Ten Mile River

by Paul Griffin

Best friends Ray and Jose are not your typical teenagers. They've escaped foster care and juvenile detention centers to live on their own together in an abandoned stationhouse in New York City's Ten Mile River Park. Ray and Jose are as close as brothers. But then they meet Trini, the smart, beautiful, and confident girl from their local barber shop, and they both fall for her immediately. As tension creeps into their relationship, Ray must struggle to find an identity separate from Jose and try to envision a future for himself beyond Jose and Ten Mile River.

"Griffin has a particular gift for dialogue that not only sounds authentic but also serves to define characters whom he knows inside and out. His is clearly a talent to watch." - Booklist , review of Ten Mile River

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Friendship, Romance, Urban, Teen

188 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2008

About the author

Paul Griffin lives, writes, and trains dogs in New York City. His previous novel, The Orange Houses, was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults Top Ten, an International Reading Association 2010 Notable Book for a Global Society, a Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Book of 2009, and an Amelia Bloomer Project Award winner.

Reviews

[Christian Pizzarelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christian Pizzarelli
3/27/15

For the third quarter, I read the book Ten Mile River by Paul Griffin.

There are two major characters: José, 15 and Ray, 14 are two street smart best friends who have survived foster care and juvenile detention together, and now hide out from their parole officers in a burned-out stationhouse in New York City's Ten Mile River park. They make their day’s pay by stealing, working occasionally, and trying to stay under police radar. The two boys have no parents and live by their self. They would do anything for each other and their loyalty is an important theme of the book. They do a lot of bad things, including vandalizing cars, so that their "boss" who owns the car repair shop can get paid for the repairs. Another character, Miss Yoli,owns a hair braiding shop, shows them a lot of kindness, and then both of the boys find themselves interested in Trini, Miss Yoli's niece. The two boys then have to pay the price for their dishonest and illegal lifestyle. In the end we find out what the future may hold for the two boys.

In the book, loyalty and friendship are recurring themes. The conflict is when the boys dangerous lifestyle comes to a head and one of them faces a future back in juvie. One boy’s loyalty saves the other from the police, and the boy left to himself finally considers a future.

I liked this book because the characters and the setting went well together. I could picture Ray and José living a life with no family and rules. There were funny parts, even though there was a lot of inappropriate language. All in all I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't like The Orange Houses, but was suprised to find out that this book was actually his first, and I really liked it! Two boys are surviving under the radar after skipping out on juvie and foster care by squatting in a place by Ten Mile River with their motley crew of dogs. When Raymond, the slower of the two, befriends a girl from a braid shop, she falls for Jose and the competition begins. Back and forth, they get into trouble, try to make things right again, while playing the roles similar to Lennie and George from Of Mice and Men. When Raymond becomes stronger and punches Jose, Jose still forges the bonds of friendship and saves Raymond from juvie for the second time.

There is also an incredible scene when Raymond and his buddies discover junkies frozen in their squat basement "in a suicide embrace". The boys want to get rid of them before springtime and dump them in the river. A memorable chapter.

[Cheyenne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a quick read at only 187-or-so pages, fast enough to keep my attention even though it didn't have a definite plot. It was one of those books that makes you see the world a little differently, through the eyes of someone else for once. I wouldn't suggest it if you're looking for romance, or high-intensity plot. It was a book that warmed my heart and I think its a good read for teenagers. Teaches a little something about loyalty, about courage, and about making your own choices in life.

*Update*

I also think I should mention something about the voice in relation to the POV. I was really impressed with Paul Griffin, because he wrote in 3rd person, but still used the same voice that made you see the world through the eyes of the main character(s).

[Karlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two teen aged boys who met in a juvenile detention center live alone in park land near the Hudson River in NYC. Jose is the handsome leader and Ray the shy,smart and strong one. Ray's loyalty to Jose leads him to make mistakes and pass up opportunities to improve his life. It is a gritty, moving story with appropriately tough language.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, gritty. So, real. Paul Griffin is a treasure. He changes lives. Every. Day. Recommended for the most reluctant urban reader, ages 13 & up.
STAY WITH ME is still my favorite, but this is an excellent novel for struggling teens.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gritty urban YA. An excellent first novel. I cared so much for Ray by the end; I need a sequel!!

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

11 April 2008 TEN MILE RIVER by Paul Griffin, Dial, June 2008, 196p. ISBN: 978-0-8037-3284-1

"Oh, save me, save me from tomorrow
I don't want to sail with this ship of fools, no, no" -- World Party

"Some gangbanger leaned out of a bass-booming, cruising Mercedes, chucked a Dunkin' Donuts bag into the street. A flock of lean pigeons dropped down on the fresh trash.
"'How'd I get here?' Ray said to the pigeons.
"The pigeons didn't give a damn about Ray. They pecked that Dunkin' waste as if it were manna."

