I can't rate this one highly enough! If you need a book to drag you out of a reading slump, look no further than The Family Experiment.

Set in a future not too far from the present day, in a world of pandemics and major societal decline, the metaverse is taking over. Enter a social experiment/reality show depicting the metaverse lives of contestants who have been given the chance to compete in raising 'meta-babies' over a period of nine months where the children experience accelerated growth. Only one 'family' will win at the end and get the chance to either keep their virtual child or take home the prize fund.

The stakes are so high in this book from the very beginning and only get higher as we move through the nine month period with the contestants. I loved getting multiple POVs where it becomes clear every family unit is hidng a dark past that they have been working to keep hidden. This was an exciting read from start to finish and I found it hard to put the book down!

I've been getting more and more into dystopian novels and this one is now firmly at the top of my recommendation list!
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Macmillan for the advanced copy of this book!

'The Family Experiment' is probably the most satisfying novel in recent years in terms of being up to its concept. Making people fight live for maternity, is the perfect match between 'The Handmaid's Tale' and 'The Hunger Games', and it is interesting to note that contrarily to these two extremely perceptive books, 'The Family Experiment' is written by a man. John Marrs achieved such a great novel, he really dove deep into questions that often seem to fly over men's head (reality TV or motherhood usually being labeled feminine matters) and he did it so well!

Indeed, this is such a brilliant contemporary fiction. It is so very fascinating how reality TV intertwines so well with a subject as speculative as AI babies; not only does it work, but it tackles family as a philosophical idea in the most modern way I have ever read.
The author's way of criticizing the world without sounding condescending or patronizing is truly astonishing. He exposes many character flaws as the reason behind society's downward spiral, not targeting anyone in particular, everyone being selfish in his own way. Each couple has its own problems which they project onto the program, and each motive for them to participate is well-thought, some looking for healing, others for a reason to keep going, others by pure egotism. The diverse cast is undeniably refreshing, and gives the readers so many possibilities to root or despise characters. Moreover, it had the efficacy of a 'Black Mirror' episode, with inevitable plot twists and the ability to make the reader face some shameful truths.

To conclude, I am convinced that it will appeal to a wide range of readers: those who enjoy family drama, those who read domestic thrillers, sci-fi readers, and overall anyone who enjoys fiction, because there is just so much to think about reading it, with the book being extremely accessible and yet very smart. I am desperate to see his work translated to French, it truly is criminal that such a special writer has not yet very much crossed the Channel. My favourite speculative fiction in a while!

Amazing read; dark, original, entertaining, full of twists & surprises. Exactly what I have come to expect from this author.
As other readers have mentioned, it does take a little while to get to grips with the characters and names in the beginning- and I did restart the book after thirty pages to help with this, but get past this initial stage, and this book develops beautifully. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the review copy.

Every time you pick up a John Marrs book you are gaureented an entertaining read. The idea of this story line is so modern bringing the AI technology of everyone's guilty pleasure of reality TV. I like the way John links parts of the story to his past books but still keeps them as stand alone books. The story takes you along with separate couples and a single Dad, each chapter is an update of each family as they move through the experiment. No Spoliers but the twist and turns through out the story is great.
John it's another 5star from me

Really enjoyed this book. Took while to get into. Premise of the book reminds me of the one by John marrs a bit. Was thrilling and fun ride.

The Family Experiment by John Marrs made me feel like I was actually watching a reality tv show

Nine couples and single dad Hudson, have all entered a new reality show called The Family Experiment, where they will be given a virtual baby, to raise in the metaverse from birth until young adulthood over a 9 month period. The losers of the competition will have to watch their virtual child be deleted. However the winners can either keep their meta child or delete them and take a bigger cash prize to use to start a real family. At the end of the show viewers can pay a monthly subscription fee and raise their own virtual child.

As I stated above this book made me feel like I was watching a new reality show. And as it is with any reality show it can start a little slow. With the introduction to the characters, getting to know them and the meta world. However the pace soon picked up and my jaw was hitting the floor with every twist and turn. One of the main things I loved about this book is even though you can read it as a standalone novel it does take place in the same world as some of John Marrs other works (the marriage act, the one and the passengers).

I would highly recommend you check this book out when it is released in may this year. If you need something to tie you over until then John Marrs has lots of other amazing books. I rated this book 4* and will definitely be reading the other books set in this world. Thank you so much John Marrs, Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

John Marrs was already an auto-buy author for me and this is just another absolutely amazing book from him! The Family Experiment just blew my mind because once again Marrs hit the nail on the head with a believable vision what life could actually be like in the not so distant future and the problems we could face. And even though each of his speculative fiction books are standalones I love all the little Easter Eggs in them referring to his other books.

This format where we jump from character to character showing different perspectives with really short chapters is becoming a classic Marrs thing and it's genuinely fantastic. He pulls it off brilliantly and it makes such compelling reading. I think the way that each character had their storyline finished off was done really well and I wasn't left wondering what had happened to them.

Speaking of characters..... Hudson!! He seemed quite boring and bland for most of the book then all of a sudden he fast became super intriguing. Pretty sure I shouted 'Just tell me' at the book at least a handful of times following another hint about him knowing something or having a secret plan!

So now I'm back to having to find something to do with my life until John Marrs writes another book. Hurry up John mate!

I'm yet to read a John Marrs book that doesn't leave me clutching my head and wondering how on earth someone could come up with such a story. This was sensational. The premise of the metaverse child was already leaving me mind blown before I'd even read a few chapters. But the depth of each pairing in the experiment, the backstories and the subsequent actions of every character was just breath-taking. One of my favourite reads of this year already, and I imagine it'll stay that way!

