I received a copy of this book from William Morrow and Custom House through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I've always been a fan of Ron Howard since watching Nick at Nite showing reruns of Happy Days. Also, i did not know he was Andy Griffith's son on The Andy Griffith Show which made me even more intrigued to learn more about him on a professional level. i first found out about Clint when he won the Lifetime Achievement Award on The 1998 MTV Movie Awards. I did not see many episodes of Star Trek or have seen any of his movies but, I've heard of the legacy he achieved and am fascinated with his unique, quirky persona he brings on screen. Reading The Boys was not what I expected. i was anticipating for more of a professional story of their careers, but Ron and Clint Howard left it all on the table revealing a lot of unexpected stories that just left me in shock. The Boys, left my mind in a newfound perspective of Ron and Clint. not only as actors and directors, but as human beings and being just one of The Boys.

A rea in-depth no holds bars memoir of one of the greatest actors and director brother relationships in the entertainment industry. This book deserves 5 stars.

A good book that really illuminates the vision of what a healthy family life looks like. That the sons were working actors in hollywood makes the story more poingnant.

Ron Howard is one of the most famous child actors of the 20th century. His brother Clint also worked as a young actor. Ron has spent his life in hollywood and looking at the way his family raised him you can see why.

When I was a little girl, I loved watching the Andy Griffith Show. The loveable cast of characters delivered a weekly dose of homespun humor and insight to audiences for eight years. Andy always offered sage advice, Barney’s antics made me giggle, Aunt Bee’s home cooking and lovingkindness reminded me of my grandma, and Opie was just plain cute with his red hair and freckles. Then there was Gentle Ben about the Florida Everglades adventures of game warden, Tom Wedloe, his wife Ellen, their son Mark, and Mark’s tame bear, Ben. I can still hear Mark’s little voice calling out to his big buddy.

In The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family, I delighted in the behind-the-scenes lives of Ron and Clint Howard. The two share their unusual family story of navigating and surviving life in Hollywood as sibling child actors. It’s candid, heartwarming, witty, sometimes painful, and altogether nostalgic.

Born in the 1950s to actors Rance Howard and Jean Speegle, the two were groomed for big and small screens as soon as they could walk. Although they were friendly competitors, they were always brothers first. As the years went by, their paths forked, Ron’s along the straight and narrow, while Clint’s was much bumpier and fraught with poor choices and substance abuse.

I supplemented the book with the audio version and listening to them alternately share their stories was better. Some transitions between their narratives were awkward and many of the anecdotes were repetitive, but the writing was solid, and the narration was superb.

Although Ron’s star has risen a little higher, he garnered far more than his share of attention in the book. He came across as arrogant and less likeable than his brother, who candidly shared his heartbreaking struggles with drugs and alcohol. All-in-all, The Boys is wholesome and entertaining. 4 stars.

Publication Date: October 2021
Genre: Memoir/Autobiography
Read-Alikes: My Days by Marion Ross, Forever Young by Hayley Mills, Andy and Don by Daniel De Vise

This was an enjoyable book about how Ron and Clint got started in show business. They tell a lot of stories about their parents and their love for each other and their sons. Interesting stories are told about their early days learning their lines before they even knew how to read. Lots of side stories about their costars are told. Their parents made sure their fame and money did not go to their heads. How their parents gave up their careers to mentor their kids while also maintaining a strong family unit is shown throughout the book. How Ron transitioned from actor to director is also revealed. While reading the book you see how important their parents are to them but also the close relationship the brother have throughout their lives. #TheBoys #NetGalley

4.5 stars

Ron and Clint Howard were the sons of aspiring actors Rance and Jean Howard. When the Howards moved to California in search of work, their young sons were more successful than they were. Rance and Jean were practical and down to Earth and raised their sons in a non-Hollywood environment.

Even though THE BOYS is co-authored by Ron and Clint Howard, it’s really Ron’s story from successful child actor to successful director. It felt intimate and conversational to me and I really enjoyed it. There were no “great reveals” but I was happy to see that Ron and Clint seemed as nice they come across in the media. Fans of the Howards and/or memoirs will love this book.

When I started to read The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family by Ron Howard and his brother Clint Howard, I couldn’t help but hear in my head “Da-da-dah, DAH-da-da-da, DAH-da-da-da,” the famous whistled theme song from “The Andy Griffith Show.”

Released October 12, 2021, this memoir chronicles their lives thus far through their upbringing by parents Jean and Rance Howard as the “boys” captivated TV viewers in Griffith’s show as well as Gentle Ben and Happy Days in the 1960s and 1970s to today’s highly successful filmmaker that Ron is and the constant character actor that Clint is. While many child stars were crippled by the way show business treated them once they outgrew their cute kid selves, Ron and Clint claim it was their parents' solid, down-to-earth parenting that allowed them to blossom as the men they are today.

