The Boys Next Door: A novel about the Beatles by Dan Greenberger

 Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own. 

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I absolutely loved and savored every moment and word of this book. It was so much fun to read.

Book Description

Alan Levy is a college student who, in the fall of 1960, spends a semester abroad in Hamburg, Germany. There, he has the misfortune to rent a room next door to an up-and-coming rock and roll band from the North of England. They call themselves the Beatles.

They are loud, rambunctious, and high-spirited. They are wildly unconventional (at least compared to Alan’s Ivy League polish) and play horrible, jarring music at all hours of the night. They are friends, however, with a young woman with whom Alan has fallen hopelessly in love—a beautiful German photographer named Astrid.

The Boys Next Door is a bittersweet love story and a tall tale; a fast-paced, comic what-if, and a true fantasy fulfillment for Beatle fans everywhere. It’s a loving evocation of a time when rock and roll was new and dangerous, and when the lads from Liverpool were taking their first baby steps toward conquering the world.

About Dan Greenberger

DAN GREENBERGER is a Los Angeles-based television writer who has also written for film, theater, animation, standup comedy and network promos. He is a three-time Writers Guild Award winner for his TV work, and a graduate of Wesleyan University and Columbia’s School of the Arts. The Boys Next Door is his first novel.

My Thoughts

I must say when I was first asked to read this book I was intrigued. As a fan of the Beatles and having grown up listening to their music I thought it would be a fun read. 

I was not let down. This book was fantastic to read. It was fun, enjoyable, and a true delight. Once I started reading it I could not put it down. 

What I enjoyed the most was a peek into the early days of the five fabulously talented guys. Though the led character was a self-center rather unlikable guy in the beginning he grew on me as he himself grew.

I could on for days raving how great this book was but you would enjoy it so much better if you read it yourself. This book makes a great afternoon read and once you start I promise you won't want to put it down.