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Born in Boston, Rich grew up in Rockport, Massachusetts. Moving to Hollywood in the 90s, he was introduced to what became a passionate hobby of his: storytelling. Offering a different voice in the face of what seemed to be the repetitive stories told by the entertainment industry, he submitted screenplays without representation.
Years passed with family and career obligations, and the storytelling diminished. Never claiming to be an eloquent writer or having perfect grammar, it was the core of the stories and characters that he enjoyed exploring and expanding. Many of the characters and locations center around New England and areas near Rockport, through the lens of a fantastical world or a dystopian one.
Reviewed by Paul Zietsman for Readers' Favorite
R. Morello’s Upside Down is a one-of-a-kind, beautifully layered work that merges grief, trauma, and redemption in a surreal mirror world setting. The story follows Caleb, a man shattered by the loss of his sister, who finds himself literally living beneath the world he once knew. There, emotions are raw, conversations are stripped of pretense, and every encounter, especially with his ex-partner Maddy and long-time friend Jason, peels back the layers of pain and forgiveness. Without giving away too much, the plot unfolds like a dark dream you can’t shake, where reality and emotion blend until you’re not sure which way is up anymore.
This book hit me hard. It’s brilliantly authentic and hauntingly original. The writing has a cinematic quality; every scene feels suspended in the air, heavy with feeling. R. Morello doesn’t flinch from trauma; he lets his characters bleed truth. What struck me most is how he captures the subtle ways grief distorts perception, the way we live half in memories and half in denial. The upside-down realm becomes a metaphor for that inner purgatory we all face when life breaks us. It’s rare to find a story this conceptually rich and emotionally fearless. The dialogue feels lived-in, the world-building is eerie but intimate, and the pacing balances pain with quiet revelation. Upside Down isn’t just read, it’s absorbed. This book is for readers who crave something different, something that doesn’t just entertain but transforms the way you look at sorrow, healing, and what it really means to come back to yourself.
