Normally, I am a strong advocate for ALWAYS reading the book before seeing the movie. It is a rule that I tend to live by. For some reason that I still can't wrap my head around, I decided to forego said custom and watch Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children over the weekend. Let me be clear, I actually really enjoyed the movie contrary to what this list might suggest. This unusual behavior just left me with a load of questions that will basically require me to speed read the book so I don't drive myself crazy with lingering uncertainty. (PSA: There are spoilers throughout this piece, so proceed at your own discretion.) Here are just a few of the most pressing questions that have been plaguing me.

1. What in the world did Jake's mom do that she basically ditched Jake and her husband after the first 15 minutes of the film?

Like, I'm all for female empowerment and having a bread-winning mother, but she ghosted her son so hard after he left for Wales. All I needed was a check-in phone call or something.

2. Why did Jake run away screaming from the children at the hospital?

I get that all of these people told you the children were killed in a World War II bombing, but if you can suspend your belief enough to believe in invisible children and a headmistress that turns into a bird, then I think you shouldn't be that shocked when they magically appear in the run-down house. Plus that postcard from Miss Peregrine was dated only two years ago, so I think you should have expected something supernatural was going on.

3. Why is Victor's corpse in the attic? Why? Just why?

So I totally understand that this was a traumatic loss for you all, but WHY WOULD YOU KEEP A CORPSE IN THE ATTIC? That is just creepy no matter how you look at it.

4. Follow-Up Question: Why would you then proceed to ANIMATE said corpse?

Um, excuse me, but the trailer did not prepare me for this bout of weirdness. I cannot wrap my head around why this would be a therapeutic practice for any of the home's residents. This is just creepy on so many levels and makes me question why they continue to let this menace Enoch hang around all of these children.

5. How did Emma get out of the water with her lead shoes?

So, you sunk to the bottom of the sea and cleared away all of the water so she could show Jake her kick-ass powers. Yep, with you so far. But then, they are just magically back at the house. How did she get out of the water? The entire purpose of the lead shoes throughout the whole movie is to make sure she stays on the ground, so how can she get back out of the water with her shoes?

6. Why is there so much romantic tension between all of the older children?

The Enoch jealousy. The Olive flirting. The love-rectangle between all of the children older than 13. Also, since they don't get older in the loop, does this mean that the younger children never get to have dating lives? That just seems extremely unfair since all of the older children keep making bedroom eyes at each other throughout the whole film.

7. On that note, why is there so much romantic tension between Jake and Emma when Emma used to be in love with his GRANDFATHER?

Seriously, do neither of them find that at all weird? I'm pretty sure the only reason she even gave you the time of day is because you look a lot like your grandfather 50 years ago, Jake. I just can't wrap my head around the psychological complications of this particular love scenario.

8. Why did the trailer only devote 3.5 seconds to the Hollows plot line?

That's literally the entire movie. I came into this theater thinking the whole movie was pretty much going to be about a kid finding out he has some cool magical powers. But no, there is this whole awesome backstory that I had no idea was coming. While it was a pleasant surprise, I feel like I was so deceived by the trailer.

9. Why are all of the children's eyes so large?

The more I watch this film, the more it begins to creep me out. I'm especially looking at you, Emma. Are these the actual sizes of the actors' eyes or is this some weird CGI effect? Also, I'm pretty sure if the Hollows needed eyes they could just come after Emma and that would fulfill their entire quota.

10. Why did you drag the invisible kid into the secret lair only to have him do NOTHING?

During the entire climactic fight scene, I was just waiting to see what the significance was of dragging poor Millard with you, but did he have some major role in the rescue mission? No. You made him strip off his clothes so he was invisible, and instead of having him sneak around and put his invisibility to good use by releasing everyone WHILE YOU ALL SERVED AS DISTRACTIONS he literally just wasn't seen again. Why would you set up the suspense like this and then do NOTHING with it?

11. Damn, when did Enoch get so attractive?

Is this because he decided to have a heart and pay attention to Olive? I didn't know a character could Neville-Longbottom so hard throughout the course of a single movie. Like, you creeped me how hard-core 47 minutes ago, and now I'm wondering why they didn't put your beautiful face to better use throughout the film.

12. Why are some of these kids peculiarities significantly better than others?

I feel like this didn't become so apparent until the fight scene, but I'm sorry bee-kid and obsessed-with-clothes kid. Your peculiarities are kind of the worst. I mean, at least you participated, unlike invisible-kid, but you definitely got robbed of the really cool powers.

13. Why haven't the creepily dressed twins just been using their Medusa powers to take care of the Hollows?

You know what would make those things easy to take down? If they were statues instead of invisible beasts. Thank you for making me believe that your peculiarity was just dressing like creepy clowns and then revealing that you had the most useful power out of any of the other children.

14. Why are Jake's parents never seen again?

Do these people literally not care at all that their son magically went missing after that trip to Wales? Sure, say good-bye to your grandfather, but not your parents.

15. What is this ending? Is the boat a new loop? Is Miss Peregrine no longer making loops and this is just real 1943 time now? Is the boat a loop?

I really need a Cliffs Notes version of this ending because the flash between the boat and an injured Miss Peregrine is just too much for me to try to figure out. Do they not need loops anymore? Is everyone safe? Can they all age now? Also, are they just going to ditch Miss Peregrine who raised every single one of them because they don't need her to make loops now?

Basically, I'm just going to have to devote the rest of my week to reading these books and hopefully figuring out these questions. I have learned my lesson: no more interesting movies without background book knowledge.