New York teenager MacBurnie King volunteers to provide monetary support for an impoverished Indian boy. When Suneet disappears, "MacB" and her father travel overseas to track him down and observe the famine and poverty of India firsthand. The overlong and self-important novel is bound with an odd nonfiction publication titled 'India Revealed', and the entire volume is cluttered with adulatory extraneous material and poorly reproduced black-and-white photos.

Gr 9 Up--Teenager MacBurnie King has a strong social conscience and cannot ignore problems when she believes she can do something about them. This is why she encourages her class to "adopt" a young boy in India. She becomes wrapped up in Suneet's life and learning about his culture. When the child's letters suddenly stop, she decides to find a way to India to find him herself. Three months later, MacB and her father have experienced India as few tourists do. Working in a mission, fighting caste-related injustices, and struggling through a monsoon, MacB is continually introduced to new ideas and ways of life. This book holds nothing back. It shows the beauty and the struggles of this complicated world in the same paragraph. Death is seen through the eyes of someone who is used to TV violence and hunger being the mild rumble felt before a meal. Soulmates encourages reader activism and support of organizations that fight hunger. Although the plot is sometimes didactic, there are moments of true adventure and excitement. The people all come across as teachers and examples of Indian life rather than fully developed characters; there is little insight into even MacB's motivations. Still, this is a useful addition to a study of this country and a good read for anyone interested in investigating a new culture. The book includes a nonfiction guide, India Revealed!, although the story conveys much of the same information.--Tracey Firestone, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY