All in all the island looks really nice and will work great for what we need it for.
 
The top is solid wood but the rest is a softer composite wood covered in the chosen finish. Some of the door/drawer handles were a little nicked but not badly enough to notice unless you're using the handles.

The directions were fairly easy to follow since all the pieces or bags with screws are labeled, you just have to pay attention to the x2 (times 2) and number of screws required for each step. Easy enough for one person to assemble on their own.