Antonia Forest fans

I've felt for a while that AF really matures stylistically in End of Term. Not to say that the earlier books aren't fantastic too, with some moments which are head-and-shoulders above other -- not even average, but good -- children's authors, but somehow I feel she comes into a greater degree of assurance and stylistic finesse at this point, and that fuels some of the experimentation and risk-taking that will follow (e.g. in Thuggery). The conclusion of the play chapter verges on technically perfect, I think, which isn't something I'd say at all lightly. And of course all of this isn't a 'cold' sort of knack for handling style: she is still extremely funny; her characterisations are still agonising and compelling, &c.