We never do learn how fourteen-year-old Ray got there -- how he ended up parentless or how he had originally fallen in with fifteen-year-old Jose. The pair are homeless-but-not-exactly-homeless in New York City: They have discovered and fixed up an old abandoned railroad stationhouse hidden deep in the woods of a West Harlem park. They've tapped into a streetlight for electricity and into the hub of a nearby apartment building for high speed cable service. They've dragged home an assortment of used-but-working appliances other people have thrown away and have stolen themselves a big screen TV. They've also attracted a pack of sweet, abandoned pit bulls. Occasionally they have to temporarily abandon ship when random pipe heads stumble upon the stationhouse and briefly hunker down to cook their methamphetamine.

But all in all, "As long as they kept a low profile they could do what they wanted, and they did."

Ray is a large, overweight, contemplative, and compassionate kid. He is also an obsessive reader and collector of information. Jose is the opposite -- small and ripped, a player, and a master of malapropisms. He's a functionally illiterate know-it-all adolescent hoodlum who is always scheming and never worrying "about what rotten thing might happen next."

Being that they are running together, Ray inevitably gets dragged along in the wake of Jose's dangerous and criminal schemes despite being offered a way out of that way of life by the proprietor of Yolanda's Braid Palace who, with her teenage niece, has seen the saving grace in Ray.

"'Four hours ago I'm promisin her I'm-a go clean, here I am again, hidin in the park bushes, lookin to boost an eighty-five-thousand-dollar ride that's gonna be used as an escape vehicle for drug runners, a hit maybe?"

TEN MILE RIVER is in equal parts grit and heart. A spectacular first novel by screenwriter Paul Griffin, it's got all the right stuff to make it a major favorite of adolescent reluctant readers and other fans of contemporary YA fiction. Readers will care about and will long continue to wonder about this sensitive beast of a teen who must learn to steer his own ship as he seeks to understand what it takes to become a man.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ten Mile River is the story of Ray and José, a pair of of delinquent teens with a friendship so close they consider themselves brothers. When they aren't in foster care or juvie, they live in an abandoned building along the river and fund their meagre lifestyle with a life of crime. Paul Griffin does a fairly good of job humanizing them. One chapter they're smashing windows, breaking and entering, or stealing cars and the next chapter they're feeding stray dogs and having an impromptu funeral for dead junkies. José can't picture himself having any other kind of life, but Ray is conflicted about whether he should try to straighten up or stay "friends to the ends" with his bro.

This novel was a nice change of pace from the other YA novels I've read recently. There are no privileged characters in this story. The protagonists have difficult lives with no real support system or hope for the future...yet the author manages to show some of the dark cloud's silver linings. I like the ambiguous ending and how the reader has to imagine what each of the boys will do with their lives.

There are too many things that I didn't like about this book. Most of it is narrated with ghetto dialect which, at times, seems exaggerated and makes the book more difficult to read. According to the author's bio, he's spent a lot of time working with incarcerated teens, so the slang might be fairly believable but it isn't my cup of tea. The book is also weirdly sexual despite not being too explicit: the two female secondary characters are objectified and there's always some mention of their gigantic boobs; there's a recurring joke of José taking off his shirt and showing his eight pack abs that apparently make the neighbourhood full of "slippery panties;" Trini's boyfriend makes rude comments about how she won't suck his dick; José tries to rape his girlfriend.

A lot of the major plot points are unbelievable, too. Ray crashes a stolen Escalade and goes to juvie all because he didn't want to run over a squirrel. Yolie, the owner of a nearby braid salon, wants her niece to date José even after she learns about the darker parts of his life. Yolie also goes through a ton of work to create a job for Ray. Ray and José decide to bury two OD'd drug addicts in the river...in the middle of winter...and they both fall in the water and somehow survive? It seemed like the author was trying too hard to manufacture exciting plot points in order to draw out Ray's dilemma.

[Teddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a book that from a young kid's point of view and that is very intense and mysterious, I encouraging you to read the book Ten Mile River. This book does have a little slang in the words but that’s just because they are teenage boys in a big city being on their own. These boys aren't like the wealthy kids you see walking around with their parents and in a fancy looking car. They are the complete opposite. After reading about this book with very scripted details, you would know exactly what I’m saying.

