Note: I don't know anything about the story you are working on other than this post.
My advice to you is to ask yourself this fundamental question right up front: "Why am I using the narrative structure I'm using?"
The linear, chronological narrative is the norm for a reason, it makes sense and is logical.
You use a non-traditional structure when it adds something. Use it for the right reasons.
But here's a more important piece of advice: Focus on your story here and now. Constantly questioning your decisions after seeing a new thing will only bring you down or worse, distract you. At a certain point, you have to close your office door behind you, sit down and just write in a vacuum without any outside influences.
Damages does it better? So what? Another show proves it doesn't work? So what?
Just write the best story you can with the tools and knowledge you have an hope it turns out well.
Have confidence.
Honestly though, narrative structure comes in all kinds of shapes, sizes and flavors. The difference between a Linear narrative and a chronological narrative has been written about to death and experiments in non-chronological narratives are older than print.
In the screenwriting capstone I had a year ago, I experimented with the Point X to Point A to Point X then to Point Z narrative structure you mentioned first and learned its rules first hand when failing at it blew up in my face....twice. >_<
You can use that X-A-X-Z structure and it has some awesome effects if pulled off well.
Background: The narrative you are talking about is starting at point X(near the end of the story chronologically) and then saying, "How the heck did I get here?" then going back to point A(The chronological beginning). (I summarize for my own understanding)
The advantage of this structure is built-in suspense that makes you keep turning pages because of that suspense. You've seen the main character's fate later on, now you need to know how he/she got there. It's a simple, powerful psychological tool.
The disadvantage is that the bookends are the most fragile parts of the narrative. They set up the narrative rules and determine where the story begins and ends.
The front book end in the kind of structure is almost always en medias res. It's a set up for the story.
The Back book end is close to where the narrative ends.
From the sounds of what I read, you got flak for leaving too many clues at the front of the story. That's the risk of this narrative, which is also dependent on the Frame Narrative of this structure. I don't know what you use for a frame narrative for the book, but its execution can make for a narrative that is very forgiving.
If you are passionate about using that American Beauty style of narrative, there are a few things you can try to tweak(in general since I haven't read your story).
Make the elements that are other than the main character fairly unrecognizable or forgettable until they come back.
For example: Book starts with magic duel between MC and BBEG, BBEG nails MC to the wall and has him dead to rights. Frame narrative begins.
The risks come from the following:
a) the MC using magic here means that when Point A begins and he is magicless, he won't stay that way. Solution: GO with it. accept that as a piece of information the audience is going to know. If this surprise of "The MC has magic!" is what you want, then this narrative won't work unless you conceal his identity too. But the MC is usually easy to spot in situations like these.
b) the BBEG has a recognizable identity early on. When he comes back in the story you will recognize the BBEG as the guy beating up the MC.
Solution: disguise the BBEG until that final battle.
c) The ending being too obvious from the clues given in the front.
Solution: Make the end past Point X longer. The information gleamed by Point X at the front only gives info up to Point X. Everything beyond that is open game. The suspense comes from what happens after Point X.
Aside from citing examples of this in action like
Mary Shelly's Frankenstein(the book) and
Sunset Boulevard, that's all I got without actually reading the work.
My conclusion to you is this: Any structure will work for you. Just go with it, understand the risks of those creative choices and write how you want.
