Once a Witch (Witch #1)

by Carolyn MacCullough

Hardcover, 292 pages

Published September 14th 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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.

***

Overall, I really enjoyed Once a Witch. The first chapters set the stage for the plot but seemed a little slow to me. To be fair, that could be because I read the sequel, Always a Witch first so I was ready to jump in with the fun style which develops later in the first book and continues in the second. You can find my review of Always a Witch here. The plot is fun and the characters are personable. I think many people can relate to Tamsin, the main character. She doesn't quite fit in the world she's born into and is searching for a way to find her own life while looking for a way to be accepted by her family. I liked the plot development and by the end I was hooked!

3/5 stars