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bookswithlydscl 's review for:
The Family Experiment
by John Marrs
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5*
A companion novel that stands as part of John Marrs' 'Oneverse'. It can be read as a standalone but I recommend reading others in the universe as they make for great reading and add an extra dimension to the story the various Easter Eggs dropped in throughout.
Our setting is a speculative dystopian landscape in near future Britain where people can no longer afford to start or raise families. There is an alternative however, virtual children! 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 (VC) has decided to create a reality TV show - one of my favourite tropes in the thriller genre. It will follow ten couples as they raise a VC from birth to the age of eighteen but in a condensed nine-month time period. The prize: the right to keep their child or risk it all for the chance of a real baby.
I was introduced to John Marrs through The Marriage Act and loved the twisting, science fictionesque dystopian story and setting and this book is no different. We get multi-POVs as we are introduced to, and follow, our 10 contestants and watch as one by one they are eliminated, culminating in a thrilling and extremely satisfying ending.
We, the reader, are the viewers of the show - willing couples and children to thrive and succeed, gaining favourites and changing our rankings of who we want to win as the story unfolds. There are sudden changes throughout the story that make you realise that no couple or child is safe and much like when watching reality TV you switch allegiances as the numbers dwindle.
Like all reality TV and multi-pov novels there are weaker story elements. I didn't particularly like the Woody and Tina storyline and the Cadman character was every influencer that I dislike. I will read The Passengers in future however to get a better connection to his character to see if I come round to him more.
Despite these quibbles I really enjoyed this immersive, funny, and disturbing thriller. There's great social commentary and I love how plausible it all is when reflected against the current world. It's fast paced and an absolute page turner and has made me want to continue reading more in this book universe.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan | Macmillan for a digital review copy of "The Family Experiment" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
A companion novel that stands as part of John Marrs' 'Oneverse'. It can be read as a standalone but I recommend reading others in the universe as they make for great reading and add an extra dimension to the story the various Easter Eggs dropped in throughout.
Our setting is a speculative dystopian landscape in near future Britain where people can no longer afford to start or raise families. There is an alternative however, virtual children! 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 (VC) has decided to create a reality TV show - one of my favourite tropes in the thriller genre. It will follow ten couples as they raise a VC from birth to the age of eighteen but in a condensed nine-month time period. The prize: the right to keep their child or risk it all for the chance of a real baby.
I was introduced to John Marrs through The Marriage Act and loved the twisting, science fictionesque dystopian story and setting and this book is no different. We get multi-POVs as we are introduced to, and follow, our 10 contestants and watch as one by one they are eliminated, culminating in a thrilling and extremely satisfying ending.
We, the reader, are the viewers of the show - willing couples and children to thrive and succeed, gaining favourites and changing our rankings of who we want to win as the story unfolds. There are sudden changes throughout the story that make you realise that no couple or child is safe and much like when watching reality TV you switch allegiances as the numbers dwindle.
Like all reality TV and multi-pov novels there are weaker story elements. I didn't particularly like the Woody and Tina storyline and the Cadman character was every influencer that I dislike. I will read The Passengers in future however to get a better connection to his character to see if I come round to him more.
Despite these quibbles I really enjoyed this immersive, funny, and disturbing thriller. There's great social commentary and I love how plausible it all is when reflected against the current world. It's fast paced and an absolute page turner and has made me want to continue reading more in this book universe.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan | Macmillan for a digital review copy of "The Family Experiment" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.