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A review by angelcwrites
Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
4.0
Discovery: After reading Once a Witch, I wasn’t going to stop until I’d finished the gorgeous sequel.
+ Conflicts. I’ll try to talk about this positive point without spoiling the ending to Once a Witch. Tamsin doesn’t see herself as the black sheep of the family anymore, but that sudden shift doesn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the family. She has to deal with the fact that more than half of the family is now afraid of her. I loved that Carolyn MacCullough doesn’t shy away from writing about the awkward situations that are sure to pop up, and I liked that she didn’t discount Tamsin’s own feelings about it.
+ Historical context. I mentioned in my review of Once a Witch that I would have liked to see more of the Greene’s history. What made them the kind of witches they are, and what really makes them different from the Knights? This novel answers all of those questions, giving Tamsin and the reader both families’ perspectives. Some may disagree with me, but I do think that the Knights are written in a sympathetic manner.
- Rushed pace. I peeked at the number on the last page before I started reading and was dismayed to see 288. It was disappointing how how short the novel is, and it’s quite obvious in the pacing. Tamsin is quite pressed for time in her quest to find out what’s going on with her family’s history, but there are times when the writing suffers because of that rush.
Recommendations: As a sequel, Always a Witch serves its purpose, but it does leave the reader wanting more. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as though Carolyn MacCullough’s set it up that way.
Rating: Good.
+ Conflicts. I’ll try to talk about this positive point without spoiling the ending to Once a Witch. Tamsin doesn’t see herself as the black sheep of the family anymore, but that sudden shift doesn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the family. She has to deal with the fact that more than half of the family is now afraid of her. I loved that Carolyn MacCullough doesn’t shy away from writing about the awkward situations that are sure to pop up, and I liked that she didn’t discount Tamsin’s own feelings about it.
+ Historical context. I mentioned in my review of Once a Witch that I would have liked to see more of the Greene’s history. What made them the kind of witches they are, and what really makes them different from the Knights? This novel answers all of those questions, giving Tamsin and the reader both families’ perspectives. Some may disagree with me, but I do think that the Knights are written in a sympathetic manner.
- Rushed pace. I peeked at the number on the last page before I started reading and was dismayed to see 288. It was disappointing how how short the novel is, and it’s quite obvious in the pacing. Tamsin is quite pressed for time in her quest to find out what’s going on with her family’s history, but there are times when the writing suffers because of that rush.
Recommendations: As a sequel, Always a Witch serves its purpose, but it does leave the reader wanting more. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as though Carolyn MacCullough’s set it up that way.
Rating: Good.