Lulu Dean had the promise to be a great book. The first part set up the story nicely and introduced a plethora of characters. Beverly Underwood and her arch-enemy, Lula Dean, are central figures in the tiny town of Troy, Georgia. Beverly is on the school board, while Lula becomes a local celebrity by attempting to purge public libraries of "inappropriate" books, replacing them with what she considers worthy literature in her own front-yard lending library.

The twist comes when a local troublemaker restocks Lula’s library with banned books, sparking unexpected changes in the lives of the town’s readers. As Beverly and Lula run against each other to replace the town’s disgraced mayor, the stage is set for a dramatic showdown.

While the ending brought everything together well, the middle felt bogged down by heavy-handed political and social correctness. It slowed the story and felt repetitive. Nonetheless, the book was good enough to finish, though not compelling enough to revisit. For those interested in a story of small-town politics and the impact of literature, it’s worth a read.