Review: Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Pub. Date: September 2009

Age Range: Young Adult
304pp

Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant.

Once a Witch is a great story with a splendid storyline that had me wrapped up into the suspense surrounding Tamsin’s life. This book has a nice flow to it and reading it felt effortless and the plot flowed perfectly together. Once a Witch is an exciting read and kept me turning the pages. I’ve not read too many stories about witches but Once a Witch is a great addition to the supernatural world. I loved the time travel aspect of the story which only made the book more exciting and I got quite a few laughs out of it too.

The characters in Once a Witch are quite interesting with the uniqueness of their family and rituals and the different abilities that they have. Tamsin feels like an outsider in her own family of witches because she never developed a “talent.” I’m sure readers can relate to having an older sibling who everyone thinks is the golden child who’s constantly in the spotlight. So, I can see why Tamsin acts the way she does in wanting to prove something to everyone. Tamsin seems somewhat of the rebel in the family which made her even more interesting. Then there’s the gorgeous Gabriel, one of my favorite characters in this book. Gabriel enters back into Tamsin’s life and his background & “talent” is just as interesting plus he kept me laughing throughout this book. I hope I’ll get to see more of him in the next installment.

I love the whole idea of a family of witches and how each had these amazing powers. One of my favorite scenes in this book was the poker game – I was laughing so hard! There were times where this book reminded me of one of my favorite TV Series – Charmed. I can’t wait to read the sequel Always a Witch!

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars