Obviously this was yet another brilliant read from John Marrs. I say obviously because I've yet to read a book of his that hasn't blown my mind.

Set in the same, near-future as The One, The Passengers and The Marriage Act, it's part dystopia, part thriller. It explores the concept for AI, our increasing immersion in the digital world and just how attached we could be to digital humans.

As is his usual format, the book follows several different sets of characters in almost equal measure - there is no protagonist, so to speak - as well as a unique, mixed media format, such as social media forums, ads and TV transcripts, to progress the story. All characters are flawed in some way - there is no heroic tropes here. And this makes it feel more realistic.

Chapters are kept short and snappy and every one ends on a mini cliff-hanger that leaves you reading 'just one more chapter'.

I have a keen interest in technology and its impact on society, so I love the fact that this book explores another hypothetical scenario - a reality TV show in which several contestants raise their own child over 9 months (from baby to 18) in the metaverse and the winning contestants get to either keep their metachild or win a huge prize pot to start a real life family.

There are so many different social concepts explored in this book. I'd say this is his deepest yet in terms of social/political themes explored and it makes the universe he's created feel a lot richer. I also love the little Easter eggs to his other novels, although you don't have to have read them to read this.

A page-turning, thought-provoking novel that would make a great tv show. Thanks so much for the advanced copy - you continue to be my favourite author and I am excited to see where this book leads you!

SPOILER FREE review!
I received an early copy of The Family Experiment by John Marrs in exchange for an honest review. These days I feel I’m terrible at writing reviews, I can’t find good words or clever things to say so I will keep it short and simple.
I really enjoyed this book! It wasn’t my first John Marrs book and it won’t be my last. I don’t know how authors come up with their stories but these I find so clever, in a scary not so distant future… I like the way the books can be read alone but do link in with others. This one is based around the idea of the possibility of having AI children in the Metaverse. Pros, cons, how it might work… telling the story of several main characters competing in a live streamed television show, for the chance to win “The Perfect child”.
I just find these books so interesting, easy to read, clever and slightly scary because of real possibilities! I’d definitely recommend picking this one up when it’s out, and if you haven’t yet perhaps try reading The Passengers, also by John Marrs, while you wait.

READ THIS BOOK!

OMG 😱 THIS BOOK THOUGH!

I have been living under a rock and am VERY late to the John Marrs party. But also, that means I have SO MUCH back catalogue to enjoy. Yay. This is only my second of his books, I LOVED The One last month.

This is another of John Marrs' thrillers set in the same speculative world as the others. Although you don't have to read these in order, I'm glad I'd read The One, so understood the concept of a DNA match. A friend had actually suggested I read it first as there are cross overs so it helps specific things make sense, although it's spoiler free.

What I love about Marrs' books is that because of how we see technology going IRL, it makes the concepts in these books seem not too far from the realms of possibility. And it's terrifying!

The Family Experiment is set in a universe where the metaverse is a normal part of everyday life and a new reality TV show is coming which will see people having a metababy in the metaverse. The babies will fast track to 18 year olds over the space of 9 months and during that time, the viewing public can see every moment of that child's upbringing. At the end of the 9 months, the public get to vote for their favourite family. The prize? The parents get to choose whether they keep their metababy, or whether they 'kill' the metababy and get £250k to start a real life family. Seems like an obvious choice but over 9 months, the parents are really bonding with their children...in most cases 😱

Of course, none of it as straight forward as you'd expect. There's SO much darkness behind each couple. There are sinister motives behind why these people have applied to be a part of The Family Experiment.

Buckle in for this one. It's a wild ride and you won't want to come up for air!

The easiest 5* I've given this year. Bring on that backlist!

Welcome to The Family Experiment, a Reality Show to promote new solution to reduce population issues. Take place at near future world with overcrowded cities and economic crisis, the cost to start and raising family is become very high. That's why the Metaverse offer this show as trial their new tamagotchi product Virtual Children.

I am unfortunately because dive into this book without trial the previous novel at sama universe The One and The Marriage Act. But The Family Experiment is my third book from the author and I trust him to guide me into this new world. And I completely capable to follow the story without confusion.

The new world and all the details blend perfectly into the story. He makes all details become part of daily life the characters without over describes it into the readers. The massive number of characters POV it self little bit difficult to remember. Basicly we have four couples, one single dad with all five of their babies. We will follow their daily footages also dive into background story each couples. Every participants keep secrets and different motivation why they join this show.

This book feel fresh, sharp and smart. I enjoy each layering facts, twisted secrets and feel like 5 plots of book joining to create one massive dark thriller about familiar AI technologies we know so near at future.

Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan Publisher for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting Publication : 9 May 2024

Love, love, love it! It was amazing.

