Gwenn

That's the good stuff right there. I think I remember having a similar experience with the first book in
this series, that I was enjoying myself riding along with the attempted mystery solving, then got a bit
iffy in the reveal, as there were certain things I'd already guessed, and then other things I hadn't had a clue about that were just barely believable, and
then it was how the book actually ended that settled it for me, in focusing back on the characters
and their relationships, experiences. Stevenson provides an empathetic, yet all-too-human perspective in Ernest and it makes all the difference in having him as the narrator. Sometimes the interpersonal drama leans thriller-esque, but I know I'll always have one character I actually like. Though that other theme running through the book leading to the epilogue is what truly made it for me. As always I'll caveat that I'm a fairly gullible, easy going mystery reader so those in it primarily for the puzzles may not be as entertained as I was.
I recognize that it's a personal preference that violence against women, SA, not be a plot point, even though elements of the scenario are tragically similar to real life publicized accounts. In this sense the formula and tropes that Stevenson plays with may work in my favour. Having used it so prominently once, it's unlikely to return in the next book. I look forward to continuing in the series, hopefully the author plans to do so! 

Wow. Um, I kind of feel like I can't talk about all the reasons I love this book because they're MAJOR spoilers. I will say: hang in there. You're going to be introduced to a rowdy group, an intriguing set of circumstances and an imminent mission, and then that will be put on hold to tell the majority of someone's life story, get acquainted with those introduced, and then you pick up at where you left off and things get wild in a way I, at least, did not see coming. In that first half/two-thirds there are elements of war/dystopian novels from which I usually run a mile. The social commentary is exquisitely impactful. The last third (? reading this on ebook has mucked up my sense of page count) reads very different but still has something to say with a great conclusion. Again, SPOILERS! What I will say: there are ninjas, and nightmares, and love and loss, and incredible fight scenes and beloved characters. True warmth and humour and despair and hope and acceptance. Yeah, if there was any doubt, Nick Harkaway is now affirmed as a favourite author. And now I have to wait until his next novel is published! ⚠️animal death, (+ not quite sure, feel like body horror might fit best)

It's perhaps an unfair comparison, as nostalgia and repeated viewings have the original film firmly entrenched in positive association and memory, and this is my first time encountering the book, but this is a case for me of ‘ the movie was better'. 
Certainly interesting to see what they changed/kept/left out - Grant's 180 on kids, the existence of Ed Regis and Ian Malcolm being more of a pill than a charismatic powerhouse (who can compete against Jeff Goldblum, I mean really). Speaking of which, huge props to the screenwriter for distilling Malcolm's  lectures (plural) down to that one speech over a meal.   
Further comparisons:
Weird to see there were only three years between book publication and film release, both firmly entrenched in the 90s, and yet the film manages to be not nearly as eye-roll inducing in its male gaze towards Sattler, and at least not as overt in its fatphobia toward Nedry. 
I appreciate that the film aged up the kids and made Lex a big sister thus reducing her function as an irritant as seen in the novel. 
The triceratops scenes are tied for me: while I was flabbergasted to find it was a stegosaurus not a triceratops in the book and there was no sense of wonder from any when encountering the sick dino, (Grant smiling while listening to the dino breath, professing his love for that type of dino - I have to assume it was a member of the film production with that passion, someone knew at least as much wonder as analytical assessment or fear for these creatures should be on display on screen).  I did appreciate actually getting an answer in the book as to why the animal was sick, and the Ralph the baby triceratops scene later in the book was so precious I feel a little cheated we didn't get that on film. 

⚠️child death, fatphobia, misogyny 

The series continues to be strong commentary on what happens when profits and politics, even conflicting personal philosophies and ethics, influence science and government. 
I loved all the insights into the particular challenges that might arise in terraforming Mars. 
This book also introduced the interesting quandary of what happens when you give a certain population longevity treatments, not just the unequal power system that sets up, but also the hypothesis that these longevity treatments would prot CT one from most genetic issues but compensate unevenly for rare/serious conditions (i.e. aggressive late stage  cancer due to radiation) or brain issues related to long term memory or new damage. 

Once again I have issues with the representation: 
There's something so misogynistic in Maya's ‘stereoptypical beautiful woman (now aging)' characterization: obsessed with how her looks affected people, hyperemotional, insecure about getting attention from every male around, seeing it as her way to power, power hungry, wants to be fawned over but also fickle, unable to do anything but be ‘catty' to another female who basically acts just like her, volatile to those who try to stay with her. I recognize humans are flawed, but between Maya and Ann, it feels like the author loaded the hysterical elements onto the female characters for plot spice and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. 

Definitely still feels like some bizarre combo of xenophobia and fetishization floating around the edges of characterization of ethnic groups that aren't caucasian, but so much is ‘antagonistic  in-group us vs them' stuff that separating it from the necessities of the narrative and perspective of individual characters is tricky. 

If anyone knows of own voices' opinions on the brain damage/ aphasia rep here I'd love to hear it, there's  a whiff of ableism in the pursuit of treatment resulting in “the exhilaration of normality”...and then there's the mad scientist characterization, after the character has had the injury. 

Speaking of perspectives: I recognize the author had a lot of ground to cover (though I'd argue he still managed to stick some ‘let's go look at another bit of Mars and the emerging developments! filler now and then), but I would love to have seen another turn with Art and Nirgal's perspectives near the end. As happy as I am that we got Nadia more than once, I remain put out that I had to read from Maya for so long. 

Pacing issues in the second book of a trilogy? ‘Twas ever thus. 🙄

Will I finish the trilogy? Yes. When? Well it will have to be soon so I don't forget everything that just happened. 🤷🏼‍♂️ The author is still presenting enough food for thought that I want to see how he chooses to end this experiment.