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Once a Witch (Witch #1)

by Carolyn MacCullough

3.82 · rating details · 4,032 ratings · 700 reviews

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 searchsp...more

Hardcover, 292 pages

Published September 14th 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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Jul 18, 2011

The Holy Terror rated it

Recommends it for: fans of X-Men or witches

Recommended to The Holy Terror by: Moonlighthaven2004

Shelves: witches, stand-alone, borrowed, young-adult, paranormal

I have to say I was pretty surprised at how much I liked this book. I've been reading a lot of mediocre teen books lately so I didn't have my hopes up too high when I started this one. Thankfully, it was a really great book!

Tamsin's family is a group of witches, they each have Talents that manifest at around the age of eight. Unfortunately for Tamsin though, her Talent never manifests, but her older sister Rowena is one of the most powerful of the family. Tamsin's forced to live in h...moreI have to say I was pretty surprised at how much I liked this book. I've been reading a lot of mediocre teen books lately so I didn't have my hopes up too high when I started this one. Thankfully, it was a really great book!

Tamsin's family is a group of witches, they each have Talents that manifest at around the age of eight. Unfortunately for Tamsin though, her Talent never manifests, but her older sister Rowena is one of the most powerful of the family. Tamsin's forced to live in her sister's shadow, always feeling like an outsider.

Then one day a professor comes in to the family's bookstore where Tamsin is working and asks her to find an object for him. He's heard that Tamsin's family has a knack for finding lost things. The professor mistakes Tamsin for her sister and asks her to find a special object for him. Not being able to say no, Tamsin takes on the task even though she doesn't have the Talent to do so.

Fortunately for Tamsin though, a childhood friend, Gabriel, comes back to live with her family and his Talent is finding lost objects. He agrees to help her and they set upon locating what the professor asked her to find, but is it really something that should be found?

One of the main things I liked about this novel was that each of the witches have special powers. It's kind of like wicca and X-Men combined, strangely enough. One witch can persuade anyone to do anything with their voice, another can freeze people, and yet another can control fire. And the Talents are handled in a way that's not cheesy at all.

Tamsin herself is a great heroine. She's spunky and smart, and even though she has her differences with her family, especially her sister, she still loves them and cares for them. Her rebellious nature stems from always feeling like the black sheep of the family, and she really just wants to belong with the rest of them.

I really liked the whole mystery within the story and I was increasingly curious as to how everything would play out. You can kind of tell how things will go but you're still left wondering at times.

Honestly, this book caught me by surprise. I wasn't expecting much but it turned out this was a really engaging read. I'm hoping the author is going to write a sequel soon, because I can't wait to find out what's going to happen next!(less)

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Dec 17, 2010

Flannery rated it

Shelves: kcls, read-in-2010, young-adult-teen, paranormal, i-want-to-go-to-there

Wowzers, this book moves at breakneck speed. There were a lot of characters, a lot of powers, a ton of plot, and Carolyn MacCullough packed it all into a shorter book. Did I enjoy it? Definitely. I just wish it was about 50 pages longer and unraveled at 70-75% of the current pace.

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Feb 04, 2011

Anne Osterlund rated it

Tamsin is a witch that’s not witch. The Talentless daughter of a powerful magical family she would prefer to escape. And she has escaped—at least a little, in her dorm at prep school.

But when a dark and mysterious stranger asks her to FIND a clock, Tamsin tells a fib.

She claims she can find it.

And it’s all downhill from there. Well, almost all. There is Gabriel, the young man from her past who seems not at all disturbed by the fact that she never developed her...more

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Sep 18, 2009

Kristi (The Story Siren) added it

Although Carolyn had a few novels under her belt already, Once a Witch was my first experience with her writing, and I’m looking forward to more.

Tamsin was a very relatable character. Feeling like you don’t quite fit in with your family or that you’ll never live up to their standards is something that I remember struggling with myself. I loved the dynamics of her family and how even though it was so huge everyone was close in their own ways. It was refreshing to read about a “normal”...more

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Aug 08, 2010

Emma Michaels rated it

Shelves: reviewed

Okay first off… I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK!!! I sat down to read it last night but was interrupted so the first chance I got today I started. I went so far as to not even put it down to blow dry my hair making this a very bad hair day because I got completely distracted by the book and so sucked in that I blow dried my hair until it was just a little too dry. This book was very well written and I have to admit I am impressed by the author. It was such a smooth read and as you breeze through the...more

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Jan 21, 2011

Alanna M rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, romance, young-adult

Despite a promising start, this book really didn't turn out very good for me. I had a hard time swallowing the resolution, since it didn't involve any measure of apology on the part of her family for estranging her all those years. One moment she's the bitter black sheep with no measure of witchy Talent, the next she is the most powerful witch of them all, ready to defend her family with her life despite the perpetuated lies they used to alienate her since she was 8 years old. The book seemed to...more

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Sep 20, 2009

The Bookologist rated it

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 tre...more

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Feb 17, 2011

Vinaya rated it

Shelves: books-i-liked, ya-fantasy

This book suffers severely from First Book Syndrome. What it really needs is some solid rewriting and a strict editor.