Ronny, as he was known as in the credits as a child actor, describes how Mayberry was an idealized version of Mount Airy, North Carolina, as Andy Griffith remembered it. He shares that Griffith wanted his show “to counteract Hollywood’s prevailing stereotypes of southerners” that were showcased in “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Petticoat Junction.”

Clint tells some behind-the-scenes stories of incidents involving animals like Bruno who played the bear Gentle Ben, including practices that wouldn’t be allowed in today’s more enlightened times like removing teeth and claws.

The “boys” come clean that life was not always roses without thorns as Ron endured bullying when on hiatus from his stint as Opie when he returned to public school and dealt with some disillusionment with Hollywood when he wasn't picked up right away for another juicy part at the conclusion of his Mayberry years.. Clint experienced a downfall as the “family dopehead,” saying he “spent the majority of my teenage years learning how to catch a buzz;” unfortunately his drinking and smoking led to alcoholism and drug addiction.

All in all, their story is a warm tribute to their close family and a big thank you to their late parents for not only allowing them to become child actors but also for balancing their work life with opportunities to just be children. Admirers of the work of Ron and/or Clint Howard will find time well spent with this memoir.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting October 16, 2021.

I would like to thank William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

Ron Howard and his brother, Clint, alternate chapters in this heartfelt look at growing up in the film and TV industry of the 1950s-1970s. The Howard brothers were the offspring of two failed actors, who turned a very young Ron's gift of mimicry into a burgeoning performance career. With Ron's star turn on TV cementing his acting vocation, younger brother Clint was brought to television recording studios where he, too, became a very young performer. While this book is an obvious love letter to the brothers' now-deceased parents, the frank exploitative aspect of shoving your children into the limelight is inescapable and regrettable. The boys seemed to have escaped the fate of many child actors in that they have grown up to be capable, contributing adults. What remains an unavoidable fact, however, is the inherently unnatural circumstance of having very young children support their parents. This role reversal strikes at the heart of a normal parent-child relationship, creating an imbalance that smacks of emotional and financial exploitation, no matter how you may try to spin it afterwards.

Rance and Jean, parents of Ron and Clint, move to California to pursue their dreams of becoming movie stars. Instead, their children become stars. Ron stars as Opie in the Andy Griffith Show, Richie in Happy Days, and in numerous movies. Once grown, he becomes a world famous movie director. Clint stars in numerous shows as a child, and then after battling addiction, becomes a character actor in films. However, this book is a tribute to Rance and Jean, who encouraged them, treated them fairly, and set them up for success.

This was an absolutely fascinating book. I knew little about the Howard family before reading this book and was captivated by their family dynamic. The writing style was dynamic, oftentimes funny, and brutally honest. Overall, highly recommended!

The Boys
by Ron Howard; Clint Howard
Pub Date: Oct.12 2021

This book was better than expected. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
4star

I have been a fan of Ron Howard since I saw him in The Music Man. I of course loved watching him on The Andy Griffith Show and later on Happy Days and American Graffiti.

I was so excited when I heard about this book, and even more so when I got a copy from NetGalley for review. I started this book and I couldn’t put it down. It was so fun reading the stories of both Ron and Clint telling about being young and growing up in Hollywood to present day. Reading this book was like sitting around the Howard’s house listening to Ron and Clint tell their stories like they are your friends. Also, this book is a love letter to Rance and Jean Howard, Their parents. It was absolutely fantastic. They sucked you in right away and keep you entertained until the last page. I can’t wait to recommend this book to people.

This was better than I expected! I really enjoyed reading about the Howard family and what they experienced growing up and living in Hollywood. The book has a back and forth between brothers format, within each chapter, which really adds to the entertainment value. I was not aware that they are an acting family, Mom and Dad included, so that was surprising to me. It was interesting to hear how things go behind the scenes both when the Howard boys were very young and doing TV and movies and how things changed as they grew up and the industry changed along her way. There were even a few laugh out loud moments for me.
Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC.

An enjoyable, interesting and enlightening read about the Howard boys and their lives. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this book.

This book was a lot of fun to read. I grew up with these fellows on television, Now I feel like I know them.

Excellent history of the Howard family life in and out of Hollywood written by Ron and Clint Howard. They bother share their memories and talk about how their gamily life influenced their careers and how their careers impacted their family. Very enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed reading about Ron and Clint Howard. They also wrote about their dad Rance Howard who was a character actor in movies and TV.