Bull Rider

Bulls

I want to be able to learn how to ride a bull and ant kill myself in the process. I thik it will be a good book for peope who LOVE bulls and bull riding. My older sis sat on a bull and it started to move so she had to get off . My sis was only lie 12 years old and she thougt it was the coolest thing besides riding a awesome horse that loves everyone.

- Josh

P.S. my name is not really Josh

Awesome book

It is an awesome book love it

One Heck of a ride!! Inspirational, Meaningful, Touching

Powerful. Poignant. Uplifting. Emotional. Beautiful. Told with authenticity and sincerity, Bull Rider makes a very bold statement that will last much longer than the requisite eight seconds in bull riding. Suzanne Morgan Williams is truly a masterful storyteller when it comes to understanding and capturing the dynamics of a family, especially when faced with hardships. Never taking away from the honor, dignity, and bravery of serving one's country, Bull Rider provides a touching and impeccably realistic outlook on the life of an injured soldier and the extraordinary extent that a family will go to, to try to help him recover. Bull riding plays a very special role in trying to help heal Ben, the injured soldier. This deeply moving story is something that many people can relate to, not just families of war veterans who have faced difficult circumstances due to a war injury or people who are familiar with bull riding or are fans of it. The author meshes two honorable yet dangerous actions - serving in the Iraq war and bull riding - to create a one of a kind story that is thrilling, adventurous, suspenseful, heartwarming, and full of hope. I thought the comparison of trying to ride a bull, which is very difficult to do, to trying to ride life's challenges and see them through, was very touching and relevant to the storyline. This book gives light to the unfortunate reality of how a serious injury can devastate a family, but at the same time, also bring them so much closer together in order to pull through as a family. You get to see the stages, both the ups and the downs, that their family goes through when dealing with Ben's brain injury and paralysis. It shows how having a supportive family is essential when trying to overcome something like this and how hope, faith, and sometimes luck in the most unlikeliest of places is needed (if you read the book you'll find out what the unique lucky charm is!). The plot is paced well and the characters are well put together. Both Ben and Cam are strong characters full of courage and heart. Cam is really an inspiration to his brother Ben through bull riding and tries to motivate and encourage him when he's down. Cam's mom is tender yet stern. His grandmother provides much needed comic relief at all the right times. And Cam's father and grandfather keep the strong backbone of a rancher's life alive. I loved Bull Rider! Satisfying and meaningful from beginning to end, Bull Rider is sure to capture your heart, as it did mine. This book is one heck of a ride! I savored every minute of it. This is one of the best inspirational stories I've read in a while!

Realistic Portrayal

This book is not something I would typically read because, I'll confess, I am not a lover of anything rodeo, but I was interested in reading it because it looked like something fresh and different from the usual book for middle grade students.

I really enjoyed reading it because of Cam's perspective. His emotions were portrayed perfectly for a boy of his age, realistically mixing his worry for his brother with his worry for himself. He has to overcome living in the shadow of his semi-famous family members, and to do so he has always avoided riding bulls. Now, though, in his mind, he feels he must "fix" the tragedy of his brother's injury and the strain it puts on their family by winning a riding competition. His single-minded determination causes other problems - he now has to deal with his friends that do not understand why he is no longer focusing on skateboarding.

This book did give me a deeper appreciation for the kind of talent and athleticism that bull riders and others who participate rodeos must have to do what they do. I also became more aware of the situations that many war veterans find themselves in. They are often not appreciated fully or are misunderstood completely. This was really brought home to me by seeing how Ben's injuries affected him emotionally.

the best bull riding, brother bonding book i've ever read.

this book is about a kid who's a skater and his family is all into bullriding well most of them.But when his older brother get hurt in Iraq he finds out how bull riding is in his blood.
I recomend this book to middle school age kids on up.

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.

How real cowboys "cowboy up"

Fourteen year old Cam O¿Mara is a ranch kid from the sage brush country of central Nevada. He is a skateboarder, not a champion Bull Rider like his brother Ben, but when Ben joins the Marines and is seriously injured in Iraq, Cam turns to his family traditions and in particular bull riding to overcome his grief and to give his brother hope for a new life.
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I was lucky enough to get a preview of BULL RIDER and I loved it. Suzanne Morgan Williams knows todays West and it shows in each bit of dialogue and description. Williams juggles bull riding scenes full of humor and excitement as easily as she does characters like Cam and his no-nonsense grandfather to make BULL RIDER a clear-eyed examination of the costs of war after homecoming

Terri Farley
Phantom Stallion author

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