Where's that full stop, young lady?

Once A Witch is a story about Tamsin, who is born into a family of Talented witches. On the day of her birth her grandmother prophecies great things for her, but it turns out, Tamsin was born with no Talents at all. Feeling like a freak and a misfit, Tamsin grabs at the opportunity to prove herself when a stranger ...more

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Jul 15, 2011

Rachel rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Rachel by: Kate (Nomalicious Reads)

You can check out more reviews on my blog: Paper Cuts

So Once a Witch was recommended to me by my cool friend from Australia, Kate (She's got a pretty cool blog, Nomalicious Reads that you should follow. Check it out!), and I'm so glad she did. I really enjoyed reading it. I thought the relationships were well-developed and the storyline had a perfect, flowing pace.

Normally, I'm really not a big witch fan. Other than Harry Potter, I can't help but think of pointy hatted wo...moreYou can check out more reviews on my blog: Paper Cuts

So Once a Witch was recommended to me by my cool friend from Australia, Kate (She's got a pretty cool blog, Nomalicious Reads that you should follow. Check it out!), and I'm so glad she did. I really enjoyed reading it. I thought the relationships were well-developed and the storyline had a perfect, flowing pace.

Normally, I'm really not a big witch fan. Other than Harry Potter, I can't help but think of pointy hatted women with warts, and that's really not a happy sight. (Be pleased I didn't put up a picture. Believe me, I thought about it.) But the witches in Once a Witch have Talents, meaning each one can basically do one thing really well, and that's it. Some have more than one Talent, and some do potions and things, but they don't carry around wands and say incantations to turn you into a toad. For example, Tamsin's aunt can freeze people, not literally freeze them, but make their body stop. Completely. Which is pretty cool. Other people can find things someone is looking for, manipulate weather, and see into the future, but none of them can naturally do them all.

I found Tamsin easy to relate with (really, who doesn't feel overshadowed and stupid compared to someone?) and loving. She comes to her annoying sister's aid when she most needs it, despite having harbored bad feelings towards her for forever. Rowena is also a good character. She undergoes more changes than any other character, in my opinion, and becomes a much more likable and better person for it.

The secondary characters are great in Once a Witch. We have Tamsin's slightly unhinged roommate, Agatha, Aunt Beatrice who has completely lost her marbles, and swoon-worthy Gabriel, who has the coolest Talent that I'd really like to learn more about!

The plot is fast-paced, keeping everything interesting. Once we get all of the major character introductions over with the book just runs away with the reader in tow. It is just complicated enough to keep you questioning, but not so complicated that you don't get it. The time traveling sequences were at first unexpected, but consistently my favorite parts.

Once a Witch is definitely an adventure you'll be tempted to read in one sitting, and can easily do so without an ounce of regret. Now may I please have the sequel?(less)

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Nov 30, 2011

Daphne rated it

Shelves: enjoyed

I started this book excited and was not disappointed.
Tamsin's oldest sister Rowena is a powerful witch, beautiful and charming. Tamsin longs to have some of her talent since she is the only one in her family (so she believes) does not have gifts. Feeling left out she pretends to be her sister at her grandmothers store when a professor seeks her to find a clock.

Gabriel a talented childhood friend and hotty helps her find this clock and their journey and story behind the clock b...more

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Mar 01, 2011

Jessica rated it

· review of another edition

Honestly, I don’t have too much to say about this one. The story was nice enough, I liked the characters as well as the whole gift concept, but somehow I can’t seem to find anything to gush or complain about.

