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Upside Down
103 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 14, 2025
Opening in the upside-down state, at the funeral of his sister with Down Syndrome, Caleb is broken in two. Not fully there, the world above him is muffled and unclear. As readers quickly become acquainted with this upside-down counterpart, we feel the weight of depression and emptiness. Author R. Morello does an exceptional job creating a world reflecting depression, fear, loneliness, emptiness, and the shell we hide from the outside world in his novel Upside Down. Seemingly just below our feet, these upside-down versions of ourselves lurk, hiding our true reality, the pain ever-present under the surface.
Everyone in the upside-down world is there for different reasons, though none of them are there without pain. Split in two, Caleb is surprised by those he encounters in this counter-reality. Caleb runs into many individuals he never expected to have been broken. Whether his best friends, his own family members, or the bully from so long ago, each character has a dark past that has brought them there for various reasons.
Even those who appear whole on the surface may be hiding their upside-down selves from the world. I found the concept of brokenness and the number of those afflicted to be unsurprising and yet still shocking, as Morello’s portrayal brought all the pain and suffering to life. We’ve all been through something, but many don’t know quite the extent of others’ suffering.
Yet as “Upside Down” so gracefully highlights, one’s presence in this upside-down world validates what we may have spent our entire lives trying to hide or repress. The world is a dark place, many are broken, and yet we still remain upright while a part of us is lost beneath the surface.
As readers oscillate between the world as we know it and this upside-down reality, we become aware of Maddy. Caleb and Maddy have history, a past that pulls them together, and yet as they struggle to encourage their counterparts to engage in one another’s presence, it’s community and communication that make it necessary to evolve from this world. The themes, messages, portrayal of loss and depression are so evident within Upside Down. Morello’s writing and storyline bring these concepts to the surface in the most relatable ways. These characters have been through the unimaginable, and yet Morello opens our eyes to the counter-realities many of us face, below the mask we put on for the public.
Everyone in the upside-down world is there for different reasons, though none of them are there without pain. Split in two, Caleb is surprised by those he encounters in this counter-reality. Caleb runs into many individuals he never expected to have been broken. Whether his best friends, his own family members, or the bully from so long ago, each character has a dark past that has brought them there for various reasons.
Even those who appear whole on the surface may be hiding their upside-down selves from the world. I found the concept of brokenness and the number of those afflicted to be unsurprising and yet still shocking, as Morello’s portrayal brought all the pain and suffering to life. We’ve all been through something, but many don’t know quite the extent of others’ suffering.
Yet as “Upside Down” so gracefully highlights, one’s presence in this upside-down world validates what we may have spent our entire lives trying to hide or repress. The world is a dark place, many are broken, and yet we still remain upright while a part of us is lost beneath the surface.
As readers oscillate between the world as we know it and this upside-down reality, we become aware of Maddy. Caleb and Maddy have history, a past that pulls them together, and yet as they struggle to encourage their counterparts to engage in one another’s presence, it’s community and communication that make it necessary to evolve from this world. The themes, messages, portrayal of loss and depression are so evident within Upside Down. Morello’s writing and storyline bring these concepts to the surface in the most relatable ways. These characters have been through the unimaginable, and yet Morello opens our eyes to the counter-realities many of us face, below the mask we put on for the public.
December 12, 2025
I received this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Upside Down, by R. Morello, explores how trauma can numb us, leading us through darkness where turning toward the light seems impossible.
Caleb is mourning the loss of his sister, his grief palpable even as he unexpectedly reconnects with an old flame, Maddy. Their shared history brings warmth to the chill of loss, and Caleb’s tangled emotions are mirrored by another version of himself—an upside-down Caleb—who sees the traps and pain more clearly. As Caleb ventures deeper into this shadowy realm, he is surrounded by friends burdened by loss and secrecy, each struggling without accountability. The weight of these entanglements is heavy, and when a twisted echo of an old friend threatens to pull him further under, Caleb’s vulnerability and courage are thrown into sharp relief.
