Playworld by Adam Ross
In 1980 Manhattan, fourteen-year-old Griffin Hurt struggles to balance his role as a child TV star with the pressures of an elite prep school, a demanding coach, and a family in quiet disarray. When he becomes involved with Naomi Shah, a significantly older married woman, his attempts to confide in her complicate his search for identity and maturity. Playworld follows one intense year of miseducation and emotional coming-of-age against the shifting backdrop of a city and era in flux.
The 12207th greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 7
This book was first published in 2025
1 Lists
- score: 14 -- The Greatest Books of 2025 - Honorable Mention - 2025 (Weight: 60)