is well-crafted, with a fast-paced and engaging storyline that will hook you from the very first page. The plot is cleverly written, scarily realistic, and so plausible that it leaves you questioning the possibility of such a game show existing. The twists in the book are well-placed and will keep you guessing and wanting more with every turn of the page.

Although the book mentions previous books, it can be read as a standalone without any confusion. The multiple points of view in the book are easy to distinguish and follow, making it a smooth read.

The characters, although somewhat unlikeable, are well-written, with each hiding a secret that makes them intriguing to follow. The author does an excellent job of keeping the characters' secrets hidden until the right time, making the story all the more thrilling.

As a fan of John Marrs' books, I can confidently say that "The Family Experiment" is my favourite book so far. If you're a fan of fast-paced, science fiction mystery thrillers, or have enjoyed John Marrs' previous books, then this is one book that you should add to your reading list.

Finally, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Pan Macmillan, for providing me with a digital review copy (eARC). These are my honest and unbiased thoughts, which I am sharing voluntarily.

Having read, some but not all of this author's previous books, I was eager to read this one. He does do speculative and dystopian fiction well, making you stop and think. This one is no exception.

What if you wanted to become a parent but cannot afford to? How about a virtual child who lives in the metaverse, it will grow and learn, and it can be designed to have certain characteristics or features. Think about those games we had a few years ago where you had to keep a virtual pet alive, similar to this scenario, but this virtual child becomes more like real life than real life does.

The author has taken the concept of living in a virtual world to the next stage, not just popping in a headset and spending a few hours touring but feeling, and experiencing being a parent. The author uses a competition that selects various people who want to be parents to participate in a game show. They are allowed to experience parenthood over nine months. At the end of this, the child will be 18 years old. The winner will have a few options to choose as their prize.

This speculation as to how people could and maybe would behave is insightful and gives some unexpected challenges and ideas as to how the virtual child is seen. Are they real? Well, they learn, or the program allows them to learn and take on their mannerisms, emotions and reactions so it gives the idea that they are real. In the virtual universe, they feel real as well. It is only when the parent steps away back into the real world that the realisation that the real world does not have the same appeal as the virtual.

Before you think that this could not happen, how many of you disappear for a couple of hours into your phone and do not realise how much time has elapsed? What about the gamers who will go several hours without taking a break from their game? Not as far-fetched as you first thought, is it? Even simpler is how many of us have been absorbed by reading a book, same thing when you think about it!!!

The author takes this concept of virtual children to a very good place, one that shows the good and the bad and the possible. There is more to this, if you have read any books by the author then you will know there is another plot in play and this one was amazing! Nope, not saying anything about it.

What I will say though is that the author creates a scenario that plays to the vulnerabilities of people, especially those who want a child in a world where it is too expensive, where the NHS does not fund and gives the real world a bleak outlook for his characters. He does this well and it is not so much about the areas that the characters live in, but more about how they feel about themselves.

This is a brilliant book and the story spans several genres, speculative fiction, fiction, contemporary, thriller and there is a psychological feel throughout as the story focuses on people and their actions and reactions. Brilliant story and one I would definitely recommend.

Never in doubt that I’d love this book. It’s a John Marrs book so a given it would be amazing. Had me hooked from the very first page and I honestly couldn’t put it down. Another one knocked out of the park!!!
I can’t wait for the next book

I was eagerly looking forward to reading the latest speculative fiction from John Marrs after the amazing "The Passengers" and "The One." I wasn't disappointed! Winking cleverly at these two novels often to remind us that what we're reading belongs to the same speculative future, "The Family Experiment" delivers a scary glimpse into a dark but believable future of humanity, where technology takes over the real world in a brutal way, blurring the lines between humans and AI. The cliffhangers and twists in the plot kept me wanting to read more and kept me trying to guess. Very clever! The characters feel realistically flawed and well constructed. Moreover, I appreciated how Marrs fearlessly tackled the topic of parenthood, presenting raw honest views and different approaches without filters. It added depth to the story and provided a thought-provoking layer.
A very dark premise which plants many debates into the readers' heads. I really, really loved it!

