A Queer Gothic Horror Mystery

I never meant to become a gothic horror junkie, but here we are. After hunting for a new scare and hearing a rave review on the Reading Glasses podcast (high recommend, by the way), I bumped Avery Curran’s Spoiled Milk to the very top of my TBR list. If you are looking for a comprehensive Spoiled Milk review to decide if this Avery Curran book is for you, you are in the right place.

The pitch? A queer coming-of-age story set in a haunted girls’ boarding school. It sounded like a massive tease, but did it actually live up to the promise? Let’s dive in, shall we?

If you are a fan of dark academia, urban fantasy mysteries, and atmospheric slow-burns, this book is going to be right up your alley. What I loved most about Curran’s work here is the creeping sense of dread, the clever investigative mystery elements, and the unapologetically flawed characters (more on my complicated feelings about Emily later). While the protagonist can be grating, the creeping mystery and impeccable atmosphere more than make up for it.

Murder and Mystery at Briarley School

Spoiled Milk takes place in 1928 at the Briarley School for Girls, an isolated boarding school where a small group of upper-sixth students are preparing to finish their education. The story is narrated by Emily Locke, who is looking back on the events that led to Briarley’s ultimate destruction.

At the center of Emily’s memories is Violet Kirsch, the most admired, intelligent, and beautiful student in their class. When Violet dies under mysterious circumstances, right after a curiously intimate goodnight with the young French teacher, Mademoiselle Lefèvre, grief, suspicion, and jealousy take over. Emily is absolutely convinced the teacher murdered Violet, and she takes it upon herself to prove it.

As Emily and her classmates investigate, Briarley begins to rot from the inside out. Food that looks fresh is full of maggots, the water turns foul, and the girls turn to spiritualism and séances to find the truth.

Dresden Files Vibes in a 1920s Boarding School

Here is my hottest take on this book: it actually reminded me more of a Dresden Files novel than a traditional gothic horror story.

Obviously, there are no fireball-throwing wizards here, but I got the exact same vibes and feel from the way the mystery is set up. The girls are essentially playing supernatural detectives, trying to piece together clues while the environment around them grows increasingly hostile and weird. They are conducting séances, dealing with ectoplasm, and confronting spirits that might not actually be who they claim to be. To me, that is a massive compliment. I love the Dresden novels, and seeing that kind of gritty, investigative momentum applied to a 1920s boarding school kept me turning the pages.

Rot, Decay, and the Claustrophobia of Briarley

If there is one thing Curran absolutely nails, it is the visceral, skin-crawling horror of this setting. The haunting of Briarley isn’t just bumps in the night or cold breezes; it is a physical, rotting infection.

I found the decay in this book to be deeply disturbing, especially the food. There is something profoundly unsettling about the girls sitting down to a meal, terrified that the food they are about to eat might turn to maggots or that the milk might curdle the second it is poured. It turns a basic, everyday necessity into a game of Russian roulette.

Coupled with the rot is an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia. Curran introduces this terrifying ticking clock: a warning that the girls must leave by a certain time, or they will be trapped at the school forever. The tension builds masterfully as the school’s boundaries literally stop behaving normally. When one student finally makes a desperate break for freedom, only to be found dead in the fountain the next morning, the reality of their imprisonment truly sets in. Simply walking away is no longer an option.

Without giving away exactly how the final act plays out, seeing the teachers—the very adults supposed to protect these girls—twist into feral, hollowed-out monsters is a fantastic payoff. It completely flips the traditional boarding school power dynamic on its head and turns the final act into a frantic, terrifying fight for survival.

Unlikable Characters (But It Works)

I have to qualify this review by admitting something: I really did not like Emily. I thought she was annoying, self-centered, and wildly manipulative. Honestly, this novel lacked characters I wholeheartedly liked and rooted for.

But you know what? That isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it’s just different. Emily’s behavior is entirely in line with the story being told, and it is probably exactly how a girl in her position, dealing with grief and jealousy, would act. The tension between the girls, especially between Emily and her rival, Evelyn, as they try to channel Violet’s spirit, is palpable precisely because they are so deeply flawed.

Surviving Briarley

As I’ve said, I genuinely liked this book. Even though I didn’t love the characters as people, I never wanted them dead. In fact, as the supernatural threats escalated and the school began to physically and supernaturally seal them in, I found myself desperately wanting these students to escape.

Maybe I just find teenage girls annoying. Honestly, that is bad news for me, considering I have three girls fast approaching their teenage years. Wish me luck.

Did you read Spoiled Milk? What did you think of the ending? And more importantly, do you find teenage girls as terrifying as I do? Let me know in the comments below!