Accidental Tribes

by C.S. Pascoal

FROM AWARD-WINNING, BESTSELLING AUTHOR C.S. PASCOAL

“Original, exceptional, and a riveting read from start to finish. The kind that keeps young readers fully engaged from beginning to end.” Midwest Book Review

"Fast-paced and compelling, perfect for teens who want fiction grounded in the realities of the twenty-first century." The Children's Book Review

Eight kids nobody trusted. One room everyone forgot. Secrets the school was hiding.

At an underfunded public school in Times Square, eight teens facing expulsion or worse are given one last chance: Experiment 359, a thirty-day test designed to prove they can change.

Hacked grades.
AI-generated humiliation.
Anonymous social media accounts.
One disastrous week that put them all in the same room.

They aren't friends. Some are enemies. And none of them trusts the others.

Then they uncover something no one expected them to find. The deeper they dig, the stranger things get. 

To save themselves, eight outsiders who can barely look at one another will have to do the one thing nobody expects.
Trust each other.

Because the eight are about to discover one thing no one warned them about: they aren't the only ones being tested.

Perfect for fans of One of Us Is Lying and Truly Devious, Accidental Tribes is a sharp, funny, digital-age YA coming-of-age mystery book about misfit teens, online identity, grief, second chances, secrets, and the unexpected family you find when everything goes wrong.

"This book is bold, heartfelt, and unforgettable." Horror Writers Association

Genres: Young Adult

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 22, 2026

About the author

Candice S. Pascoal (pen name C.S. Pascoal) is an award-winning Tech for Good innovator and best-selling author who leads social impact ventures from New York City, where she raises her son and serves on the PA Committee of the United Nations International School. She founded UnBoxMe, a global community of philosophers, researchers, innovators, and authors confronting the questions technology alone cannot answer. Her ventures also include Alfredus Creatives and Kickante, the crowdfunding platform that earned her the 2017 Cartier Women's Initiative Award.

Candice is an international speaker whose work has reshaped how millions engage with entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and purpose. Her career began early and moved fast: she entered the tech industry at 16, apprenticed in New York under a multiple-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee at 19, and led the international expansion of American companies by 23. An American with Italian and Brazilian roots, she is a polyglot whose multicultural life shapes everything she builds; her work in business for good spans five continents and 90 countries.

Reviews

[Tushonki]

Accidental Tribes follows eight teenagers at Mariah Wilson Public School who are in deep trouble, brought together into an unusual last chance program. An experiment, that is the final barrier standing between some of them and expulsion and for others, something even worse.
They are not friends. In fact, some of them are enemies. They are expected to work together during a 30-day test that is designed to prove that they can change, however, they aren't meant to succeed.
Searching for a world that didn't exist, they found themselves and, by accident, created a tribe. They have to learn to trust each other.
Then, they uncover something no one expected them to find. A student died, and what really happened was never explained. The deeper they dig, the stranger things become. Money is missing. Stories conflict. Adults dodge questions. And someone seems determined to keep the past buried.
This experiment, however chaotic and dramatic it was, proved that even the slightest action can alter the course of one's life and future, as well as humanity forever. It also shows that the strongest systems are not built on every part winning alone, but on each part knowing when another is failing.

This book is expected to be published Sept 22 2026

The story had an engaging start that made it a real binge-read for me. Some moments had me chuckling, while at the same time, some of the lines were incredibly deep and really resonated with me, despite not being the book's target audience.

I found the characters to be incredibly well developed. The descriptive writing along with the illustrations made them feel very vivid. It was as if I could imagine their voices, mannerisms, and personalities. Each character had depth, which made them genuinely interesting to follow.
This book also explores second chances, forgiveness and grief, among other themes. It touches on many subjects that I believe are healthy and important to discuss and it was done in a very clever way.

I also really like that it is tied to a website where you can give your opinion on and influence the characters future.

I felt that the murder mystery was revealed very abruptly and wasn’t explored enough, which left me a little confused, especially since I thought it was going to be the main focus of the story. Despite that, it ended up being a surprisingly good read. I just hope there’s a continuation, because it didn’t really feel like there was a proper conclusion.
Still a very solid read, 4 stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced copy of the book!

[Mae B]

A solid read. Some of the lines hit hard.

[Faithe]

Accidental Tribes is a YA book about 8
Teens who are sent to a detention style room and given one last chance.

At a underfunded school near Times Square, eight teens are sent to a classroom after each of them has done something to earn either suspension or a visit from the police. They are not friends, however they are expected to work together for a 30-day test that is designed to prove they can change. They end up uncovering an unsolved death, stolen money, and lots of secrets that adults around them are hoping stay buried. The only way they can succeed is to work together, as an accidental tribe.

I reveived a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I like the book overall, but felt the ending very abrupt. I did enjoy how we get to learn what happened to the students 5-10 years down the road. I also really like that it is tied to a website where you can influence how the charcters end up. I think this would be fun to read in a classroom and then have the students explore the corresponding website. I think it would help them see how one thing can change everything. This book is best for those aged 13-18.

