jsmith3's review against another edition
2.0
I liked the adventure in this book, the time-travel and witchcraft aspects, but I never connected with the characters. I felt disconnected to what happened to them, and I think that's what makes this book a 'good not great' book. The story was awesome, but the way the characters were written wasn't. I never cared for them or what they were like.
argintina11's review against another edition
3.0
An alright read. Finished it pretty quickly. It had an interesting plot and i have no immediate complaints, but for some reason i didn't LOVE this book.
marimoose's review against another edition
4.0
So. Girl grows up in a family of witches but doesn't have the Talent to play with the rest. Girl eventually does a lot of reckless, teenage things that get her in trouble, more trouble than lets on, and we find out that this trouble practically affects time and space and the well-being of all of her witchy family. Oh, throw in time travel, an apparently super-smoking-hot romantic interest, and the realization that maybe, just maybe, the girl has some overpowering Talent after all.
That right there has the potential to explode in your face because it could go oh so damn wrong very quickly.
But it didn't. And I enjoyed the book.
Firstly, I think Tamsin had some sense in her. That's a lot to say about most of the angsty characters one gets in a typical young adult book. That's not to say she isn't whiny and jealous and everything one would feel being a teenager who wants...well, usually they think they want it but they really don't. It probably helped having the family that she had. I loved them all, particularly the matriarchs like her Grandmother Althea and even the terribly loopy Aunt Beatrice. And Rowena? Yeah, I don't know about anyone else, but I loved Rowena. Now that's a Talent.
Secondly, after being disclosed about what her Talent winds up being, I thought it would make her an overpowered character. No, seriously, let's tack three Talents in there just to be safe. But while I thought it would turn me off Tamsin entirely, it didn't, and it's because she still manages to put a "greenness" to it all. There are limits to her powers, and it shows with the whole Knight scenarios. They're technically using some other kind of magic to counteract whatever Talent they're up against, Tamsin's as well.
Thirdly, the romance was so frelling secondary. It was so secondary that, yes, it was there, it was acknowledged, but it didn't deter from what needed to be done. There was no pining involved, no triangle to contend with (NO TRIANGLE! YAY!), and yes, it was resolved really quickly. Tamsin has a guy in her life, and he supports her, and yes, there's still some cutesy romantic conversations between them without it interrupting the flow of the plot (And the dancing! Oh the dancing!).
Lastly, the time travel. I'm usually tentative with time travel books, after one really horrid experience with The Time Traveler's Wife (yeah, I really couldn't get into it). And this is coming from someone who watches and enjoys Doctor Who and who really loved the idea of time-bending in Bioshock Infinite. But with Once a Witch, it was well done, and not as confusing as I thought it would be. Thank goodness for that!
So there. It could have gone wrong, but it didn't. And it was great. And I want more. Except I'm horrid at keeping track of series. Yeah.
That right there has the potential to explode in your face because it could go oh so damn wrong very quickly.
But it didn't. And I enjoyed the book.
Firstly, I think Tamsin had some sense in her. That's a lot to say about most of the angsty characters one gets in a typical young adult book. That's not to say she isn't whiny and jealous and everything one would feel being a teenager who wants...well, usually they think they want it but they really don't. It probably helped having the family that she had. I loved them all, particularly the matriarchs like her Grandmother Althea and even the terribly loopy Aunt Beatrice. And Rowena? Yeah, I don't know about anyone else, but I loved Rowena. Now that's a Talent.
Secondly, after being disclosed about what her Talent winds up being, I thought it would make her an overpowered character. No, seriously, let's tack three Talents in there just to be safe. But while I thought it would turn me off Tamsin entirely, it didn't, and it's because she still manages to put a "greenness" to it all. There are limits to her powers, and it shows with the whole Knight scenarios. They're technically using some other kind of magic to counteract whatever Talent they're up against, Tamsin's as well.
Thirdly, the romance was so frelling secondary. It was so secondary that, yes, it was there, it was acknowledged, but it didn't deter from what needed to be done. There was no pining involved, no triangle to contend with (NO TRIANGLE! YAY!), and yes, it was resolved really quickly. Tamsin has a guy in her life, and he supports her, and yes, there's still some cutesy romantic conversations between them without it interrupting the flow of the plot (And the dancing! Oh the dancing!).
