Dancer and writer Marissa Alma Nick finds strength in vulnerability in her debut novel, REBEL IN VENUS
Debuted Friday exclusively on Amazon, REBEL IN VENUS is a powerful and honest story of redemption, and an intimate portrait of friendship, the impact of trauma, and the unforgettable experience of our first love lost.
REBEL IN VENUS was borne of injury: after Nick suffered a torn meniscus on December 4, 2019, she knew she would be bedridden for at least a year recovering. Shortly thereafter, her best friend died by suicide, and the world shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic. REBEL IN VENUS materialized as an antidote to the suffering all around her.
Grieving her friend and mending her knee inspired the concept of REBEL IN VENUS: two queer friends, Layla and Maria, who start to unravel their carefully-repressed pasts over the course of a girls’ night in. As a sequence of traumatic memories come flooding back to Layla, she is suddenly faced with the sexual revelations, high school humiliations, unwanted pregnancies, unwavering friendships, sex work, divorce, and loss she had long buried.
As a queer woman herself, Nick brings a layer of authenticity to Layla’s story, illuminating the unique milestones, experiences, and traumas involved with coming of age as a queer woman. REBEL IN VENUS takes us through Layla’s past to show us how she ultimately transforms her life once she is fully honest with herself about her own life journey.
By sharing her past with Maria, Layla triumphs over the deep shame she feels, demonstrating the power of expression and being seen by another in moving through our hardest moments. With REBEL IN VENUS, Nick shows us that it is only by being vulnerable with others — and ourselves — that we can free ourselves from shame and reclaim power over our lives.
Nick is no stranger to hidden pasts, family secrets, and trauma. She comes from a long line of Mob bosses — on both sides of her family — and learned later in life that her mother had been told she could never have children. She hopes that the story of Layla and Maria spreads awareness of mental health issues, the importance of friendship, and the power of vulnerability.
