New York 1, Tel Aviv 0

Out of the 18 short stories in Oria’s debut collection, the narrator from “The Thing About Sophia” best sums up the theme that runs through them all. Technically describing Saturday brunch mimosas, she says, “What happens when you get buzzed but you’re already a little bit buzzed from the night before is that you feel free.” Many of Oria’s characters share a similar sensibility, feeling a liberation the reader comes to know is artificial and limited, because, as Sophia’s unnamed roommate-with-benefits knows, “there’s no such thing as forever.” While Oria has an inventive voice, the stories often feel as if they are to be spoken or performed rather than read. “Documentation” is structured by numbered kisses; “That Night” is also numbered, though by recollections. A telltale MFA workshop sensibility pervades the collection and, unfortunately, as a whole, these stories of sexual escapades and the boundaries of lust become repetitive, even though any of them might be more intriguing on its own. One of the most promising moments comes in the title story, when a character on life in Tel Aviv and New York: “people in Israel treat suicide bombings and bombings in general [like] the flu.” This is the sort of substantive passage that doesn’t quite overcome the overtly quirky style, but still feel meaningful and genuine. (Nov.)