What is an example of symbolism in the novel, Wildwood (Wildwood Chronicles)?

The crows in the novel represent death in general and specifically the death that Alexandra has planned for baby Mac. As scavengers, they are typically seen in literature as an omen of death and depicted as hovering over a scene where someone or something is near death. In the warren where Alexandra is keeping Mac, the crows fly in and out and hover over his bassinet, guarding him until he can fulfill his intended purpose. A group of crows is known as a murder, a term that possibly derived from the symbolic meaning of the bird itself.