Wow, another cleverly written book by John Marrs- it amazes me how he comes up with these storylines and plots! I don’t even know how to write this review without giving lots away so I’m not going to! Highly recommend reading to find out more!

There were some serious Black Mirror vibes going on here - and I LOVED it.

My notes as I was reading this one simply say ‘interesting concept, twists and turns, very satisfying’ - and honestly need I say more?!

I am notorious for having split POVs (because I usually don’t find they work for me) but I will happily eat my proverbial hat with this one. The split perspectives was genius and so cleverly done. Each chapter we jump to one of the various families taking part in the competition and while at the very beginning it wasn’t the easiest to keep track of everyone, each character and relationship dynamic is so distinctive it doesn’t take long for you have everyone straight in your head.

Apart from managing to create numerous distinct voices very clearly, Marrs so clever in making me utterly invested in each and every character. I was on absolute tender hooks trying to see both what would happen next to each situation, but also what mysteries we were about to uncover. The cliffhangers were just perfectly incorporated. I just thought the whole concept and execution was flawless.

This was immersive, suspense-ful, and a complete page turner. On top of all that there were some genuinely thought-provoking concepts and topics being interwoven here which just added a really valuable layer or interest and complexity. Overall this was brilliant read and I can safely say that after reading The Family Experiment I am now on my way to read everything Marrs has put out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC

Another brilliant book from John Marrs. I have already read 'The One' which is in my top ten favourite books of all time. I hadn't read any of the previous novels set in the same universe but when I saw this available as a pre read I could not resist. This did not disappoint at all. Following various couple taking part on a new realist show where they have to bring up and nurture an AI baby. As you would expect with John Marrs there was a lot of back story with each couple and one single guy that lead to some great twists and turns. I read this in a couple of nights as I just could not put it down. As futuristic as this story is it is written in such a way that it is completely believable and I warmed to the characters.
Another hit from John Marrs.

Wow this really is a book to give you nightmares but also an amazing read. It’s so scary to read because if we are not careful I can see us ended up with shows on tv like this and hopefully this book may open some eyes but wow what a book this is one that will stay with me for a long time I think. Loved it!

Loved the story in this book. Really enjoyed imagining how life could be in a world of Virtual children and how it worked for the couples in the story. I couldn't put the book down, loved the characters the story and the ending.

I'm a huge John Marrs fan & was delighted to receive a copy of this and it did not disappoint.
I finished this really quickly as I couldn't put it down.
Such an interesting read and scarily it seems like the topic isn't too implausible.
I liked the reality TV setting & the different contestants and enjoyed how as the story progressed we found out more of their backgrounds. Hudson was my favourite character.
I enjoyed how the separate stories all came together in the end after a few shocks and surprises.
Brilliant.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC in return for my honest review.

I’ll be brutally honest, I nearly gave up on this after the 1st few chapters as I thought the genre wasn’t for me, the futurist element and AI aspects near.y turned me off, however I persevered and I’m so glad I did. I was thoroughly invested in each of the specific families, veering from love to hate with every changing of age. The back stories were well developed and surprising. I actually couldn’t wait to get to the final and when I did and the narrative continued it was yet another twist in the story to blindside me. Suffice to say, I loved it.

Sadly I remain unconvinced by the writing of Mr Marrs - I keep hoping to see the same thing others do in his writing but it just doesn't happen.

This book is well written, incredibly detailed, with a plot which should grip me yet at 19% of the way in I find myself skim reading in a desperate hope to move it along!

Rating: 4.3/5

"The Family Experiment" is the latest offering from John Marrs to be set in the same fictional universe as "The One " and "The Marriage Act". However, I would make clear that although there are passing references to content from those books, you do not need to have read them prior to reading this one - nor will this novel disclose spoilers that would ruin your enjoyment of those earlier books either, if you were to read them out of sequence.

Set in the not too distant future (the current Prince of Wales is now King William), the UK is no longer quite as prosperous as it has been historically and the economic situation has made it very difficult for all but the wealthiest of people to comfortably raise a family. This has led to the advent of the concept of "virtual children" that can be raised in in a virtual reality world. Such has been the level of advancement in the field of artificial intelligence that the company behind the scheme is confident that the real life experience of raising a family can be replicated extremely closely. In order to launch the programme and promote its merits and potential to a wider public audience, the company is screening a reality tv programme featuring a selection of parents raising virtual children - with a huge prize at the end of the series for the winning parent(s).

As with his previous publications set in this same universe, "The Family Experiment" has a distinct feel of Juvenalian satire about it, in much the same way as the work of George Orwell. There are numerous aspects of modern society that the author takes aim at including (but not restricted to) reality television, the potentially adverse effects of the proliferation of "A.I." technology and social media. There are darkly humorous observations running throughout the narrative, but there are certain sections that go beyond this and are simply dark and disturbing. By way of contrast, there are also aspects which are, by turn, sweet, sadly poignant and moving.

There are a number of character perspectives employed in the course of the narrative, as well as the inclusion of other forms of media, so this may be a little disconcerting if you are not a fan of multiple viewpoints in your reading material. That said, the various points of view are handled skilfully by the author, They are well signposted and each of the protagonists has a clear and authentic voice, which means that the reader is soon able to recognise them and differentiate between them.

