I really appreciated this graphic memoir and the way it tackled inequity, the climate crisis, and political/corporate greed in a way that is accessible to all ages. Before reading this book, I did not know much about the Mountain Valley Pipeline specifically; however, I learned a lot and enjoyed the way the different perspectives and voices were represented. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Being from Appalachia myself, this book was such a pleasure to read. I think that sometimes people associate Appalachia with only conservative ideals and a lack of community, with everyone acting only for themselves. This book disproves that in showing the diverse communities that exist within Appalachia and make it what it is. Holler takes us through several fights for climate and community justice led by Appalachians of color and the victories and struggles they endured. I would absolutely recommend this book for classrooms and individuals alike.

This graphic novel is a collection of stories. And together it tells the story of how a community stands up to take action for nature conservation.

Throughout the book you read the stories of all sorts of different people who got involved in the protest. You read something about their background, why they are committed and also how they campaign.

I found this book very powerful because it shows that standing up for something you find important can be very natural. It’s possible to find a way that suit you.

In addition, I find it powerful that this book captures the stories up close, without necessarily making them more beautiful or polishing them up.

All in all I enjoyed this graphic memoir and I think that this publication can be a good example of how you can get started with capturing your own story in a book.

Big thanks to Timber press and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Several Appalachian activists are interviewed about their role in opposing a pipeline set to be built in northern West Virginia. The hopeful stories prove that small actions, when combined, can combine into a much larger force against oppression. The illustrations are simple and effective, and the interview-style of dialogue gives the text a snappy, down-to-earth tone.

Holler tells the true story of the Mountain Valley Pipeline from 2014 to June 2024. Denali Sai Nalamalapu puts themselves right into the story and clearly describes how they came to fight to protect the climate and what made them write this story down. As I was reading it, I have to admit that everything made more sense. You see the headlines and on an intellectual level you understand the broad strokes, but the author quickly breaks it down in frames that really lets the information sink in.

The author then takes us through the stories of the following six people: Paula Mann, Karolyn Givens, Becky Crabtree, Crystal Mello, Michael James-Deramo, and Desirée Shelley-Flores. They resisted the pipeline and it was for different reasons. One person photographed the dangers the pipeline could cause to the existing terrain. A few researched and took their concerns to the government. One person even handcuffed themselves to their car in the middle of the MVP construction zone. Yellow finch trees represent hope for another.

We get to hear their voices in a clear way. I absolutely love how this book is laid out and how engaging it is. Obviously this doesn’t have a happy ending as the pipeline happened. What it does contain is hope. Denali Sai Nalamalapu takes us through all of the ranges of emotion with these interviews and what comes out at the end of each is hope for the future. With knowledge, we can do better.

Holler is an easy-to-read graphic novel that is packed full of knowledge. There are some dark topics covered such as depression, cancer, ill health, and the destruction of people’s homes. This does not make it a book to be overlooked for kids. I think this is still a must read. Holler is real and it will keep happening unless we continue to work together to stop it.

I really wanted to love this beautiful little comic that really is about environmental issues and social injustice, And mostly the activists that fight for justice every day. But unfortunately it was not for me, it felt more like a school presentation than a story to get invested in. Loved the art style though.

When young climate activist Nalamalapu hears about a pipeline that's going to cut the Appalachians in half and put a lot of people and incredible land at risk, they know they have to get involved. This is that story, a graphic memoir that tells the story of 6 other activists as well who have tried to fight the pipeline.
I had no idea any of this was going on. It was very informative. I was not huge a fan of the art style.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this graphic novel. 3.5/5 stars.

I mean, it's a unique way to tell a story. I do like how it's nonfiction and a memoir, along with the art style. It definitely would need contextual knowledge to understand the pipeline and the resistance --I especially with it being related to the specific Appalachian community. It could have also used some context in the graphic novel, but I also appreciated how short it was? It's a very unique addition to the graphic memoir.

This book is fantastic! I love how it breaks down some ways to be an activist and explains why it is important. This is a book I’m going to get for my daughter. I would have loved this book as a kid. I’m so happy to live in a world where this book exists.

Holler is a simple, quick read of a graphic novel, covering 5 different acts of resistance in the face of the building of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Each person did something small that added up, which offers hope, but it also shows how their efforts ultimately failed due to political and corporate greed and how devastating that was. So, it was both a heartwarming and hard story to read. I appreciated the simple panels and how the story was centered.

In conclusion, liked it a lot! I think this is a good introduction to the world for middle grade and high schoolers, especially ones concerned with environmentalism.

Thank you to Netgalley and Timber for the e-ARC!

In Holler, Denali Sai Nalamalapu interviews environmental activists involved in protesting the Mountain Valley Pipeline. The introduction gives the reader a background on the history and timeline of the pipeline. Each "chapter" is an interview with a different activist about how they got involved and what they did. The art in this book is beautiful. The color palette does a nice job of glaringly pointing out the destruction of the MVP. Each chapter felt very brief, and I wish that the reader got to spend more time with each activist.

