Monday

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

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 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.

8 comments:

A Bookshelf Monstrosity said...

I think this sounds like a really fun read. I've checked and it's in my library; hopefully I'll get around to reading it soon :)

Sunnysmileqt said...

I just received the email that this was ready for me to pick up at the library. I'm really looking forward to reading it. Thanks for the great review!

Jennifer@ Mrs. Q: Book Addict said...

Oh, this sounds good. I'm going to add it to my TBR list.

Erin said...

This book came out right around my birthday so I went to the bookstore with a gift certificate and I bought this by chance and I sat outside in the autumn sunshine and read it in one afternoon. I loved it. I keep looking at Carolyn's website to see when the nest installment will be out, that's how excited I am.

:]

Michelle (Red Headed Book Child) said...

I haven't heard of this one yet. thanks for bringing it to my attention. :)

Tales of Whimsy said...

Great review. I have been wanting to read this one for a while.

Cindy said...

I've heard only good things about this one, and I can't wait to read it. Great review :)

elaing8 said...

I'm waiting to get my copy now.Looking forward to reading it.
The name of the second book (I believe) is Always A Witch.

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