It does cover some heavy topics in relation to fertility, loss of a child ect so I would read up in trigger warnings.

But if your like me and not bothered by anything then dive right in. I could not put this down, I read it in one sitting.

I always look forward to any John marrs book and this one certainly did not disappoint.

Brilliant. The book sounded a bit different and I wasn't sure I was going to like it but, when I started reading I couldn't put it down. There is so much more to each of the couples competing to win a virtual child or the money to have a real child by IVF. The author thankfully gives a full explanation of each contestant after the competition ends. The book is far more than a social view of the future as it explores social media, virtual reality,slavery, parenthood and much more. I will definitely reed more of John Marrs in the future.

Brilliant. As always
Awesome concept
Good links to this other world for those that have read his books and for those that haven’t this will read as a stand alone and tempt u to read all his others
Good charcaters not likable and the children’s story line u felt such despair for them and attachment and as always cdnt wait to see how it would turn out
Great authour consistently good so four stars

This isn’t usually a genre I would pick up however I love John Marrs.

This book was fantastic. I loved the plot and how it incorporated AI, which is what the world is heading towards. It was like having an insight into what the world will be like in the near future.

I loved that each family had a separate storyline and it wasn’t all happy families.

Fantastic book and would definitely recommend.

Wow what a book! I was sucked in from the first page and couldn't read it quick enough. The plot of raising a Virtual Child in a competition to win the chance to keep the child or take the money and have their own biological child was just brilliant. I loved getting to know the characters along the way and their secrets. I liked that the idea of raising a virtual child seems plausible in this day and age and maybe not that far away either. Lots of twists and turns and things happening all of a sudden that caught me out. It was a joy to read such a good book, I've given other books 4 stars in the past but am stingy with my 5 stars, but this book certainly deserves them!

👨‍👩‍👧 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 👨‍👨‍👧

Yet another fantastic read from @johnmarrs.author. As soon as I finished the first chapter I knew it was going to be a great read.

The Family Experiment is a speculative dystopian novel focussed in a UK where AI has taken over jobs, more people are below the poverty line as a result and can no longer afford to start a family. The Family Experiment offers contestants the opportunity to compete by raising an AI child over the course of nine months, while the rest of the world watches. At the end, the winner can choose to keep their AI child or take the money (to start their own family).

If you have read John Marrs before then you know his writing style is fantastic. The story is told through multiple POV, each chapter provides a twist and you become so enthralled in the story that you cannot put the book down.
These books do send a chill down my spine because although improbable, they tell a tale that is not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

This books also highlights the insecurity of parents and how they compare themselves to others and they worry about how others view them, as well as the incessant need for complete strangers to judge others online. I was also reminded of Big Brother when they started offering line stream viewing 🤦‍♀️

Overall a great (and chilling) read.

Thanks to @netgalley and @panmacmillan for the opportunity to read this ARC. This book will be published 9th May 🤗

The concept for this book had me completely gripped. It felt alien yet credible at the same time, I knew I needed to read it, and I’m so pleased I did.

I loved that there was the overlying story of the reality show, with the thread running beneath of the children who lived in Ararat (an interesting parallel in destination following the children’s seaworthy ordeal and the biblical mountain of Noah’s Ark).

I did find myself getting a little confused regarding Hudson towards the end, I could not see how he just wasn’t recognised, plus the coincidences seemed to be added to make the story work. For example, Hudson observing another contestant’s home and the trip to the recycling.

The author gave each character a proper ending, something that is often brushed over by other writers. I loved this, it felt as though he knows what peeves him and his readers and makes sure no-one is left dissatisfied.

I would certainly recommend this book, and I’m certain it will be made into a film or TV series.

I have loved every book I've read by John Marrs and, once again, he has written the most amazing story that had me totally intrigued throughout. The reality tv/social experiment that forms the basis of the book is scary in that it made me think just how much of these futuristic ideas might be considered and, indeed, employed in the future. A terrifying thought! There were surprises, shocks and twists throughout that kept me enthralled. This author has the most incredible mind to come up with the stories that he does but long may he continue to do so. Brilliant, just brilliant! My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC which I am delighted to review and recommend.

I’ve just finished A Stranger in Her House by Marrs and it left me breathless. I was keen to read another title and The Family Experiment is so different but equally taut and compelling. This is an author with boundless talent as this story is set in the near future and yet it feels so plausible, He leads the reader along a path and suddenly things take a different turn. Absolutely superb plotting and pacing. I became immersed in the creepy future world, felt a little threatened at times and invested emotionally in a story that’s pretty near faultless. I can’t understand how most of this authors works have passed me by so I’m off to find more. He’s pure genius at creating make believe that draws the reader straight in and spits you out at the end. Simply brilliant.

