Synopsis
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.
Format 384 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 9, 2024 by Hanover Square Press
ISBN 9781335000361 (ISBN10: 1335000364)
Genre Mystery Thriller, Dystopian, Science Fiction
About the Author
John Marrs is the author of #1 Best Sellers The One, The Good Samaritan, When You Disappeared, The Vacation, Her Last Move, The Passengers, The Minders and What Lies Between Us. Keep It In The Family and The Marriage Act are released soon.
What Lies won the International Thriller Writers' Best Paperback of 2021 award.
The One has been translated into 30 different languages and is to be turned into an eight-part Netflix series starting in autumn 2020.
After working as a journalist for 25-years interviewing celebrities from the world of television, film and music for national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time writer.
Twitter @johnmarrs1
Facebook: @johnmarrsauthor
Instagram: @johnmarrs.author
My Thoughts
In simplest terms, the Metaverse is the internet, but in 3D. Ed Greig, Chief Disruptor at Deloitte
In an overcrowded world that is outgrowing itself, people can no longer afford to have children. Amid this backdrop a new reality show is born. The Family Experiment offers competing childless Brits the opportunity to raise virtual children from birth to 18 years of age over a condensed nine-month period. At the end of the nine-month period, the public will vote for the winner of the "game show". The winner can keep their virtual child or have their child "eliminated" and take a cash reward to start their own family in the Real World.
This book explores people creating family in different ways and the ugly side of AI in a dystopian world. I can't say too much without giving away spoilers, but a dark side is revealed showing the underbelly of this AI world and simulated life that has been created. Some of the contestants are sincere in their desire for a child while others are less so.
Five words: unusual, provocative, preposterous, stiff, puzzling
Buy Now:
My final word: I wasn't a fan of any of the characters other than Alice and sometimes Hudson. I found it difficult to keep track of the couples and the stories within the story, and equally difficult to follow dialogue with the off-putting formatting (or lack thereof) that lacked traditional punctuation. But it was an interesting concept and I enjoyed the ethical quandaries. However, the story can be a bit blah. The last 20% of the book was rather boring as it tied up the loose ends and explained the background through some flashbacks. It felt almost "technical" in the end. On a positive note, there are a lot of twists to keep you guessing! I found the book to be just "okay", but I seem to be in the minority on this one! It just felt sort of clunky. Overall a good read for anyone who likes a dystopian-type read that makes you question the precipice we teeter on with AI and with networks who see viewers as dollar signs.
"Some vanished beneath the waves, their arms stretching into the air as if reaching for God's hand."
Warnings:
Vulgarity, drug use, some violence. Some triggers involving mistreatment of children.
Cover: 4 stars
Writing Style: 3.5 stars
Characters: 3.5 stars
Storyline/Plot: 3.5 stars
Interest/Uniqueness: 4 stars
Rating:
The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.
I received a copy of this book to review through Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. The book that I received was an uncorrected proof, and quotes could differ from the final release.
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