This is an opposites attract romance that deals with some tough subject matter. Brock is a stoner, coerced into selling drugs to his fellow high school students by his father. Kendra is a champion surfer who lost her brother to a drug overdose. She meets and falls for Brock unaware of his role in the local drug trade.

Well the premise is interesting and inevitably calls for drama, I think the execution of the actual story could have been better. It’s possible it may have been a formatting issue but the book is just sentences and lacks paragraphs. The writing is often dry and clinical. When I read books they almost always play out like a movie being projected in my head. In the case of 21 Questions the way it was written invoked little to no imagery and there was nothing to infer from any situation. Because of that I was never invested in the plot or characters.

I definitely think the story has potential, it's just not there yet.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #SparkPress for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

21 Questions is an opposites attract YA novel. Kendra is serious surfer, who finds solace in the sport after the unexpected drug-related death of her brother. Needless to say, Brock, whose family is strongly involved in the drug world, is the last person she would seem to fall for. Kendra and Brock play a game of 21 questions to find out more about each other, and their relationship grows from there.

I was unexpectedly impressed with 21 Questions, and often found myself not wanting to put this book down. The story went a bit different than I thought it would just by reading the book summary, but in a good way. The book is a dual narrative, switching between Kendra and Brock's voice and it lends itself well to the story. Both characters had a good amount of depth, especially Brock's relationship with his family and drugs.....it broke my heart over and over again. I selfishly wanted more out of the ending, but in reality I think it is perfect just the way it is written. While the romance aspect of the book is front and center, please be prepared for straightforward and sometimes heavy sections of the book, particularly on the topic of drug use and overdoses. This book is really good, YA fans should check it out.

Thanks to Netgalley and SparkPress for this ARC; this is my honest and voluntary review.

Do not go into this book thinking that it is a sweet, fun, contemporary-romance novel! This is dark and talks about drug use, toxic and unique family dynamics, and some "realistic" parts of teenagers' lives. Also go into the novel knowing that the main male character, Brock, can be very disgusting at times. While I am not a teenage boy writing this review, I can say that I do hope that Brock's point of view is not how boys in my day to day life see the world.

(FAIR WARNING FOR SPOILERS) Here are some examples of things Brock does that may be triggering to readers if you are thinking about reading this book: he objectifies Kendra on multiple occasions, belittles and slut-shames other girls for showing a bit of skin, and there is a lot of drug use, overdose, survivors guilt, and suicidal thought and actions.

Many of these triggers, however, are part of the story and contribute to the character arcs (not always in the most efficient way). The story was developed and the characters did have motivation for the things they did.

I love young adult literature. It always seems to take complicated issues and deal with them in clear manner. 21 Questions by Rizik did not disappoint. Kendra Dimes is a surfer hoping to make it to a national competition. She competes to honor her brother, who died of a drug overdose. The she meets Brock Parker, a new guy at school whose family works for a Mexican drug lord. Through the game 21 Questions they learn a great deal about each other. and themselves. This is a well-written and researched teen novel. The book thoughtfully addresses many teen issues and concerns - drugs,alcohol, LBGTQ, high school, sex and teen relationships. Rizik does not sugar coat these situations and demonstrates that there are consequences for your actions. Title comes out August, 2021.