Lastly, the time travel. I'm usually tentative with time travel books, after one really horrid experience with The Time Traveler's Wife (yeah, I really couldn't get into it). And this is coming from someone who watches and enjoys Doctor Who and who really loved the idea of time-bending in Bioshock Infinite. But with Once a Witch, it was well done, and not as confusing as I thought it would be. Thank goodness for that!
So there. It could have gone wrong, but it didn't. And it was great. And I want more. Except I'm horrid at keeping track of series. Yeah.
theladygonzalez's review against another edition
4.0
Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough is highly imaginative and terrific fun. MacCullough did a marvelous job creating a unique world and charming characters. The stories heroine; Tamsin is a great character with lots of spunk. She has spent half of her life believing that she was a disappointment to her family, because she is the only one without a talent. Her insecurities are only magnified by her "perfect" older sister, Rowena. Rowena is everything Tamsin wishes she could be and she resents her for it. It doesn't help matters that Rowena is a control freak and complete know it all. However, this creates a great dynamic for the family relationship and allows for plenty of banter between the sisters.
Anyways, because Tamsin feels like an outsider she chooses to separate herself from her family by attending a boarding school in the city. It is here that she meets her best friend and roommate Agatha. I love Agatha - she is quirky and entertaining, I just hope that in the next book we can see more of her. She really doesn't have much "screen-time" in this book and it is just a shame. Gabriel, Tamsin's love interest, however, gets plenty of time in the spotlight. Gabriel and Tamsin grew up together and were practically inseparable, until he moved away. Then, when Tamsin reached her eighth birthday and did not show a talent, she distanced herself from everyone, including Gabriel. However, in the beginning of the book he moves back to town and looks her up. He has a talent for finding things - just ask him and he can locate practically everything. Tamsin reluctantly enlists his help in locating the missing clock she has agreed to find for a young professor. He plays a pivotal role in the book and their relationship is simply adorable. There chemistry is undeniable and they often engage in playful banter - which is my favorite!
The plotline of Once a Witch is amazing. There all kinds of remarkable plot elements - time travel, love spells, romances, ancient family fueds - really, this book has it all. I also love the new take on witches - I love the idea that each person has a specific talent, something only they can do. There are so many fascinating extended family members in the book, that I am hoping to get a better feel of in the upcoming books. The pacing is pretty good throughout the book, the only time it felt a bit off was the ending. I just felt like it was a little rushed. I think that the story would have benefited a lot if it was a bit longer. The pacing problems could have been fixed and the secondary characters could have been flushed out a little bit better.
But, all and all, Once a Witch was a terrific read. The story was both original and entertaining and the characters are all interesting and fun to follow. You will find yourself cheering for Tamsin and Gabriel and hoping that they can work out the gigantic mess that they create. I am looking forward to the upcoming books in this series, I am sure they will be great as well!
Anyways, because Tamsin feels like an outsider she chooses to separate herself from her family by attending a boarding school in the city. It is here that she meets her best friend and roommate Agatha. I love Agatha - she is quirky and entertaining, I just hope that in the next book we can see more of her. She really doesn't have much "screen-time" in this book and it is just a shame. Gabriel, Tamsin's love interest, however, gets plenty of time in the spotlight. Gabriel and Tamsin grew up together and were practically inseparable, until he moved away. Then, when Tamsin reached her eighth birthday and did not show a talent, she distanced herself from everyone, including Gabriel. However, in the beginning of the book he moves back to town and looks her up. He has a talent for finding things - just ask him and he can locate practically everything. Tamsin reluctantly enlists his help in locating the missing clock she has agreed to find for a young professor. He plays a pivotal role in the book and their relationship is simply adorable. There chemistry is undeniable and they often engage in playful banter - which is my favorite!
The plotline of Once a Witch is amazing. There all kinds of remarkable plot elements - time travel, love spells, romances, ancient family fueds - really, this book has it all. I also love the new take on witches - I love the idea that each person has a specific talent, something only they can do. There are so many fascinating extended family members in the book, that I am hoping to get a better feel of in the upcoming books. The pacing is pretty good throughout the book, the only time it felt a bit off was the ending. I just felt like it was a little rushed. I think that the story would have benefited a lot if it was a bit longer. The pacing problems could have been fixed and the secondary characters could have been flushed out a little bit better.
But, all and all, Once a Witch was a terrific read. The story was both original and entertaining and the characters are all interesting and fun to follow. You will find yourself cheering for Tamsin and Gabriel and hoping that they can work out the gigantic mess that they create. I am looking forward to the upcoming books in this series, I am sure they will be great as well!
tarryn_noshame_reader's review against another edition
4.0
What a pleasant surprise!
