The world's population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, the breaking point has arrived. A growing numberThe 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…
Gasp! What a true mind f*** of a book! A dark and twisted tale based on real world concerns, The Family Experiment took me into the disturbing realm of artificial intelligence in all of its potential horror. From its even pace to explosive climax, the plot was brilliantly written in all of its well-plotted glory. Trust me when I say that there wasn’t a thing missing from this mind-bending speculative thriller. Time after time, a cliffhanger chapter had me shouting “Wait, WHAT?!” into the night as I pushed on to finish this nearly 400 page book in just a single evening.
Told through round-robin multiple POVs, the character list made the plot come alive. With persona after persona filled with secrets deftly hidden from sight, I didn’t know who to trust as the game got underway. And believe me, this was wholeheartedly a game. By the end, the reality TV show feel simply oozed from the pages. But it was the dynamic backstories demonstrated through easily interwoven flashbacks that made each character into fully fleshed out individuals. Running the gamut from unexpected hero to evil villain, each and every one played their role to perfection.
The strongest piece to this five star narrative, however, was easily the deep dive into AI. Mixing together a very real Black Mirror premise with Marrs’s standard fast-paced, thought-provoking drama, all of my worries about what the tech bros newest toy could do to our world utterly came to life. While perhaps it wouldn’t occur in quite such a colorful way, all of the alarming qualities were still there in black and white. For that reason, I think this would be a dynamite pick for a book club book. After all, there would be so very much to discuss.
There were only a couple of teeny, tiny flies in the ointment. One would be the long list of characters at the outset of this novel. Additionally, the ending left something to be desired. Not in the outcome, but instead the slow rollout of facts in the conclusion. Maybe a bit of editing was needed? Despite this, however, it still didn’t ruin this one for me in the slightest.
All said and done, Marrs has clearly done it again. The fifth book set in his near-future world fully doused in warning, be sure to check out The Marriage Act, The Passengers, The Minders, and The One. Already an auto-buy author for me, the short chapters, mixed media format, and jaw-dropping twists merely confirmed for me that this was Marrs yet again at his best. From the non-stop suspense to the intricate plot, I was wholly consumed as I binged this book from beginning to end. So be sure to grab this one ASAP. It’s sure to be one of 2024’s most buzzed about thrillers. Rating of 5 stars.
Thank you to John Marrs, Hanover Square Press, and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: July 9, 2024
Trigger warning: controlling relationship, loss of a child, mention of: gambling addiction, drug use, infidelity, cancer...more
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