Despite its differences from Lowry's other work, The Giver was universally well-received on publication. Gary D. Schmidt, writing in The Five Owl$, stated: "This is a fantasy novel that does what fantasy at its best can do: make us see the reality all the more clearly. The questions it asks about the costs of love, the structure of the family, the role of painful memories, the nature of the perfect society are all timely." In a much longer, but equally enthusiastic review of "this intricately constructed masterwork," Patty Campbell, writing for Horn Book, began by drawing attention to the departure from Lowry's usual style. "Up until now, much of Lowry's work has consisted of [what one reviewer called] 'contemporary novels with engaging characters that explore something very rare-a functional family.' But The Giver is a dystopia, 'driven by plot and philosophy-not by character and dialogue...