The Family Experiment

By: John Marrs

Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Clifford Samuel, Eilidh Beaton, Joshua Riley, Justin Avoth, Thomas Judd, Nneka Okoye

From the acclaimed author of The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and brilliant speculative thriller about families: real and virtual.

Some families are virtually perfect…

The world's population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, the 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 VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children has created a reality TV show called The Substitute. It will follow ten couples as they raise a Virtual Child from birth to the age of eighteen but in a condensed nine-month time period. The prize: the right to keep their virtual child, or risk it all for the chance of a real baby…

Set in the same universe as John Marrs's bestselling novel The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and twisted thriller about the ultimate Tamagotchi—a virtual baby.

©2024 John Marrs (P)2024 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited

Master story teller

It was a great book. Oh my God it kept you on the edge of your seat. I read it in two sittings and that’s only because I had to work. Thank you Mr. Mars can’t wait until I believe it’s January 2025.

John Marrs does it again!

The guy gets it. Great story with lots of twists and turns. There were tons of characters to keep track of. that took a little time.

Exceptional: like a movie

This was like a movie with a perfect ending that wasn’t a bow but rather a series of little gifts. People reaping what they sowed and those who suffered finding each other or themselves. All the connections at the end was exquisite. Sadly, this is a perfect depiction of humans, they claim high morals, while feeding off of the suffering of others. I could see so-called reality TV such as this coming to fruition and it’s horrifying. This is a must read

Well written, well executed

I have been in a book slump but this one pulled me out finished in one day. Couldn’t stop listening. Great wrap up.

The 1984 of 2024

As we watch our society embrace AI, this book glimpses a warning. This is like The Hunger Games in many ways, a cautionary tale that could be our future reality.

John Marrs Never Disappoints

And this book was not an exception. Wonderful, creative plot twists from beginning to end. Loved it!

The way the characters weave together.

I love John Marrs books and this one was no different. If you like “Black Mirror” you must read his books. I think reading his books in order of release since “The One” works really well, because he references the past events (but not essential). I love all of the characters and the way their stories weave together. Can’t wait for another one of his books.

Twists

Good twists, some i expected, most in did not. I’m ok with the ending too,it wraps up the story well

John Marrs loves to gut punch

Amazing narrators, surprising twists all the way through, and plenty of spots leaving you filled with dread imagining what would happen. Have already recommended this book to others.

The ending...!!!

This ending could have gone so many different ways, and they picked the worst one. It should have left a cliffhanger; we didn't need the ending. Great performance and storytelling. I enjoyed this book and still recommend it.