Once a Witch

Once a Witch

by Carolyn MacCullough

2009

304 pages

“As for what my grandmother said about me – one of the most powerful…a beacon, etc, etc. – all this goes to show that contrary to popular belief, even the oldest and wisest of witches can be dead wrong.”

Summary: Tasmin Green comes from a long line of witches, all of whom have their own special power which they call Talents. When Tasmin is born, her grandmother says that she’ll be one of the most talented witches ever seen – except Tasmin never gets her powers. Instead she attends school in New York and tries to be normal, until one night a handsome professor comes into her family’s magic shop looking for help finding a lost heirloom. By agreeing to find the lost heirloom, Tasmin sets in motion a sequence of horrible events that will lead to revelation of her true identity and the unleashing of a strong and terrible power that will threaten her family and their future.

Review: Carolyn MacCullough does an excellent job at creating a fresh story about magic and witches. While still a supernatural fantasy, the magic is presented in such a way that makes it seem more like Wicca and less like Harry Potter. The main character is down to earth and completely relatable. I really appreciated how much of the story was rooted around Tasmin’s family, who were all great characters. The family subplot definitely added rich layers to the storytelling. The pacing was well done with a great climax. My only critique was that at times the author asked a little too much of the reader and the leaps (or lack of explanations) became a little confusing. This, however, did not affect my overall enjoyment of the book. This book would be really appealing to teens interested in supernatural stories with a strong female protagonist and who enjoy a little romance with their fiction! Overall it’s a completely relevant novel and an enjoyable read!

Other books by Carolyn MacCullough: Stealing Henry, Falling Through the Darkness and Drawing the Ocean.

If you enjoyed Once a Witch you might also like: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia, The Hollow by Jessica Verday, The Immortal by Gillian Shields, Evermore by Alyson Noel and The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

Rating: 3.5Q 5P MJS

Very cool website for Once a Witch found here.