When I first started reading I got really excited since the plot moves at a really fast pace and I found myself being glued to the pages. I only stopped because I had already spent the better part of my evening reading and this annoying thing called real life kept demanding my at...more

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Jul 22, 2010

Nafiza rated it

Shelves: 2010, ya-fantasy

I was immediately swept away in the world created by MacCullough in the first book of what promises to be an amazing series. Tamsin feels shadowed by her older, more beautiful, more powerful sister – an emotion that is relatable to by many amongst us. What immediately sets the story apart, for me, is the fact that it is a story of dynasties. A shared history among family members who are all different from the normal, more ordinary people. Tamsin, you see, hails from a family (from generations) o...moreI was immediately swept away in the world created by MacCullough in the first book of what promises to be an amazing series. Tamsin feels shadowed by her older, more beautiful, more powerful sister – an emotion that is relatable to by many amongst us. What immediately sets the story apart, for me, is the fact that it is a story of dynasties. A shared history among family members who are all different from the normal, more ordinary people. Tamsin, you see, hails from a family (from generations) of witches. She was supposed to be the most powerful of them all, the most brilliant. Only…she wasn’t. In fact, she didn’t seem to have gotten any powers. This leads her to feel distinctly cast-out in a family where everyone is special. Where even the toddlers can do amazing magic. So she escapes. To a private boarding school in New York.

Then enter the mysterious professor, who, in mistaking Tamsin for her sister (remember the gorgeous older, more powerful one?) sets into action events that completely change Tamsin and her perspective on who and what she is. Along the way, the reappearance of a childhood crush adds the spice of romance (he is swoon worthy, you guys) and a revelation on Tamsin’s true nature, takes the narrative from a waltz to a rapid disco. The reader will whirl from scene to scene – flung about in a miasma of emotion – reading as slow as she can to make the experience last longer and then at other times, reading as fast as she can so she find out what happens next. (Okay fine, I’m just talking about myself.)

The characters are created with an exquisite ease that sets them apart as individuals rather than replicates of stereotypes often used in genre-books. The matriarch of the family has different sides to her as does the nutty relative. Everything and everyone is delightfully interwoven to present to the world a story that leaves the reader waiting (I was going to say tortured) for the next installment.

I give it a resounding 5 stars. Read it!(less)

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Oct 11, 2011

kari rated it

Shelves: ya, 2010

I think I see a sequel in the future for this one. I guess I hope so because I'd love to read more about Tamsin, Gabriel and their big family of witches.
Tamsin, born of a long line of witches, has no Talent, what the witches call their power and she feels left out and different. In an effort to try to show that she is capable of doing what the others can, she makes one very bad choice, or maybe several, depending on how you look at it. Anyway, there is time travel, surprising magic and th...more

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Dec 09, 2010

Krystle Yanagihara rated it

I don't what it was about this book but there was something about it that just drew me in.

The book was a continuous stream of fast-paced tension with an added dose of action. I loved the chemistry and interactions Tamsin had with the male lead. It's quite obvious that they have feelings for the other but it's never bogged down in a mushy subplot that takes away from the main story. Yes, they like each other, but their friendship is more important and she doesn't really want to be in a...more

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Jan 08, 2010

Nely rated it

Shelves: library

Tamsin Greene was born, destined to be one of the most Talented and powerful witches in her family. But now at seventeen, she has long since gotten over the fact that her “Talent” just never came to be. She’s more or less an average teenager (of course, without taking her Talented family into consideration). She attends school in New York City, has a great roommate/BFF and is as far away from the eccentricities of her family as she can get.

But when a stranger walks into her grandmoth...moreTamsin Greene was born, destined to be one of the most Talented and powerful witches in her family. But now at seventeen, she has long since gotten over the fact that her “Talent” just never came to be. She’s more or less an average teenager (of course, without taking her Talented family into consideration). She attends school in New York City, has a great roommate/BFF and is as far away from the eccentricities of her family as she can get.

But when a stranger walks into her grandmother's shop and asks if she can find something for him - thinking her to be her older sister Rowena (who can find anything - no matter where in the world or in time it might be), Tam passes herself off as her sister and agrees to take on the job. With the help of her old friend Gabriel, she is able to locate the object (in 1897), but that’s only the beginning of a tale that will lead you on a hunt through time that will reveal plenty of family drama.

I absolutely loved the premise of this story. Young girl from powerful family full of all types of zany family members all with their own special "Talents" and her with none. Loved it!

Tam was a very relatable character. What girl doesn't struggle to fit in with their family? There will always be someone bigger and better than you - it's a matter of accepting who you are. That's not always easy to accomplish - but something worth striving for. I enjoyed the bickering between the sisters and the love/hate relationship they had. I can definitely relate to that. The scenes where the family is gathered and you read about their Talents - was just a treat to read. I especially loved the parts where Tamsin goes back in time - very detailed, it gave you that dreamy, glittery-around-the-edges feel to the time.