I recommend this book to the adults are children who like reading about what kids to these days or if they like reading about scary adventures that they come towards to. Cops been chasing them. Spies coming at them. They aren’t the best people around town. I like this book a lot actually because I like jaw dropping book that make you appear on the edge of your seat. Also, it takes place in a river that you might know of to this day.

[Mandy Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very popular in the high school library where I work. I've read all kinds of YA (it's my favorite), but I just could not get into this book. Perhaps it's because I was spoiled with books like "The Outsiders" and "Snitch". However, now I can talk to students about this book so it's worth something to them. Maybe I'll discover more about it through those conversations.

[Mickey Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I somewhat liked the book because I didn't like how it didn't have a variety of themes and settings. but the part that I did like was the different characters that were introduced and how it affected others in the book.

[Ramon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly this book was amazing it was full of suspense two teens living in alone at young age and liking the same girl and a lot of stuff happen it was interesting the development and changes that happen during their journey.

[Shackldm · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good book with a lot of detail included, I would say the book is a best fit for teenagers.

[Sandra Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once you figure out the slang talk it's a pretty cool book

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fast read. 3.5

[Shan Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really need to read more books with male main characters.

I enjoyed this book even though it was different than books I normally read or the plots I’m accustomed to.

[Tuba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, fast-paced, oddly comforting book. Ten Mile River is a story of a brotherhood between two teens being tested many times, from spending juvie together to liking the same girl, with sacrifices made to keep their most treasured thing - their brotherhood.

[babyhippoface · Rating 2 out of 5]

Young teens Jose and Ray, friends who met in "juvie", live on their own in New York City, squatting in an abandoned building and stealing food to survive. While they can rely on Miss Yolie, who runs a braid shop, to treat them with kindness, most of the adults the boys meet only seek to use them for personal gain. The owner of a body shop pays them to shatter windshields and eventually entices them to steal cars for him, promising big financial rewards.

Jose is a slick one, bold, handsome, and charming, but he cannot read and he has no apparent interest in going straight. When Ray asks what Jose wants to do with his life as an adult, Jose answers with a cynical but realistic, "If I make it to 20, then I'll worry about it."

Although Raymond is bigger than Jose, he lives in Jose's shadow. Ray is stocky and has problems with his complexion. He calls himself "fat" and ugly repeatedly. Ray does have one big advantage over Jose, though: he loves to read and he's very smart. He is a soft-hearted dog-lover who bristles at injustice and committing crimes, and often thinks about making a better life for himself, but he is too loyal to Jose to leave him.

Life is hard on the streets, to say the least, but there are bright spots for Ray: the pack of dogs he tries to care for (especially the old and feeble Fatty), books, and Trini, Miss Yolie's niece. When he first meets Trini he is instantly smitten but too timid to ask her on a date. Instead, he brings her home even though he knows in his heart that Trini will like Jose better. He's right, and every time he sees Jose & Trini together it breaks another little piece of his heart.

Now, I have to admit that this "review" isn't really a review, because I did not read all of this book. I read the first several chapters, then started skimming. The constant foul language was very difficult for me to get past. It wearied me, literally. I realize it's probably very realistic, that's why I'm not criticizing Griffin's inclusion of it, but I just came to the place where I couldn't read it anymore.

I liked Ray. He was such a sympathetic character that in spite of his crimes I still wanted to cheer each time he stood up for himself or for good, and I wanted him to escape that awful life completely and leave everything behind. Yes, even Jose. I didn't really like Jose. I know he was doing what he thought he needed to do to survive, and he was loyal, but I didn't like the way he treated Ray and Trini.

The adults in these boys' lives--with the exception of Yolie--were just awful. Greedy, selfish, cold, uncaring, living a life of "what's in it for me?" with absolutely no regard to what their actions might do to someone else, justifying everything they did with false reasoning. Perfect example: what to do with the stolen laptop.

I admit, I did want to know what happened to these boys at story's end, I just didn't want to have to wade through all the language and depressing bits to find out. So I skimmed, then read the ending. And I was glad to see some hope there. I guess the truth is this book was just too far removed from my life and my reality for me to enjoy it. And I count that a huge blessing.

[Kristen Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great story about two teens on their own and trying to do the best but running into troubles right and left. Love how there's always dogs involved in Griffin's stories. :)

[Adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is a brand new voice on the YA scene with a story that I haven't even remotely comes across in my reading. Ray and Jose are the result of the foster system and have long ago deserted it. Since then they have been living in their shambolic digs, enjoying some creature comforts but doing without many basic needs.

