21 QUESTIONS

A teenage surfer encounters a new boy who upends her life in Rizik’s YA novel.

Sixteen-year-old Kendra Dimes’ brother, Kyle, overdosed when she was 7; at the time, he was training to compete in the USA Surfing Prime West competition. Now, Kendra decides to compete in the same event in honor of her sibling. As a result, she doesn’t have much of social life; she sticks to school and surfing, and practices meditation to manage her anxiety. Meanwhile, Brock Parker, the new kid at school, sells drugs, likes to party, and dreams of buying an island with his best friend, Duke Larson.Kendra and Brock’s paths cross, and their initial friendship transforms into a consuming relationship that affects both of their lives, for better and for worse. At its core, this is a coming-of-age story, as Rizik familiarizes readers with the obstacles that Kendra and Brock have faced in their lives; Brock, for instance, had to give up playing music, which was his passion, to continue his parents’ shady business,and both he and Kendra were forced to move away from their hometowns. Along the way, readers get a clear view of how their decisions have affected their lives and forced them to mature. Brock and Kendra have a tendency to refer to themselves in demeaning ways (Kendra calls herself an “awkward loser”; Brock calls himself a “pussy”), and it’s a device that gets repetitive; however, it also serves as an effective reminder that they’re just teenagers trying to figure things out, and it adds to their character development. The overall plot is fairly predictable, in that one won’t be surprised when something bad eventually happens that tests the main characters’ bond. However, the twisty tale is entertaining enough at readers won’t mind such familiar beats.

An often engaging story of two teens’ emotional highs and lows.