Suzan wrote:I view Renesmee as being a completely different species with accelerated maturation.
I have to say, that's pretty much how I've always seen it as well. Though I admit it's hard to picture exactly what it means to be growing up at three times the natural rate -- just as it's hard to imagine exactly in what sense the younger Cullens are "frozen" as teenagers. Obviously in some respects Edward is far older than his 17 years and in others clearly he's not (as you say, it would be seriously creepy to really think of someone older than your grandfather having ANY of Edward's teenage interests, not just his romantic ones!).
I take your observation about emotional maturation too, up to a point -- though with ordinary human children I think one should be wary about flexing our conventional expectations too far: sure, children vary, but there are some natural limits to healthy psychological development; I would be cautious where a child appears to be ready for things WAY beyond their chronological age. They're not always as mature as they seem (or claim) to be! But in Renesme's case, that seems beside the point; she's not just "mature for her age"; she's living to a completely different biological clock. At least, that's how I read Stephenie.
I take it, Leah Forever, that this is why we're not all as disturbed as you are by the idea of Jake going out with Nessie in a relatively few years' time. It all depends on how you see her -- a seven year old trapped in a young woman's body, or a being who has in effect time travelled so that she's arrived at her twenty-somethingth year in the time it takes Jake to get seven years older. (Or however it goes; ashamed to say I'm really not up to speed with the technicalities here!)
This is of course a different question from how we feel about wolves imprinting on ordinary children. Of which more later.