Contemporary Croatian young adult literature is open to addressing taboo topics. In the past, young adult literature was primarily seen as an educational tool and served a pedagogical purpose, so back then the topics were chosen to be suitable for young recipients. However, in recent decades young adult literature has liberated itself from pedagogical constraints, shifting its focus towards literary elements. As a result, themes that were once considered taboo, such as drug abuse, social inequalities, peer violence (bullying by schoolmates), dysfunctional families are becoming increasingly prevalent in young adult literature. Due to this reason, one part of the paper discusses the distinction between children's literature and young adult literature. Nevertheless, the focus of the paper lies in the literary works of contemporary Croatian author Ivana Šojat, who addresses taboo topics in her novels in an open, honest and straightforward manner. Her novels A Flock of Starlings and Dragons That Don't Fly were analysed using Gajo Peleš’s novel interpretation system. The conclusion emphasizes that the period of adolescence is prolonged, and young people are exposed to a greater number of challenges. Taboo topics are no longer unacceptable, and Croatian young adult literature deals with them in a valuable and educational manner. This approach empowers young people to navigate challenges and build positive life values.