Once a Witch

Carolyn MacCullough

Published September 2009

292 pages

Rating: A-

Synopsis

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

Tamsin comes from a family full of witches. At birth, her grandmother said she'd be one of the most Talented of them all. At age eight, Tamsin and her family realize that she won't be Talented at all. Now at age seventeen, Tamsin hates being at home with a house full of Talented people. A house full of people who are different from her. She decides to attend a school in Manhattan to be away from her family. While working in her family's bookstore/magic shop, she encounters a man. A man who thinks she is Talented. He asks her to search for an important family heirloom. Wanting to prove to her family that she isn't useless without a Talent, she agrees.

As Tamsin gets closer to locating the heirloom, the more things start to go wrong. People she loves are getting hurt. The heirloom is more powerful and dangerous than she ever thought, putting her and her family in danger. Tamsin doesn't know what to do as she starts to learn that things are never what they appear to be. Now Tamsin must make a decision that could ruin her life and her family.

I fully enjoyed this book. It has an awesome story line with lots of twists and turns that keep your heart pounding. The characters are great and I felt like I was in Tamsin's shoes. No love triangle in this book but definitely a cute romance going on. One thing I have to say. I think that everybody knows that I love bad boys. Well this time I fell for the good boy! Yes that seems impossible for me but it's true. I fell in love Gabriel :) Anyway back to the book. There's a lot of action and I actually found the book to be quite different from other books. The ending is great and I am really REALLY hoping for a sequel!

I recommend this book to really everybody. It's a great book and I really like it.

-Marisa