In <i>Holler</i>, Nalamalapu tells the stories of six individuals who have resisted the Mountain Valley Pipeline in West Virginia and Virginia over the last decade. She also gives information on the pipeline, its construction, and the ways it can and will harm the land and people who live near it.

The graphic novel format worked well for this topic, highlighting the importance of what people were saying, with minimalist art that showed the impact of the pipeline. Each person’s experience is told in around 20 pages, making this a quick read that just skims the surface of the subject. This would be a good book for teenagers looking to learn more about environmental justice and ways to fight for the planet.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher, and the author for a free ARC of this graphic novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

First of all, I really think memoirs as graphic novels are a fantastic choice of style. The art of this one is very... single palette. But it's an interesting style. I think this is a very important issue, and it definitely deserves all the attention it can get. However... I failed to see the author's personal connection to it other than the fact that she just does environmental causes. I hate to say this, but I really felt like I would have felt more of an emotional connection if even the author--who serves as a narrator/interviewer type--was actually from the area. Maybe she had moved there to fight this cause... but she makes it clear in the beginning that that wasn't where she grew up. Also, the end of each interview felt a little... condescending? Dumbed down? I couldn't decide. I didn't know if it was supposed to be an after-school special kind of vibe or a "you should be ashamed" kind of vibe. But it felt... uninviting. I imagine the whole point of this memoir is to rally more people to the cause... but the voice being used seems... "I'm better than you because I've already been fighting this." Maybe I just misunderstood what the author was going for.

This is an interesting graphic novel that gives personal stories of people fighting oil pipelines. It would be a good option for people looking for perspectives from that side of the argument.

An easily read/digested graphic novel highlighting 6 people who took a stand in protest to a pipeline being built through the Virginias. It's of a very serious nature/subject, using simple/effective artwork....using the colors on the front cover of the book. It tells about individual people joining with others to make a positive difference in their community. It's a good book to have in your public, or private, library.
I received an e-ARC of the book from Timber Press via NetGalley, affording me an opportunity to read it & post my own fair/honest review.

*Thank you to Timber Press and NetGalley for the e-Arc! All opinions are my own.*

First of all, the art in this graphic novel is wonderful! I can always appreciate a simple color scheme, especially in a nonfiction graphic novel. I feel like it helps me keep my focus on the themes at hand. Secondly, as a fellow Appalachian-native, I was very excited to delve into this one. My relationship with the material in this particular book is complicated, because I grew up with a father who works on pipelines as his career. This means my childhood was funded by the very work that I've grown to dissent in my adulthood. So as an adult, it's really important to me to do the work necessary to educate myself about the harmful effects of pipeline work, show up for the people harmed by it, and unlearn all of the things I was told in my upbringing. This book is a wonderful resource. The format is refreshing and very easy to digest; it's extremely accessible and informative.

When I saw the cover of this book and what it was about I knew I needed to read it. I was born and raised in Appalachia myself and hadn't heard of the MVP pipeline before and wanted to learn more about it.

Holler is basically a graphic novel documentary told through the history and experiences of the creator, Denali Sai Nalamalapu, and a diverse group of six others who have had different experiences and connections to the land and nature that the MVP pipeline is destroying.

This was my first nonfiction graphic novel and I enjoyed it even if it was a heartbreaking read about how greed is destroying the lands we love. The illustration style and color schemes are simplistic but that allows for the stories and the message to take the spotlight.

"Holler" by Denali Sai Nalamalapu was a really accessible and easy read to learn about the eco activists fight against the MVP pipelines.

I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review

As soon as I saw this I was incredibly excited to get into it as it very much speaks to my own passions.

Holler is essentially a graphic novel documentary told through the history and experience of the creator, Denali Sai Nalamalapu, and a diverse group of six others who have different experiences and connections to the land and nature that the MVP pipeline is destroying.

This is a truly charming, informative, entertaining, envigorating, and infuriating (complimentary) comic that tells a very human and heartbreaking story of greed and ignorance of capital and those in power, all the way to the President of United States (if anyone was still in doubt about the evils of those in authority, regardless how banal). Beyond climate disaster and economical and political greed and corruption, it discusses systemic inequality, racism, and the power of community; what we can do when we stand together against oppression and destruction.

I absolutely adored this and cannot recommend it more strongly!

I really enjoyed the graphic novel as the format for telling this story. It made it much easier to understand and actually see the environmental impact of the pipeline project. I have heard of many of these projects and protests about them in my life but had never gotten a full picture like this. I think telling the story of everyday people will help encourage teens to get involved in their community, even if they aren't the most educated on the subject, but can feel in their heart it's wrong. Each point of view provides a unique perspective and new information. But, I think I hold a soft spot for Beck, a grandma, still being involved.