Crichton does the same thing here that Stephen King loves to do, which is to end chapters ominously. "She drank the soda. Little did she know, it would be the last soda she ever drank." I think Crichton leans on that mechanic a bit too strongly as the book goes on, dolling it out pretty liberally. 

Another issue I have is the same as I did for Project Hail Mary, the exposition feels less informative to the plot and more so a series of brief science class "did ya know?" segments. 

This book's narrative structure has the events taking place over a series of 5 days. Within each day, it feels like multiple days are taking place and it makes the timeline very confusing. Presumably, the 5-day structure is meant to be foreboding but the inconsistent pacing undermines it.

Ultimately, a very cool premise that takes a bit too long to unfold (which is something I would also say about Project Hail Mary).