I enjoyed the first-hand accounts from local activists. As someone local to the Roanoke area, it was nice to read about people who have a deep connection with the land and are fighting to protect the environment.

This is a lovely and excellent work of art that chronicles the activism of everyday folks in Appalachia protesting the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which ruined land, polluter the water, and caused massive ecological damage during the time developers were trying to put it into place. The author explains her path to climate justice and activism, and those of the people she interviewed for this project, who range from a single mom to a woman who chains herself to her car in protest. These aren't necessarily the acts and activists we hear about in the media--in fact, I think the media has mostly given up covering climate and environmental activism, alas--and their acts of rebellion and protest are heartening and inspirational. It's a great book for almost any audience.

The story could read as an investigative report--something that would be well-told through the medium of a podcast or documentary with interviews. However, the use of a graphic novel as medium really helps the reader grasp the various areas and people affected. It shows the reporter having tea and interviewing her subjects. It shows the pain and hardship that people have gone through, reflecting on past efforts and showing current efforts. Something that would be hard to capture in a documentary depending on timing.

This visual medium reflects the fear and commitment that concerned citizens have for the environment. It doesn't end on a happy ending, but on a call to action that we, the reader, must take up the torch.

I highly recommend this for high school libraries, and public libraries.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Timber Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This was a great book and is an amazing way for people to get into Appalachian studies, current events, and history. It provides a starting point for getting informed (and does so in an engaging way), but this book is not super detailed.

I would highly recommend!

I loved the format of this graphic non-fiction book about everyday people fighting for their homes and futures.. The brief interviews provide a personal touch, connecting the reader to the fight against the MVP in Appalachia. Even though greed, capitalism, and white supremacy win, it ends on a positive note, calling for community care. The art was simple, yet effective.

Holler has a great message, but the execution is lacking. These stories should be told, but with more details to connect the reader to the subject. The artwork and design are attractive, but doesn't show the majesty of the area it is so committed to preserving.

I didn't know what a holler was when I started reading this. I knew that holler meant to shout, and it fit for the book's message and contents, but when I got to the end and realized that holler is also an Appalachian term, I appreciated the complexity of the title even more. I looked it up and found that it's the Appalachian English way of saying "hollow," and it refers to the valleys and hollows of the Appalachian region where people live. The way Nalamalapu uses it as her title connects to both meanings, and I really appreciate that.
I chose to read this book after seeing it in a NetGalley email because I love ideas of resistance and rebellion, and I also find the Appalachian region fascinating. Things like the Mountain Valley Pipeline really frustrate me although I'm not an active resister by any means. I also liked the idea that this is in a graphic novel form and approachable for young adults.
I did enjoy the book. It's a quick, easy read, and I learned a lot from it. It's structured with Nalamalapu as the narrator and also the interviewer. It's broken up into 7 parts, the intro explaining the author's interest in resisting the MVP and resistance against injustice in general, the 5 interviews she conducts with people from Appalachia who fought against the MVP, and then, the conclusion, urging her readers to step up. The interviews are great, but the narrator's summary after each one is didactic. I don't like the way each section ends. The conclusion is even more that way.
All that being said, I got something out of the book. I really appreciate the thoughtfulness of the author's artwork and her obvious care and passion for the subject. Overall, I recommend it if you want to learn more about fighting against the powers that be, defending the earth against pollution, and Appalachia. Also, if you know someone who wants to do more or feels hopeless about the way things are, this book could be very encouraging.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy of the book!

Holler explores the lives of activists fighting the construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline through their communities. This graphic novel was heartwarming and heartbreaking, informative and left me wanting to learn more, but most of all it renewed a fire within me and gave me hope to continue fighting to protect our environment and our communities.

I adored the art style. It was quite simplistic, but in a way that really lets the story shine. I particularly really loved the cohesive color story.

My one criticism is that I wanted more. I felt like this just scratched the surface of the such a vast topic and I would have loved if the author covered more action items for the reader.

Overall, I absolutely loved this and everyone I know will be receiving a copy once it comes out.

I didn't know all that much about the pipeline projects before I read this graphic novel. It gave me more informed background on the issue and I really appreciated getting to see it from so many different voices and backgrounds. I would love to see this book get more love and have more folks read it. It really puts human faces on what is an abstract concept to a lot of people.

This was wonderful. So informative on the pipelines and how they affect both the climate and the people. I was able to feel hope that we have people like the ones talked about trying to help oppose things like this, sadness and grief that the pipeline was chosen to move forward and for the future of Earth, and intrigue while learning additional information I was not privy to before.

Holler is an inspirational and informative graphic memoir-esque story of six people who have been at the frontline of meaningful resistance in Appalachia. Denali Sai Nalamalapu found out about the Mountain Valley Pipeline and felt drawn to both resist its construction and write about others who have done so.

Told in short chapters, this book is very accessible and will appeal to young readers with its approachable text complexity. I found the art style well suited to the story.

