I can't recommend this author enough. Project Hail Mary and The Martian are amazing works of science fiction. Project Hail Mary is actually amazing as an audiobook.
I went into Project Hail Mary knowing nothing beyond it was from the author of The Martian. It may have been the most enjoyable reading experience I've ever had.
I'm in the back third of Project Hail Mary now. Same. I went into it blind and it's great. I did have to take a break in the very beginning just because dealing with my own existential crisis was enough that I didn't need a fictional one ... lol?
I will never fail to be amused by people here and on Reddit who spend their calories diving into discussions about things they don't like to tell people they don't like them.
If they actually take the time to write a thoughtful critique, that's one thing. But just saying they don't like something really doesn't add to the discussion.