Often, the most effective and disturbing speculative fiction tends to be that which can be imagined as a potential reality without there being too much of a stretch involved in the process. That certainly applies here, as it does to the other novels in this universe created by John Marrs. The result is yet another gripping and thought-provoking read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

I think this might be my second or third read in the amazing John Marrs alternate universe, set in the near-future with some thought-provoking scenarios. "The Family Experiment" didn't disappoint and I'll be off to read "The Passengers" after this as it was pitched as a tv show at the end of this book. Just love the way that all the books are interlinked without the reliance of you having read all of them. Back to "The Family Experiment", it was so multi-layered. Each set of contestants had their story and their reasons for wanting to win and one by one secrets are revealed. There is a bigger overarching storyline of child trafficking and what happens to them. Stay with this book, right to the end. It is worth it.

Wow, wow & wow! I just want to know how you think of this???

A must-read. Loved the multiple POV & short chapters so as well as the plot, soooooo easy to read!

Confusing, over complicated, DNF’d which I never normally do but just couldn’t see it out any longer. Nothing about it is engaging, feel marketing it as a “thriller” does not suit this book

This was so super fun! Set in the same world as John Marrs's previous books The One, The Marriage Act and The Passengers, The Family Experiment asks, what does it mean to be a family? Could you love an AI baby like it was truly yours? Could you watch an AI child you have raised from infancy be disintegrated, if it afforded you enough money to conceive a biological child? What would you to do to beat out 5 other couples desperate for children of their own? And could you protect your family as all your darkest secrets are revealed to a livestreaming audience?

I never watch reality TV. I don't think I'm above it, I just generally think it's kind of boring. But I love a twisty thriller set in a reality TV show. And this is one of the the best that I've read. There was just enough mixed media elements to spice things up, but it never interfered with the narrative. Although there's a large cast of characters, I didn't have any trouble following who was who. A+ rollicking good time.

Another incredible story by John Marrs. I love how he is able to take real world, near future scenarios and create stories with them. Every story John Marrs tells I find myself sitting back and thinking 'wow, this could happen in a few years'.

The book was kept exciting with multiple different characters and storylines that all interconnect. I also liked how previous books were used and now it's starting to feel like a new world has been built. I'm excited to know what comes next in this new world.

John Marrs became one of my instant buy authors a while ago and this book just concreted that even more for me.

4.5/5

Thank you so much Pan MacMillan and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This is a near future dystopian thriller set in the same world and The One. I absolutely loved it. Such an interesting premise.

I have only read The One of his near dystopian thrillers. There were references to his other books such as The Passengers and The Marriage Act and I wish I had read them first. This absolutely can be read as a stand alone but it would have been better having the prior knowledge of these books purely so I could appreciate the easter eggs a little more.

Raising children in a virtual experiment and John Marrs?

I was in.

This is such a twisty read. I couldn’t believe one twist and then another hit me in the face.

For fans of John Marrs or anyone that wants to read something truly different.

I have read 'The One', and 'The Passengers' so John Marrs' near future dystopian society is a place I've been before. I've learned how his mind works; how he takes today's real world and stretches it to the point where we can't help but simultaneously think "No way!" and "Yep, I can see how that could happen".

Characters from the previous books, and characters 'matched' by technology from 'The One' are incorporated into a tale of the ultimate reality TV - or should that be unreality TV? Couples are tasked with bringing up an AI child, watched around the clock by the public who judge their every move. The couple who makes it to the end and wins the public vote will get enough money to pay for their own real world baby via IVF, surrogacy or whatever.

Lying beneath this plot is a story of children sold by or stolen from their parents who can't afford to keep them.

It's clever.
If you've read 'The Passengers', you'll be used to the way John Marrs plays with the readers' emotions and tricks us into thinking the way his fictional public think. It's highly manipulative and very clever.

At the end of a John Marrs dystopian novel you will probably feel a bit drained, shocked at what happened, relieved that it's over, and - quite possibly - pretty darned scared at how easily social media in the hands of clever people can be used for good or evil.

This is my favourite speculative thriller by John Marrs so far. The first one I've rated 5 stars. It was unputdownable! Not only was the concept strange and addictive, but the characters themselves were all horrid people with sordid pasts, each one hiding something sinister, which developed over the course of the book, culminating in an explosive final that had me gripped to the page with my mouth open.

And just when I thought the last twist was over, another popped up. Clever. Addictive. And completely believable too. I can't say enough good tings about John's writing. It's easy to read, yet detailed and full of emotion and depth. I would highly suggest reading a few of his other speculative thrillers before reading this, as this book does refer back to some of the events in them, but doesn't provide any spoilers. It will just provide you with a bit more background information about the fictional world.

Wow what a book..
11 contestants raise virtual children, for 9 months. By the end of the 9 months, the children will then be adults , and the winners will either be given a prize fund to use in the real world, or able to keep their virtual child ‘alive’,.
I honestly couldn’t put this book down, so much happened with each of the contestants, and some shocking twists along the way.. Even when the contest had ended , all the questions I had , all got answered ..

Thankyou #NetgGalley for the opportunity to read this book ..

Marrs' best speculative thriller yet!

I could not put this book down, and I was addicted to finding out what was going to happen next.

It's terrifying how easily this could become our reality.

I absolutely loved the inclusion of Cadman - a previous character from The Passengers. The throwbacks to the previous books just made me smile every time. I absolutely loved the social media post chapters. It would be really fun if some of those websites were real - I checked, they dont exist 😆

The twists were everywhere, and I didn't see any of them coming. And the ending was just perfectly perfect.

I will be getting me a physical copy of this as soon as it's available. Read this. You won't regret it 😌