A John Marrs book always grips you from the first page. ‘The One’ is my favourite of his books and I love that this was set in the same universe and had a unique story line. Very interesting book!

This was a really interesting book that really thought provoking around the vast abilities of AI/machine learning and also, the ethics and moral questions around it.

It was a great concept for a book that I feel built really well on the themes of The One and I liked that they were mildly interconnected.

I love the intertwined John Marrs Dystopian books - set in the same world as The Marriage Act, The One and The Passengers, this book focuses on a reality show where the contestants raise children in the metaverse - which apparently isn’t that far off in real life!

All sorts of moral and ethical questions arise and Of COURSE there’s a thriller aspect because this is John Marrs.

Like the other books in this ‘universe’ I found it thought-provoking, entertaining and I really enjoyed it. The ending took a little longer to wrap up than I thought necessary, but reading more of this is not really a hardship. Great stuff. Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for my review copy.

This was one of the most interesting books I've read in a long time! The story is based around the metaverse and a reality TV show named 'The family experiment'. People are selected to take part in the 'game' to become virtual parents to a meta-child. Their parenting and journey in raising their meta child is broadcast via live stream for the world to see. Viewers can interact with the game, expressing their lile/dislike in the way in which the child is being brought up. Each couple, and one single parent is introduced to us in early chapters, each introduction has small hints that some of these couple may not be all that they seem. As the story progresses, the competitors become more determined to win the gameshow, there are multiple shocks and twists which keep you gripped and invested in the characters.
My only criticism is I absolutely loved the first 85% of the book. The final 15% I found more difficult to read, I understand the importance of this section as it answers a lot of the 'whys' but I felt the pace massively slowed down for me towards the end.
Overall this was an excellent read and I anticipate it will be hugely popular when released in May.
Many thanks to Newgalley for the opportunity to read and review!
4.5 stars (rounded to 5)

Once more John has delivered a book that grips you and doesn't let you put it down. I thoroughly enjoy this genre and the fact each book (although standalone) is in the same universe, it makes an even more compelling read. The pace and twists keep you reading and the basis of the story is both futuristic and just round the corner. More of these please, they are excellent.

I love how every time I read a John Marrs book I am absolutely blown away by the writing, plot and setting. Having recently read ‘The Stranger in your House’ I am amazed how the same writer has so many different ideas.
The Family Experiment is set in a future where a competition for people to raise a child in the Metaverse is a controversial concept. Five couples and one single dad are raising a child over a period of nine months in order to win the right to keep the avatar child or delete them and receive £250k to raise a real child in the real world. The characters are so different to each other and obviously are not without their own troubles, anguish and problems in their own relationships.
I love how John Marrs refers to his previous books (without you actually having to read them, even though I have) - talking about the DNA match programme and the driverless cars. One of the characters (Cadman) was actually in The Passengers.
Absolutely brilliant read and 5⭐️ from me.

John Marrs has done it again. The Family Experiment is a page turner that kept me entertained (and frightened of what the future may hold!) from start to finish. I raced through it and when I had to put it down, because life interrupted, I couldn't wait to return to the families in the story and how it was all going to unfold. Just brilliant.

There is an economic crisis in the UK and some people cannot afford to have children, let alone raise them. But for some desperate families, there is an alternative - for a monthly subscription fee, they can create a virtual child in the metaverse. To launch the new initiative, the founders begin a reality show, where couples will raise a child in 9 months. They will have an accelerated growth and the child will be 18 at the end of the 9 months. At the end, the winners can choose to keep the child, or risk it all for a chance to have a baby in the real world. 

This one was fascinating!! As most of the authors novels are. While you may think the synopsis has already given too much away, you would be wrong. There were still PLENTY of surprises and twists throughout and it wasn't really what I thought it would be at all. Another incredibly clever and absorbing novel and one I recommend. 
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for this gifted review copy.

I’m not going to lie, when I was approved for an ARC of this I was so excited, because John Marrs is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors to read and this book is adding fuel to that flame.

The Family Experiment is a sci-fi based in the not-too-distant future. It drops us into a world that’s in the midst of an economic crisis due to growing populations and overcrowding. To try and combat this, a company creates Virtual Children; an AI generated child in the metaverse where you can experience being a parent for a monthly subscription fee.

However to launch this, the company have brought together different couples for a reality show and will broadcast their highs and lows as parents to world…

The prize? To keep the Virtual Child, or to take the prize money to help try and create a real child of their own.

The way John Marrs writes is quite frankly chilling, he takes real problems of the world today and elevates them to a thousand, all whilst keeping it realistic so you’re sat there reading and thinking “wow this could totally happen to our world”

The POVs alternate between each couple, with short, choppy chapters than leave you on the edge of your seat at the end of each one so you can’t help but carry on reading. The conversations around AI technology and where it’s leading us and the frightening ways this is being achieved, twinned with the frantic lives of each of the couples we follow really raises the question of how far would we as a society go to get what we want, and begs the question of how strong truly are our parental instincts?

