I recognize that I am a sucker for any book either about the Beatles or about someone's connection or relationship to (or love of) the Beatles. This doesn't always serve me well.

Beatles and Beacons is a coming of age story for Becca Beacon - a British girl going into her teens just as the Liverpudlian Fab Four are beginning to make waves at home and will soon be off to take the United States by storm. While she listens to their music constantly and hangs their photos on her bedroom wall, Becca is convinced that she's different from all the other girls.

Becca's parents don't understand the attraction and encourage Becca to 'let go' of her interest in the mop-headed, noise-making boys. But of course she won't. She'll even skip school in order to try to meet the young musicians.

As she gets older, her interests broaden (though she's still firmly a Beatles fan) and now she plays music herself, forming her own group - The Beacons.

Though she'll never marry a Beatle, they've had an influence on her life and even her parents begin to see that.

The idea here is fine but the whole story is just ... lacking. This feels like a thinly-veiled memoir - which fine, though I've read memoirs of women who came of age in the era of the Beatles before. It doesn't really say anything new and it has little-to-no impact. A girl and her mother don't see eye to eye - especially about the music the daughter listens to. Wow! Who would've guessed?!

Which leads to ... who is this book for? It reads like a YA book as we follow Becca's growth and as the pre-teen/teen struggles to find herself. But are the Beatles a draw to today's YA readers?

The writing itself isn't as strong as I had hoped. I had a problem with the whole "Beatles/Beacons" associations. We're were told, multiple times, how "Beacons" sounded like "Beatles"...


"I'm Becca Beacon, from Manchester."
"Beacon? Sounds like Beatle."
"I know. My brother Mikey's in a group called The Beacons. I thought of the name. They're so fab."

I'm sorry, but other than the similar "bee" sound, the two words sound nothing alike. And clearly no one else really thinks so either which is why the author has to tell us that they sound the same.

Overall, a disappointing read. But if you're between the ages of 60 and 100 and you want to read a YA coming of age story, you might enjoy this.

Looking for a good book? Beatles and Beacons by Fran Raya reads like part memoir and part YA coming of age story in which the Fab Four Beatles influenced the life of a young Manchester girl.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

As a lifelong Beatles fan, I was extremely intrigued by this novel. I related to the protagonist in that I was also a teenaged girl obsessed with the Fab Four (albeit in the 90s rather than the 60s), and I liked the focus on what was happening with the Beatles at each point in the novel. However, there were some inaccuracies that fans of the Beatles would spot, and I also found the italicised inner monologues of some of the characters scattered liberally throughout somewhat distracting.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

At 12 years old in 1962, Becca Beacon hears The Beatles for the first time, sparking a lifelong passion that shapes her teenage years. This book follows Becca's journey through adolescence, intertwined with every phase of The Beatles' career, from their rise to their breakup in 1970.

Becca is rebellious, struggling to find her identity, but her sharp wit and humor make her a compelling character. Her mother, Shirley, frustrated by Becca's declining grades and constant detentions, is baffled by her obsession with the "mopheads" but remains loving and supportive. Shirley and her husband, Eric, are two standout characters in this story.

The author captures the spirit of the 60s so vividly that it feels like experiencing Beatlemania alongside Becca—a nostalgic trip for anyone who missed it firsthand.

3.5/5.

“Beatles and Beacons” by Fran Raya had the potential to be a great nostalgia trip, but it fell a little flat. As someone who remembers the fervor of Beatlemania firsthand, I was excited to dive into Becca’s story. However, the historical details felt more like reciting facts than reliving a bygone era.

The autobiographical elements also grew wearisome after a while. While Becca’s passion for the Beatles is undeniable, her personality didn’t quite win me over. It was hard to connect with her on a deeper level.

That being said, the book’s heart is in the right place. Fans of the Fab Four might still enjoy the surface-level celebration of their music and influence. But for me, “Beatles and Beacons” lacked the spark that could have truly ignited a love for Becca and her journey.

I did not really enjoy this book. It felt more like reading a diary. Like watching a documentary.
I didn't feel I was rushing to read the next page and could not finish it.
Sorry it just didn't resonate.

Being a Beatles fan from the moment they arrived on the scene it took me back to my teenage and adolescent days.
I have lived everything that Becca did and followed the Fab Four through the trials and tribulations of their career. I was in love with Paul and like Becca bought all their records and watched their films. They were and still are an integral part of my life even though I am in my seventies.
A brilliant book with such happy memories

Trying far too hard : falling between telling history of the band and semi-autobiography

Unfortunately, this did not work for me at all. Using I believe the author’s own experience of being an obsessive Beatles fan, the central character or perhaps the writer’s alter ego just came across to this reader as rather wearing. She, and pretty well everyone seemed quite cliched. The potted history of the band, what it was doing when, interfered with, rather than helped the semi-fiction story of the central character along.

