Napoli's talent for delving into the characters of myth and fairytale and endowing them with the human dimension has received much acclaim from critics. In Sirena, as in Zel, and even with the Biblical Magdalene, names from childhood breathe with the impassioned urgencies of adolescence, making their stories wonderfully real for young adult readers. Intergenerational conflicts such as those of Rapunzel and her mother, Miriam and her father, and Sirena and Mother Dora give voice to the angst teens experience when they feel smothered by adult love. As a daughter and mother, but particularly as a daughter, Napoli is able to reach back into her consciousness, as all daughters do, but few are able to express. Featuring a powerful use of language, Napoli's young adult novels have found a wide, receptive audience.