The ending left plenty of loose ends, but you can totally understand this since it seems there will be a sequel in the (hopefully) near future. This was a quick, fun read - with sibling rivalry (which I always love), quirky characters, a sprinkling of romance, and plenty of mystery and intrigue. Although the story is written for ages 12 and over - no matter what the age, this is a story that can be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys urban fantasy.(less)

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Oct 25, 2011

El Templo de las Mil Puertas added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 19-eltemplo, criticas-literarias

"“Tu hija será una de las más poderosas que hayamos tenido jamás. Será una luz para guiarnos a todas.” Esto fue lo que la abuela de Tamsin le predijo a su madre cuando ella nació. Ahí es nada. Desde entonces, la familia entera había esperado con ansias que la joven revelase cuál era su Talento, su don, su poder. Cómo, según la profecía de la anciana, guiaría al clan en el futuro. Sí, todos habían esperado y esperado y esperado… Pero, después de diecisiete años, tuvieron que admitir que ...more

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Jun 02, 2011

Tara added it

REVIEW ORIGINALLY POSTED http://hobbitsies.net/wordpress/?p=1558

Whee! I love books about witches! Lots of people like vampires or werewolves, but witches are definitely my favourite paranormal “creature” – seriously. I’ll read anything about witches. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I picked up Once a Witch – I’d heard good things, but I was a little iffy. I’m not a huge fan of the paperback cover, which is what I think made me iffy.

BUT – Once a Witch is wow! I real...more

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Jan 04, 2012

Shweta's Book Journal rated it

Shelves: ya-fantasy

I was totally ,completely taken in by this book. I read it in a span of 2 hours ,non stop. I am not lying ,it was unputdownable. Is that even a legitimate word ? I had loved the cover and had to go through loads of grilling by my parents when I ordered this book online . ( You know the story where I am still a student and shipping and hardcover books dig a huge hole in my pocket)But just look at the cover , can you resist it ? I am weak , I gave in. And for once I don't regret the decision. It w...more

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Jan 04, 2012

MaryAnn Oprea rated it

I officially love this series. Everything about Once a Witch was just amazing. The characters, the setting, the strange yet intriguing Talents that every witch, except for Tamsin has, and the way every perfectly crafted sentence had my mind reeling over all the possible situations that the main character Tamsin could encounter on the next page! Everything...from start to finish. I found it totally unpredictable. From the prologue, that I instantly found interesting, had me attracted to it like a...moreI officially love this series. Everything about Once a Witch was just amazing. The characters, the setting, the strange yet intriguing Talents that every witch, except for Tamsin has, and the way every perfectly crafted sentence had my mind reeling over all the possible situations that the main character Tamsin could encounter on the next page! Everything...from start to finish. I found it totally unpredictable. From the prologue, that I instantly found interesting, had me attracted to it like a fish to some fishing bait (was that a bad metaphor?). It was so finely detailed that I could easily imagine all the trouble that Tamsin got into unfold before my eyes, from the moment that Alistair Callum enters her family store, to the end of the story.

I hadn't known what to expect from the story. Reading the synopsis, when I saw the words time and travel, I was slightly worried. I was wondered if it would still meet my expectations of reading a genuine and original read. Well guess what? It blew my mind to the point where I was so glad that there was time travel, all due to the fun Talents that the characters had. I especially enjoyed Tamsin's sister, Rowena's, Talent. She can get people to do whatever she wants just by talking to them (I wouldn't mind having it). I loved the way Carolyn MacCullough set up the relationships between the characters. I could understand the love/hate relationship that Tamsin and her older sister, Rowena, shared and I found it easy to believe the distant relationships that Tamsin had with the rest of her family due to her having no Talents at all. I would pout and want to hug Tamsin whenever she brought up how her Grandmother and her were never close, or how she felt like her Mother thought of her as a big disappointment because her Grandmother's prediction was wrong. All through the story I was constantly wondering if Tamsin's Grandmother really was wrong about Tamsin being the most powerful witch they would know and all that jazz. From what all the characters said about her Grandmother, I highly doubted that she was wrong. Is she, is she not? You get to find out in the novel.

