Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Once a Witch
Author: Carolyn MacCullough
Pages: 292
Once a Witch #1
My Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: (From Goodreads)
 

  

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.

My Review:
 I really did like Once a Witch. Seriously, it was a very enchanting story with lots of classic "witch magic," and some very crazy plot twists involving time traveling.

 I noticed right off the bat with Once a Witch is that the characters are very easy to relate to. With this type of story, it was such a nice touch, as well as one of my favorite aspects of the novel. Tamsin seemed like such a normal girl in an extraordinary situation, even among witches she stands out, and I loved to see her grow and change throughout the novel. I was always cheering for her, mostly because she was very easy to relate to.

 This book had an awesome take on witches. Once a Witch had more of, like I said before, a classic take, of witches each with a special power, and I loved being swept up into the magic of it. It was also very original, and I loved learning about all the different powers that Tamsin's family members possessed. There is going to be a second one, and I am excited to see more of this world of witches in it.

 The plot twists in Once a Witch were really quite awesome. In this book, there are scenes in which the characters travel back in time, and wow, were they action packed. Besides the scenes in the past, there were lots of twists and turns and truths that kept me guessing. There was no way I could've predicted the truth about Tamsin's power. It all of a sudden slammed me in the face.

Once a Witch was a really great read. The only reason it's not five stars is because I was expecting a little more. I drooled and drooled for months over this book-I guess maybe I set my expectations too high. Besides that, I would definitely recommend picking it up.