Anna Akbari's research was thorough while also being able to make nonfiction read like fiction. Definitely worth being left in suspense instead of googling the ending.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

In “There Is No Ethan: How Three Women Caught America’s Biggest Catfish,” Anna Akbari delivers a gripping narrative that is part memoir, part true crime thriller. This book takes readers on a rollercoaster journey through the dark and deceptive world of online catfishing, revealing the emotional and psychological toll it takes on its victims.

The story centers around three intelligent and successful women who fall prey to the charms of Ethan Schuman, a man who exists only in the digital realm. Akbari, along with her fellow victims, becomes entangled in a web of lies and emotional manipulation that is shocking and heart-wrenching. 

What sets this book apart is Akbari’s ability to weave her personal experience with a broader commentary on the nature of online relationships and the ease with which truth can be distorted in the digital age. 

The narrative takes on a thriller-like quality as the women begin to piece together the inconsistencies in Ethan’s stories and ultimately uncover the shocking truth. The suspense builds with each chapter, making it difficult to put the book down. 

“There Is No Ethan” is not just a cautionary tale about the perils of online dating; it is also a testament to the resilience and determination of the women who refused to be silenced. 

Anna Akbari’s “There Is No Ethan” is a compelling and eye-opening read that will resonate with anyone who has ever ventured into the world of online relationships. It is a must-read for those interested in true crime, psychology, and the complexities of human connections in the digital age. Akbari’s storytelling prowess and insightful analysis make this book a standout in its genre.

I was super disappointed in this book, it sorely needed an editor who could make some big structural changes to strengthen this story. So much of it was essentially transcripts of gchat logs, which are not as riveting the author might feel that they are given that she lived them. The point is made over and over: Emily Slutsky is an unwell woman, psychological damage from catfishing should be taken more seriously, and the victims weren't rubes, but accomplished women. All of this I believe to be true. But it gets repeated so much that I was worried that Akbari thought that readers had little reading comprehension skills. I also felt that the subtitle of the book was a major overpromise, Slutsky undoubtedly manipulated many women for many years, but most of the book focuses on Anna's experiences and those of her two sidekicks. I'm not convinced that Slutsky was actually one of the most prolific catfish. It feels like the audience for this book is Emily Slutsky, not the average reader. Which is fine, ,but it made me wonder why I was reading it.

This was a very intersesting and engaging book that freaked me out, because the person who did the3 catfishing is still out there (it's not against the law) and is a doctor! I think it also shows the lenghts people will go to find connection and belive connecttion

There Is No Ethan is perfect for fans of Catfish or a good con story with Anna Akbari allowing readers to delve into the insane story of three women and their experience with a con online.

This non-fiction book is part memoir, part sharing other people’s stories. Author and sociology professor Anna Akbari takes us back to 2011, when she met a guy named Ethan on an online dating site and they struck up a correspondence. They text and email constantly and grow extremely close, but he keeps putting off meeting in real life and becomes quite manipulative. Eventually Anna finds two other women who also have been in long, online only relationships with Ethan, and together they set out to find out who Ethan really is and why.

This was a WILD story for sure. From the title and the beginning of the book, you know Ethan isn’t going to be real - but who is he really? Yes it might seem crazy now that these intelligent women fell for Ethan for so long, but you have to remember that in 2011 the term “catfishing” had yet to enter the discourse, nor did FaceTime or selfies or webcams exist, making it much easier to start a relationship in text only format.

I usually read non-fiction books pretty slowly, but I could not put this one down!

This book stands out due to the author's personal experience as a victim of online catfishing, which adds a poignant depth to their exploration of others similarly deceived. It compellingly depicts how effortlessly one can succumb to online deception, often disregarding intuition amid repeated setbacks like missed meetups. The courage shown by the author and fellow individuals in recounting their interactions with "Ethan" is commendable, shedding light on conversations that, upon reflection, may appear humiliating but serve as a stark cautionary tale. While some sections, especially those recounting similar tactics used by other victims, can feel repetitive, the overall impact of this book is profound. It's a highly recommended read, despite occasional slower moments, earning it a solid 4.5-star rating.

This was so good! I loved that this book was narrated by the author herself, with the addition of a male voice! That said this book contains a lot of text messages, emails, chat logs, etc and might be easier followed along as a physical copy. I found a groove listening to this after the first chapter or so, and it was easy to follow along with the story and message exchanges.

The book is retelling of how a woman fell in love with Ethan online, during the craze and the beginning of online dating. There were not a lot of bad stories out there, especially about catfishing. So the plausability of WHYYY would you participate in this for so long is there. It is a crazy story, a long one, and complicated. At times I wanted to shake the author for believing everything she was told, and for allowing to be gaslit into this non existent relationship. But at the same time, Ethan seemed so enticing and worth the "pain."

If you ever did the online dating thing, and need to hear someone else's nightmare story - this is for you! It is crazier than fiction, and it is fast, with quite a satisfying ending.

Thank you to Libro.fm and the publisher for my review copies.

There is no Ethan was a really interesting read. I thought it was a little too long. I did appreciate the intermix of the different stories (and different Annas) and how it all tied together. I also liked the story of contacting "Ethan" as the years went on.

I am a huge fan of the television show Catfish, so when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. While it is a bit more intense than an episode of Catfish, I found myself hooked. I think this book could be very popular at my library and within my friend group, so I will definitely recommend my library purchases this for circulation!

