First off, I want to thank Toy Photographers Blog for reaching out to me to review set 76450: Hogwarts Express Book Nook. I have had my eye on it since the set was announced, and building it was such a fun experience! I want to make a note that while I’m a huge Harry Potter fan, I am here for my love of the story, characters, and the nostalgia it brings to me, not the views of the author. All opinions are my own.

Right out of the box, there was eight bags, two instruction books, and two sticker sheets. I’m personally not the biggest fan of stickers just because I want them to be perfect when placed, especially being a toy photographer. I prefer the Lego separator tool method, which seems to work the best for me personally.

I love sets that require receptive building and the Harry Potter sets are right up there with the architectural repetitiveness I enjoy. Because this set has two sides to create the illusion of being on Platform 9 3/4, the build was almost a mirror image of itself with the train looking as if it’s going through the books, or when put together, like you’re in the station with Harry & Ron.

The main color palette is tan, red, and black with hints of yellow, making the set look so beautiful among the Harry Potter book series.

Some of the details include quotes from Harry & Ron that show on the front of the set when the two sides are closed together. The signs on the walls for OWLS and Fenrir Greyback is a nice touch of detail to the outside.

On the back side of the train, you can see the treats put into the seats which include a chocolate frog & the Bertie Botts Beans, perfect for a long trip to Hogwarts.

Something I wasn’t sure about when building this set was the little rubber wheels on the bottom of the set. At first I thought the parts were for the train, but the wheels seemed too small and were put on their side. But after I finished the set and put the books in between the two halves, I realized the rubber wheels were there to hold the books from sliding. So if you were worried that the set wouldn’t be able to actually steady the books, the designers definitely planned for this with those little rubber feet on the bottom.

And finally, I think my favorite part of this set was the way the designers utilized the reflective stickers. Although I’ve already said how I’m not a big fan of the sticker sheets, the four silver stickers behind the train create the illusion that the train and station are longer than they actually are.

I really enjoyed building this set to go on my Harry Potter shelf. It is the perfect size for any book lover looking to add a little extra magic decoration to their bookshelves. If Lego comes out with a book nook for each of the Hogwarts Houses, Ravenclaw will be the first one I purchase. 😀

Stephanie DeFranco @sdphoto_bricks

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