As for the time travel part of the story, I still couldn't wrap my mind around the concept, though I found it strange how Tamsin and Gabriel could interact with the people from the past and not affect their future. Although it was explained that small bits of the future would be affected, I still found it strange how they could interact with their past relatives and have them hardly notice them in the future. It's something that MacCullough put in the novel that I believe will be the most memorable part, and I hope it's discussed in the sequel, Always a Witch. Since I brought up Gabriel, I'm proud to say that he could be my new character boyfriend. I'm already accepting the fact that he's a lot funnier than Patch, so who knows? Gabriel was my favorite character in the novel. He was easy to imagine (I kinda saw him like a human version of Flynn from Disney's Tangled, don't know why). He had a lot of funny comments to make in the story and such a witty personality, plus his Talent is finding lost things which adds into the time travel part of the story. And not to mention that I wanted him and Tamsin together more than anything.

What wasn't to love? Time travel, great characters, Talents, family secrets being uncovered and a villain who I found both creepy and has motives that equal to Tamsin's, but differ at the same time. I would recommend this to anybody who wants to read a supernatural novel without any of the cliché happenings. A main character who stands apart from all the other YA characters I've read and an unexpected twist that you won't see coming.
(less)

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Dec 08, 2011

ijul (yuliyono) rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: ada-di-lemari, bintang-tiga-setengah, novel-fantasi, novel-young-adult, novel-terjemahan

3,5 star...

Kerumitan dunia sihir

Bagian awal novel ini tidak memberikan sensasi kejut yang hampir membuat saya berhenti karena bosan. Apalagi dari segi kalimat per kalimatnya terasa sulit dicerna otak saya yang pas-pasan ini. Entahlah, apakah dari novel aslinya memang sulit ataukah tersebab gaya penerjemahannya. Saya tak tahu. Yang jelas, memang ada sedikit ganjalan ketika menyimak rangkaian kalimatnya. Banyak sekali adegan yang dibuat dengan kata berulang:

...meliuk...more

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Nov 19, 2011

Saewod Tice rated it

Book Title: Once A Witch
Available on Amazon HERE
Author: Carolyn MacCullough
Published By: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Recommended Age: 15 and up
Reviewed By: Saewod Tice
Blog Reviewed For: Great Minds Think Aloud
Rating: 4.5 Ravens

Once A Witch is a great young adult read. It takes you on a wonderful trip through time and Talent, revenge and deceit.

17 year old Tamsin Greene descends from a long line of witches and is prophesized to be the most pow...more

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Sep 23, 2011

Yola NY rated it

Shelves: fantasy-romance, mistis, punya, romance, terjemahan

hey, covernya keren!
hey, crta penyihir nih!

baca,baca,baca. alurnya masih lambat. byk bget yg bikin penasaran awal-awalnya, pastinya ttg Tamsin yg kenapa gak dapet Talenta-nya sama skali padahal sejak lahir dia udah diramalkan jd penyihir hebat. eh ternyata benar ada hidden agenda nya, dan itu suprise ini novel! belum kepikiran kalo trnyta Talenta Tamsin itu, daaan not bad lah..

keseluruhan crtanya time travelling gitu. bolak balik ke masa dulu, nineteenth century dga...more

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Sep 18, 2011

Emily rated it

Have you ever read one of those books where you’re fifty pages in and you’re nearly dreading reading the rest of it because you’re completely sure you know exactly where it’s going? That was Once a Witch for me.

...Except that nothing in the book happened the way I’d predicted. It was completely awesome, and I will never, ever assume where Ms. MacCullough is heading in the future. I ended up really enjoying Once a Witch! I’d seen reviews around on the blogosphere so I’d had pretty high ...moreHave you ever read one of those books where you’re fifty pages in and you’re nearly dreading reading the rest of it because you’re completely sure you know exactly where it’s going? That was Once a Witch for me.

...Except that nothing in the book happened the way I’d predicted. It was completely awesome, and I will never, ever assume where Ms. MacCullough is heading in the future. I ended up really enjoying Once a Witch! I’d seen reviews around on the blogosphere so I’d had pretty high expectations of the book, and I wasn’t disappointed at all.

One of my favourite parts of the book was the enormous and loving family that Tamsin came from. Their Talents seem to be a combination of pagan beliefs and general magic, and I enjoyed that each of the family members had particular Talents that differed from everyone else. From Rowena’s pretty creepy ability to talk anyone into anything to Aunt Beatrice’s Talent allowing her to knock people out to Gabriels’ time travel to Tamsin’s ...oh yes, she doesn’t have a Talent, does she? Anyone who’s read a book before can guess that Tamsin definitely isn’t the only member of her family without magic, and I seriously loved the Talent she possesses. It was inventive, different, and very interesting to think about.