It was a very different novel from what I usually read, but enjoyable and enthralling. I felt like I was there, with Becca, experiencing these unique years. It was a bit bizarre at first that she was into two of the band members and not the four that we know, but I got used to it. I truly disliked some characters — the mother was insufferable — but Becca was such a wild spirit and I liked that. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I love the Beatles and am always eager to read new books about them. Fran Raya’s book is a semi-autobiographical story about a young girl who hears the Beatles for the first time and becomes a full-fledged Beatlemaniac.

Rebecca Beacon plasters her room with posters, buys and blasts every record, and even cuts school to try to catch a glimpse of the Fab Four. I enjoyed being immersed in her fandom. Her obsession gets her into trouble with her mother (although her brother isn’t criticized when he listens to the music and even starts a band) and at school. It’s fun to follow her journey through the years with the Beatles’ changing styles, and I like that her fandom inspires her to play and write her own music.

However, the chapters all start with book report-like summaries of what the Beatles are up to at the time, which could have been interwoven into the story. And the writing just wasn’t that good. It was such a cute story, but I’d rate it higher if the writing was stronger.

I received an ARC copy of this book from The Book Guild and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I found this story rather addictive, I enjoy how Fran Raya seamlessly changes perspectives between Beatle girl and her mom. The story is less about a love of the Beatles (but still a huge part), than about a girl who found them when she needed an escape. They shut out the noise in life and I can respect that

A great book if you are a Beatles fan as you will read it singing the songs quoted. There's happyness but also darkness.
An excellent and well plotted story
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

At 12 years old in 1962, Becca Beacon hears The Beatles on the radio for the very first time, and her life is changed forever. This book takes you through Becca’s teenage years, as well as through every era of The Beatles career, right until their break up in 1970.

Becca is rebellious, and struggling to find herself but she is a funny, smart and quick-witted, always making everyone around her laugh.

Shirley, Becca’s mum is frustrated with Becca’s dwindling grades, everyday detention, and especially her obsession with the four “mopheads” but she loves her daughter nonetheless. Her and her husband, Eric, were two characters I really enjoyed in this book.

The author has captured the decade of the 60s so well I almost feel like I lived Beatlemania with Becca, which is as close as I’ll ever get to ever actually experiencing it!

Beatles and Beacons by Fran Raya is full of period detail, and readers old enough to remember a time before the internet put discographies, videos of live performances, and fan forums at our fingertips will be familiar with the anticipation and intensity Becca feels. Raya gives us a 1960s story that is colorful and textured, and very easy to relate to.
In the beginning chapters I found the writing a bit stilted: the dialog is sometimes awkwardly expository, and it gets burdened by unnecessary verbs and adverbs when it could have stood on its own. What kept me reading was Becca: she is so much fun and so fully-realized that I wanted to know what she’d say and do next. I loved her family, as well, all were relatable and vivid. Even the minor characters were never one-dimensional and felt necessary to the story. Raya does a magic bringing the 1960s to life with small details and turns of phrase.
One of the challenges of telling a story about music as enmeshed in popular culture as the Beatles’ is that a younger reader’s associations with particular songs are likely to be with commercials and films. The songs are unmoored from the people who made them, at least for those readers who didn’t grow up listening to them. Beatles and Beacons makes an effort to give the reader The Beatles that she experienced, and in many ways it’s effective. The story had me hearing lines from songs and googling unfamiliar lyrics; I also looked at a lot of concert footage to see if I could imagine anything making me feel the level of screaming intensity early Beatles fans exhibited.
I recommend this novel to anyone with an interest in coming of age stories: it’s funny, wistful, and feels true. Becca is a fierce, fun narrator, and her wit and passion carry the story along swiftly.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book will transform into the luxurious 60s era a decade when The Beatles hit it's stardom. In this era you will meet Rebecca who is 12 year old young girl, out of nowhere she'll hear a melody from The Beatles blasting from the radio it was the love from the first sight.
It almost felt like reading a fanfiction where Y/N explores a new band being relentlessly captivated by their looks, their personalities & how they speak then one day they'll do everything to get for their first time, getting an opportunity to see them face to face
Becca has been struck with a Beatlemania. The adults around her including her parents didn't quite understand her addiction to the band. Due to the childhood abuse Becca found comfort from The Beatles, their music dragged her into another universe they made her forget the reality, The Beatles felt like home that kept Rebecca safe and sound.
As for an ordinary fangirl, she had posters on the wall, she talked to her 'boyfriends' on her wall, she listened to her records continuously without ever growing tired of it on max volume driving her mother mad. She hung out with boys who reminded her The Beatles boys. Her adoration for the band members was beyond other-worldly.
Becca wasn't just a simple fangirl, she thought she owned The Beatles, she was one of the first fangirls who discovered their music she was envious of other fans. She was always being rebellious and quite rude towards others.
The Beatles has been one of her enormous source of inspiration, the band ignited a dream within her to write her own songs, since she loved writing poems and singing since she was a little girl.
I enjoyed reading this book from start to finish the writing was enchanting and ethereally touching, I could resonate with Becca's feeling as a fangirl because let's be honest we've all been in this situation. It was genuinely a cosy & entertaining read. I loved travelling in my favorite time of a decade, it was purely adventurous.

