The real monster is white hetero patriarchy. And that being the monster, with no LGBT characters, made most of the characters extremely unrelatable. I am not straight, a housewife, a mother, a southerner, or a Christian. The first half of the book, largely following the mundane life of a housewife as the stage is set, was a major slog.

However, it did set the stage for an exciting last half of the book. Once the punches start coming they don't stop coming. The safety of the institutions these women had always relied on crumbles away, and they are forced to choose: live in the fantasy of an idyllic suburban life, or risk it all, seize their independence, and be truly safe with their fates in their own hands.

I would consider this to be a good book, but it gets 3 stars because I found the first half boring. You may enjoy it more than I did.

To warn potential readers: this book features rape scenes, including child rape.