There was something magical about this children’s full-length novel that touched my heart right from the very first page. The mention that it was set in Austria made it special right from the start. It’s not every day you get to read a book set in another country, let alone a children’s novel set in Austria, and I felt it made it uniquely special before even digging deeper into the storyline. Plus, how Mr. Masse described all the Austrian weather and landscapes truly made me feel as if I was in Austria myself.

The discussion in which Boznik, the confectioner, gave Nicole a magic candy cane to try out really piqued my interest. This too added to the unique appeal of me wanting to read the story. As each chapter unfolded telling more of how Nicole viewed this supposed magical candy cane she had, readers can see just how vulnerable her eleven-year-old mind really was because she equated every frightening event that occurred to her and her family as a result of that infamous candy cane. One was left to wonder if it was just a string of unfortunate events happening or could it truly be a result of that magical candy cane not being so magical after all.

I also loved how Mr. Masse developed each of his characters and made them each have their own important role in moving the story along for his readers. Each character had significance in the story, even if only for a short portion of the story, and they all succeeded in presenting a fun and entertaining story for every reader to enjoy.

Overall, The Taste of Snow was a fun holiday read that I feel can be enjoyed by readers young and old. It had the perfect blend of holiday cheer set in the beautiful Austrian backdrop, with well-developed characters you get to know as you turn the pages. I highly recommend this holiday children’s story and feel it can be enjoyed any time of year! Well done, Mr. Masse!