This post features Richard’s Goodreads review of Upside Down by R. Morello.
In his Goodreads review, Richard calls Upside Down “haunting and heart-wrenching,” capturing the emotional force at the core of the story. He describes the novella as an emotional odyssey, one that plunges readers into grief, fractured identity, and the shadow selves we bury to survive.
He highlights how the book blends psychological depth with surreal world building, creating a “shadow realm” where emotions become physical realities and buried selves walk freely raw, unfiltered, and impossible to ignore.
Richard notes how the story’s emotional voltage begins immediately, with the charged reunion between Caleb and Maddy at his sister’s funeral, a moment filled with unresolved history and suppressed longing.
This moment sets the stage for the entire journey: confronting the past instead of outrunning it.
One of the highlights of his review is the contrast he draws between the surface versions of Caleb and Maddy and their inverted selves trapped in the Upside Down.
Richard emphasizes how Maddy’s presence embodies the cost of avoidance, and the honesty required for healing.
Richard concludes that Upside Down is an intense psychological thriller and a haunting journey that lingers long after finishing.
He gives it 5/5 stars, calling it “an unforgettable experience.”
ISBN: 979-8296073051