The story reminds me of a video game called Alan Wake II. In the game, a writer named Alan is trapped in “The Dark Place”, a horrifying mirror of reality that wants to break into the real world. Alan is tormented by the Cthulhu-like deity that warps shadows and visages around him, illustrating the worst versions of himself. Morello’s shadow world is similar to this, although rather than a sentient, malevolent entity hell bent on destroying Caleb and everyone he loves, Caleb himself is trapped in this parallel plane. Encompassing this plane is all the trauma that he goes through, and whether or not his other version decides to deal with said trauma remains to be seen. The fact that so many loved ones are in this realm because of horrific enigmas, from family members defending child rapists and abusers, to folks who have tried to seek help, only to run away after the pain became too uncomfortable, and trapped themselves down there; it’s all Caleb can do to navigate through this plane. Moreover, it’s heartbreaking to see just how many characters are dealing with the same emotions he is; granted, the problems may manifest differently, but all the same, it demonstrates a level of humanity, the way he is able to form these intimate relationships with others, even at his worst.
I love the parallels between this world and disassociation. Whenever someone is diagnosed with PTSD, c-PTSD (even though it’s not an official diagnosis), BPD, substance abuse disorders, or anything remotely related to trauma, more than likely, they’ve probably experienced some disassociation. Whenever someone is triggered by something, their bodies may experience the danger or pain, as though they were reliving it. They force themselves out of their bodies, curl away and hide, endeavoring to feel safer. They disconnect themselves from the world around them, including their loved ones, if only to shelter from a storm that may or may not be there. This is abundantly clear with Caleb’s mother, and how she was seemingly unable to operate in the world, at least until Caleb was born.
The narrative gently reveals how pain can dim self-awareness, yet holds a subtle hope that healing awaits. Morello embodies a strength in his characters that many people need to survive their past. Even though it’s tough, and other people lost in their darkness may drag them down, they find ways to persevere. Though there were times the book was hard to follow, especially when tracking which versions of each character were doing what, it was a wonderful read. As such, I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars, and would recommend it to readers who enjoy Bloodletting a Butterfly by Alec Hood, A Broken Vase, Envenomed by Bret S. Lechner, andLullabies for Insomniacs by Ella Grace Foutz.
Upside Down, by R. Morello, explores how trauma can numb us, leading us through darkness where turning toward the light seems impossible.
Caleb is mourning the loss of his sister, his grief palpable even as he unexpectedly reconnects with an old flame, Maddy. Their shared history brings warmth to the chill of loss, and Caleb’s tangled emotions are mirrored by another version of himself—an upside-down Caleb—who sees the traps and pain more clearly. As Caleb ventures deeper into this shadowy realm, he is surrounded by friends burdened by loss and secrecy, each struggling without accountability. The weight of these entanglements is heavy, and when a twisted echo of an old friend threatens to pull him further under, Caleb’s vulnerability and courage are thrown into sharp relief.
The story reminds me of a video game called Alan Wake II. In the game, a writer named Alan is trapped in “The Dark Place”, a horrifying mirror of reality that wants to break into the real world. Alan is tormented by the Cthulhu-like deity that warps shadows and visages around him, illustrating the worst versions of himself. Morello’s shadow world is similar to this, although rather than a sentient, malevolent entity hell bent on destroying Caleb and everyone he loves, Caleb himself is trapped in this parallel plane. Encompassing this plane is all the trauma that he goes through, and whether or not his other version decides to deal with said trauma remains to be seen. The fact that so many loved ones are in this realm because of horrific enigmas, from family members defending child rapists and abusers, to folks who have tried to seek help, only to run away after the pain became too uncomfortable, and trapped themselves down there; it’s all Caleb can do to navigate through this plane. Moreover, it’s heartbreaking to see just how many characters are dealing with the same emotions he is; granted, the problems may manifest differently, but all the same, it demonstrates a level of humanity, the way he is able to form these intimate relationships with others, even at his worst.