But I was talking about the family, especially Tamsin’s parents and sister, who are very involved in our heroine’s life which is a nice change from the run of the mill YA book where teenagers seem to have sprung from eggs and live as independently as people in their twenties. Tamsin deals with the difficulties of having engaged parents including phone calls at the absolute worst time and needing to think about how her mother’s worry could be handled. It was excellent to read.

Tamsin’s a smart and determined heroine who’s fought her whole life to try to separate herself from the Black Sheep designation she feels she’s picked up as the only unTalented one. Her conflicted feelings about her family serve as the instigation for the plot as it unwinds, but at her heart, Tamsin loves her relatives and will do anything to help support and protect them.

I was especially impressed with the development of the secondary characters. Grandmother, Rowena, the various aunts, uncles, and cousins, and Gabriel all have their own distinct personalities and quirks and fill the family farm with a real sense of real people living there as opposed to a bunch of easily exchangeable cutouts.

I’m chomping at the bit to get the sequel Always a Witch which is already out in bookstores (YES! No waiting!) and see where Tamsin’s - and her family’s - adventures lead.(less)

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Aug 17, 2011

Seanean rated it

http://librarytalker.blogspot.com/2011/0...

When Tamsin was born, her grandmother declared that she would become the most powerful witch in the family and should would be a beacon for the family. But when she turned eight, she had still never performed a spell or done any apparent magic.

It seemed that she had no Talent.

Her grandmother was wrong.

Now Tamsin does everything she can to avoid her family and their Talents. She's even headed off to a boarding ...more

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Aug 16, 2011

Lyndsey rated it

Shelves: ya

There aren’t nearly enough books in the YA genre which focus on witches for my liking. I love a good witch story, especially when they can do such amazing things so I was really excited after I stumbled across this one on Amazon.

Tamsin was a great heroine. All she wants is to act like a normal teenager now she has come to terms with the fact that she is Talentless. She has a strong voice, knowing exactly what she wants, and it stands out from the first page. She is gutsy, brave and ve...moreThere aren’t nearly enough books in the YA genre which focus on witches for my liking. I love a good witch story, especially when they can do such amazing things so I was really excited after I stumbled across this one on Amazon.

Tamsin was a great heroine. All she wants is to act like a normal teenager now she has come to terms with the fact that she is Talentless. She has a strong voice, knowing exactly what she wants, and it stands out from the first page. She is gutsy, brave and very courageous. She is also extremely rebellious which is one of the things I loved the most about her. I thought that Tamsin was a very well written character and by far, the most likable out of the whole book. There were a couple of things about her which I loved even more, things which I have never seen done in a YA book before but I don’t want to give them away for anyone wanting to read this book. I wonder if anyone who has read it can guess at what I loved the most?

The different Talents that the family members had was a great addition to this book. Each family member can do different things and while most of them are helpful or useful at times, others seem to not be as great. The diverse mix of Talents was one of the things that made this book for me. The fact that Tamsin doesn’t have a Talent made her stand out from the rest of the family and I can only imagine how this must have made her feel. Having a family full of people who are successful is hard enough but to have a family who can all do magical things apart from you must be horrible. Tamsin does explain her reasons for going away to Manhattan for school though, mainly because she feels like a bit of an outcast after her grandmother proclaimed her the most powerful of them all… which didn’t amount to anything.

Tamsin’s relationship with her older sister, Rowena, was a great thing to read about. Even though they are witches, their relationship is just like that of any sisters. They bicker, they disagree a lot of the time and they fight. As the story developed, the relationship between Tamsin and Rowena slightly changed and I was glad to see that there was more between them than I had originally thought. Tamsin’s relationships with other characters were also interesting. The fact that she felt like the black sheep of the family put some distance between her and her mother, knowing that Rowena was always going to be the favoured daughter. It isn’t only Tamsin and Rowena’s relationship that changes though. As Tamsin goes through a number of things in this story, she realises that people in her family are not all that they seem and by finding out new things about them, it changes how she sees them.

Aiding Tamsin in her quest to find a particular item for the professor is long time friend, Gabriel. Even though the two used to be best friends, they lost touch when Tamsin didn’t gain her Talent. Gabriel didn’t seem bothered about this fact at all. He only wanted his best friend back and couldn’t understand why Tamsin hadn’t kept in touch over the years. I really loved Gabriel. He’s a witch, plays in a band and is pretty damn hot. What’s not to like? He was also sweet and sensitive though when it came to Tamsin and it was obvious how much he cared about her. I also loved how he stuck by her, no matter what they were doing or what she was attempting to do and he really was her rock throughout the whole book.

