Once a Witch (Witch #1)

Author: Carolyn MacCullough
Series: Witch, #1
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: Hardback
Pages: 292
Published: 9/14/2009
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Source: Local Library
My Rating: * * * * *

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 very handsome 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.

The Good:
This book was amazing, and not just because I love anything that has to do with the four elements, but because Once a Witch was simply delightful. I loved the whole Talent thing, and it would be awesome if you had a Talent to where you could control one of the elements. At least, me personally, I would really like that. I had actually picked up this book a long time ago, and returned it to the library without reading it. Recently, I picked up the second book, Always a Witch, accidentally at the library, and found out that that was the second book in the series. I went back and picked up Once a Witch at the library hurriedly, read it, and well, here I am, writing a review for this amazing book.
The Bad:
Tamsin was a good, headstrong character, but I did have a problem with her smoking. And not just a little, but I mean packs. But, at least they only showed that in the book when Tamsin was stressed. Otherwise, the author didn't mention the smoking. I just felt that the author was throwing in smoking to appeal to the younger crowd by making it look cool. It just slightly derrated the book for me. Rowen bothered me. The "perfect" sister. Just read the book, and you'll find out what I mean.
The Guy:
In Once a Witch, the main guy was Gabriel, a childhood friend. For a moment, I though that the professor would be a love interest, too, but he wasn't. Gabriel was okay. A muscician who drinks and has a tattoo. Didn't appeal too much to me in that sense, but I liked that he was sweet and caring. Sexy, definitely.
The Quote[a teaser]:
"Okay," I gasp. "I can't really breathe, but other than that, okay."
"Breathing's overrated," Gabriel advises me. "I'm discovering that right about now with this damn tie."
The End:
Go read the book, I recommend it.
The Author:

 Carolyn MacCullough received her MFA in creative writing from New School and lives with her husband in Brooklyn.