Once a Witch Review
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Title: Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
Series: Witch #1
Published: September 19, 2009
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3 1/2 – 5
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 292
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.
Disclaimer: I always try to be honest and impartial in my reviews my goal is not to tear down a writers work but to offer my most humble constructive opinions. Be it negative or positive it meant to be taken as such, after all these are just my opinions so please take it with a grain of salt.
Favorite quote: They said I never made a sound but opened my eyes and immediately regarded them all with a calm and quiet gaze “as if she’s seen so much already” my mother whispered.
When I first picked up this book it was by chance I find a lot of good books that way but I wasn’t sure about this one though got pull in by the cover. Still, I wanted something different to read no vamps or weres but still had an element of fantasy to it. Time travel,intrigue, action who could ask fore more. I come from a small immediate family so I just loved Tasmin’s family right away . What appealed to me was the seize and the family dynamics everyone was so very close, and on one hand the family functioned like a business their witchy utilitarian talents were put to good use insuring the family’s finicial survival. Tamsin is typical teenager rebellious and unsure of herself even more so Tamsin questions if she belonged because every else had their talents manifest at the age eight except Tamsin ,or so she thinks. She’s embarrassed of her family’s profession and hates being a pariah. In New York her life is a stark contrast, she’s alone and anonymous. Unlike at home in “the hellcrater” her nick name for the town where her family is the town pariah, until one of the townspeople need something. Until Alistair walks into her family’s shop and changes her world in one misunderstanding which starts an adventure at the end of which Tamsin becomes stronger and has come to accept who she is her place. The premise was fresh a nice little adventure in Sunday afternoon.
Onto the ugly bits what I didn’t like the story was sound but it took forever for things to start even after the villain introduces himself into the story. Which was clever by the way as a client . Another thing I didn’t get if Tamsin is so powerful and other talents don’t work on her how come she couldn’t fight off her sister Rowena. Its psychological you say huh then come she fought off her grandmother. The villain in this piece Alistair Callum he runs hot and cold what I mean there are moments in the book when i think he’s an evil genius then other when he reminds me of a bully on the playground trying to take your lunch money. More evil genius less playground bully he would have made a great villain. Overall I enjoyed Once a witch I gave it a three and half stars mostly because it took a while before it got started and if my attention span were a touch shorter I would have put the book down and come back to it later, sorry. In the end I persevered and made past the parts laggy to the good stuff.