I love the parallels between this world and disassociation. Whenever someone is diagnosed with PTSD, c-PTSD (even though it’s not an official diagnosis), BPD, substance abuse disorders, or anything remotely related to trauma, more than likely, they’ve probably experienced some disassociation. Whenever someone is triggered by something, their bodies may experience the danger or pain, as though they were reliving it. They force themselves out of their bodies, curl away and hide, endeavoring to feel safer. They disconnect themselves from the world around them, including their loved ones, if only to shelter from a storm that may or may not be there. This is abundantly clear with Caleb’s mother, and how she was seemingly unable to operate in the world, at least until Caleb was born.
The narrative gently reveals how pain can dim self-awareness, yet holds a subtle hope that healing awaits. Morello embodies a strength in his characters that many people need to survive their past. Even though it’s tough, and other people lost in their darkness may drag them down, they find ways to persevere. Though there were times the book was hard to follow, especially when tracking which versions of each character were doing what, it was a wonderful read. As such, I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars, and would recommend it to readers who enjoy Bloodletting a Butterfly by Alec Hood, A Broken Vase, Envenomed by Bret S. Lechner, andLullabies for Insomniacs by Ella Grace Foutz.
December 19, 2025
ARC Received via Reedsy Discovery.
“Upside Down” is an intimately human and immersive story that reveals its magic as naturally as it reveals its emotions. Written in raw, journal-like prose that’s impossible to look away from, the novel lingers long after the final page.
Caleb is thrust into the Upside Down after the death of his sister. The story follows him as he confronts demons of grief, guilt, and shame he has long avoided. In this mirrored world, he must face the emotional wreckage he left behind and find a way to reconnect with the numb, withdrawn version of himself in reality.
As a magical surrealism novel, it excels in how gracefully it introduces the rules of its strange, reflective world. Rather than relying on explanation, the author lets us learn everything through Caleb’s eyes and through dialogue, action, and consequence. Because we discover each ability, limitation, and threat at the same pace he does, the world feels logical, and fully alive.
The prose is as compelling as the world-building. The writing feels unfiltered, like a private journal, carrying emotion that doesn't feel fake or melodramatic. Even when Caleb is navigating the supernatural, the narration remains grounded in relatable human feeling. Grief, guilt, shame, and confusion rise naturally from the page, honest and unforced.
The author’s ability to show rather than tell is one of the book’s greatest strengths. Plot points that a less experienced writer might explain outright are instead revealed through gestures, silences, and subtle shifts in expression. Characters communicate their motives in the way they move, the space they take up, or the hesitation before a hard truth. A novice writer might simply tell us that Maddy is angry at Caleb; here, her tightened jaw and clipped voice is enough. Trauma, secrets, long-buried wounds surface naturally from the characters rather than appearing as abrupt plot twists.
In the end, “Upside Down” succeeds because it is a profoundly human story about the emotional selves we repress and the feelings we fear facing. It’s unsettling, emotionally rich, and told with a voice that feels genuinely lived-in. I’m excited to read more from this author.
“Upside Down” is an intimately human and immersive story that reveals its magic as naturally as it reveals its emotions. Written in raw, journal-like prose that’s impossible to look away from, the novel lingers long after the final page.
Caleb is thrust into the Upside Down after the death of his sister. The story follows him as he confronts demons of grief, guilt, and shame he has long avoided. In this mirrored world, he must face the emotional wreckage he left behind and find a way to reconnect with the numb, withdrawn version of himself in reality.
As a magical surrealism novel, it excels in how gracefully it introduces the rules of its strange, reflective world. Rather than relying on explanation, the author lets us learn everything through Caleb’s eyes and through dialogue, action, and consequence. Because we discover each ability, limitation, and threat at the same pace he does, the world feels logical, and fully alive.