There are callbacks to his previous novels The One, The Marriage Act and The Passengers as these are all set in the same world, but what I love about what Marrs has done is that he’s explained these callbacks seamlessly for those who haven’t read the previous novels, but isn’t tedious to read for those who have. So you can definitely go into this book without having read any of his previous work (although I strongly recommend that you do)

If you fancy picking up a book that has you questioning our future entirely, then this is for you. If you were to look up “page turner” in the dictionary, John Marrs’ name would be listed. I stayed up until 4am reading this. I’m not sure how much more praise I can give except John Marrs you genius.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I loved this book! It had me gripped from the first page to the very last page and I still wanted more, even though there was full closure and all loose ends were nicely tied up, without being too unbelievable or obvious.

John Marrs really knows how to keep you transfixed. I couldn’t put this book down, nor did I want to.

This is set in the same world as ‘The One’ and his other ‘sci-fi’ books ‘The Passenger’s’ and ‘The Marriage Act’’, which are all referenced. I’m not usually into the genre but I am so glad I gave this one ago, so much so I will now have to read The Passenger’s and The Marriage Act.

This book follows 6 families as they take part in a reality TV show and have a metaverse ‘baby’. We follows their lives during a 9 month period where their baby grows from baby to 18years old - making age leaps at each month point.

There were a couple of great twists that I only saw half coming and had me gasping!

This is a must read for all fans of John Marrs and if you are yet to read any of his books, get this one on your tbr pile, you will not be disappointed.

I have read The One, but not The Passengers or The Marriage Act. Although all these books are a part of this world and are mentioned I did not feel I would have benefited from having read them before this one. They are all very much stand alone novels that just occur in the same future world.

Thank you to NetGalley, John Marrs and Pan MacMillan for this digital advanced copy in return for my honest review!

Wowowowow. I will ALWAYS read any book John Marrs puts out. I absolutely love the books set this universe.

This was fast paced, full of drama and absolutely incredible!
Each contestant had their own dramas and secrets. It did get a little confusing remembering who was who at the start but the more you read the clearer it gets.

It definitely gives some food for thought about “meta children” and had me questioning a lot.

I will always recommend John Marrs books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillian for this ARC

Wow, I loved this book. This book took me back to what I loved about The One, the first speculative thriller I read by @JohnMarrs followed by the equally thrilling The Passengers. The One is one of my all time favourite books, from the characters to the intriguing plot lines and chapters that kept you wanting more. My daughter, who doesn't usually go for any type of thriller books borrowed The One off me and ended up staying up late to finish it because she also found it hard to put down. The Family Experiment brings all that once again in a great story about an AI family competition to win the chance of keeping your AI child or money to pay towards starting your own real life family. Each contestant have their own secrets and lies to protect which start to unravel throughout the book with their own twists and turns. To anyone who is eagerly anticipating this book you really won't be disappointed and if your a fan of The One you are going to really enjoy this. I won't give anything away about the stories and take anyone's enjoyment away from reading it for the first time. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to have had an early read of this book. Thank you @netgalley @JohnMarrs and @ panmacmillan
I will now be giving The One a reread this year. This has made me want to read it again.

What has John Marrs written here now this time? Another chilling dystopian tale. Set in the universe of The Marriage Act, just turning up the volume a bit more here.
This is not a nightmare dressed up as a daydream. This is a nightmare packed into a piñata of a hornets’ nest and all the hell breaks loose while everyone pretends it’s all fine and dandy, yeah, those aren’t mad hornets, if we pretend hard enough those will turn into candies. (ok, a disclaimer, there are no actual hornets in the book, this is my own comparison, hyperbole, and exaggeration)
Squid Game meets The Marriage Act meets The Hunger Games meets the brainless consumers of the internet, an AI-zombified nation of future generations, desensitized of the fact that out there are other humans, not just AI-metaverse.

As I was reading it, I jotted down some notes. This was a BIG read. Although I don’t think I have seen an accurate page count anywhere (amazon lies and says there are 288 pages lol, NO), I guess that there are 400+ pages. There aren’t too many notes though. But the ones I have, here they are:
I’m at 10%. An extra layer of sheer madness: everyone has a secret agenda. Everyone is hiding something. Everyone is pretending. Everyone is not who they want to be seen as. And that toxic influencer culture, eww.
I’m at 13%. It’s grownups playing Tamagotchi for real-life rewards and pretending they don’t know the Tamagotchi isn’t for real. The better you pretend, the greater your chances of winning.
I’m at 20%. How will the speculation of the future look like in 10 years? Sci-fi doesn’t always age well. Then again, dystopian books do age well. Who knows.
I’m at 24%. Every character in this book is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I’m at 58%. AND WHAT I WROTE HERE TURNS OUT TO BE THE BIG PLOT TWIST. Or one of them. There’s more than one.
I’m at 73%. Serious Hunger Games vibes.
I’m at 88%. John gives us a future we never asked for.

