Klein's works tend to deal with highly controversial subjects, so much so that she has been labeled "outrageous" (by Allene Stuart Phy). In fact, she once said that she intended to deal with one taboo subject a year for the rest of her writing career. One of the main areas of controversy she treats is sexual activity among young adults.

Many of her older characters—and some of her younger ones—are, like Tim, sexually active. They also, like Tim, think about the sexual activity of their parents. Paul Gold in That's My Baby is a case in point. Yet Paul is far less mature than Tim. He tends to be insensitive to others, including his sexual partners. He also tends to be demanding in ways Tim is not. His lack of responsible behavior stands in marked contrast to Tim's almost compulsive sense of...