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 messages: Families stick together; girls are smart and strong; it's OK to be different even if you're a witch.
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

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about  whether witches exist (ed) and why they were persecuted? 

  • Should Tamsin's family have hidden the truth from Tamsin?

  • Why did Tamsin pretend to be her older sister?

What's the story?

What's the story?

Tamsin is a 17-year-old witch who has grown up in the shadow of her talented older sister. She believes she has no magical talents at all until a handsome young professor convinces her to try harder to develop her powers. But her attempts put her and her family in danger. With the help of time travel Tamsin's family works together to rescue each other and Tamsin discovers just how powerful a witch she really is.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Despite gratuitous drinking and smoking, this is an amusing coming-of-age story with some traditional witchcraft thrown in. Stock characters are made more agreeable by the humorous banter between Tamsin and her childhood friend and love interest Gabriel. Tamsin's self-doubts will ring true with teens, especially those with older siblings.

Book themes & details

Book Details
Author: Carolyn MacCullough
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication date: September 14, 2009
Number of pages: 304
Hardcover price: $16.00
Read Aloud: 12
Read Alone: 14

This review was written by Debra Bogart
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

ReillyGuy2
kid, 13 years old
 
OK
It was OK, but it got a bit boring and confusing at times. A couple of curse words.

witchluvr
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!

zaita
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

demusiks
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.

SeniorKnockout(:
teen, 13 years old
 
Once a Witch! (:
I have almost finished...but so far it is GREAT!

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age