This got randomly selected out of my immense Kindle backlog - this one was purchased when I was around 16. To hurt my own feelings, I'll let you know that was 15 years ago. I'm glad I finally got to it! It's got a solid magical storyline with time travel and some really fun action! Only took me about 4 hours to read (4 hours and 15 years, HA), and I was pretty well captivated the entire time. Also, I love YA fantasy where the love interest isn't the main plot, and that's what is going on here. I'm genuinely looking forward to reading book 2.
This got randomly selected out of my immense Kindle backlog - this one was purchased when I was around 16. To hurt my own feelings, I'll let you know that was 15 years ago. I'm glad I finally got to it! It's got a solid magical storyline with time travel and some really fun action! Only took me about 4 hours to read (4 hours and 15 years, HA), and I was pretty well captivated the entire time. Also, I love YA fantasy where the love interest isn't the main plot, and that's what is going on here. I'm genuinely looking forward to reading book 2.
madi180's review against another edition
5.0
This book surprised me. It was just a book i picked up off the library shelf. I loved the fact they have time travel in with the combination of "talent".
I thought it was a very good book that kept my attention it was sort of short for my standard length.
I loved Gabriel! Be still my heart! lol.
I look forward to reading the next book in this series and i would love to see this as a movie especially the last clock scene.
Hopefully my reviews get better lol!
I thought it was a very good book that kept my attention it was sort of short for my standard length.
I loved Gabriel! Be still my heart! lol.
I look forward to reading the next book in this series and i would love to see this as a movie especially the last clock scene.
Hopefully my reviews get better lol!
missprint_'s review against another edition
5.0
Tamsin Greene comes from a very Talented family in Once a Witch (2009) by Carolyn MacCullough. You won't find any math geniuses among the Greene family. And no one is exceptionally athletic. But if you ever break anything, be it bones or fine china, Uncle Chester can fix it. Her father can make your grass grow and the sun shine, while her mother can move almost faster than the eye can see. That's because Tamsin comes from a long line of very Talented witches.
When she was born, it was predicted that Tamsin would be one of the most powerful witches ever, a beacon to the entire family. That was until her disastrous eighth birthday, where these lofty predictions were proven wrong. Now seventeen, Tamsin spends as much time as possible away from her family at boarding school in New York City. Summers, however, are spent at home working at her family's magic/book shop feeling like an outcast.
But Tamsin has almost reconciled herself to always been less Talented than her glamorous and infuriating and very Talented older sister. She has even almost come to terms with knowing that she is less than her family expected. Almost . . .
When a dashing professor comes to the store and mistakes her for her older sister, she knows she should set the man straight. Except that for once it's Tamsin who is being looked at with admiration instead of Rowena. And before she can think better of it, Tamsin has agreed to help the man find a family heirloom that has been lost for more than a century.
Following the missing heirloom through time, Tamsin realizes too late that there is more to this stranger and his artifact than meets the eye. As she struggles to complete the search and set things right, Tamsin will unearth secrets about her own lack of Talent as well as long forgotten secrets from her family's past that could change everything.
Once a Witch was basically fantastic. As she did in Drawing the Ocean, MacCullough has created a group of vivid characters who will quickly capture the hearts and imaginations of readers. Tamsin and Gabriel in particular are incredibly well-realized and a joy to read about. The writing is understated and elegant as Tamsin narrates a story filled with action, suspense, romance and, of course, family. Once a Witch is a great addition to the world of urban fantasy and a title that is sure to beguile. It is also hopefully not the last book MacCullough will write featuring Tamsin and her wonderfully Talented family.
You can learn more about the book at its web site http://onceawitch.com/
When she was born, it was predicted that Tamsin would be one of the most powerful witches ever, a beacon to the entire family. That was until her disastrous eighth birthday, where these lofty predictions were proven wrong. Now seventeen, Tamsin spends as much time as possible away from her family at boarding school in New York City. Summers, however, are spent at home working at her family's magic/book shop feeling like an outcast.
But Tamsin has almost reconciled herself to always been less Talented than her glamorous and infuriating and very Talented older sister. She has even almost come to terms with knowing that she is less than her family expected. Almost . . .
When a dashing professor comes to the store and mistakes her for her older sister, she knows she should set the man straight. Except that for once it's Tamsin who is being looked at with admiration instead of Rowena. And before she can think better of it, Tamsin has agreed to help the man find a family heirloom that has been lost for more than a century.
