When I first opened the box and removed all of the items, I was intimidated. But I separated the items using the item guide and followed the directions as written. It turned out to be pretty easy! It took me about 3 hours to build but I did not experience any frustration throughout the process! Just follow the directions and you'll be good to go! You definitely need a small drill. I gave the bookcase 4 stars because there was a blue mark on one of the shelves and a small chip on another but overall I am satisfied.