Once a Witch (by Carolyn MacCullough)
common sense media says
Mildly bewitching with strong female characters.
parents & educators say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know this book is a fairly conventional portrayal of witches -- they fled Europe because of persecution, they observe Samhain and practice ancient rituals under the moon. The teen smoking and drinking is gratuitous, and the romance is gentle. This is a slight fantasy with strong female characters.
Educational value:
Not applicable.
Positive role models:
Tamsin pretends to be her older sister but gets into trouble doing it. She lies by omission and breaks some family rules while she is trying to save her family from rival witches who are evil. Her grandmother is the head of the family; all the females seem to have more powers and more intelligence.
Violence:
Some danger, implied violence. Fireballs burn a character's hands, a witch under a spell is compelled to cut herself and fill a cup with blood.
Sex:
Some kissing; mild flirtation
Language:
Mild usage of the words "hell" and "s--t."
Consumerism:
Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Tamsin smokes cigarettes; her roommate drinks alcohol heavily.
More on Once a Witch
Review It
Most useful reviews by all members
ReillyGuy2
kid, 13 years old
kid, 13 years old
OK
It was OK, but it got a bit boring and confusing at times. A couple of curse words.
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witchluvr
parent of 16 year old
parent of 16 year old
Perfect Book!
Love this so much. Really shows that portraying somebody else when it is not appropriate is not ok. It is really enjoyable read!
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zaita
kid, 13 years old
kid, 13 years old
12+ if mature. great read for fun
awsome book it gets a little iffy between tamsin and gabriel. i read it before my mom and she just finished it but we both think it is a great read. to much drugs and alchohol
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demusiks
parent of 10 and 13 year old
parent of 10 and 13 year old
Fun read for tweens, watch for bad examples
Tween loved the book. Good fantasy book, hoping for a sequel. The D-word was used a few times and there is some drinking and smoking, so there aren't great role models in the book. However, the story was fun.
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SeniorKnockout(:
teen, 13 years old
teen, 13 years old
Once a Witch! (:
I have almost finished...but so far it is GREAT!
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