This was fun, I love a good sci-fi thriller and this one was pretty unique and interesting. The worldbuilding was fun and I liked the mixed-media storytelling, it made this a super easy read.

I wasn't a big fan of the characters and didn't really care for their individual stories, which was an issue I had with the author's previous novel as well. I also found this one pretty similar storywise to the last book, which didn't make it an especially suspenseful read. But it was still enjoyable and a quick and easy read.

This is an excellent read which really makes the reader think about their values and what a dystopian world could, realistically, be like. It’s a gripping story with an excellent twist.

What a wild ride!!!

The Family Experiment had me rushing through the pages at breakneck speed. The more I learned about the 'experiment' and the contestants taking part, the further my jaw fell open. In today's age it's already crazy to see what people will when do it comes to reality television. This is just a glimpse into what it might look like in the future. Hold on to your headsets, ladies and gentlemen. It's about to get intense!!

While it fell just short of a perfect score, this book truly wowed me. Initially, I struggled with the pacing and complexity of the first half.
It was dense, with numerous characters and a flurry of unsettling events, making it a struggle to keep track.
However, perseverance paid off.

Pushing through led to an utterly mind-blowing experience.
The twists were brilliantly executed and upon reflection, their plausibility in our potential future only added to their impact.
Every character arc was satisfyingly resolved, underscoring the richness of the narrative.

I'm grateful I didn't give up prematurely; otherwise, I would have missed out on a truly exceptional read.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for the digital ARC!

I enjoyed this one. An interesting idea with characters that kept me guessing how it would end. I liked the way that Marrs incorporated his other dystopian novels into the story too.

Wow oh wow, John Marrs makes stuff definitely did not disappoint with this latest book! I was gripped from the off, having read some of John’s other books like the one this made reading this so much more enjoyable as you already have a great understanding of the world he has created. I throughly enjoyed the characters and the developments. I enjoyed each twist and turn, I hated finishing each chapter even though the short chapters are forever a winner, I was desperate to finish.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this.

Set at the same time as his other books. The One, Passengers and The Marriage act. We Have The family experiment. A Virtual reality tv show where ten couples over a nine-month period looks after a virtual child. Members of the public can view what’s going on because the show is live and vote for their favourite couples and vote to do challenges and the couples that win get money or products in the real world as the winner of the competition gets money given too them for IVF etc to help the conceive a real child. But it is not easier said then down when people are watching and commenting on you 24/7. Anything can happen.
Wow what can I say it is a John Marrs book. I didn’t even bother to read the synopsis. I just had to read it. This is another fantastic piece of Speculative fiction regarding the ten couples in the competition. Each of the couple backgrounds and what leads them to this point and what kind of parenting skills they all have. Under scrutiny of the people watching. I was so immersed in the story that I couldn’t stop reading. I love this author because he always thinks outside the box and his stories always have double the meaning. I am always wondering where he gets his ideas from because they are so different to anything else that I have read. This is another 5 star hit for me.

A true page-turner thriller set in a near future dystopian (kind of) world.
I read this in two days thanks to its fast pace, interesting premise and clever twists. It's subject of virtually raising a child, which grows up in an AI helped enviroment took me a while to feel plausible but Marrs does a great job of describing each person's motives and so making it all more believable.
This isn't perfect of course. Some of the actions of the protagonists are sometimes a bit far-fetched and the grand finale wasn't as surprising as I guess was intended. My main complaint though is that the information about the state of the world isn't expanded. We get some info thrown in that paints a general picture, but I would have liked more, so I could understand how we got there and what exactly is going on in the present.
For what it tries to offer though this was a hit for me. A thrilling story that flies by (in fact it would benefit if it was a bit longer and expanded on the parents-children relationships) and touches on many interesting themes. Also it has to be mentioned that parents especially will find it easier to connect with the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Publishers for providing me with an arc.

Brilliant , gripping storyline . Book of the year so far for me I could not put it down , plausible storyline with realistic characters . Not to be missed !

John Marrs' "The Family Experiment" was my first foray into his writing, and I devoured it. As someone involved in safeguarding and child protection, I was immediately drawn to the theme, which reflects our discussions about a potentially unsettling future. The book's setting in a near-future world where 'Wearables' blur the lines between virtual and real, including virtual parenting, gripped my attention from start to finish.

Marrs' storytelling is riveting, with short, punchy chapters that kept me eagerly flipping pages. As a parent myself, I deeply connected with the characters' yearning to cherish fleeting moments with their children, especially as the virtual offspring accelerated through growth stages, echoing the rapid pace of real-life parenting.

Without a doubt, I'll be recommending this book to all, and I'm excited to explore more of Marrs' works. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this read in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this!! I was so excited when I got the approval as I love a John Marrs thriller. Although it’s not my favourite of his, it’s up there. It did take a while to get used to the chapters with multiple character changes but the whole concept is amazing and so well done. I will be recommending this to everyone! Thankyou so much for the ARC!

This book is wild. And slightly terrifying. Set in the not-too-distant future, it is twisty and immersive and genuinely makes you think - it seems far-fetched at first but then starts to actually feel plausible. There are a lot of characters to get to grips with, so it took me a bit of time to find my feet with the novel. I really liked Hudson, though didn't find myself warming to the other characters. This is a standalone novel, though there are several nods to Marrs' previous books.