I found it very hard to get into reading this book. But... the end totally surprised me. I felt the characters in the book needed better development. and There were a bunch of characters introduced in the book that I felt were not needed. Development of the main characters would have been a better place for the 'extra words'. The mother who is key to the enitre story, we hardly get to know her, or understand her. I would have like to know who she was better thoughout the book.