Once A Witch has a fantastic mix of contemporary and historic parts in relation to the witches. The nature of the plot follows Tamsin on her quest to find the missing item through time. Getting to see witches in different eras was a favourite part of the book for me due to liking anything historical as it is. It was interesting to see different characters in different time periods and to see how they had changed over time and how they reacted to particular things. As Tamsin travels through time, it makes for a very exciting read. Finding the item isn’t easy at all and this provides a lot of action, mystery and tension which was great.

Once A Witch is one of the best books focusing on witches that I have read in a long time. Carolyn MacCullough has definitely put a spell over me!
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Aug 13, 2011

Paradoxical rated it

Shelves: 2011-reading-list, books-otherwise

Not going to lie, books with a premise like this one where the main character is some sort of down trodden, talentless person compared to everyone else are really up my alley. Then couple that with magical powers, finding out that she's really not all that ordinary after all--well. I'm not sure if it's because of my love for (well done) cliches or what-have-you, but there you go. That said, I was pretty on the fence about Once a Witch.

The main character, Tamsin, is envious of her sis...moreNot going to lie, books with a premise like this one where the main character is some sort of down trodden, talentless person compared to everyone else are really up my alley. Then couple that with magical powers, finding out that she's really not all that ordinary after all--well. I'm not sure if it's because of my love for (well done) cliches or what-have-you, but there you go. That said, I was pretty on the fence about Once a Witch.

The main character, Tamsin, is envious of her sister and longs to get away from her family and be someone 'normal' because she thinks she doesn't have any powers. She pities herself (a lot) and her complaining leaves a lot to be desired, but it's all understandable. Commence my expecting great amounts of character development because at the moment she makes me want to roll my eyes a lot. Did I get great amounts of character development? Eh. She gets better at the end, but I suspect that's mainly due to the fact that she's shown to (view spoiler) and the fact that there's a lot more stuff going on (and so she doesn't get so bogged down in her self pity).

Then you have Gabriel, who has very convenient timing in coming back after being gone for years. Not only convenient timing, but the convenient ability of finding things just as Tamsin needs something found. It's a a little--well, 'cheesey' is not quite the word, but something similar to it. Granted, he doesn't insta-find the item, but it's a little too neat. You wonder why he seems to like Tamsin as much as he does when he hasn't seen her for years and the fact that she hasn't even been writing him for just as long. He also has another useful (and convenient) power of time travel. You can probably figure out my feelings about him, haha.

The plot speeds by quickly, which isn't bad, but I'd have liked a little more depth to the world and the other characters. It's not a great book. It's not a terrible book. It was almost painfully mediocre, in fact. 3 stars. (less)

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Aug 10, 2011

Linda rated it

I bought this hard cover dust jacketed book at a bargain discount store for $3.99 mostly because I know someone with the author's name (it isn't the author that I know). It was A VERY LUCKY DAY! The $3.99 was very well spent.

Tamsin comes from a family of witches, or as they say, each family member has a Talent- and their talents are all different. Tamsin has no talent, which causes her to feel like an outcast of the family. So when a handsome stranger approaches her and asks her to "...more

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Aug 04, 2011

Amanda rated it

With the market being flooded by teen paranormal fiction and paranormal romance, it becomes really easy for books to feel like they are all the same. However, in Once a Witch, author Carolyn MacCullough brings a new view of the traditional witch into the teen world and the result is a fast-paced, compelling new novel about a likable heroine that will keep you flipping pages.

Once a Witch follows the unique life and adventures of Tamsin Greene, the daughter of an ancient family of witche...moreWith the market being flooded by teen paranormal fiction and paranormal romance, it becomes really easy for books to feel like they are all the same. However, in Once a Witch, author Carolyn MacCullough brings a new view of the traditional witch into the teen world and the result is a fast-paced, compelling new novel about a likable heroine that will keep you flipping pages.

Once a Witch follows the unique life and adventures of Tamsin Greene, the daughter of an ancient family of witches. When Tamsin was born, her grandmother prophesied that she would be the most powerful witch in the family. Everyone waited for Tamsin to manifest her magical Talent....and waited and waited....until nothing happened.

