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The Family Experiment

By: John Marrs
Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Clifford Samuel, Eilidh Beaton, Joshua Riley, Justin Avoth, Thomas Judd, Nneka Okoye
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Publisher's summary

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
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What listeners say about The Family Experiment

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So astute about human experience

This author is so gifted at representing complex psychologies and encouraging readers/listeners to ask meaningful questions about what it means to be a parent ing and attachment, about “real” vs real life, and about deception in families and couples. So thoughtful, clever, and exciting to read ! S. LAMB (author, The Not Good Enough Mother)

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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John Marrs Never Disappoints

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

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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.

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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.

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Twists

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

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