Sample
  • There Is No Ethan

  • How Three Women Caught America's Biggest Catfish
  • By: Anna Akbari
  • Narrated by: Anna Akbari, Justin Price
  • Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (156 ratings)

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There Is No Ethan

By: Anna Akbari
Narrated by: Anna Akbari, Justin Price
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Publisher's summary

Part memoir, part explosive window into the mind of a catfisher, a thrilling personal account of three women coming face-to-face with an internet predator and teaming up to expose them.

In 2011, three successful and highly educated women fell head over heels for the brilliant and charming Ethan Schuman. Unbeknownst to the others, each exchanged countless messages with Ethan, staying up late into the evenings to deepen their connections with this fascinating man. His detailed excuses about broken webcams and complicated international calling plans seemed believable, as did last minute trip cancellations. After all, why would he lie? Ethan wasn't after money—he never convinced his marks to shell out thousands of dollars for some imagined crisis. Rather, he ensnared these women in a web of intense emotional intimacy. After the trio independently began to question inconsistencies in their new flame's stories, they managed to find one another and uncover a greater deception than they could've ever imagined. As Anna Akbari and the women untangled their catfish’s web, they found other victims and realized that without a proper crime, there was no legal reason for “Ethan” to ever stop.

THERE IS NO ETHAN catalogues Akbari's experience as both victim and observer. By looking at the bigger picture of where these stories unfold—a world where technology mediates our relationships; where words and images are easily manipulated; and where truth, reality, and identity have become slippery terms—Akbari gives a page-turning and riveting examination of why stories like Ethan's matter for us all.

©2024 Anna Akbari (P)2024 Grand Central Publishing

Editorial Review

The catfishing memoir to end all catfishing memoirs
OMG! Anna Akbari took me on a JOURNEY with her stranger-than-fiction memoir about how a stranger can be ... fiction. A feisty young sociologist in the early days of online dating, Akbari began chatting with a witty New Yorker named Ethan. Ethan’s lofty job meant lots of travel, long hours, and an Irish phone that made email and text his sole methods of communication. Anna fell hard for his clever, sexy messages—irresistibly voiced by Justin Price, the perfect complement to Akbari’s own narration. But as their intimacy deepened, Ethan’s excuses to avoid meeting raised major red flags. Emotionally invested yet professionally fascinated, Akbari’s investigation led her to other victims (whose solidarity will warm your heart amid the otherwise chilling tale) and jaw-dropping revelations about the “real” Ethan Schuman. The catfishing memoir to end all catfishing memoirs, There Is No Ethan will have you talking (and listening) compulsively—just don’t google the case until you finish, for maximum effect. — Kat J., Audible Editor

What listeners say about There Is No Ethan

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An instant classic

Brilliantly outlines the calculated emotional abuse of several accomplished, intelligent women by an unrepentant psychopath. It’s baffling, infuriating and deeply disturbing to think that this perpetrator continues to work as a professional in the medical field to this day. Destined to hold a bookshelf spot next to “The Sociopath Next Door” as a classic on the subject of deformed souls who utterly lack compassion. Extremely well written and read by one of the brave survivors.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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As unbelievable as it is compelling!

Wild story, excellent narration. Loved the addition of the male voice, always enjoy when the author reads - she does a great job. Reads like fiction, and honestly disturbing to think this is true! Loved and highly recommend

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Amazing Because it's True

I didn't realize this was a true story when I began; I thought, it was just a fictional conversation on an online dating site and I almost quit listening. When you get further in and realize this actually happened, it takes on a whole new meaning. It encourages us to ask ourselves about how hope can motivate us in relationships when all the signs point to how wrong things are going. And it demonstrates how much easier it is to be duped by online conversations. Our default is to think the best of people, which can ultimately be our downfall in online messaging. What an amazing story. It will make you think about your own assumptions and unsupported beliefs and how easy it is to reach unrealistic conclusions. Best of all, the victims in this story figure it out and work to resolve the damage. The ending is stunning.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This NEEDED to be told!!!

Not only is this a wild, twisty-turn story that is impossible to put down, it's an extremely important story to tell, and to be read. Too many have become victimized by evil, sociopathic frauds, for a plethora of reasons. This book blew my mind, and the fact that they outed the antagonist just warms the cockles of my justice-loving heart. This person has NOT shown remorse for the damage caused, but has only attempted to justify their despicable actions. As a professional in a field that makes them extremely dangerous, I'd encourage everyone - especially women - to put this at the top of their library. This person is very easy to find on the internet right now, I doubt that'll be the case before long. This book is solid proof that even highly intelligent people can be rotten human beings, right to the core.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Engaging

This story is true, but it reads like fiction. It kept my attention and interest throughout. Highly recommend.

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2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Tedious

I would hope I would have smelled something fishy after the third no show from this guy/girl.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Thrilling Listen

This is a true story that is so eye opening! It's shocking, appalling and I am angry for the women that were victimized. The worst part is that "Ethan" is still out there with no repercussions! We need to band together as women and make sure that this person is held accountable for their actions! I am so angered by what happened but applaud the author for writing this book.

If you haven't read it, take a day off work and curl up! I originally ordered the audio book but a couple chapters in I had to go and order the hard copy of the book.

I'm speechless how this played out.

The writer, as a sociologist, brought a unique perspective but still told in her own words was excellent! I will definitely be reading other books from this author in the future.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Whose Afraid of Little Ole Me?

This tale kept me both enraptured and horrified. The author artfully, kindly and masterfully shares with the readers a truly captivating and horrifying real-life catfish dating story from hell.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I would have been happier and more interested if I had googled this and read the online articles.

Annoyed by the voices of the narrators, and the dialogue was painful to listen to. I kept turning it off in frustration and then forcing myself to listen. Ultimately, I would have enjoyed this as a podcast or article. I was waiting to be more interested when it finally came to the discovery and confrontation. The only interest was the response of the perpetrator. I was expecting more depth but it was more an accounting of what happened with no real story or depth or descriptors of experience. I regret using my credit on this and wish I had just googled the story instead.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

wow. smart review that makes me think

if this could happen to these smart women, it could happen to anyone. that this woman is our there and a doctor is disturbing.

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