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This graphic novel recounts the experiences of six people in Appalachia who resist and protest against the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Each person brings different skills to the protests, but all feel close to the land they grew up on. The Mountain Valley Pipeline spans approximately 300 miles from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia. Their stories are inspiring despite the pipeline being stalled and then built and complete in exchange for President Biden's climate bill to pass. The artwork is minimal and focuses more on the feel of people and place instead of photorealism. The graphic memoir is interesting for environmentalists, local records, and activists.

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Important topic. I didn't even know that happened – maybe it's cause I'm not from the usa and such "small" issues aren't broadcasted overseas, which is unfortunate. (But also shows, again, that the news are working with the rich, and only talk about what they deem important.)

As an environmentalist, a child of Mother Nature, reading this truly felt heartbreaking. And maddening, making me angry. And so hopeless. (Especially the ending …)
However, seeing all the people come together, from different cultures and places, fighting for a better future, a planet that is livable for their children … is also very emotional in a positive sense. And inspiring. 

I'm already been fighting environmental movements for years, so that book didn't really change anything for me, except reminding me that I can't succumb to the depression and need to continue. For if I don't, who will? Therefore, I truly hope more people will read this and maybe get inspired by these 6 fighters. 

~

Thank you to Timber Press on Netgalley for a digital review copy. The book was released on May 13, 2025. 

-Ayxan Solongo, 08.07.25

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Book 133 of 350 ~ 2025

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Such a wonderfully illustrated graphic novel with such an important message. What's going on with the world today... Seriously

I received a complimentary copy of the ebook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Went in skeptical because I'm wary of performative activism but this exceeded my expectations.

I liked how we hear from various voices in the community instead of just one protagonist, which made the book even more effective because it sheds light on how the MVP affects different people in different ways. Also showed the importance of using our voice and skills for good, and the impact it can make.

While I would have preferred more depth into the issue, this graphic memoir was a good read for someone like me who doesn't live in America and hence knew nothing about the MVP prior. The minimal text and bold strokes in the illustrations also made it easy to get through without being too dry or dull.

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Gorgeous illustrations bring to life Denali Sai Nalamalapu's journalism to life through interviews with those directly involved in the active resistance against the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MYP) project. This moving story of community-based climate activism clearly demonstrates that we each have our role to play in dismantling unjust systems, reigning in corporate greed and speaking truth to power.

Holler shows the cost as well as the crucial need for activism in communityy where we can support each other to keep showing up for each other.

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A book that with the speed and clarity of better graphic novels takes us through the objections to a gas pipeline across the Appalachian hills, or three states, mountains, destructive seismic zones, vital aquifers, virgin forests named after beloved people, indigenous burial sites, and all that sort of stuff.

After the introduction, each chapter has a monologue/interview with its subject, and the highly restricted palette of white and green plus one other changes that one other. So you have to ignore the fact the Blue Ridge Mountains are never blue, as everything is an ochre or orange – something that edge of the colour wheel.

What's harder to ignore, perhaps, is that this is still a memoir about the author – certainly chapters 2 and 5 are too short to really be effective, and with the conclusion being from our creator's point of view we see this as definitely something about their response to the pipeline, as opposed to the group biography it may seem to be claiming to be.

But at the same time the piece is effective – the way oil and coal money has backed this cockamamie idea to the hilt – and the way Biden's time in power really didn't change the enthusiasm for the project amongst its funders one little bit. You see here the hills looking the same at every portion of the line – and the scar of the pipe's track looks the same at every page-turn too. This clearly is a ruinously bad idea, and this book about it is a nice all-ages-friendly complaint. But I didn't think it as great as it might have been – three and a half stars. Its message is strong and valid beyond all doubt, its execution not quite matching.

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I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A nicely written graphic novel about a very important part of the climate change talk. Interesting stories and a wealth of good information.

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This review published in the Charleston (WV) Gazette Mail Saturday/Sunday June 28/29, 2025.

HOLLER by Denali Sai Nalamalapu, Timber Press, 177 pages.

This graphic novel features six ordinary people turned activists who objected to the Mountain Valley Pipeline.

For those who don’t know (and that included me until I read this book,) the pipeline spans approximately 300 miles from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia, with the ultimate goal lan being to extend it into North Carolina.

The six subjects include a teacher, a single mother, a nurse, an organizer, a photographer and a seed keeper - two of whom are from West Virginia.

The pipeline was first proposed in 2014, and the goal was completion by 2018. But, you know, it was the government, so construction actually began in 2018.

Becky Crabtree, a grandmother of five from Monroe County realized the pipeline would essentially destroy her family sheep farm. She attempted to use the court system and pleaded with fossil fuel advocates to stop it but nothing worked.

Frustrated with the inaction, she protested by setting up a blockade on her property and by chaining herself to her 1971 Pinto. She was, of course, arrested.

Since then, she has stated that most of her sheep died and those that survived were barren. She notes that environmental activists warned that construction and implementation of the pipeline would disturb the soil, causing runoff and flooding which can dump contaminants into aquifers.

Ultimately, the charges against Crabtree were dismissed. Crabtree is a science teacher at James Monroe High School in Lindside, West Virginia. Part of her curriculum is teaching her students about the environment, including the historical facts about the extraction industry in West Virginia, which she claims has left the state’s citizens “sick and poor.” She hopes that giving her students this information will make them more likely to defend the environment.

Paula Mann and her husband attended an informational meeting before pipeline work began, as they realized it would likely go through their land. Mann, a photographer from Monroe County, began documenting the dangers of the pipeline, like the landslide-prone areas that might ultimately lead to an explosion. She, too, noted the potential damage to the aquifers and pointed out that the pipeline went straight through the Jefferson National Forest.

She used her photographs to inform the public, but also presented them to the Forest Service.

In 2019, the federal government ordered MVP to stop construction when the company lost key permits due to continuing environmental concerns. In May 2022, the completion date was pushed to 2023 and the cost of the project was increased from $3.7 billion to $6.6 billion.

The stalled project received a lifeline when Wedt Virginia Senator Joe Manchin agreed to vote for President Joe Biden’s climate bill if Biden and Democratic leadership would fast-track the pipeline. The deal was struck, despite protests, and in June 2024 the pipeline began pumping oil.

Becky Crabtree acknowledges the battle was lost, but says standing up gave her “hope” for the future.

Though the subject matter is grave, the graphic novel format helps Nalamalapu focus on the spirit of the activists and it also makes it accessible to all ages: the book would be a great way to introduce older children to issues about the environment and how regular people can make a difference.

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Holler by Denali Sai Nalamalapu is an engaging graphic memoir that brings real Appalachian climate fighters to life. I loved how the bold, expressive artwork and honest storytelling make the Mountain Valley Pipeline struggle feel personal and powerful. This is a very "real" look at people standing up for their communities in Appalachia. Denali Sai Nalamalapu’s artwork really brings the stories to life, making you feel the struggles and hope of the activists. It’s honest and heartfelt without being heavy-handed, and I found myself really connected to the people fighting for environmental justice. This book stuck with me long after I finished it. Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

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This graphic memoir introduces us to six individuals who took a stand against construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline which cut through forests and farms in Appalachia, and posed severe threats to the area's ecology and wildlife. It's an insightful look at many forms of resistance and protest, and may serve as a handy guide at this sad point in our history. Anyone can RESIST.
A depressing, but necessary read.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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