When the City Stopped

by Joan Phipson

A rising tide of panic swept the city -- everything just stopped. Something about a nuclear reactor and the unions. For Nick and his sister Binkie, alone in their high rise flat, it was the start of a terrifying nightmare. What had happened to their mother? Who can they find to help them get away?

155 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Winner of the Dromkeen Medal (1987).

Reviews

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in 1978, When The City Stopped, is the story of 13 year old Nicholas and his younger sister, Belinda. The kids find themselves home alone in the middle of an electricity strike. Sounds a little dull, but this is a strike with a difference as rolling strikes across Sydney virtually close the city down.
While I enjoyed this story, the idea that the government would allow a strike to cripple a city in this way, and that the population would support it, is rather implausible. In saying this however, Phipson has done an excellent job depicting what it would be like if all our modern conveniences of city life suddenly stopped.
This story is beautifully written, despite the occasional unusual wording. This wording was probably normal for its time but it sounds a little odd now. For example, Phipson refers to the children's mother as 'Mrs Lorimer' and to her having lost her 'identity papers'.
Many young readers will probably be turned off by these negatives, which is a shame because this really is a beautifully written story with some very likeable characters. It would probably suit a 10 to 14 year old reader who is used to reading novels in an older style.

[Alex Wilkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowie. This was emotional and powerful and hard to believe it was written in the 80s.

[CharityJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong MG introduction to dystopia with good plot and setting development. Phipson packs a lot in less than 200 pages. Worth reading if you can find a copy.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read! The stories of the pandemic must not be forgotten and kudos to Robert Snyder for presenting us with such a well-rounded collection of writing during the pandemic and follow-ups. I'd imagine every New Yorker would want to read this and it is an ideal preservation of history.
Not only that, but you could teach a college course using this book because it is that meaty without being tedious. So much to absorb and think about. And remember.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. May it climb to the top of the New York Times best seller list!

[Jess Tait · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this when I was 11 or 12, and it's stayed with me all these years. I guess it's something to do with the idea of two kids being stranded in a city that's shut down, or even just that it's set in Sydney when most of the books I was reading were set in foreign lands. Great plot, nice easy read. I'll be passing it on to my nine-year-old son and am interested to see whether he enjoys it.

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

70s sci-fi about two children stuck in a city where all services have broken down.