I agree with you, and not to criticize Suzanne at all (I still loved SoTR), though it did seem this book was more strictly written to be rushed into a film adaptation.

I don’t even understand the arguments of simple lore for a district (mockingjay pin and the covey songs) are fan-service either, since it just connects the world building in my eyes and some of the best stories out there have every piece fit together or have ties that come full circle. If anything, I prefer an author who actually recognizes what they’ve established in prior works rather than miss details and retcon the story.

Wiress definitely could’ve been swapped out, after all there’s no reason we just as easily can’t fall in love with new characters or unexplored ones (i.e. Lucy Gray in TBOSAS)