The Family Experiment was such a unique book and I’ve never read anything like it before. The plot was so intriguing and I was interested to see where the author was going to take the book, it kept me hooked to the story. The characters were all so unique and I loved reading about each couple. They all had their own secrets which cannot be hidden from the virtual world.

Ten couples in this story enters a competition to raise a Virtual Child from birth to 18 years old over a nine month period. The prize is they get to keep their virtual family or risk it all for a chance to have a real baby. This world is set in a time where families are struggling to afford to start a family due to the worlds population becoming so high. The couples are all very unique and it was easy to become familiar to them.

The idea behind AI and really TV was terrifying during this book and it is scary to think of these progressions in real life. John Marrs made this book creepy with this thought and that kept the suspense high for me throughout this book. I loved the use of social media posts and forums in this book because it gave a good idea about what the viewers were thinking while watching this reality show.

I’ve never read any previous books from the universe before but I definitely want to go through them from the start and spot the Easter eggs. I would highly recommend this book to everyone who loves thrillers. I would say this is probably my first speculative fiction thriller and I absolutely loved every second of reading it!

A new reality TV show airs, which follows couples as they raise virtual children in the Metaverse. The prize being that they can keep their virtual child or risk it for the chance to have a baby in the real world. Who will be desperate enough to participate?

John Marrs is true to form with this speculative thriller, creating another clever, immersive story. The book is told in a number of different voices which creates gripping, individual stories. The author has proven how creative he is in creating such an engaging, terrifying and all too real future.

There are a lot of thought provoking moments which has you questioning the morals and dilemmas that the characters face. There are also moments of real emotion thrown in, as well as graphics and viewers comments, making this a well rounded, fascinating read. This book contains a lot of references to past books in his speculative thriller range, so it would be good to read those first, but can be read as a first read if you haven’t read the others yet. John Marrs is an author who I need to read everything he writes because he’s that good and I can safely say this is another brilliant, original book by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

John Mars never disappoints- he is simply brilliant. I loved this story from start to finish- a great read that will have u hooked from start to finish

Firstly I want to say I have read most of John Marrs previous books and throughly enjoyed them. So when I saw this ARC it was a no brainer to request.

The Family Experiment is set in the same futuristic world as The Marriage Act (highly recommend reading if you haven't already).

AI, reality TV and twists that will leave your jaw on the floor

What a thought-provoking. read. This book mixed AI and dystopia, making me worry about what is next for our generation and beyond...

This novel follows the premise of The Family Experiment, whereby couples or single contestants take part in a reality TV show where they experience a snippet of parenthood. I really enjoyed getting to know the contestants, and the multiple POVs helped to make this feel real.
The deceit was NEXT LEVEL. I just did not know who to trust and that made me love this novel even more than I initially thought I would.

My favourite contestant was Hudson. I was saluting the single parenting approach (huge respect for single parents) and I thought to dedication to the genuine purpose of the experiment was admirable.

The plot twist at the end though. I did not expect that one coming.....

An ambitious speculative thriller that takes on a future where overcrowding and the cost of living crisis is robbing people of the chance to start a family. A new reality TV show "The Family Experiment" offers 11 desperate contestants the chance to compete and win a large sum of money for the chance to have a real life child. How? By raising a virtual child in the metaverse, in front of millions of viewers who will judge their parenting - yikes! Told from the point of view of each parent, you learn of their reasons for competing but not all is as it seems... Compelling, unsettling and full of deceit, The Family Experiment is full of twists that'll keep you on your toes and ends with a bit of a bang! I just wish I'd read the authors previous books for the full experience. 👨‍👩‍👦

Firstly, thank you to netgalley and Panmacmillan for approving me to read this book.

The family experiment is part of John Marrs speculative thriller series. The others in the series are The One, The marriage act, The minders and the passengers. You can read this as a stand alone book, but I certainly think it helps if you have at least read The One and The passengers.

The UK is in economical crisis, cost of living is soaring and most people can no longer afford to start families. This story follows a group of contestants who have entered a reality TV show to raise a meta child in the metaverse. The show is 9 months and each month their meta child grows, eventually being 18 years old by the end of the experiment. The winners of the show get to either keep their meta child, or they can delete them and are given a cash prize which will be enough to have their own biological child.

The story is told from the multiple POV’s of the contestants on the show. You get a real insight into why they entered the experiment but also secrets they are all hiding. The chapters are also broken up with snippets from online forums and social media of people discussing the show. There are also news articles as well. I loved this aspect and having the mixed media made it more interesting and it felt very realistic reading the public’s views.

What I love about the speculative thrillers is that they are not so far into the future that they feel unrealistic. The very fact they feel not too far off our own future makes them all the more creepy.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this, it’s fast paced, has short chapters and leaves you thinking.

This book is released 9th May 2024 and is available to pre-order now