I’m wondering if I am making myself clear here on how much I loved this book. Absolutely enjoyed it.
There are two things I’d like to point out, two things I enjoyed Extra, Extra and with a layer of salad dressing. One, I love how John Marrs never adds a layer of his own opinion about things. Whatever he writes, it’s from a neutral perspective. I have come to realize that not many authors can do it and being able to do it is such a golden skill. A rare one.
Two, the country-specific jokes, references that might make you snort if you are at least somewhat semi-up-to-date with all things British, like, the crowning of a certain new king.

The book’s pub date is set to… sometime this summer. That feels like forever away. The pub date actually is a mystery of sorts now also, just like the actual page count of the book. Some places online say its May, some ay it’s June. Either way, when it’s summer, the book will be here. One more reason to look forward to the summer, right?

I absolutely loved this so much that I read the whole book in one day … Gripping , exciting, full of suspense… lots of twists and turns along the way… The best book I have read in a long, long time . Loved it!

OMG! What a book this is. The whole concept is brilliant. Im quite a slow reader in comparison to some but this book I could not put down. I took my kindle everywhere in the hope I could sneak another chapter in - and thats when you know you've got a good book!

The story is about AI babies in essence and about the families that are taking part in a social experiment on bringing these babies up to age 18. At first I was a little confused about who was who as all 5 or 6 families are introduced in as many chapters but then all of a sudden it clicks who is who and makes sense.

John Marrs you amazing man! Ive loved everything about this book and now I need a sequel! Get buying it people because its a cracker!

Thank you to Netgalley for an unbiased review for an early copy of the book.

I just reviewed The Family Experiment by John Marrs. #TheFamilyExperiment #NetGalley

“The Family Experiment” is a reality TV Show following 11 contestants as they raise a virtual child to the age of 18 in a condensed 9 month time period. The most successful couple get to choose whether to keep their virtual child, or take a cash sum to help with starting a real life family.

This book felt like I was reading an episode of Black Mirror. It was easy to follow despite being told from multiple points of view and there is the addition of some social media posts/conversations which I LOVED.

It’s pretty fast paced and hard to put down once you get into it. There are a LOT of unexpected twists (which I suppose I actually should expect from John!!)

This was the first of the authors speculative fiction that I have read, however I’ll be checking out the others now rather than sticking with the psychological thrillers!

Absolutely loved this book, will be recommending to everyone.

I loved The One by this author so I was eager to discover his new work and was not disappointed. It's a dystopian thriller as I love them. From the start, John Marrs draws us into the plot of The Family Experiment by slowly revealing secret after secret. We quickly get caught up in the game, trying to predict the winner. And if I thought I saw a plot twist coming, John Marrs knew how to surprise me. Alongside its addictive reading, it is a book that denounces and manages to place itself well in the context of the rise of artificial intelligence.

John Marrs is always on my automatic TBR list and I was really excited when I saw he had a new speculative thriller out.
I was not disappointed with the twists and turns of The Family Experiment and I always find myself asking ‘what would I do?’ at various points during the storyline. Couples are tested to breaking point in the ultimate gameshow- but are the prizes worth the strain it will put on their lives?

I really enjoyed this storyline. The fact it could easily happen these days, made it just a bit frightening. With developments in AI, who knows what will be possible. At the start, I did find it a bit confusing as there are quite a lot of characters to follow. Eventually though, I managed to keep track of who was who. If you like books with a futuristic theme, then you will love this one. I hope this gets made into a TV series.

John Marrs has such a gift for taking the bleakest view of humanity and making it hugely entertaining and terrifying! In 'The Family Experiment' we are in the familiar dystopian world of 'The One' and 'The Marriage Act' where AI is running the show, and humans are struggling to keep up.

In a world where its ruinously expensive to have a child, even if biologically you are able, six households have been selected to have a meta-child. Every aspect of their parenting journey is going to be live streamed and judged by millions of viewers, in a competition to find the ultimate winner.

The meta-children start off as babies, but grow up much more quickly, so over a period of nine months they will reach adulthood. The real-life parents join their child in a meta-verse, wearing a haptic suit so that the parent can feel the baby as if it was real. The choices that the contestants make are unlimited, but they have to decide what is best for their 'child' whilst also weighing up how any decision will be judged by the viewing public.

If you've read John Marrs before, you'll know that not all of the contestants will make it, and some of them have some truly brutal scenes which left me reeling. It is bleak, it is unforgettable, it is unmistakeably John Marrs.