The prose is as compelling as the world-building. The writing feels unfiltered, like a private journal, carrying emotion that doesn't feel fake or melodramatic. Even when Caleb is navigating the supernatural, the narration remains grounded in relatable human feeling. Grief, guilt, shame, and confusion rise naturally from the page, honest and unforced.
The author’s ability to show rather than tell is one of the book’s greatest strengths. Plot points that a less experienced writer might explain outright are instead revealed through gestures, silences, and subtle shifts in expression. Characters communicate their motives in the way they move, the space they take up, or the hesitation before a hard truth. A novice writer might simply tell us that Maddy is angry at Caleb; here, her tightened jaw and clipped voice is enough. Trauma, secrets, long-buried wounds surface naturally from the characters rather than appearing as abrupt plot twists.
In the end, “Upside Down” succeeds because it is a profoundly human story about the emotional selves we repress and the feelings we fear facing. It’s unsettling, emotionally rich, and told with a voice that feels genuinely lived-in. I’m excited to read more from this author.
November 19, 2025
I did not know what to expect with this inverted approach to something all humans walk... Emotional pain. The 'Upside Down' is where the masks are off, and the suffering is visceral. The cracks in people in this world are exposed, nothing can disguise the true internal Armageddon that all of us have had to conquer. Caleb and Maddy are trying to get back the the real world and heal themselves. In comes another protagonist, someone who wants to stay in the 'Upside Down' world. Someone who has embraced his pain as a powerful weapon of control and influence.
I find the book wonderfully challenging, the event of revealing the emotional body we all contain in a metaphor of two worlds really sang to me. Sebastian is a character that has learned to use his suffering/pain in the Upside Down for his own gain. His wanting to stay is a classic yet refreshing man vs. self, but the context of the emotional upheaval... it will leave the reader identifying with current/past challenges to the emotional bodies we all contain, and many times hide, within.
This is a thoughtful, intuitive and powerful book to devour. The internal struggle is Universal, i found myself recalling such memories of similar struggles while reading. Loss of family to death. My own mortality. Love/Loss and their ability to transcend and mould our hearts. Wanting to help those who refuse. Suffering. It is all in here. And it is so thoughtfully woven into a glorious adventure that we all share. If you have pain, and we all do, this book only gives a wonderful approach to giving the emotional body a voice and the adventures we all go through. And it is a fluid read with well received insight on the internal struggle that rarely gets a voice. Bravo to this author. Bravo. This book is a proper adventure in our current world, and it helped give perspective on a human condition rarely spoken of at this intimate level. This author is a deep diver, a rare commodity with such a profound and identifiable way to present information. I find myself reflecting on its pages regularly. This book will make you think, gently only at times, about your own journey.
I find the book wonderfully challenging, the event of revealing the emotional body we all contain in a metaphor of two worlds really sang to me. Sebastian is a character that has learned to use his suffering/pain in the Upside Down for his own gain. His wanting to stay is a classic yet refreshing man vs. self, but the context of the emotional upheaval... it will leave the reader identifying with current/past challenges to the emotional bodies we all contain, and many times hide, within.
This is a thoughtful, intuitive and powerful book to devour. The internal struggle is Universal, i found myself recalling such memories of similar struggles while reading. Loss of family to death. My own mortality. Love/Loss and their ability to transcend and mould our hearts. Wanting to help those who refuse. Suffering. It is all in here. And it is so thoughtfully woven into a glorious adventure that we all share. If you have pain, and we all do, this book only gives a wonderful approach to giving the emotional body a voice and the adventures we all go through. And it is a fluid read with well received insight on the internal struggle that rarely gets a voice. Bravo to this author. Bravo. This book is a proper adventure in our current world, and it helped give perspective on a human condition rarely spoken of at this intimate level. This author is a deep diver, a rare commodity with such a profound and identifiable way to present information. I find myself reflecting on its pages regularly. This book will make you think, gently only at times, about your own journey.