The dialogue is authentic, the boys riffing off each other in a way that is very specific to guys. They love one another as brothers but many homophobic jokes make it clear that they don't love each other in that "other" way (or the opposite could be true, thought I never felt that way). Ray is the lumbering muscle of the team, armed with a fierce intelligence and a thirst for knowledge. Jose has an impressive six pack, a big mouth and is beyond impulsive. I wondered, frequently, why Ray could be bothered with this other kid? But despite their differences these two are amazingly supportive of one another in many situations - love, danger and idiotic decision making.

I grew increasingly frustrated as this narrative floated along, sometimes feeling like there was no real plan. Any attempt that Ray made towards a more stable existence was thrown away in actions motivated by his loyalty to Jose. While these situations are undeniably realistic, I was annoyed by the cyclic nature of their situations.

That being said, Griffin's dialogue is fantastic, rich and full of character. His words enabled me to truly know each of the boys with their street vocab and frequent mispronunciations (if I see opposed instead of supposed ever again I will probably scream) that are probably common for those who don't attend school. It's a well constructed novel and there is a wealth of lovely characters but I didn't completely gel with the story.

[Elusive · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 'Ten Mile River', Ray and Jose are close friends who have repeatedly escaped foster care and juvenile detention centres. As they live together in an abandoned building near Ten Mile River, they scrape by thanks to a series of petty crimes. When they meet a pretty girl named Trini, their interest in her threatens their friendship. Will Ray and Jose be able to survive on their own or will the law catch up to them?

Although this book didn't exactly have a plot, it was readable because it was refreshingly realistic and had two likeable main characters. Jose is the handsome, confident, tough one who constantly gets attention from girls wherever he goes. He is also incredibly protective of Ray. Meanwhile, Ray is overweight, meek and quiet thus he lives in Jose's shadow. However, he's smart and compassionate and wants to earn an honest living. Despite their differences, they understood each other very well indeed.

Their daily interactions were easily the best thing about this story. They could talk about anything. There were plenty of humorous, light-hearted, tense and melancholic moments throughout the story. I liked how the author conveyed their emotions effectively without ever getting heavy-handed. Most importantly, Ray and Jose's bond was wonderful and believable. Ray showed significant character growth as he learned to make his own decisions instead of always blindly following Jose.

That being said though, I was let down by the abrupt ending as I was hoping for more. Overall, 'Ten Mile River' was a quick, bittersweet read that delved into the ugly side of being homeless and jobless but it struck the perfect balance between the harshness and sweetness of life.

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ray and Jose are on the run from the law. They have fled from their respective foster homes and have created a life for themselves in an abandoned station in ten mile river. They steal when they want something, but are comfortable with their outlaw status. Until they meet a young girl who works in her Aunt's braid shop. Ray wants to go straight and live properly. He has a hunger for learning, and for this girl. Jose, the lady's man, has no desire to live in any way other than the one he and Ray have created.

Actually I can't remember why I picked this book up. Was it because a student told me I should check it out? I think it was that, as the student had noted some language issues within the text. Yes, there is a lot of swearing, but the dialogue is very realistic, or at least what I would expect from characters like Ray and Jose.

I finished the book because I was curious to see what would happen. The conflict between Ray and Jose, the boy who wants to go straight and enter society, vs. the outlaw is not a new one. As I read I could feel Ray's anguish as he struggled with his loyalty to Jose, his best friend and brother in so many more ways than biology. I wanted to see how Ray would settle this conflict.

I would recommend this to Aiyana. I know she would not like the language, but the characters are quite strong, and I think she could appreciate the conflict facing the boys.

[Jonathan Andrus]

Ten Mile River book review
By: Jonathan Andrus

If you’re looking for a really good novel to read then I have the one just for you. Ten Mile River.

The author Paul Griffin writes about two homeless boys. Ray and Jose, who have been through everything together and pretty much are brothers. They stay in New York City’s Ten Mile River Park. They make their way by stealing and “working”. Ray is bigger and the smarter one. But Jose is still the boss.

There are a lot of difficult decisions the main character faces. Ray and Jose both meet and fall for a girl name Trini. But Rays loyalty and knowing that Jose is boss, leads him to setting Jose up with her. Choosing between his best friend Jose, and his own desire of making something out of his life. A lot of choices will be made.

Friendship is a big part of this book. Both main characters look out for each other like brothers. They have both been through juvenile detention centers and foster care throughout their whole lives. But there friendship may be broken when one boy faces going back to juvie. And the other boy finally chooses his future in life.

I really liked this book. I thought it was very interesting. I was into it the whole time I read it. There were some times the language was a little hard to understand. But besides that it was a really good book. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a book to read that is short and really good.