Stuck in a family of witches without any magical Talent, Tamsin tries to find her own way in the world and attends a boarding school in New York City. One day, while working at the family book store, a customer mistakes Tamsin for her older, and much more Talented sister, Rowena. When Tamsin can't resist the young professor's charms, she agrees to find a mysterious clock for him. Little does she know that this simple excursion will open the door to new adventures and reawaken an ancient family feud.

MacCullough's writing in Once a Witch is spot-on and leaves no additional fat to weigh the story down. The novel is very easy to get into and enjoyable to read. There's even a small romance element, but it was nice that the romance was more of an additional subplot, rather than the main plot of the novel. While I have nothing against teen paranormal romance, there's just so much of it these days that it's nice to read something that focuses more on the adventures of the heroine than the heroine's dramatic love life.

The story does start out a tiny bit slow -honestly, for a little while I thought it wasn't really going anywhere -but Once a Witch quickly threw me for a surprise. The story picked up, started making sense and became so enthralling that I couldn't put the book down. The urban fantasy world here is very rich and not too complex, but has just enough unique rules and mechanics to bring an air of freshness to a seemingly overdone topic.

The climax of this novel is especially satisfying, and written in a highly visual and easy to read style. While the ending may feel a little incomplete, it leaves ample room for a sequel. I'm not sure if this is the beginning of a new series, but it definitely should be. (less)

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Aug 01, 2011

Sophie Riggsby rated it

Shelves: chemistry-101

published on Mundie Moms on October 22, 2010
4.5 stars - I really liked this book. Go and pick it up.

You know when you start to read a book and you just keep nodding your head because you really want to stop and tell everyone about it but you just can't seem to tear yourself away from the pages? Well, that happened to me when I read Carolyn MacCullough's Once A Witch.

It just had everything I love all wrapped up in one book: a tense sibling relationship, a non-magical...more

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Aug 01, 2011

Mlle. X rated it

Shelves: paranormal-urban-fantasy, satisfying-romantic-subplot, ya-or-teen-protagonist

Tamsin Greene is a fun, eccentric narrator - the kind of girl who always shops at thrift stores and always finds something great, and spends her evenings sneaking into clubs (with her trusty fake ID) so she can catch hip new bands in hidden, grungy bars. She's outgoing, funny, and nice.

She's a wonderful girl, but there's a huge shadow hanging over her head. Tamsin comes from a tight knit family of talented witches, for whom magic is an integral part of daily existence. Everyone in her...moreTamsin Greene is a fun, eccentric narrator - the kind of girl who always shops at thrift stores and always finds something great, and spends her evenings sneaking into clubs (with her trusty fake ID) so she can catch hip new bands in hidden, grungy bars. She's outgoing, funny, and nice.

She's a wonderful girl, but there's a huge shadow hanging over her head. Tamsin comes from a tight knit family of talented witches, for whom magic is an integral part of daily existence. Everyone in her family has a Talent...except for Tamsin. Tamsin's too-perfect sister has a gift for mind control, her wise grandmother can see into the future, her father can manipulate the weather. The list goes on and on. Tamsin feels inadequate - and it seems like her witchy relatives are of the same opinion. She became a hip young New Yorker in order to escape her identity as a failed witch.

Which is why it's so strange that Tamsin offers to perform a magical task for a strange professor. He wants her to locate an opulent old clock that his family lost more than a hundred years earlier - though, the way he describes the loss, it sounded to me like it could have been through sale or gambling. I wasn't sure why Tamsin decided that the object should be returned to him without a little bit more research.

In any case, Tamsin can't find the clock without help - enter Gabriel, a hunky cousin who has a Talent for finding things. Together, the two of them get into a mess of trouble. It turns out that the clock once belonged to her ancestors - and the professor's reasons for wanting it are anything but innocent.

Not much more I can say without spoilers, so I'll stop. The ending clearly set this up to be a series, and I was engaged enough to read a second book. I liked Tamsin a lot, and I liked the sheer variety of magic that was possible in this world. The writing is very good, elegant and fluid without being showy, and I had a strong sense of place and time throughout. All in all, a fun and smart read.(less)

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About Carolyn MacCullough

Carolyn MacCullough received her MFA in creative writing from the New School and lives with her husband in Brooklyn.

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“Please!" I stop my pacing, glare at him. "Is that all you can think about at a time like this?"
Gabriel rolls up on one elbow and smiles at me. "I'm a guy. It's what I think about all the time.” — 43 people liked it

“Okay," I gasp. "I can't really breathe, but other than that, okay."
"Breathing's overrated," Gabriel advises me."I'm discovering that right about now with this damn tie.” — 35 people liked it

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