Cam O’Mara likes to skateboard with his best friend, Mike Gianni. But there is a family legacy of champion bull riders; his grandpa Roy and his big brother Ben were both championship bull riders. When Ben goes back to Iraq for the last three months of his tour after his leave from the marines, he is severely injured by an IED, improvised explosive device. Cam has a difficult time dealing with his brother’s injuries which include paralysis from traumatic brain injury and the loss of his left hand and the changes they wreak on Ben and the rest of the family. Williams addresses the realities of a family dealing with a returning injured soldier sensitively and realistically from the financial strain and resulting family tensions to the embarrassment of Ben and his mother because he can’t take care of himself. Grandpa Roy and Cam take Ben to the rodeo ring to see his old friends and Darrell, one of the only people who could sometimes beat Ben in the ring, teased Cam into getting on a bull. That is all Cam needs to become addicted to the adrenaline rush of bull riding. Frustrated by Ben’s increasing depression, Cam makes a bet with Ben that if he rides Ugly, the biggest, baddest bull around, Ben will have to take his rehabilitation seriously. Excitement and tension build to the climax of the book and concludes in a satisfying way. ( )

So, yeah: this is a young adult novel, for boys, with a patriotic / military theme, and bull riding. None of which am I super into. And yet, this book was really good! Williams has a good sense of character and dialogue, and the story as it is told from Cam's perspective is both interesting and moving. The patriotic stuff is definitely there, but focused on supporting the troops (both overseas and veterans at home) and not necessarily supporting the war. In fact, Williams leaves room for a lot of questioning there. And the bull riding stuff is exciting! I think this would be a great book for a teenager dealing with a family member who was injured during military service, but it was also a pretty great read for a non bull-riding 38 year old woman. I love it when my expectations are all turned around!

[full review here: http://spacebeer.blogspot.com/2015/07/bull-rider-by-suzanne-morgan-williams.html ] ( )

Cam O'Mare loves riding his skateboard. His brother Ben is a champion bull rider. As Ben waits to return to Iraq as a marine he tries to convince his little brother to start bull riding. The first time Cam rides a bull it is because his brother's friend called him a little girl. The thrill he felt on that first short ride hooked Cam. When Cam's brother is severly injured in Iraq, Cam uses the bull riding to deal with his own emotions. It is bull riding he uses to force his brother to not give up. This was a great book. I couldn't put it down. Ir eadi it from cover to cover. ( )

Cam O'Mara is more interested in skateboarding than bull-riding, a fact that makes him unusual in his small Nevada town. When his brother, a nineteen-year-old Marine, returns home from Iraq with Traumatic Brain Injury, Cam's life changes. He'll do anything to help Ben, even riding bulls.

Between the bull-riding, the skateboarding, and the Marines you'd be hard pressed to find a better 'boy book'.

Read my full review on my blog: http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/11/book-review-bull-rider.html ( )

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

BULL RIDER by Class of 2K9 author Suzanne Morgan Williams offers a unique combination of topics - rodeo bull riding and the Iraq War.

Young Cam O'Mara comes from a ranching, bull riding family, but his interest leans more toward skateboarding. Bull riding has never really held any attraction for him, at least until now.

The O'Mara family gets the dreaded news that their oldest son, Ben, has been wounded while fighting in Iraq - and life changes for everyone. The explosion of an IED caused brain trauma and paralysis. Ben returns home but is in for months of hospitalization and therapy.

Cam always looked up to his older brother, and seeing him in such a weakened condition, he is at a loss about how to help his brother or provide the encouragement needed for a successful recovery. One thing does occur to Cam - he could honor his brother's name and maybe provide needed money for the family if he took on the challenge of riding a massive bull named Ugly.

Readers are in for a bit of a wild ride as Cam explores his newfound interest and at the same time tries to keep up his grades, hang on to friendships, and do his work on the ranch.

BULL RIDER reveals a family facing difficult times as they work to support an injured family member and keep the family business from being destroyed by financial hardship. There is a strong message of the determination and sacrifice required to hold a family together through tough times. ( )