I have enjoyed all books written by John Marrs so far, and this must be my favourite of all!

Set in the same universe as The one, The passengers, and The marriage act (but can be read as standalone), this book explores the possible consequences of being able to raise an AI child in the metaverse, and the moral dilemmas implicated in developing the necessary technology to produce flawless virtual avatars.

The story centres on a reality show where 6 families compete to be the favourite while raising an AI child. The winners will be able to choose either a monetary prize to start a real-world family or to keep the AI child they raised. All other children will be terminated. I loved how the book developed, from quite happy to very dark. The contending families were all superficially very nice, and it was thrilling when things started to surface, making them show their true colours. With short chapters that let you hanging wanting to know more - in true Marrs' style - this book was impossible to put down. The twists were breath-taking and unpredictable, and kept coming even when you finally thought you had everything figured out.

Marrs truly is one of the best speculative fiction writers out there at the moment, and if you haven't read his books I urge you to do so asap!

Thank you so much MacMillan and NetGalley for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

In "The Family Experiment," John Marrs crafts a chilling and inventive thriller that delves into the unsettling possibilities of a near-future dystopian society. Set in the same universe as his previous works, including "The One" and "Passengers", Marrs takes readers on a journey where the world's population is soaring, leading to overcrowded cities and economic crises. And in particular, it has hit the UK hard!

One of the most striking aspects of the book is its exploration of the societal and technological advancements that have led to this grim reality. Marrs could have delved deeper into the background of how society arrived at this point, providing more cultural and science fiction insights. However, the narrative remains captivating as it unfolds within this intriguing setting.

The premise revolves around a unique solution for those desperate to experience parenthood: virtual children. Through a company offering Virtual Children subscriptions, clients can create and interact with virtual offspring via the metaverse and VR headsets. Marrs introduces this concept through a reality TV show where contestants raise virtual children from birth to eighteen years old within a condensed nine-month timeframe.

The plot is intricately woven with brilliant twists and revelations, particularly as it approaches its conclusion. Marrs masterfully ties up loose ends, delivering a neatly resolved storyline by the end. However, some character interactions feel forced and unnatural at times, detracting slightly from the overall immersion in the narrative.

Overall, "The Family Experiment" is a gripping thriller that offers a thought-provoking exploration of a dystopian future. Marrs's adept storytelling and skillful plotting make for an addictive read, earning it a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Fans of Marrs's previous works and enthusiasts of dystopian fiction alike will find much to enjoy in this unsettling yet captivating tale.

Publishing on 9th May... John Marrs is BACK with another addictive near-future dystopia! 🇬🇧

👶 'The Family Experiment' by John Marrs is set in a UK a few decades from now where the cost of living crisis means a lot of people can't afford kids. A new, immersive reality TV show gives 6 wannabe-parents the chance to raise an AI child in a VR universe that will televise the child's growth from baby to 18 year old in 9 months. Whoever wins will get to choose between either a huge cash prize to fund a real-life child, or keeping their AI child.

❤️ I LOVED this! One of my favourite sub-genres of books are 'books that could be an episode of Black Mirror.' This absolutely fit the bill - the worldbuilding and logic was so good that you can definitely imagine a reality TV programme like this existing! Loved the subtle tie-ins to his other novels too.

⏳ The story is told with alternating chapters from each set of competing parents, interspersed with snippets of online forums, news segments, or adverts. The book counts down to the 9 month deadline to when the winning parents will be crowned, which gave it a tense, page-turning quality.

🇬🇧 It drew from so many strands of current affairs and brought them all together into an incredibly intelligent, sharp novel. Some real news stories were given a dark twist, such as the idea of Europe having become so much more prosperous than the UK that Brits were 'expatriating' their children via small boats across the channel in the hopes of giving them a better life. This part felt eerily prescient and especially heartbreaking.

🖥️ The 'mob mentality' effect of social media was really well written. Because the competitors know that the public can watch every interaction they have with their virtual child, some of them begin to get obsessed with public opinion on their parenting techniques.

🌟 Overall, a fantastic sci-fi / dystopia, highly recommended for fans of 'Black Mirror' or clever, topical fiction.

