Most books you read, this book you act it out. The Characters of Milestoneville: Collector’s Edition is a fiction action-drama novel. There are many memorable and well-developed characters; each will intrigue you as they become familiar. The story starts when Flower Rose, a savvy and no-nonsense book collector, gets her hands on a lost valuable book. As she puts the book up for sale, the main characters get introduced to the story; G and JBT are book hunters and will stop at nothing to return the book to its rightful owner. Reading this book will feel like you are watching an action-drama movie. It is a page-turner novel that you will not be able to put down. The non-stop action and drama will leave you wanting to know what will happen next. There are many unpredictable twists and turns as more characters appear in this original story. Golden November’s signature writing style for telling a story is dialogue-based with no third-person narratives; it's similar to a screenplay. Let the storylines flow and get into character for the drama, action, and comedic timing.
5-star review
The Characters of Milestoneville: Collector's Edition by Golden November is the longest-running published book on the fictional people in the expansive Milestone-verse catalog I've read to date, and easily the most comfortable to connect with as a reader. In typical November style, this is a straightforward dialogue approach to storytelling. This was my first introduction to Flower Rose, a rare book aficionado, collector, and quasi-detective, who sells missing editions with her mathematics Ph.D. holding and art collecting brother, Dr. Yes. The story then turns and sprints into a hunt for a piece of literature swept into the sea, and the Milestoneville tentacles reach out into more familiar characters and their high antics, including the stalwart named Good, collectible albums, rappelling and airplane piloting, a too-good-to-be-true lottery ticket, and other twists only found in the imagination of November.
Golden November is one of those authors who many will only be able to appreciate with time and repeat readings, which is where I stand right now with The Characters of Milestoneville: Collector's Edition. The humor reminiscent of what one might experience at a stand-up comedy event, initially sounds unintentional, but with well-executed pacing, it hits the target, which is the case as we transition through the story. Due to the length of this particular book, I think there is enough time and space for the characters to properly develop and flex their personalities more. Flashback sequencing further enhances this development. My favorite was a distinctly ironic parallel between JBT's joke about a "snow Pina Colada" and Jillian's Pina Colada on the beach while tanning reference. These links are clever and intentional and highlight November's unique ability to bridge scenarios in complex ways.
5-star review
The Characters of Milestoneville: Collector's Edition by Golden November sends readers on a journey for rarities that catapult into wild adventures November is known to spin. The book intersects the lives of the Milestoneville cast members in a centralized theme and plot of a search and rescue—not people, but valuable commodities—and then diverges into subplots.
Tongue in cheek is today's special when Golden November pens books like The Characters of Milestoneville: Collector's Edition. In the interest of full disclosure, I wasn't sold on my first couple of introductions to a screenplay style of writing, but after it was recommended that I read a handful of real scripts to immerse myself in the style... I get it. My family gets it too now, and we had a better time acting it out. You have to just toss out all preconceived notions of what a story should be and instead love it exactly how it is delivered. The photographs being strategically allocated at the top of every page are clear and very important since they are all readers have to engage with in ambiance. A characters' dialogue is the only way to hear the writer's words.
5-star review
The Characters of Milestoneville: Collector’s Edition is an extended collected work of interpersonal drama and wacky adventure, which was penned by author Golden November. This volume brings together many different adventures from the Characters of Milestoneville book series and showcases all of the different figures that you meet along the way. Beginning with Flower Rose and her obscure book, which attracts the attention of the enigmatic book hunters G and JBT, we are slowly introduced to a madcap collection of adventurous souls who have plenty to say about the world they find themselves in. What follows is a wild adventure with many unexpected twists, laughs, and surprises.
I have met some of these characters before and seen some parts of their stories in previous reviews, but having the whole collection together in this epic format really brings home the sense of whimsy and commitment to character development that November possesses. In the ‘read between the lines’ style, which has become synonymous with Milestoneville, we race through many different locations – brought to life with handy scene-by-scene visual aids to keep your mind engaged – and the dialogue is always pacy and fun. I also gained a much greater appreciation for JBT than in my previous reading of certain parts of the collection: it was nice to see the character’s full arc.
5-star review
Golden November's Characters of Milestoneville: Collector's Edition is an entertaining romp that gives you a dialogue-based story complemented by arresting photographic compositions. The story is an adventure for the studious and bibliophiles. A character who is delivering a book decided to read it while on a fishing boat. The wind blew the book into the ocean. It is up to G and his partner JBT to find and retrieve the book, which was published in just a single day and sold only one copy, thus making it a rarity. Somehow, the book came into the possession of Flower Rose, who sells hard-to-find books. According to a certain Dr. Yes, who is interested in this rare tome, the book is worth five million. Our book hunters will take extra lengths to get their hands on the book before anyone else does.
There is some charm to the idea of hunting for a rare book—perhaps it is because popular entertainment seldom gives us a story that runs on such an idea. Golden November knows intelligent adventure. The style that the author introduces may not initially appeal to you, but allow yourself to move along with the story, and it will grow on you. November gives you a style that reads like a cross between a movie script and a graphic novel. It is unpredictable, surreal, and gives plenty of surprises. Overall, The Characters of Milestoneville is both pleasing and unique, a must-read for anyone willing to read something fun and unconventional.