Following the missing heirloom through time, Tamsin realizes too late that there is more to this stranger and his artifact than meets the eye. As she struggles to complete the search and set things right, Tamsin will unearth secrets about her own lack of Talent as well as long forgotten secrets from her family's past that could change everything.
Once a Witch was basically fantastic. As she did in Drawing the Ocean, MacCullough has created a group of vivid characters who will quickly capture the hearts and imaginations of readers. Tamsin and Gabriel in particular are incredibly well-realized and a joy to read about. The writing is understated and elegant as Tamsin narrates a story filled with action, suspense, romance and, of course, family. Once a Witch is a great addition to the world of urban fantasy and a title that is sure to beguile. It is also hopefully not the last book MacCullough will write featuring Tamsin and her wonderfully Talented family.
You can learn more about the book at its web site http://onceawitch.com/
andreacaro's review
1.0
Whew, that was a fast turnaround. I read about 22 pages in and I was like naaaah, but let me tell you why:
I love witches, okay. All a witch book has to do is the bare minimum and I'll overrate it, simply because there just aren't good witch books out there. And this book, at least starting off, is one of those not-so-good ones.
Tamsin was supposed to be a special snowflake in her witchy family - like, the most powerful of her generation. Imagine her disappointment when she grows up to be an old regular Joe. I guess it makes sense that she's bitter and jealous, but it doesn't really make for a likable character. Maybe it's a sign of my age, but I find it hard to empathize with sad, emo teenagers that hate everyone because stuff didn't go there way.
Anyway, Tamsin is working in her family's bookshop and a customer comes in and asks her to do some magic she's incapable of, so naturally she agrees instead of informing the customer one of her actually powered relatives has got to do the job. Silly, but I can rock with this.
The big no-no for me was on pages 32-33. Tamsin comes home and there's a party going on for her sister who she's jealous of and she decides she wants to take out her jealousy and anger on a little kid. Yes, said kid in question has stolen a teddy bear from another kid and is playing keepaway. Mean, but remember these kids are toddler-age and like, 5. So what does Tamsin do? Not take the bear and return it, she literally beats the kid over the head with it. And when the kid, reasonably miffed, calls her out on being jealous that she's powerless, she literally yanks the bear back from the toddler and starts beating the kid with it. I guess I have a hairline trigger because this same kind of violence toward children made me hate (spoilers for Shatter Me). Peppered all throughout the scene are words like "snarl", etc. Which made Tamsin seem like a friggin nut job. I knew then there was zero way I could ever root for her character.
So anyways, that's when I put the book down. Because life is too short to read books that make you mad. SMH this what I get for trying to read a book blurbed by Cassandra Clare.
I love witches, okay. All a witch book has to do is the bare minimum and I'll overrate it, simply because there just aren't good witch books out there. And this book, at least starting off, is one of those not-so-good ones.
Tamsin was supposed to be a special snowflake in her witchy family - like, the most powerful of her generation. Imagine her disappointment when she grows up to be an old regular Joe. I guess it makes sense that she's bitter and jealous, but it doesn't really make for a likable character. Maybe it's a sign of my age, but I find it hard to empathize with sad, emo teenagers that hate everyone because stuff didn't go there way.
Anyway, Tamsin is working in her family's bookshop and a customer comes in and asks her to do some magic she's incapable of, so naturally she agrees instead of informing the customer one of her actually powered relatives has got to do the job. Silly, but I can rock with this.
The big no-no for me was on pages 32-33. Tamsin comes home and there's a party going on for her sister who she's jealous of and she decides she wants to take out her jealousy and anger on a little kid. Yes, said kid in question has stolen a teddy bear from another kid and is playing keepaway. Mean, but remember these kids are toddler-age and like, 5. So what does Tamsin do? Not take the bear and return it, she literally beats the kid over the head with it. And when the kid, reasonably miffed, calls her out on being jealous that she's powerless, she literally yanks the bear back from the toddler and starts beating the kid with it. I guess I have a hairline trigger because this same kind of violence toward children made me hate
Spoiler
Shatter Me because Warner is supposed to be super great and people love this dude even though he made Juliette hurt a kid, y'all a messSo anyways, that's when I put the book down. Because life is too short to read books that make you mad. SMH this what I get for trying to read a book blurbed by Cassandra Clare.