No Main Character by Golden November is a collector's edition volume of the No Main Character series. For readers unfamiliar with November's style of writing, it is done in a format similar to a screenplay except instead of prompts and set directions, November uses professional photography as the sole visual and dialogue only narrative to be acted out as opposed to simply being read. Family inviting friends to a music award ceremony kicks off the story in the 1990s. This is not a prestigious ceremony but hilarious nonetheless and readers are given song lyrics to sing along. In a serendipitous text, Plethora and Asterick connect. As the story really begins to take off, so too does the direction of Plethora and Asterick in the wildest ways conceivable, while Milestoneville series regulars maneuver through subplots that tie it all together.

It took me a lot of volumes and several re-reads to appreciate Golden November and their work, but at this point and with No Main Character under my belt as another enjoyable read, I'm glad I cracked on and continued to read in a genre and formatting such as this. The best part of November's writing style comes from sarcastic, deadpan humor. This is really brought to life when the story is being acted out and it is really, really hard to keep a straight face when reading:

-What's the crunchy stuff inside the sandwich?
- It's cucumbers, do you like it, Fred?
- His name is Charlie!

The crew zig-zag from one near-catastrophe to the next in good detail considering a photo prompt and alternating lines are what a reader is working with...but it does work. Golden November hands out another great time to be had by all if you've got the open mind to give it a shot. Recommended.

No Main Character: Collector's Edition by Golden November is described as a book that reads in the same way a television show or a movie would be with the volume off and the subtitles on, and that's probably the most perfect way to explain how November's books work. At the top of each of the pages is a photo and the same photo remains on each page after while that specific scenario plays out. The writing is stylized with just the name of the character speaking in bold face, then the dialogue. The sequences in November's Collector's Edition release are many. Jumping from an airplane, private access to an awards ceremony, “live music”, screenplays and the familiar book store, and groups of friends razzing one another are just a few of the incantations of November's imagination.

Even though No Main Character: Collector's Edition really does not have a main character, there are definitely standouts. For myself it is Chatsworth, the pen salesman, who is the star in my eyes. He hilariously sells the writing instruments to unsuspecting homeowners and then, as he displays the generosity of a true friend, he offers to said friend to also sell pens...in the likely event this friend named Click-clack should fail in his ambition of being a successful actor. Golden November's book isn't only for a group reading as my son pointed out. In fact, he's quite good at changing his voice as he reads through the lines and between his hysterical laughing, usually we can understand what he is saying! And we want to understand because it would be an shame to miss the part where a white-water rafting challenge has Carly shouting, “Get back, you duckers!” Fun, fun, fun! [end scene].

No Main Character is Golden November’s screenplay that focuses on dialogue and human interaction instead of on the characters' physical descriptions. The setting is Milestoneville and the development of Channel 1994. Opening with JBT and G jumping from an airplane, The Client calls and JBT lands a job looking for a stolen book worth $5,000,000. The duo head to Channel 1994’s Award Show. The story then transitions to pre-show interviews by Amy. JT and Pineapple are both rival contestants for the best music award. Then a third transition is to the Award Show where the host seems to have forgotten his manners. He insults Click Clack and his family on stage. Then he turns to the crowd and announces that everyone was the winner of the Worst Music Award. The remainder of the book features a cast of colorful characters and the rise of Channel 1994’s popularity. Meanwhile, JBT and G are on the hunt for a book that seems to be desired by many.

No Main Character consists mainly of dialogue. The scene transitions within each chapter are indicated by the changing of the photographs heading each page. The pictures were tasteful and depicted the scene, and the conversations were like reading the subtitles of a movie in a foreign language. The names of every character didn’t seem to be the focal point that Golden November wished me to follow. At the beginning of the book, I read the introduction that this is a book to act out rather than to read. There is really no actual main character for the entirety of the book, but once I correlated the photographs at the top of every page with the dialogue, I found it was easy to understand. My favorite moment came from The Host Of Channel 1994’s Award Show. Even though he was fired for making fun of various important people, the jokes were not vulgar, and the audience found them funny. No Main Character hosts numerous themes ranging from suspense to comedy and drama. I think that the book could be converted on-screen as a soap opera. The ending is a cliffhanger that leads into the author’s next book in the series. Anyone who likes to read scripts or desires to be a screenwriter would enjoy this book.

No Main Character is the Collector's Edition in Golden November’s series of the same title. Before sinking your teeth into this book, be informed that the author will challenge your traditional expectations of what a narrative story should be. As with all the books in the series, the author uses a creative combination of photographs and a dialogue-based story in a screenplay style. The photographs provide amplification to the narrative and give strong emphasis to the proverbial phrase about pictures painting a thousand words. True to its title, there is no particular main protagonist that graces the pages. What you are treated to is a diverse set of three-dimensional characters and fascinating situations where humor is one of the avenues of the plot. As you read along, you then get to choose who among the characters you find the most interesting.

No Main Character: Collector’s Edition may well be read as a series of different characters in different situations operating in the same world. There is plenty of humor along the way, and there is the great pleasure of singing along as you get a front seat to a music award ceremony. This is at-the-moment humor that is effectively funny as you take it in moderate doses. Golden November’s humor is a world in itself, as it often turns on a logical contradiction or it sometimes defies logic. What you normally accept as realities are pushed to absurd extremes. Consider the case of Chatsworth, the pen salesman who sells his product door to door. You cannot help but admire the credulity he puts into his showmanship in convincing homeowners why they need a pen. No Main Character is a brilliant read, and if you do enjoy it, you are most welcome to join the ride in the rest of the series.