This book is expected to be published Sept 22 2026

[readerdino]

This is a quick read with an interesting story that I finished in less than 24 hours.
Let me start by saying that I really loved the illustrations in this book. I think they added more flavor to it and made the book more fun to read.
However, the book’s length became its disadvantage. Introducing eight characters at the beginning with too much information made it a bit difficult to follow and to connect with them.
I also had to wait for things to happen, and when they finally did, it almost felt random.
When it comes to the storytelling, I think a different perspective could’ve made it better. Maybe it could have been told from the point of view of one of the students, or even being completely written in the third person.
This has a lot of potential and I still enjoyed reading it, but I wish it leaned more into the mystery aspect and I wish the characters were explored further.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Louise]

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

This book was very confusing for me at the beginning, who is who and who is saying what. But later in the book it became clearer to me, yet I still couldn't connect with the characters. I don't really know why, but if I had to take a guess, it's the perspective from which it's written.

This certainly doesn't make it a bad book; the author wanted to convey a clear message. It was certainly a fun concept to do this as a social experiment. But for me personally, the message could have been told better from a different perspective.

The ending was kind of open. Personally, I don't really like that. Who actually committed the murder and why? Why didn't the friends talk about it, and how do they still trust each other if probably one of them did it? The plot of the murder was also unnecessary to me, especially if you are not going to pay any attention to it.

[Entisar Ali]

3.5 stars rounded up
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
A creative YA mystery that throws eight troubled teens into an unusual last chance program, only for them to uncover a hidden death, missing money, and adults determined to keep secrets buried. Watching this mismatched group of near strangers learn to trust each other gives the story real heart, blending found family themes with mystery and dark humor, and the illustrations are a genuine standout. The plot occasionally feels disjointed, with some threads left unresolved and an ending that arrives fairly abruptly. The murder mystery stays a bit too vague for full satisfaction. Still, the concept is inventive, especially the tie-in website letting readers shape the characters' futures, making this a fun, interactive pick for classroom use or teens wanting a quick, unconventional read.

[Farah G]

Eight teenagers at the Mariah Wilson Public School are in deep trouble, for reasons both expected and (in a couple of cases) VERY unexpected. And the only way out - which may or may not work! - involves a rather unusual experiment, a teacher who believes in them and a principal who does not...

This is an entertaining read, based on a creative idea and featuring quite a lot of humour, and the illustrations are terrific. Something about the storytelling felt at times a little disjointed to me, which reduced the pleasure - and I did not like the identity of the murderer remaining somewhat opaque. Still, it gets 3.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[yazzyvb]

really enjoyed the concept of these 8 students learning to work together and in ways help each other grow despite previous differences/grudges between some of them. a quick and easy read and the illustrations included were a lovely touch! i honestly just wish it was a bit longer and had delved into the mystery aspect more, there were a few parts where i felt some things happened a little randomly but also was really beautiful in the descriptions of how others can become intertwined and help keep others going/improving and growing throughout life, a really lovely way of looking at life in that aspect!

[Nikola]

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this ARC.

This book was unexpected and was not like I thought it would be. I was expexting more of a dystopian vibe with more lies and threats. However, I have to say I was still pleasantly suprised about how this story went. There is a lot of growth for the characters and themes of found family and friendship. Overall, this is a quick read and I can see a lot of teens liking this book.

[Lesley]

I hate to say this, but this book didn’t make a lot of sense to me. There are large gaps in the plot and a lot of threads that are not sufficiently addressed. I started to feel like I was reading the second book in a trilogy.

But focusing a bit on the good: the art is fantastic! It makes me think that the soul of this book is a graphic novel. I think if the author reconfigured it, that would be a stellar book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.

[A.K. Adler]

I appreciate the themes, but having the narrator be a teacher made it 1) not feel like a book for teens, but a book that adults want teens to read, and 2) feel distant from the action and emotion of the plot. I wasn't engaged, it was nearly all told not shown, and it felt preachy.

[Jaclyn Kossmann]

This book gripped me and kept me hooked! The story is highly original and clever. High schoolers are coming of age in a fascinating time and this book demonstrates how they can create and collaborate for good. Brilliant and inspiring.

[Elisa Pascoal]

GENIUS!! We can’t stop reading it. So timely, so relevant, and so deeply touching. A must-read for teens, parents, and anyone who wants to understand where we’re headed next.

[Karuna Daswani]

Couldn't put it down! As a mother of two, I highly recommend the book to help teenagers navigate the world as they know it! Loved it!

[Alyx Van]

a must read - I couldn't recommend it more highly. Candice imparts so much wisdom and warmth, I couldn't put it down

[Taylor Padilla]

I won this book in a giveaway. I wanted to like this book but I could not keep up with what the actual plot line was. Too many characters to keep up with as well. The art work I did enjoy.