I was all over the place with this book. I found it hard going at first, then it got better, things looked up and then, oh no! But it was fine!! Then came the end, which was really the start. It made sense till that point!!! Because, if that was the start, why did it take so very many years to get to the middle?!??! 
 Yes this seems somewhat cryptic, but I don't want to include spoilers, even hidden ones, cause I'm the sort of person who clicks, then wishes they hadn't! So no option here.