Once a Witch

Book review by Debra Bogart, Common Sense Media
Once a Witch Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 14+

Mildly bewitching with strong female characters.

Carolyn MacCullough Coming of Age 2009
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Parents say

age 11+

Based on 2 reviews

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 3 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

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.

Community Reviews

demusiks
demusiks Adult
June 23, 2010
age 11+

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.

This title has:

Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
witchluvr
witchluvr Adult
October 7, 2009
age 10+

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!

This title has:

Great messages
See all 2 parent reviews

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?

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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • 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?

Book Details

Our Editors Recommend

Themes & Topics

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