As a music lover, I was excited for this book when I received the ARC. Although the story is interesting and I enjoyed the connection to music history, it all felt a little too easy and never quite drew me in. For a coming of age novel, I would’ve appreciated a deeper look into Becca’s struggles and how they shaped her into an artist.

I loved reading Fran Raya's supernatural thrillers. This new book is completely different and exceptionally good. It's a bildungsroman of sorts, but it is also a love letter to the Beatles, the author's icons, and her source of inspiration for songwriting and performing.
Written with passionate energy, the book charts the Beatlemania of the 1960s. Today, celebrity status is granted instantly on TV shows like The X-Factor, Britain's Got Talent and The Voice, but Fran Raya evocatively recreates a world of live concert tours, singles and LPs, posters and magazines, with boundless exuberance. There's a darker layer too of an abusive 'uncle' and a wife driven to the despair of attempted suicide. She captures magnificently the urban landscape of Manchester shrouded in smog, and the excitement of the Fab Four on stage at the ABC Ardwick, now enveloped in nostalgic glory.
This book is a panacea for a bad day. It is uplifting, with beautifully written prose and spiritually rewarding poetry.

2.5 Stars

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. I thought I was getting a cute story of a pre-teen who loves The Beatles. Today (February 9th, 2024) marks the 60th anniversary of when the band played on Ed Sullivan. I wasn’t born until 1966 but even I know about Beatlemania. The lead character takes this up a notch. A lot of the book felt like a history of the band, not the band themselves but a lot of dates, times and places. Facts of when and where they played and when albums and singles were released. A lot of telling and not much doing. A lot of the information I was already aware of but I admit I did learn a few things along the way and I found that to be interesting. There is a lot of italicized internal dialogue and I liked that, I know some people don’t so be forewarned. There is some poetry in the book that I enjoyed and thought was well written.

I did not like the main character, Becca, at all. She needed a swift kick in the ass. Her behaviour needed some firm discipline and if she were my child the records and posters would be taken away, never to be seen again unless she improved her grades and attitude. I don’t know why he parents allowed her to act that way, especially where her grades were concerned. I have had mad crushes on band members but I never acted the way she did and my mother wouldn’t let me, she just was just plain rude and insulting. It wasn’t cute at twelve and it certainly wasn’t at fifteen either.

We get a lot of information about the family background, particularly the mother’s side. This is not a light read as there is spousal abuse and child sexual abuse. This goes a long way to explain Becca’s behaviour, I guess, but her parents are not aware of it and they never discuss their daughter’s way of acting at all. Maybe that’s the way it was at the time but I still can’t see her getting a pass for it. All in all, this wasn’t what I was expecting when I read the blurb and I felt like I was reading a textbook getting ready for an exam.

Beatles to Beacons by Fran Raya

I loved this novel and devoured it in 2 days! This is the story of Becca Beacon a Beatles crazed 12 year old beginning in 1963. Becca’s story is weaved through a detailed chronology of the Beatles rise to fame and throughout their career. By sharing this chronology of the songs and albums that were playing apart in Becca’s life, I had a Beatles song track in my head throughout the time I was reading this novel. I loved it, it took me back to my childhood growing up with my dad playing the Beatles. I rooted for Becca as she bucked conventional norms and expectations for her while she followed her heart! What will become of Becca?
Fran Raya is a very talented writer and poet. I look forward to reading some of her other books.
Thank you Net Galley, Fran Raya and Book Guild for the opportunity to preview this book as an ARC.
#BeatlestoBeacons #NetGalley #FranRaya #BookGuild