December 29, 2025
Upside Down is profound not because it simply explores grief, but because it translates trauma into a place I could walk through. Instead of emotional pain remaining abstract, internal, or distant, it made it spatial, a geography of aching hallways, inverted logic, and surreal yet familiar landscapes that mirror what it feels like to live inside of loss. This transformation of psyche into setting gives the book so much value to me. It allowed me to see emotional wounds rather than just read about them.
It was gentle and relentless at the same time. It showed that pain was not an enemy to defeat, but a terrain to navigate. The book doesn’t rush healing, glorify resilience, or promise clarity. It embraced confusion, numbness, and the slow, nonlinear path back to oneself.
Upside Down became a mirror for anyone who has faced grief and felt lost inside their own mind. It made the intangible human experience tangible, and that alone resonated deeply with me.
It was gentle and relentless at the same time. It showed that pain was not an enemy to defeat, but a terrain to navigate. The book doesn’t rush healing, glorify resilience, or promise clarity. It embraced confusion, numbness, and the slow, nonlinear path back to oneself.
Upside Down became a mirror for anyone who has faced grief and felt lost inside their own mind. It made the intangible human experience tangible, and that alone resonated deeply with me.
September 21, 2025
Upside Down is a rare book that blends raw emotion with a surreal, unforgettable journey. It follows Caleb, a grieving man who finds himself in an upside-down purgatory where “broken” souls must face their past traumas. The setting is strange and dreamlike, but also a powerful metaphor for grief and healing.
What makes the book stand out is its honesty. In this world, there’s nowhere to hide—characters are stripped bare, their pain exposed.
Though it takes place in an alternate realm, the themes—grief, guilt, abuse, and redemption—are deeply human.
Upside Down is a moving psychological drama about what it takes to truly heal. It’s a must-read for anyone who loves a story that’s both imaginative and heartfelt.
What makes the book stand out is its honesty. In this world, there’s nowhere to hide—characters are stripped bare, their pain exposed.
Though it takes place in an alternate realm, the themes—grief, guilt, abuse, and redemption—are deeply human.
Upside Down is a moving psychological drama about what it takes to truly heal. It’s a must-read for anyone who loves a story that’s both imaginative and heartfelt.
September 29, 2025
Upside Down is one of those rare books that doesn’t just tell a story, it makes you feel it. From the opening scene at Shelly’s funeral to Caleb’s disorienting plunge beneath reality, the novella grips you with its haunting imagery and emotional depth.
The concept of the Upside Down as a mirror of grief is both unsettling and beautiful. It makes you confront the rawness of loss, yet balances it with tender moments of love, honesty, and the desperate fight for healing. Caleb and Maddy’s reunion feels painfully real; their conversations are sharp, vulnerable, and human.
What impressed me most was how the book doesn’t shy away from hard truths. That trauma isn’t something we just get over, but something we wrestle with, sometimes our whole lives.
The concept of the Upside Down as a mirror of grief is both unsettling and beautiful. It makes you confront the rawness of loss, yet balances it with tender moments of love, honesty, and the desperate fight for healing. Caleb and Maddy’s reunion feels painfully real; their conversations are sharp, vulnerable, and human.
What impressed me most was how the book doesn’t shy away from hard truths. That trauma isn’t something we just get over, but something we wrestle with, sometimes our whole lives.
December 22, 2025
The metaphor of Upside Down is its greatest strengths. The inverted world functions as a psychological landscape and disassociation take physical form. The metaphor was sustained with remarkable consistency. Nothing felt symbolic by accident. Every element of the environment reinforced the central theme, creating layers of meaning without spelling them out. This depth allowed the story to resonate differently, giving the metaphor both specificity and universality.
December 23, 2025
Upside Down presents an original narrative premise by way of unprocessed emotional pain. This idea is executed with restraint, avoiding heavy explanations in favor of experiential storytelling.
The concept feels fresh reframing emotional territory in an unfamiliar way. The originality lies not just in the setting, but in its commitment to letting metaphor drive structure and consequence throughout.
The concept feels fresh reframing emotional territory in an unfamiliar way. The originality lies not just in the setting, but in its commitment to letting metaphor drive structure and consequence throughout.
