Reading proficiency is a fundamental skill for academic success. however, many eighth-grade students struggle to comprehend narrative texts due to linguistic and cognitive challenges. This qualitative case study, conducted at SMP N 1 Banyudono, involved 30 students who completed a reading comprehension test based on Nuttall’s (1982) indicators: identifying the main idea, locating specific information, making inferences, identifying references, and understanding vocabulary. Semi-structured interviews with six students based on reading results and the English teacher provided contextual insights. The results revealed significant difficulties in determining Main Idea (67.50%), finding specific information (53.33%), making inferences (39.17%), identifying references (38.33%), and understanding vocabulary (27.50%). Two factors influence students' reading comprehension: internal factors included limited vocabulary knowledge, insufficient understanding of grammatical structures, ineffective reading strategies, low reading motivation, limited confidence, and inadequate reading habits. The external factors consisted of instructional practices, classroom learning facilities, parental support, peer assistance, learning resources, dictionaries, private tutoring, and digital technology. The study highlights the need for targeted interventions such as vocabulary enrichment and interactive teaching methods to improve narrative text comprehension. These findings offer practical insights for educators and future EFL research.