🎁 Thanks Netgalley for my ARC!

- Katie

(REVIEW POSTED TO INSTAGRAM: @KATIESPENCEBOOKS, REVIEW TO BE POSTED TO TWITTER: @KATIESPENCEY THIS WEEK)

4.5 rounded up

The family experiment follows a cast of 11 adults (5 couples and one single dad) and their virtual children, set in the same world as "The One", "The Marriage Act", and "The Passengers" but can be read as a standalone.

Set in the UK suffering a cost of living crisis, failing (and no longer free) nhs, and overcrowding, where people can no longer afford to start or raise families - unless they’re up for an experiment. 11 people join a reality TV show where they will raise virtual children over 9 months in an accelerated period of growth from birth to age 18 - each child spends 1 month in various life stages: newborn, 9 months old, 2 years old, 5 years old, 8 years old, 12 years old, 14 years old, 16 years old, and finally 18 years old. Each month will come with the usual trials of parenting a child of that age, plus an extra challenge for an unlucky family, as voted for by the shows audience. The same audience who can watch a live stream 24/7, pay to be in the same virtual room as the families without them knowing, live react to parenting decisions with emojis, and even win time with the virtual child. They will ultimately vote on the winning family, judging them on the past 9 months. The prize? To keep the virtual child they have grown to love or delete them for the chance of having their own real life baby (and the money to raise them). As the the months go on, secrets are revealed and tensions raise. There is debate about the ethics of raising a virtual child, their right to life, and if it can ever come close to raising Real Life child. The parents wear fully immersive haptic suits to experience every sensation in the virtual world as they would in real life (including the delightful smell of baby poo), decorate their virtual house, and have virtual avatars to represent them. Every single thing they do will be judged in front of the entire world, as they fight to be crowned the winner, bond with the virtual child they may have to painfully delete, and deal with the show seeping into their real life. With deadly consequences.

The book features mixed media, including press releases, scripts, and social media comments from viewers at home. We are quickly introduced to the 6 families in short chapters about each, with a small bio and a glimpse into their life each month. It was a little overwhelming initially keeping the names and relationships straight but soon became easier. We follow the families on their journey through the experimental reality show and learn more about them. Each has a secret they’re hiding from the world, and some from each other.

I thoroughly enjoyed the immersive world that the author has created. Some of the products we hear about will make your eyes bulge, but that's the norm of this society (and some concepts are not too dissimilar from our own). The secrets and 'twists' were pretty predictable in my opinion, particularly the 'main' one. There was some slight frustration as I wanted them to get on with revealing the secret I already knew, and with characters thinking or talking about their secrets in hushed code throughout, but that's often par for the course for thrillers. The book is an easy and enjoyable read, with the story escalating as it unfolds, and a good sense of mystery and division. The ending neatly answers all of your questions and ties it off with a bow. It was quite funny, whilst also tackling dark themes. Fans of tamagotchi or Nintendogs will probably like the experiment.

I very much enjoyed this read, and will bump John Mars's other books further up my 'to read 'list. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

I simply devoured this book! Reality TV competition set in the future (the same world as The One by John Marrs which I also really enjoyed), pitting parents against each other to raise an AI child? Say less!!

This was book utterly addictive, full of morally grey characters and twists and turns. I absolutely ate it up! It is so original and actually, kind of horrifyingly, I can almost imagine something akin to this really happening in real life.

If you love reality tv, The Sims or even just creepy AI futuristic possibilities… you have to pick this one up when it is released next month!

John Marrs continues to be an auto-buy author and I’m very grateful to him and his team at Pan MacMillan as well as netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an eARC of this in exchange for an honest review!

The Family Experiment is such a fast-paced thriller that is also so thought-provoking. It's set in the near future where a reality TV show is giving couples an AI child for them to raise whilst competing agains each other. The winning couple gets the chance to either keep the AI child or to win money to pay for them to have fertility treatment to have a real world baby. We get to know each couple and we find out about all of the secrets and lies they all seem to have. There is also a bigger storyline surrounding this that is very prescient and I really liked how this was wound in and how it really made you think. I enjoyed this one and I recommend it.