This article summarizes and provides commentary on the review written by Jamie Michele for Readers’ Favorite.
Jamie Michele’s review offers a sharp, emotionally perceptive reading of Upside Down, emphasizing the book’s surreal world building and the psychological layers that shape Caleb’s journey through grief, memory, and mirrored identity.
Their review focuses on how the book blends emotional trauma with unsettling atmospheric tension—two pillars that define the story’s tone.
“A uniquely intense and imaginative story.”
“Sebastian is a chilling counterpart who feeds on guilt and regret.”
“The settings feel textured and near cinematic, grounding the emotional journey.”
“A metaphor for facing darkness to rediscover one’s capacity for forgiveness and connection.”
Jamie’s take captures the emotional stakes of the story, Caleb’s desperate need for truth, the danger of denial, and the threat embodied in Sebastian.
Jamie’s interpretation resonates because she identifies the inverted world as more than surrealism, it is a psychological architecture, built from:
unresolved trauma
inherited emotional wounds
guilt and regret
fractured identity
the fear of confronting truth
Her review recognizes the Upside Down as a metaphorical space where emotional illusions and harsh realities collide.
She also highlights how characters like Maddy, Jason, Ayla, and Dominic are not simply supporting figures, they represent different ways trauma shapes people, giving Caleb relational anchors as he navigates the mirrored realm.
Her focus on the cinematic texture of the settings also echoes an important intention behind the book:
the world beneath the glass is meant to feel like a distorted reflection of the real one, familiar yet unnervingly wrong.
To explore Jamie’s full thoughts, visit: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/upside-down
Jamie’s review struck me because she pinpointed one of the most important threads of the story, the battle between truth and illusion. She understood Sebastian not just as an antagonist, but as the embodiment of emotional paralysis: the voice of guilt that wants you to stay stuck.
Her remarks about forgiveness and re-connection speak directly to the heart of the book. The Upside Down isn’t just a surreal world, it’s a place where emotional truths refuse to stay buried.
ISBN: 979-8296073051
