Review commentary based on the critique written by Paul Zietsman for Readers’ Favorite.
Readers’ Favorite offered one of the strongest editorial takes on Upside Down, focusing on the book’s psychological depth, surreal atmosphere, and the emotionally inverted world where characters confront the versions of themselves they’ve buried.
The reviewer connected deeply with the book’s central metaphor, grief as a physical landscape and emotional inversion as a literal place beneath the glass.
Paul Zietsman emphasized how the story blends psychological tension with dreamlike world building. In his reflections, he noted how the book leaves a lingering emotional impact long after the final chapter.
Here are a few powerful lines from his review:
“Upside Down is a haunting and heart-wrenching odyssey.”
“A surreal, emotionally charged descent into grief and fractured identity.”
“This story stays with you — in the best and most unsettling ways.”
This review stands out because it recognizes the book’s symbolism:
the glass barrier, the mirrored selves, the raw emotional honesty of the Below versions, and the haunting presence of unprocessed trauma.
Zietsman’s interpretation aligns with the book’s core themes:
grief manifesting as a physical world
identity splitting under emotional pressure
healing requiring self-confrontation
the danger of unaddressed pain
His review captures the intention behind the book, that the Upside Down isn’t a horror setting, but an emotional X-ray of grief and the versions of ourselves we suppress to survive.
For the complete, original review, visit: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/upside-down
Many readers have shared similar reactions, that the story lingers with them, that certain scenes echo their own experiences with grief, and that the mirrored identities feel uncomfortably real in the best way.
As the author, this review meant a lot because it recognized the emotional architecture of the world, not just the plot beats. It understood the intention: that grief can feel like falling through yourself, and sometimes it takes a fictional mirror to see the truth more clearly.
ISBN: 979-8296073051