I learned from this book and I feel its lessons are especially timely as resistance is critical, but surely looks different for each of us.

Holler is a graphic novel depicting short bursts of interviews with individuals impacted by the MVP (Mountain Valley Pipeline) in the Appalachian Mountains. I’ll say first hand that I had never heard of the MVP and I can only imagine how devastating it must be to have your home put at risk and feel unheard.

This is a powerful read and one I will purchase to read to my little one when she’s bigger. I love powerful women, and I love graphic novels!

I picked up this title because I figured it would be a good library buy- short and punchy, with a strong artistic style. I was correct, and this book left me wanting much more from these people, their stories, and this author. Stories like these are so important and are only going to become more so.

As someone who grew up near Appalachia and spent summers, birthdays, holidays, and every spare moment in East Tennessee and rural Alabama, my heart has always resided in the hollers and mountains of my ancestors. Holler does a beautiful job of concisely communicating these mountains' ancestral power and the importance of place in regard to culture and resistance to white supremacy.

As Americans (especially those of us who are white), we are often disconnected from "place" and from the ways the land sustains our lives. Holler helps readers reconnect to the importance of the land as a symbiotic entity inextricable from our survival. It demonstrates how to resist corporate greed, white supremacy, and a loss of connection to community. We must notice what is wrong, speak up, get involved in our local communities, and bring attention to the problems that plague our sacred land sites if we want to retain our agency in this world.

I thought Holler had endearing artwork that underpinned the passion and urgency required to preserve and protect everything that makes human life worth living. The different interviews and viewpoints featured in the book demonstrated the unique ways each person can contribute to resistance while keeping the values of community and connection at the center. As a life-long lover of Appalachia, I think Holler is a lovely snapshot of the problems working class people and people of color are facing and the many ways activism can manifest. I think it should be required reading in schools!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers at Timber Press for sending me an e-ARC! This book is short enough to be accessible to most people, but it is powerful enough to impart a message that readers will be thinking about long after they close its pages.

Holler is a quick overview of activists standing against the Mountain Valley Pipeline through West Virginia and Virginia and if you’re looking for a quick overview of this subject, you’ve come to the right place.

Good for people looking for firsthand accounts of the effects of pipelines and the ongoing battle against climate change.

I enjoyed reading this graphic novel.

Not only did I learn quite a bit about the Mountain Valley Pipeline, but the novel also does an excellent job highlighting those leading the fight to keep it away from the Mountain Valley. In some ways, more information could have been provided about each person, but I also understand that it is a graphic novel and must be condensed.

The timeline at the beginning outlines everything that has happened and makes it easy to follow.

When it is released, I will purchase a copy so my kids can read it.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Timber Press for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Powerful reads, informative reads, environmental news

This is a powerful and fast read. This is a great graphic novel for teaching about the environmental issues caused from MVP. Very informative. I love the perspective of the different stories with a common cause. I highly recommend it!

This features shortened versions of interviews conducted by the author. They introduce the overarching issue—the Mountain Valley Pipeline project & the destruction of natural resources—then they speak with six people who have worked to save their Appalachian communities & the land they grew up on/live on.⁣⁣⁣
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I loved the graphic format of the interviews & how the artwork was simple enough to not overshadow the important message, yet detailed enough to show the beauty of the natural lands. I have never been to Appalachia, but I grew up in “the natural state” of Arkansas, so I felt connected to these activists who have worked to protect their natural surroundings from environmental injustice.⁣⁣⁣
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While I think the graphic novel could have been longer overall, I still learned a lot & I was inspired by these wonderful, regular people standing up to the powerful, greedy politicians & corporations responsible for dangerous, destructive projects. This is a quick, educational, & moving read that I think is accessible to all ages. Everyone everywhere can learn something from this.⁣⁣⁣
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It shows us that when we stand up for what we believe in, together, we can & will make a difference—no matter how small or how hopeless it may seem!⁣⁣⁣
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Many thanks to NetGalley & to Timber Press for this e-ARC!

Holler is a documentary of how grassroots activism can start with just one person. It’s also a good historical record of the Mountain Valley Pipeline and how it is not only affecting our environment but the people of Appalachia.

The beginning details the history of the MVP over the last 10 years. The impact is shown in interviews with people who had a passion for their home and used their own skills and knowledge to try and protect it.

The biggest takeaway from this book for me was sometimes it just takes one person to stand up and say no.

It show us that grassroots causes are still an important part of activism today.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC of this book.

All opinions are my own

#Holler #DenaliSaiNalmalapu #NetGalley #Activism #Appalacia #QuickRead #History #GraphicNovel

I appreciate this. I like the message and what it says about the close knit communities of Appalachia. I enjoyed learning about folks who are active in the resistance of the MVP. This is inspiring and will definitely inspire folks to join the resistance. Thank you for the arc NetGalley.