🐟🐟🐟

This book shows us that no matter who you are or how well educated you are, you can still fall victim to scammers.

I found myself shaking my head through most of the book. So many signs, red flags and gut feelings that were ignored or rationalized. I know people fall for this stuff and I want to understand, yet I am unable to. I found the book slow and repetitive with not enough information to help address the why. Maybe it can't be addressed. Can we ever really understand why predators do what they do?
I am happy the creeper was caught.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary copy. My review is voluntary.

I cannot review this book without giving a huge spoiler, so I will be brief.

5 stars for outing this catfish creep. But honestly, the book was repetitive and boring. The real question I wanted to know is WHY the person who did this would do something like this. Just why. Some psychological insight would have been great.

What makes this book particularly stand out, is that the author was one of the victims of online catfishing. The author goes on a quest to find others who were duped by this phony and so this makes a compelling read. It also makes for a very creepy read in the sense that one can see how easily it is to be conned online and to ignore our intuition that something does not seem right (for example, all the times they were supposed to meet up and something came up). I applaud the author and the other women for having the courage to speak out and share details of their online conversations with "Ethan." Looking back, it could be humiliating seeing what happened objectively yet by sharing this, it shows how easily anyone of us could get fooled. This is definitely a cautionary tale so I highly recommend reading it. I do want to say at times, I felt it bogged down once we got to other victim's stories because it felt repetitive in the sense that some of the same tactics were used. But other than that -- definitely worth a read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗡𝗢 𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡 is the riveting true story of three women who fell in love with an Internet predator named Ethan. Anna Akbari is not only one of Ethan's victims but also has a PhD in sociology. She examines the complex emotions involved in his abusive deception and provides fascinating commentary and context about identity and the Internet.

Akbari's narration is stellar, as is Justin Price's as Ethan, and this real-life hoax is twistier than most thrillers. Go in blind and prepare to be shocked.

4.5 stars

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the copy to review.

A detailed, well-paced, highly relatable Catfish-adjacent tale from online dating's recent past. The book's otherwise pleasing momentum does mean that the author rushes somewhat past larger questions -- what accountability we need from catfishers who didn't technically steal; why the same red flags get ignored over and over again in these situations -- but it wisely doesn't stray out of its own lane.

There Is No Ethan was so compelling, I couldn’t put it down or look away from its extreme digital drama! This is the true story of “how three women caught American’s biggest catfish.”

I have Lots! of thoughts but less is more when it comes to this reading experience, so I’ll only share a few brief comments (and strongly recommend avoiding Google in advance if you plan to read this book)— Early on, I noticed a direct conflict of interest when occupations were mentioned. I had an early suspicion about who Ethan was (I was wrong). As information was revealed, I could only wonder about Ethan’s motives.

I felt for the women who were unknowing participants in Ethan’s charade, yet I was simultaneously astounded by how they kept engaging, despite his cyclical behavior, both online and in failing to follow through with their in-person plans, repeatedly! The events predominately took place between 2008-2013 and I had to frequently remind myself of this as I read the story — Social media and digital technology were not as advanced as they are today.

There Is No Ethan definitely had some surprises and the story leaves readers with a lot to think about and raises ethical questions. A great reminder with the resources available now, to always do your research.

There Is No Ethan is an engrossing, truth is stranger than fiction, page-turner! I was captivated from start to finish.

Sometimes fact is truly stranger than fiction. Author and sociologist Akbari found herself ensnared in a web of emotional manipulation and catastrophic deceit with an online catfish scam. THERE IS NO ETHAN is a part-multimedia juicy dating memoir, part investigative retribution.

Spanning years and decades, charmer “Ethan Schuman” duped multiple accomplished women. Akbari shares text exchanges with Ethan and her journey to connect with other women who also fell under his predatory spell to expose this con. This investigative and bingeable story was a completely engrossing reading experience.

With great insight and vulnerability Akbari explores what led her to be susceptible to a connection with Ethan and the power that loneliness can have. When no crime has technically been committed other than inflicting deep emotional scars, how can these women hold an internet predator accountable? This is an enraging and engrossing story for readers regardless of online dating experience.


READ THIS IF YOU:
-get sucked into true stories that are stranger than fiction
-are willing to withhold judgment for the intelligent women who were duped
-can resist googling spoilers/the real players until you’ve read the end of the book

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those "truth is stranger than fiction" wild rides that the current fixation on true crime has come to have us expect but still was surprising! These women never met him in person, realized he was doing this to other women, teamed up and figured out who he was. Who he was ended up being quite surprising! An interesting mix of memoir and sleuthing that kept my interest.

I was absolutely blown away by this book. As a fan of the show Catfish, this ARC immediately intrigued me and I will fully admit that during the first section, I was a little frustrated! I thought "how could you possibly miss all of these red flags, it's so obvious to me that something is wrong," but as the book went on and the other points of view were added, I completely understood. There's something so honest and clear about admitting that a mistake was made while also acknowledging emotional manipulation and by the end, I was just as angry as Anna and the other women featured. I think this is an incredible story about emotions and loss and robbery of time and kindness, but also about how women can take all of that charged-up energy to do something for good and put an end to someone who took advantage of them.

Initial Reaction: 9

Topic: 10

Pace: 8

Style: 9

Enjoyment: 10

46 / 10 = 4.6

Rounded Rating = 4.5