Nice blend of adventure, coming of age, and growing self awareness. Liza still mourns her mom who was killed by a drunk driver when she was three. Dad spends most of his time and energy working their farm. Her aunt and aunt's girlfriend provide most of the emotional support she receives. Unfortunately, her ex-best friend is working overtime to bully her and keeps spreading rumors that Liza is an evil witch.
There are several elements here that I appreciated while reading the story. One is Liza's starting, then pursuing the question of whether she was also a bully, even if doing so under her former friend's influence. Then there's her slowly learning to trust others, something bullied kids struggle with. She also figures out how to research vital information about the witch trials and how they might relate to her situation. The other element is how skillfully the author wove crows into the story. This is a nice book to have in a library collection, not only for entertainment, but for the self-discovery process it can impart on tween readers. ( )