[Fleur Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up Ten Mile River in passing at my library. The cover looked cool, NYC in blue-ish tint, so I put it on the pile. And I'm glad I did.

Ten Mile River is the story of two juvenile delinquent teens; the book opens with "Ray is bigger, but Jose is boss," which sums up perfectly what it's all about. Ray is smarter (he reads Scientific American), but feels obligated to Jose, who is his foster brother. The two are hiding out in an abandoned stationhouse in NYC's Ten Mile River Park, surviving by stealing, hiding out from the worldf and the law in particular.

But then Ray meets beautiful Trini, who wants the foster brothers to go straight. The rest of the book follows their struggle with loyalty to one another while trying to find their own identity.

I have to admit that it took me a bit to get used to the dialogue ("Howzabout our money?" and "Git up," and those were the clean lines), and think it got in the way of the story sometimes. But the solid characters (Ray is golden), and gritty storytelling were right up my alley. No mystery, but I think it qualifies as crime fiction. Ten Mile River gets a 4.

[Akhil Kamboj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten Mile River

I really like think book because it made me learn a lot about life and how the world doesn't revolve around you and how life isn't perfect witch was explained by Jose and Ray, Best Friends in this book but see them self's as brothers. Jose and Ray have no parents and live by their self. They’ve escaped foster care and juvenile detention centers to live on their own together. This book was really interesting, mysterious and really funny. this book also showed me how the impossible could became possible. Another thing i really liked about this book is that the brothers are always up to something, either Robbing someone, stealing a car, or just trying to get by in life.

The one thing i didn't quite like about thins book was that it includes a lot of dialog and it often confused me a lot to a point where i had to try to read the page over so I could under stand what had happened. Overall i think this was one of the best books i ever read, considering i only read two and i hope i come across a lot more books that were more exciting as this book did.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Ten Mile River by Paul Griffin. Now there are two major characters that the story is centered on. First there is Jose; Jose is 15, muscular, troublesome and street smart. Then there is Ray who is a polar opposite from his best friend (Jose) Ray is on the bigger side, he is 14, and has some book smart. Both Jose and Ray have always gotten in trouble but has always stuck with each other. They have done everything from steal, escape Juvenal hall. They both live in an abandoned building in New York by Ten mile river. Nothing could really bring them apart. Jose and Ray both used to like to hang around their local barber shop, they met a girl named Trini. They both liked Trini, which started causing some problems, Trini liked Jose more than Ray so she picked him over Ray. Ray has to find a way to start making his own decisions and try to go on without Jose.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one's about as gritty as YA gets. Yet, it reads true and is very compelling. Try this one on fans of Ellen Hopkins, Walter Dean Myers, Rachel Cohn, Sharon Flake or K.L. Going.

Jose and Ray are 15 and 14 years old. They've survived Juvie, Foster Care and the streets together. They do whatever they have to, in order to get by. The two boys have made themselves a family, and are closer than most blood brothers. They each have their strengths, Jose his street smarts and good looks; Ray his brilliant mind and good heart. And, they each have dreams. Many people, both good and bad, come in and out of their lives, and in the end, it is on their own shoulders to make the life they want. This is an unflinching and compelling story of two extraordinary lives.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jose and Raymundo are homeless friends who met in juvie hall. They steal cars and food to live. Ray reads all the time and thinks about going back to school and playing it straight. Then Ray meets Trina, the hot niece of the lady who cuts his hair. He doesn't want to introduce Trina to Jose cause he knows they will hook up. They do. They are sent back to separate jails after a car robbery goes awry. When they get out they hook back up in the home they have created in an abandoned train station in 10 Mile Park in Manhattan. Life gets harder and increasingly more violent and Trina turns Jose in while Ray escapes. Great realistic first novel about homeless kids. thye aren't all bad.

[Lindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two boys have been in and out of the foster care system and juvenile detention centres in New York City. Jose is 15 and Ray is 14. They are "friends to the ends," totally loyal to each other, and live with a pack of dogs in a shack on a wooded hillside. Break and enters, shoplifting, car theft - they do what they must to survive. Jose expects his life to be short, so he isn't afraid of taking risks. Ray has a tender heart and a strong moral compass; both qualities create conflict with Jose and the life they are leading. This gritty and moving novel is The Outsiders for the 21st century.

[Christopher Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent novel of teenage growth. We follow two "brothers" who have nothing in life save each other and who spend the entire book relying on each other - even though its obvious that one boy relies on the other considerably more.

An unknown love triangle weaves its way through the story permanently clouding the judgement of the main character and only at the end does he grasp the realism of his situation. Fast moving, some dramatic elements, not overly sexual or violent. Easy reading novel.