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A review by stephxsu
Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
4.0
ONCE A WITCH is a fast-paced and engaging story filled with magic, danger, and family secrets. It’s easy to get caught up in this extremely readable novel.
Tamsin is a charming protagonist, simultaneously determined yet vulnerable. She narrates her family’s story with an ease that draws us into her world. Similarly, all of the other characters are subtly introduced and developed, so that we never feel as if the Greene family’s world is contrived, but rather as if they could be living among us.
The plot is a little unsteady but still ultimately satisfactory. It was horrifying to see how some characters changed as a result of contact with the villain—but, like I said earlier, I appreciated its naturalness. Most events in the novel flowed like they had to happen under those circumstances.
That’s not to say, of course, that there aren’t some aspects of ONCE A WITCH that felt overdone or cliché. These include Tamsin’s sidekick and love interest, Gabriel, the time travel scenes, and the way various characters occasionally prophetized to explain backstory. These minor slip-ups are easy to overlook in light of my larger enjoyment of the whole book, though. Those who like a little magic and mystery in their books will love ONCE A WITCH, and even those who don’t normally delve into urban fantasy/paranormal fiction will find Tamsin’s story an easy and delightful read. It seems like there is a good chance of there being a sequel, which I will definitely be looking forward to!
Tamsin is a charming protagonist, simultaneously determined yet vulnerable. She narrates her family’s story with an ease that draws us into her world. Similarly, all of the other characters are subtly introduced and developed, so that we never feel as if the Greene family’s world is contrived, but rather as if they could be living among us.
The plot is a little unsteady but still ultimately satisfactory. It was horrifying to see how some characters changed as a result of contact with the villain—but, like I said earlier, I appreciated its naturalness. Most events in the novel flowed like they had to happen under those circumstances.
That’s not to say, of course, that there aren’t some aspects of ONCE A WITCH that felt overdone or cliché. These include Tamsin’s sidekick and love interest, Gabriel, the time travel scenes, and the way various characters occasionally prophetized to explain backstory. These minor slip-ups are easy to overlook in light of my larger enjoyment of the whole book, though. Those who like a little magic and mystery in their books will love ONCE A WITCH, and even those who don’t normally delve into urban fantasy/paranormal fiction will find Tamsin’s story an easy and delightful read. It seems like there is a good chance of there being a sequel, which I will definitely be looking forward to!