Aidan Chambers is one of the most popular translated authors of adolescent fiction in Belgium and the Netherlands. This success is, without a doubt, due to the work of the translators who accepted the challenge of rendering Chambers' linguistic creativity in a different language. Translation difficulties are numerous in Chambers' novels, ranging from explicit and implicit intertextual references and puns to a complex mixture of discourses. Moreover, Chambers does not shy away from taboo topics, which he addresses in a direct style that is not acceptable to all audiences. This article focuses on two aspects of Aidan Chambers' young adult fiction: its stylistic complexity on the one hand, and his use of taboo on the other. With reference to the development of young adult fiction in Belgium and the Netherlands, the article explores how attention has shifted from Chambers' use of taboo to a greater awareness of his stylistic complexity. The Dutch translations of two novels are analysed in depth to illustrate this hypothesis: Breaktime (1978) and Postcards From No Man's Land (1999), the first and penultimate book of Chambers' so-called Dance series.