Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Once a Witch

By Carolyn MacCullough

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2009

292 pages, Library Book (hardcover)

Date Finished: 22/6/2011

Genres: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Romance, Fantasy, Some Action

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.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "I was born on the night of Samhain, when the barrier between the worlds is whisper then and when magic, old magi, sings its heady and sweet song to anyone who cares to hear it."
~Last Line: "Just then a log bursts and hundreds of sparks fly upward, then blaze like shooting stars across the night sky."

Review: This book was absolutely ahmazing! I am super-anxious to get my hands on the sequel, Always a Witch. Carolyn MacCullough is a marvelous author for sure.

The main character, Tamsin Greene, was, at birth, told that she would be a brilliant witch. But nothing happened. She never got her powers and she's seventeen. The outcast of the family. Her sister Rowena, on the otherhand? The family favorite.

Anyway, I loved the plot for Once a Witch. I had never read about witches like Tamsin's family. And the enemy family. Well, that wasn't necessarily new, but I like the magical twist that MacCullough brought to it. Tamsin have to save her oh-so-talented sister in the end was pretty great, too :).

The characters; wow, the characters. I loved the charries in this novel. I'm not really sure which charrie was my favorite, though. I'm thinking it was Tamsin. She was just a "lost" witch trying to fit in with, of all people, her family. As a teen, I could totally relate to that part (the fitting in, not the family); it made me feel kind of bad for her in a way.

All in all, this book was awesome! I can't ait to get my hands on Always a Witch. Sadly, our libraries don't have it. Looks like I need a trip to the Kindle Store! :D

Plot Rating: 5
Character Rating: 4.5
Cover Rating: 4


Overall Rating: 4.5
and a half :)