Bull Rider

By Suzanne Morgan Williams
Margaret K. McElderry Books, Simon & Schuster, $16.99, 241 pages

“You can think before you get on a bull, and you can think after you fall off, but when you are on, you just ride.”—from Bull Rider.

Bull Rider is an upper middle-grade novel about fourteen-year-old Cam O’Mara and his family, and how they deal with difficult changes after Cam’s brother, Ben, is injured in Iraq. Even though Cam’s brother and grandpa are bull-riding champions, what Cam loves to do is skateboard. It’s not until Ben is injured in the war that Cam even thinks about riding bulls. But it might be the only way to give his brother hope. If Cam can ride Ugly—the biggest bull in the bull-riding circuit—for more than eight seconds, and win the $15,000 prize, he figures his brother would have something to live for. Set on a scenic ranch in Nevada, this story is about the binding love of family, even through hard times, and the difficulties that injured soldiers experience.

A combination of touching and believable characters—from Cam and his brother Ben to their feisty and fun Grandma Jean—and the thrill of skateboarding and bull-riding make this story one that will keep readers turning pages with anticipation. Williams’ straight-forward writing pulls you in immediately and her balance between hope and suffering will keep you engaged until the end.

Listen to SBR’s interview with Suzanne Morgan Williams on Audible Authors.

Reviewed by Genny Heikka