November 17, 2025
Upside Down is a psychological thriller that turns grief inside out, literally. When Caleb loses his sister, he’s pulled into an inverted realm where the buried selves of the living confront the truths they’ve refused to feel. Raw, cinematic, and emotionally daring, Upside Down explores trauma, love, and the cost of avoidance. I cannot get this story and premise out of my head.
December 9, 2025
Psychological metaphorical sci-fi
It’s a psychological allegory painted in speculative fiction.
The emotional body becoming a literal mirrored self is a concept I have never encountered in any published work.
This was deeply moving and affected me personally.
It’s a psychological allegory painted in speculative fiction.
The emotional body becoming a literal mirrored self is a concept I have never encountered in any published work.
This was deeply moving and affected me personally.
September 27, 2025
A stunningly unique concept. Upside Down is a visceral, haunting journey into the heart of healing. I recommend this highly.
November 17, 2025
Even those who appear whole on the surface may be hiding their upside-down selves from the world
December 8, 2025
Holy S***
I have read books that made me think, but this book changed me. I have never experienced a fictional scenario that made me question life like this. This book was GREAT!
I have read books that made me think, but this book changed me. I have never experienced a fictional scenario that made me question life like this. This book was GREAT!
November 18, 2025
Haunting and Heart-Wrenching
Upside Down is an emotional odyssey, a visceral plunge into the depths of grief, love, and the fractured selves we bury to survive. This psychological thriller grips you with its raw intensity, weaving a story so haunting that it lingers long after the final chapter.
The reunion between Maddy and Caleb at his sister’s funeral is a gut punch of unresolved history, setting the stage for a narrative that is as much about confronting the past as it is about escaping its suffocating weight. Upside Down, a shadow realm where emotions manifest as physical realities, where the versions of ourselves we’ve locked away roam freely, raw and unfiltered.
Caleb’s grief and guilt are palpable, his struggle to navigate this nightmarish reflection of his trauma utterly compelling. And then—there’s Maddy. Not the guarded, composed woman from the real world, but the real Maddy, the one who has been trapped in this limbo of unprocessed pain for years. Their reunion in this eerie dimension was charged with all the love, anger, and longing they never allowed themselves to feel.
What follows is a harrowing journey through their darkest memories, where every encounter forces them to face the betrayals and losses that shattered them. The writing pulls you deeper into the psychological labyrinth.
Upside Down is a blend of psychological depth with the eerie suspense of a thriller. It’s a story about the cost of avoidance, the necessity of pain, and the courage it takes to truly feel in order to heal.
5/5 stars—an unforgettable experience.
Upside Down is an emotional odyssey, a visceral plunge into the depths of grief, love, and the fractured selves we bury to survive. This psychological thriller grips you with its raw intensity, weaving a story so haunting that it lingers long after the final chapter.
The reunion between Maddy and Caleb at his sister’s funeral is a gut punch of unresolved history, setting the stage for a narrative that is as much about confronting the past as it is about escaping its suffocating weight. Upside Down, a shadow realm where emotions manifest as physical realities, where the versions of ourselves we’ve locked away roam freely, raw and unfiltered.
Caleb’s grief and guilt are palpable, his struggle to navigate this nightmarish reflection of his trauma utterly compelling. And then—there’s Maddy. Not the guarded, composed woman from the real world, but the real Maddy, the one who has been trapped in this limbo of unprocessed pain for years. Their reunion in this eerie dimension was charged with all the love, anger, and longing they never allowed themselves to feel.
What follows is a harrowing journey through their darkest memories, where every encounter forces them to face the betrayals and losses that shattered them. The writing pulls you deeper into the psychological labyrinth.
Upside Down is a blend of psychological depth with the eerie suspense of a thriller. It’s a story about the cost of avoidance, the necessity of pain, and the courage it takes to truly feel in order to heal.
5/5 stars—an unforgettable experience.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews