I have no idea why did I give this book 3 stars when I first read it... because it was amazing! I started it a few hours ago and I couldn’t put it down! I mean... I have to go to work in a few hours, but this didn’t stop me from finishing the book, because it was way more interesting than I remembered. Can’t wait to read the second book tomorrow!

This book suffers severely from First Book Syndrome. What it really needs is some solid rewriting and a strict editor. Where's that full stop, young lady?Once A Witch is a story about Tamsin, who is born into a family of Talented witches. On the day of her birth her grandmother prophecies great things for her, but it turns out, Tamsin was born with no Talents at all. Feeling like a freak and a misfit, Tamsin grabs at the opportunity to prove herself when a stranger mistakenly approaches her

Wowzers, this book moves at breakneck speed. There were a lot of characters, a lot of powers, a ton of plot, and Carolyn MacCullough packed it all into a shorter book. Did I enjoy it? Definitely. I just wish it was about 50 pages longer and unraveled at 70-75% of the current pace.

Once a Witch (Witch #1), Carolyn MacCulloughTamsin 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, ultimate...

3.75 starsI ended up really liking this book, although I didn't expect it to be that good! Spoilers in this review will be marked of courseShort summaryThis book is about Tamsin, who grows up in a family of witches. Everyone in her family has a certain 'power' or even several powers, like shooting fire/walking superfast/reading someones mind etc. Everyone expected Tamsin to be a great witch, but her magic power never showed up. ExpectationsI saw a blurb by Cassandra Clare on the cover, so I was...

This book is about Tamsin who is born into a family with great expectations. They are all Talented meaning that they all have specific powers that they are able to use. Her grandmother predicts that she will be the strongest and most powerful Talented witch. Her family is ecstatic and expect the best from her. They are disappointed to realize that she has no powers. Feeling like an outsider, she tries to stay away from her family and be like a normal 17 year old girl. This ends when she is at he...

Although Carolyn had a few novels under her belt already, Once a Witch was my first experience with her writing, and I’m looking forward to more.Tamsin was a very relatable character. Feeling like you don’t quite fit in with your family or that you’ll never live up to their standards is something that I remember struggling with myself. I loved the dynamics of her family and how even though it was so huge everyone was close in their own ways. It was refreshing to read about a “normal” happy and l...

I thought this one was cute enough, but I wasn't that invested in the characters or what happened to them...not sure why. It's like another book I recently read that had me from the get-go and then lost me or should I say I lost interest? I think perhaps it could've been due in part to the beginning that talked about how the MC was supposed to be a powerful witch (the most actually), so it took a bit to gain some interest in her character. Oftentimes if I'm not too terribly into the characters

This was great! I like Tamsin and Gabriel a lot (a little more action would have been nice) but if I had a sister like Rowena I'd be in jail before my thirteenth birthday. *mumbles condescending bitch*Read this, all the cool kids are doing it!

I have to say I was pretty surprised at how much I liked this book. I've been reading a lot of mediocre teen books lately so I didn't have my hopes up too high when I started this one. Thankfully, it was a really great book!Tamsin's family is a group of witches, they each have Talents that manifest at around the age of eight. Unfortunately for Tamsin though, her Talent never manifests, but her older sister Rowena is one of the most powerful of the family. Tamsin's forced to live in her sister's

Despite a promising start, this book really didn't turn out very good for me. I had a hard time swallowing the resolution, since it didn't involve any measure of apology on the part of her family for estranging her all those years. One moment she's the bitter black sheep with no measure of witchy Talent, the next she is the most powerful witch of them all, ready to defend her family with her life despite the perpetuated lies they used to alienate her since she was 8 years old. The book seemed to...

I'm a pessimist when it comes to new authors. So, when I started to read Once a Witch I was waiting to be underwhelmed.The opening scene, with Tamsin and Professor Callum was okay, not the best first chapter I've ever read, but the setup, a girl without powers growing up in a family of talented witches, was intriguing enough to keep me reading.By the time I got to Rowena's Engagement party, her grandmother's prediction for her when she was born ('she will be a beacon')and Tamsin's meeting with G...

3.5 stars Unexpectedly good, with well-developed relationships and an intriguing plot. Can't wait for book two!

(3.5 stars) Tamsin comes from a family of witches. At her birth, her grandmother prophesied that she would become one of the most powerful of all — but Tamsin’s powers have never manifested, making her odd one out in the clan. If this were Harry Potter, she’d be a Squib.Unsurprisingly, Tamsin is insecure about her magical deficiency. When a stranger comes to the family’s shop, looking for someone to help him find a lost item, Tamsin’s insecurity leads her to make a fateful mistake. Now she’s the...

Honestly, I don’t have too much to say about this one. The story was nice enough, I liked the characters as well as the whole gift concept, but somehow I can’t seem to find anything to gush or complain about.When I first started reading I got really excited since the plot moves at a really fast pace and I found myself being glued to the pages. I only stopped because I had already spent the better part of my evening reading and this annoying thing called real life kept demanding my attention. Str...

Tamsin is a witch that’s not witch. The Talentless daughter of a powerful magical family she would prefer to escape. And she has escaped—at least a little, in her dorm at prep school.But when a dark and mysterious stranger asks her to FIND a clock, Tamsin tells a fib.She claims she can find it.And it’s all downhill from there. Well, almost all. There is Gabriel, the young man from her past who seems not at all disturbed by the fact that she never developed her powers. And not too disturbed by th...

A really well-polished, well-turned corner of a larger universe I would love to explore in future books. Craft in both senses of the word!

Okay first off… I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK!!! I sat down to read it last night but was interrupted so the first chance I got today I started. I went so far as to not even put it down to blow dry my hair making this a very bad hair day because I got completely distracted by the book and so sucked in that I blow dried my hair until it was just a little too dry. This book was very well written and I have to admit I am impressed by the author. It was such a smooth read and as you breeze through the...

I wasn't expecting much from this book, to be honest. The blurb on the back didn't sound all that great, and the cover is kind of ho-hum (not that it should matter...but we all know it does!). Anyhoo, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this one. I did have to roll my eyes a few times at some of the stupid things the heroine did, but overall the plot kept chugging along a such a nice pace that it didn't matter too much to me. It also had a nice little love story that surpris...