Once a Witch

Summary: Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and on the day she was born, her grandmother proclaimed she would be the most Talented among them. But Tamsin’s magic never showed up. Now, seventeen years later, she spends most of her time at boarding school in Manhattan, where she can at least pretend to be normal. But during the summers, she’s forced to return home and work at her family’s bookstore/magic shop.

One night a handsome young professor from New York University arrives in the shop and mistakes Tamsin for her extremely Talented older sister. For once, it’s Tamsin who’s being looked at with awe and admiration, and before she can stop herself, she agrees to find a family heirloom for him that was lost more than a century ago. But the search—and the stranger—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 past sins of her family, and unleash a power so strong and so vengeful it could destroy them all.

Review: All righty so the idea of these witches is that each one has a Talent (which is a power, like Tamsin has an Aunt that can “freeze” people, as in stop them from moving). When the child turns eight their power comes to them and then two years later, after they have learned to master their powers they are initiated with the family. Tamsin’s eighth birthday comes and goes with no Talent and she ends up being the only Talentless one in her family. Who wants to guess how long that lasts? Just about halfway through the book. Obviously, I knew she would not remain talentless her entire life (though it would have been a cool plot twist to have an ORDINARY girl save the day huh?).

Aside from some predictability in the plot, I really enjoyed this book. It moved quickly and every time I set out to only read a chapter it would be like five chapters later that I actually put the book down. The characters were fun and Gabriel was attractive and alluring. It wasn’t anything terribly special, but it was a fun quick read and I was very absorbed in it. My life was not changed by it, but I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading the sequel.

Rating: 4/5

Reviews from the pros:

“A fantastic urban fantasy with an enchanting romance at its heard.”-Cassandra Clare

“An absorbing and elegant urban fantasy”—publisher’s weekly

“Quick and suspenseful, with a climax that is camera-ready, this will appeal to readers who enjoy family drama and teen romance salted with magical action adventure”—the Bulletin

“Carolyn MacCullough casts a mesmerizing spell with Once a Witch. Family secrets and sibling rivalry, time-travel and magical ‘Talents’ all brew together to create a superlative—and supernatural—coming-of-the-age story. Add an epic battle of good versus evil and an enchanting first kiss, and this bewitching novel commands a sequel.”—Megan McCafferty